Best Forward by OPS

Elmer Lach

Elmer Lach’s Career

NHL: 1940-54; 14 seasons, 12 quality
Totals:
- 215G (20th All Time at his retirement),
- 408A (1st – Lach held the career lead in assists from 1951-52 until 1957-58) for
- 623P (2nd – Lach held the career lead in points from 1951-52 until 1953-54) in
- 664 games (8th);
- 61.1 PS (24th)
Per Game: At his retirement, Lach was
- 23rd All Time in GPG,
- 2nd in APG (only 4 qualifying players…) and
- 5th in PPG
At his retirement, Lach was 15th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
Era: Of the 10 players to play in at least 600 games between 1940 and 1954, as only 3 players played in 650 games, Lach is
- 5th in Goals and GPG,
- 1st in Assists and APG,
- 2nd in Points, PPG and Games,
- 3rd in OPS,
- 4th in PS
82-game average: 26G, 50A for 77P
3-year peak (1942-45): 50-game average of 24G, 50A for 73P
Playoffs:
- 19G,
- 45A (Lach held the career record for playoff assists from 1952 until 1957)
- 64P in
- 76 games;
- Lach held the career record for playoff APG, among all qualifying players, from 1946 until 1952.
Adjusted:
- Hockey-Reference:
  - 248G, 568A 816P
  - Adjusted 82-game: 31G, 70A for 101P
  - Per Game: Lach is
    - 8th All Time in Adjusted APG and
    - 16th in Adjusted PPG
- VsX:
  - 351G, 804A, 930P [Stats calculated separately, relative to others, so they don’t add up]
  - Per Game: Lach is
    - 7th All Time in APG
    - 21st All Time in PPG
Never traded.

Is Maurice Richard the Greatest Goal Scorer of All Time?

Career

NHL: 1942-60; 18 seasons, 16 quality
Totals:
- 544G (1st All Time at his retirement[1. The career record holder until 1963]),
- 421A (3rd) for
- 965P (2nd[2. Richard was the NHL’s career leader in points from 1953-54 until 1959-60]) in 9
- 78 games (2nd);
- 125.3 PS (2nd)
Richard is 13th All Time in GPG[3. At his retirement he was 12th – minimum 500 games] and, at his retirement, he was 19th in PPG[4. Minimum 500 games and also he was 1st All Time briefly during the 1951-52 season]
At his retirement, Richard was 2nd All Time in Offensive Point Shares[5. Richard was the career leader in Offensive Point Shares from the 1956-57 season to the next season]
Era: Richard is 1st in Goals, GPG, Points, PPG, OPS, PS and Games, 3rd in Assists and APG[6. Of the 5 players to play in at least 850 games between 1942 and 1960, as only two players played 950 games and only three played in 900 games during that span]
82-game average: 46G, 35A for 81P
3-year peak (1943-46): 50-game average of 37G, 23A for 60P
Playoffs:
- 82G (8th All Time),[7. Richard held the career record in playoff goals from 1947 until 1986]
- 44A for
- 126P[8. Richard held the career record in playoff points from 1951 until 1964] in
- 133 games
- Richard is currently 4th All Time in playoff GPG[9. Richard held the career playoff GPG record from 1946 until 1956 and again from 1957 until 1981][10. Richard held the career playoff PPG record from 1949 until 1952]
Adjusted:
- Hockey Reference:
  - 653G (9th All Time), 576A for 1229P (25th)
  - Adjusted 82-game average: 55G, 48A for 103P
  - If the qualifier is set at 500 games, Richard is 24th All Time in Adjusted PPG[11. If the qualifier is set to 750 games, Richard is 4th All Time]
- VsX:
Never traded.

