Edmonton Oilers All Time Roster: Right Wing

We are nearing the end of the All Time Roster for the Edmonton Oilers! I started with the Goalies, Defensemen, and Left Wing last weekend. Today, I look at the Right Wing for the Edmonton Oilers, where it features an awesome top two.

Same rules apply: It’s the best Oilers at their position and the impact they had on the team. Jiri Dopita does not make the list. Ever.

1.Jari Kurri

Easily the best Right Winger in Edmonton Oilers History is Jari Kurri. Kurri was Jerry Lewis to Wayne Gretzky’s Dean Martin. Kurri was one of the first true notable Finnish Hockey players to play in the NHL with a semblance of an impact, and boy, did he ever have one. Kurri was known for being Gretzky’s wing man but was a complete hockey player, where it’s a criminal shame that Kurri was not a Selke Trophy Winner. Kurri sits second in all time scoring with the Edmonton Oilers, with 1043 points in just 754 games played. Kurri never posted less than 32 goals as an Edmonton Oiler and notched career highs in both goals (71) and points (135) in 1984-85. Kurri was one of the few Edmonton Oilers to be part of all five Stanley Cup Championships. He left the Oilers after the 1990 cup run later reuniting in Los Angeles with Gretzky for five seasons and would end his career with stints in both Anaheim and Colorado. Kurri was introduced into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. His Jersey Number was retired in 2001.

2.Glenn Anderson

One of the most interesting players to play for the Edmonton Oilers, Glenn Anderson was a key cog of the five Stanley Cup winning teams for the Edmonton Oilers dynasty. Often playing Right Wing to Mark Messier, Anderson was a reckless high flying and exciting sniper. Sporting one of the best moustaches in Edmonton Oilers history, Anderson had career highs in both goals and points in 1985-86, with 54 and 102 points respectively. Anderson was an interesting character as he seemed to be from another planet (which, with the resemblance of the late Robin Williams, earned his nickname of Mork). Anderson ended his career with 498 goals, just two short of the elite 500 goal club. Anderson would be traded with Grant Fuhr to Toronto in 1991, but would later be part of the 1994 Stanley Cup winning team with former Oiler teammates like Esa Tikkanen, Mark Messier and Kevin Lowe. He would make stops in Finland and Switzerland and would have stops in St Louis and Edmonton. He was introduced into the Hall of Fame in 2008-09 and would have his number 9 retired.

3.Ales Hemsky

I have a confession to make: I was never a huge Ales Hemsky fan. Even though he played for my hometown, Hull (now Gatineau) Olympiques in juniors and spent most of his career in Edmonton, I can’t say I was a big Hemsky booster. He always left me wanting more: he was skilled as hell, but I felt the work ethic could have been better and he was very injury prone. That said, I had to ignore my biases and admit: Hemsky is up there for the All Time Roster. In fact, in terms of point production, he’s third behind only Kurri and Anderson, with 447 points in 652 games. Hemsky had a career high in points in 2005-06 with 77 points. It was also the season where he came the closest to playing a full season with 81 games. That was a reccuring theme with Hemsky in Edmonton: Injuries. Last season was the first time Hemsky hit the 70 games played mark, the last time he hit that mark was in 2008-09. Hemsky was traded to the Ottawa Senators at the Trade Deadline in 2013-14, and would join Jason Spezza in Dallas where he currently plays.

4. Jordan Eberle

Eberle joins Taylor Hall as the latest Current Oiler to make the all time list and I had a hard choice between him and Bill Guerin. I went with Eberle in terms of total production and time played as an Oiler, but it was a close battle for the last spot for Right Wing. Eberle was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, 22nd Overall from the Regina Pats in 2008. I remember mock drafts having him going to the Oilers and considering Eberle was an Oilers fan growing up, it was an instant match. Eberle became famous for his World Juniors game tying goal in the semi finals against Russia and would spend time with Regina and Springfield before making his NHL debut in 2010-11 with fellow rookie, Taylor Hall. Eberle sits 16th all time in points scored for the Oilers with 324 poitns in 410 games played. He had a career high 76 points in 2011-12 and has been a consistent point threat notching sixty points in the two non lockout shortened seasons after wards. Eberle has an elite shot and is one of the best pure snipers currently on the Edmonton Oilers.

Honorable Mention: Bill Guerin. Bill Guerin was one of my favorite Edmonton Oilers growing up and I absolutely loved his gritty game. However, he spent a short time in Edmonton and had his best years in Boston. He was close to over taking the four spot for best Right Wing, but ultimately I gave it to Jordan Eberle. Another mention is Petr Klima, the enigmatic Right Winger that was once called a “coach killer”. Still, he was an important cog to the Oilers success during the 1990 Stanley Cup victory and was a piece in the Jimmy Carson trade along with Joe Murphy and Adam Graves.

Up next week, will be the grand finale of the All Time Roster with an appearance of some guys named the Great One and Moose. Some no names, probably never heard of them.