Earlier this week, I wrote a post which ranked the top 5 centermen in Edmonton Oilers history. While ranking lists are often subjective, most seemed to agree with this one given that the choices were all pretty well slam dunks.
Today’s list may not go over quite as well with the masses. While the Oilers have had some great left-wingers over the years, there aren’t as many easy choices to make for their top five in history like they were for the center position. Here’s a look at who I came up with.
5. Ken Linseman
While Ken Linseman’s time in an Oilers sweater was short, he certainly made it memorable. The now 63-year-old, who enjoyed an 860-game career had two stints in Edmonton. The first came in 1982-83 after he was acquired in a trade from the Hartford Whalers. In his first season with his new team he made major contributions, scoring 33 goals and 75 points in 72 games, all while maintaining his agitating playing style which earned him the nickname ‘The Rat’.
The following season saw Linseman record 18 goals and 67 points in 75 games. While his regular season was solid, he was able to really pick it up in the playoffs that year, scoring 10 goals and 14 points in 19 games, which helped the Oilers win their first ever Stanley Cup. Despite his contributions however, he was traded that offseason to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Mike Krushelnyski.
Linseman made his way back to the Oilers ahead of the 1990-91 season, but it was quite apparent by that time that he was not the player he once was. In 56 games that season he put up seven goals and 36 points. He was once again in the offseason, this time to the Toronto Maple Leafs who he only played in two games with, which were the final two of his NHL career. In total he appeared in 200 games with the Oilers, scoring 58 goals and 178 points, while throughout his entire career he had 256 goals and 807 points.