Doug Bentley

Doug Bentley’s Career

NHL: 1939-44; 1945-52; 1953-54; 13 seasons, 10 quality
Totals:
- 219G (18th All Time at his retirement),
- 324A (4th) for
- 543P (6th) in
- 566 games;
- 48.9 PS
At his retirement, Bentley was 8th All Time in GPG, 3rd in APG, and 4th in PPG
Era: Bentley is 5th in Goals, 3rd in GPG, 2nd in Assists, APG and PPG, 4th in Points, 6th in OPS, 10th in PS and 16th in Games[2. Of the 18 players to play in at least 550 games between 1939 and 1954]
82-game average: 32G, 47A for 79P
3-year peak (1942-46): 48-game average of 31G, 35A for 66P
Playoffs: 9G, 8A for 17P in 23 games
Adjusted:
- Hockey Reference:
  - 260G, 468A for 728P
  - Adjusted 82-game average: 38G, 68A for 105P
  - If the qualifier is set to 500 games, Bentley is 21st All Time in Adjusted PPG
- VsX:
Traded once at the very end of his career.

Alexander Ovechkin

Note: Ovechkin is currently active so this post may not reflect the current hockey season.

Evgeni Malkin

Note: Evgeni Malkin is still active so this page may not be up-to-date during the hockey season.

David Sweeney Schriner

Sweeney Schriner’s Career

NHL: 1934-43, 1944-46; 11 seasons, 10 quality
Totals:
- 201G (14th All Time at his retirement),
- 204A (14th) for
- 405P (12th) in
- 484 games
Per Game: At his retirement, Schriner was 8th All Time in GPG
- He doesn’t qualify for the APG or PPG leader-boards but, if the qualifier is set to 300 GP, at his retirement, Schriner was
  - 13th in APG and
  - 10th in PPG
Era: Of the 18 players who managed to play in at least 450 games between 1934 and 1946, Schriner is
- 5th in Goals and Points,
- 2nd in GPG,
- 7th in Assists and APG,
- 3rd in PPG and OPS,
- 8th in PS and
- 15th in Games
82-game average: 34G, 34A for 69P
3-year peak (1941-45): 48-game average of 29G, 22A for 51P
Playoffs: 18G, 11A for 29P in 59 games
Adjusted:
- Hockey-Reference:
  - 294G, 370A for 664P
  - Adjusted 82-game average: 50G, 63A for 112P
  - Per Game:
    - 17th All Time in Adjusted GPG
    - Schriner doesn’t qualify for APG or PPG
- VsX:
  - 417G
  - 509A
  - 829P
  - Per Game:
    - 9th All Time in VsX Adjusted GPG
    - 13th All Time in VsX Adjusted APG
    - 5th All Time in VsX Adjusted PPG
Trades:
- Traded at 27 for Busher Jackson (28), Buzz Boll (28), Doc Romnes (30), Jimmy Fowler (24), Murray Armstrong (23)

Sidney Crosby

Note: Sidney Crosby is still active so this page may not be up-to-date during the hockey season.

Charlie Conacher

Career

NHL: 1929-1941; 12 seasons, 10 quality
Totals:
- 225G (6th All Time at his retirement),
- 173A (15th) for
- 398P (6th) in
- 459 games;
- 66.6 PS (10th)
At his retirement, Conacher was 3rd in GPG, 7th in APG and 2nd in PPG[1. Minimum 300 games]
At his retirement, Conacher was 5th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
Era: Conacher is 1st in Goals, GPG, Points, PPG and OPS, 6th in Assists, 3rd in APG and PS, and 16th in Games[2. Of the 37 players to play in 400 games between 1929 and 1941]
82-game average: 40G, 31A for 71P
3-year peak (1933-36): 48-game average of 33G, 20A for 53P
Playoffs: 17G, 18A for 35P in 49 games
Conacher briefly shared the record for career playoff goals at the end of the 1939-40 season
Conacher held the record for career playoff APG from 1939 until the 1944 playoffs
Adjusted: 393G, 399A for 792P
Adjusted 82-game average: 70G, 71A for 141P
If the qualifier is set at 300 games, Conacher is 10th All Time in Adjusted PPG
Traded twice at the end of his career.

