Of course Steve Yzerman belongs in the HOF. But what we really want to know is, how good was he? Where does he rank all time?
In our latest episode, we discuss just how good he was, and his remarkable transition from elite offensive player to Selke winner.
You can listen here:
Yzerman’s stats:
Career:
- 1983-2006; 22 seasons, 21 quality
- 692G (9th All Time), 1063A (9th) for 1755P (7th) in 1514 games (20th, 10th at his retirement), +184; 166.6 PS (25th, 11th All Time at his retirement); 19:12 ATOI (since 1998-99)
- Yzerman is 16th All Time in PPG
- Yzerman is 8th All Time in Offensive Point Shares (5th at his retirement)
- Draft: 4th overall in the 1983 Entry Draft, Yzerman is:
- 1st in Goals
- 1st in Assists
- 1st in Points
- 1st in Plus/Minus
- 1st in Point Shares
- Era: Only four players played 1500 games between 1983 and 2006 (see brackets for rank), so of the 26 players to play in at least 1,250 games between 1983 and 2006, Yzerman is
- 2nd in Goals (1st)
- 3rd in GPG (1st)
- 3rd in Assists (2nd)
- 5th in APG (2nd)
- 1st in Points
- 1st in PPG
- 7th in Plus/Minus (2nd)
- 1st in Offensive Point Shares
- 3rd in Point Shares (1st)
- 82-game average: 38G, 57A for 95P, +10
- 3-year peak (1987-90): 82-game average of 65G, 75A for 140P, +15
- Retired two seasons before possession stats were tracked
- Playoffs: 70G (17th All Time), 115A (14th) for 185P (11th), -11 in 196 games (23rd)
- Adjusted: 644G, 1006A for 1650P
- Adjusted 82-game average: 34G, 54A for 89P
- Yzerman is not in the Top 25 for any adjusted per game stats
- No trades, obviously.
Accomplishments:
- Conn Smythe (‘98)
- Lindsay (‘89)
- Selke (‘00)
- Masterton (‘03)
- Top 5 in Hart voting twice
- Top 5 in Selke voting a further three times
- Top 5 in Calder voting
- Top 5 Player (by PS) twice (‘89, ‘90), Top 10 four times (‘88, ‘93)
- Best Offensive Player (by OPS) once (‘90), Top 5 four times (‘89, ‘91, ‘93), Top 10 six times (’88, ‘92)
- Top 5 in Goals three times, Top 10 six times
- Top 5 in GPG four times, Top 10 six times
- Top 5 in Assists twice, Top 10 five times
- Top 5 in APG twice, Top 10 five times
- Top 5 in Points three times, Top 10 six times
- Top 5 in PPG four times, Top 10 seven times
- Top 10 in Plus/Minus
- Goals:
- 65 goals once (1 of only 12 players ever)
- 60 goals twice (1 of only 8 players)
- 55 goals three times (1 of only 10 players)
- 50 goals five times (1 of only 11 players)
- 45 goals six times (1 of only 11 players)
- 35 goals nine times (1 of only 9 players)
- 30 goals eleven times (1 of only 19 players)
- 25 goals twelve times
- 20 goals fifteen times
- Assists:
- 90 assists once (1 of only 11 players ever)
- 70 assists twice
- 60 assists four times
- 50 assists eleven times (1 of only 12 players)
- 40 assists thirteen times (1 of only 13 players)
- Points:
- 150 points once (1 of only 5 players ever)
- 130 points twice (1 of only 8 players)
- 120 points three times (1 of only 12 players)
- 100 points six times (1 of only 15 players)
- 90 points eleven times (1 of only 11 players)
- 80 points twelve times (1 of only 6 players)
- 70 points fourteen times (1 of only 8 players)
- 60 points fifteen times (1 of only 13 players)
- 50 points seventeen times (1 of only 18 players)
- 1st Team All Star once (!!!), 1st Team All Rookie
- 9 All Star Games
- Three Stars:
- Rookie of the Month once
Great Teams:
- NHL:
- Best Player (MVP, led playoffs in assists and points) on one Champion (‘98 Red Wings)
- Best Skater (by points) on one Final Four (‘87 Red Wings)
- Top 3 Forward on one Champion (‘02 Red Wings)
- Top 3 Forward (by points – tied for lead but a minus player) on one Final Four (‘96 Red Wings)
- Top 6? Forward (by points – tied with Kozlov but fewer goals) on one Champion (‘97 Red Wings)
- Top 6 Forward (by points, but missed games) on one Runner Up (‘95 Red Wings)
- Olympics:
- Top 3 Forward (by points) on one Champion (‘02 Canada)
- World Cup/Canada Cup:
- Top 9??? Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (‘96 Canada)
- Role Player (by points, injured?) on one Champion (‘84 Canada)
- World Championships:
- Top 3 Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (‘89 Canada)
- Top 3? Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (‘85 Canada)
- WJCs:
- Top 6? Forward (by points) on one Bronze (‘83 Canada)