The Top Five Centermen In Edmonton Oilers History
Despite their struggles in more recent years, there were very few, if any, teams who had a dynasty as dominant as the Edmonton Oilers did in the 1980s.
The Edmonton Oilers lineup featured a number of players who went on to have Hall of Fame careers, as well as many other great talents who never got the recognition they deserved due to playing behind some of the biggest superstars the game has ever seen.
After the great run in the ’80s, the Oilers have gone through some pretty dark times as an organization. Sure, there have been some successful seasons, but there were also some very rough ones, proven by the fact they picked first overall four times in six drafts from 2010-2015.
Thankfully, things appear to be on the up and up for the Oilers, who have some of the best top-end talent in the entire game. In fact, on this list that will review the top five centermen ever in Oilers history, there are a few faces that fans of this current team will find very familiar. Let’s take a look at them and the others who make up this list.
5. Doug Weight
During the 1992-93 season, the Oilers made an unpopular but in hindsight great trade when they chose to deal forward Esa Tikkanen to the New York Rangers in exchange for a forward by the name of Doug Weight. Though Edmonton fans didn’t know much about the player they acquired at the time, it didn’t take them long to figure out just how special he was.
Prior to the trade, Weight’s career-high in points was just 31, but in his first full season with the Oilers, he went off for 24 goals and 74 points. He went on to have several more successful years in Edmonton including a career-high 104 points in the 1995-96 season.
His 577 points during his time wearing copper and blue are seventh all-time in franchise history, while his 1033 career points rank eighth all-time amongst American-born skaters. Perhaps even more impressive when it comes to his time in Edmonton is that he was able to post those numbers while playing on what for the most part were pretty weak teams.
4. Leon Draisaitl
While it was impossible to know at the time, the third overall pick the Oilers had at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft turned out to be miles more valuable than any of the three first overall picks they had from 2010-2012. After selecting Leon Draisaitl with that said pick, Edmonton management made the decision to keep him up with the big club that very next fall. That turned out to be a mistake as he had just two goals and nine points in 37 contests before being sent back to the Western Hockey League.
Thankfully, those struggles turned out to be very short-lived, as Draisaitl recorded 51 points in Edmonton the very next season and looked every bit like the player both the fans and organization had hoped for. As it turns out, that was only the beginning. The 25-year-old is now regarded as one of the game’s elite talents and already has both a Hart and Art Ross Trophy, as well as a Ted Lindsay Award, under his belt.
Through 478 career NHL games, Draisaitl has scored 199 goals and 506 points. His totals in the past two seasons of 74 goals and 194 points in just 127 games prove just how dominant he has become. Expect more of the same from the German-born center in years to come.
3. Connor McDavid
It won’t take very long for Connor McDavid to climb this list when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers franchise. In fact, some will argue he should already be higher. Regardless, everyone can agree that the 24-year-old first overall pick from the 2015 draft is flat-out special and will go down as one of the best hockey players of all time.
Heading into his draft year, scouts and analysts raved that McDavid was the best player to be drafted since Sidney Crosby back in 2005 and they were right on the money with their assessment. He has not had a season under a point per game in the NHL and already has four seasons of more than 100 points, including the shortened 2020-21 campaign in which he put up a ridiculous 33 goals and 105 points in just 56 games.
It seems crazy to say given how young he is, but McDavid is already a guaranteed Hall of Famer. He already has three Art Ross Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, and two Harts to his name, and the scary thing is he is only getting better. Oilers fans should be counting their blessings.
2. Mark Messier
While some may argue that Mark Messier should be behind McDavid on this list, it can’t be said enough just how valuable he was to the Oilers during their success in the 80’s. In all honesty, he is a better player than the majority of any other franchise’s best centerman of all time, and the fact he may be considered third for Edmonton in some fans’ minds speaks to just how much superstar talent they have had.
Messier suited up for 851 games with the Oilers while recording 1034 points, which ranks third all time in franchise history. On top of his fantastic offensive abilities, he was also as feared as they came and sits fourth in franchise history for penalty minutes with 1124.
Perhaps Messier’s greatest feat during his time as an Oiler came during the 1989-90 season where, despite losing Wayne Gretzky to a trade, was able to lead the team to their fifth Stanley Cup Championship. It was at that time that he proved just how special he was. He is now regarded as one of the best to ever play the game, and his 1887 career points are good enough for third all time in NHL history.
1. Wayne Gretzky
While a few on this list will likely be debated, having Gretzky at number one for the Edmonton Oilers is a decision that was very much a given. ‘The Great One’ is widely considered to be the best hockey player of all time, and very well may be the most dominant athlete ever to be seen in any professional sport.
Gretzky’s best season point-wise came in 1985-86, where he recorded an NHL record 215 points. Even more impressive was that it marked the third straight year he had put up more than 200 points, something he accomplished four times in his historic career. To help put into perspective just how ridiculous his 1985-86 season was, the second-highest scorer in the league that year was Mario Lemieux with 141 points.
Gretzky finished with 1669 points as an Oiler, and 2857 in his entire career. Had he not scored a single goal in his career, his 1963 assists would still lead all players in points in NHL history. There will never be another player that comes anywhere close to dominating the game of hockey like Gretzky did, making it very obvious why his number 99 is retired league-wide.