Robert Nels Stewart

Nels Stewart’s Career

NHL: 1925-1940; 15 seasons, 13 quality[1. By modern PPG standards]
Totals:
- 324G (1st All Time at his retirement),
- 191A (5th) for
- 515P (1st) in
- 650 games (3rd);
- 96.9 PS (3rd)
- Stewart was the NHL career goals leader from the 1936-37 season until 1952
- Stewart was the NHL career points leader from the 1938-39 season until the 1944-45 season
- At his retirement, Stewart was 2nd All Time in Offensive Point Shares
Per Game:
- Stewart is 20th All time in GPG;
- At his retirement, Stewart was
  - 4th All Time in GPG
  - 1st All Time in PPG (but he was the only qualifying player…)
  - Stewart doesn’t qualify for the APG leader-board, however if the qualifier is set to 500 games played, Stewart waas 10th All Time at his retirement
- Stewart was the NHL career PPG leader from the 1938-39 season (the first time anyone qualifies for the HR leader boards) to the 1945-46 season
Era: Of the 21 players to play in at least 500 games between 1925 and 1950Stewart is
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points, PPG, OPS, PS and Games,
- 4th in Assists, and
- 8th in APG
82-game average: 41G, 24A for 65P
3-year peak (1929-32): 44 game average of 30G, 14A for 45P
Playoffs:
- 9G (t-24th All Time at his retirement)
- 12A fo (t-11th)
- 21P (t-19th) in
- 50 games (12th)
Adjusted:
- Hockey Reference:
  - 587G (22nd All Time), 583A for 1170P
  - Adjusted 82-game average: an absurd 74G, 74A for 148P
  - Per Game:
    - 4th All Time in Adjusted GPG
    - 1st All Time in Adjusted PPG
    - (Doesn’t qualify for APG)
- VsX:
  - 592G
  - 568A
  - 1,106P
  - Per Game:
    - 6th All Time in VsX Adjusted GPG
    - 7th All Time in VsX Adjusted APG
Trades:
- Traded at 29 for cash
- Traded at 30 with Joe Jerwa (29) for cash but traded back at 31 when the agreement fell through
- Traded at 31 for cash

Bill Cook

Bill Cook’s Career

1926-1937; 11 seasons, 9 quality (by modern PPG standards)
Totals:
- 229G (5th All Time at his retirement),
- 138A (12th) for
- 367P (5th) in
- 474 games (19th);
- 72.5 PS (7th)
At his retirement, Cook was 5th All Time in GPG, 15th in APG and 9th in PPG
At his retirement, Cook was 4th in OPS
Era: For players to play at least 300 games between 1926 and 1937 Cook is
- 2nd in Goals,
- 3rd in GPG,
- 11th in Assists,
- 15th in APG,
- 4th in Points,
- 8th in PPG,
- 3rd in Offensive Point Shares,
- 5th in Point Shares and
- 11th in Games
82-game average: 40G, 24A for 63P
3-year peak (1929-32): 44-game average of 30G, 18A for 49P
Playoffs: 13G, 11A for 24P in 46 games
Adjusted:
- Hockey-Reference:
  - 422G, 450A for 872P
  - Adjusted 82-game average: 73G, 78A for 151P
  - Per Game:
    - Cook is 5th All Time in Adjusted GPG
    - Cook doesn’t meet the qualifiers for APG or PPG but if the qualifier is set to 82-games, Cook is 18th All Time in Adjusted PPG (If the qualifier is raised to 300 he is 6th All Time)
VsX:
- Goals: 452
- Assists: Doesn’t qualify (855-452=403)
- Points: 855
- Per Game:
  - 4th All Time in GPG
  - Doesn’t qualify for APG
  - 3rd All Time in PPG
Traded into the NHL for money.