The Top Five Left Wingers In Edmonton Oilers Franchise History

3. Craig Simpson

When talking about some of the best Oilers players during their dynasty years in the 80’s, Craig Simpsons name is often one that fails to be mentioned. He was often overshadowed due to the many other superstars on those teams, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was a great player in his own right.

Simpson began his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins but was traded just part way into his third season in a blockbuster move that saw himself, Dave Hannan, Chris Joseph and Moe Mantha head to Edmonton in exchange for Paul Coffey, Wayne Van Dorp and Dave Hunter. Simpson was hot from the get go as an Oiler as he put up 43 goals after the trade in just 59 games.

Simpson played a total of six seasons with the Oilers, scoring north of 20 goals in all of them. He also helped them win two Stanley Cups in 1988 and 1990. He was especially huge for their 1990 Cup win, as his 16 goals in just 22 games led all Oilers skaters. Unfortunately, nagging back injuries slowed down his play near the end of his time in Edmonton, and after leaving the team in 1992-93 he played just two more seasons before being forced to retire at the age of 28 as a result. While it was a short career it was a very good one nonetheless, proven by the fact that his shooting percentage of 23.66 per cent is the best in NHL history for all players with 80 or more shots.