Is Peter Forsberg the best forward that never scored more than 30 goals?

[SillyRabbit]

Outside of his two seasons in Boston it’s Adam Oates

So you picked a player who scored way more than 30 goals in a season, and who wasn't better than Forsberg?

 

[Gerulaitis]

These have never scored 30 in an NHL season:

Ace Bailey

Bryan Hextall

Vladimir Krutov

Helmuts Balderis

 

[Bear of Bad News]

So you picked a player who scored way more than 30 goals in a season, and who wasn't better than Forsberg?

You do have to admit that other than the seasons where he scored more than 30 goals, he never was able to accomplish this. That's objectively a fact.

 

[MadLuke]

I feel the spirit of the question would exclude soviet that did not play a whole nhl season in their life (or it would become a conversation about the best soviet here).

 

[MadArcand]

I feel the spirit of the question would exclude soviet that did not play a whole nhl season in their life (or it would become a conversation about the best soviet here).

Or one could just wave a Nighbor around, but again... not the point I'd say.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Way overrated

 

[Gerulaitis]

I feel the spirit of the question would exclude soviet that did not play a whole nhl season in their life (or it would become a conversation about the best soviet here).

That's why I brought up Krutov who was a monster in the 80s like Bossy and Makarov

 

[MadLuke]

That's why I brought up Krutov who was a monster in the 80s like Bossy and Makarov

But Krutov was leading his league at least a couple of time in goals, scored a lot of them in the Canada cup, olympics, worlds, etc...

The only reason he never scored 30 in the nhl, it is because he virtually never played in the nhl.

Makarov, Petrov, Kharlamov, Larionov also never scored more than 30 in the nhl, a long list of the great soviet did not.

We could end up with answering Gretzky the best forward to never score 25 goals for CKSA moscow question, technically true but not in the spirit of it (restricting it to player that played in the nhl in their prime and did not score 30 when it was possible).

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

There's a bunch of O6 era guys with a claim. A bit facetious because it was more a product of the era than skill

 

[Gerulaitis]

But Krutov was leading his league at least a couple of time in goals, scored a lot of them in the Canada cup, olympics, worlds, etc...

The only reason he never scored 30 in the nhl, it is because he virtually never played in the nhl.

Makarov, Petrov, Kharlamov, Larionov also never scored more than 30 in the nhl, a long list of the great soviet did not.

We could end up with answering Gretzky the best forward to never score 25 goals for CKSA moscow question, technically true but not in the spirit of it (restricting it to player that played in the nhl in their prime and did not score 30 when it was possible).

Actually, I wonder how many goals Gretzky would have scored playing in the Soviet league.


Probably a lot if he was with the Central Army Club. And not much if he played for one of the bottom feeders

 

[VanIslander]

Actually, I wonder how many goals Gretzky would have scored playing in the Soviet league.


Probably a lot if he was with the Central Army Club. And not much if he played for one of the bottom feeders

Because we all know Getz wasn't the straw that stirs the drink.

He ain't no Balderis going from Latvia to Russia.

Absurd.

 

[Overrated]

I feel the spirit of the question would exclude soviet that did not play a whole nhl season in their life (or it would become a conversation about the best soviet here).

Well yeah Makarov never got more than 30 I see...

Actually, I wonder how many goals Gretzky would have scored playing in the Soviet league.


Probably a lot if he was with the Central Army Club. And not much if he played for one of the bottom feeders

Balderis scored a lot more at Riga than at CSKA. If you wanna stat pad being on a weaker team with a solid single line while having the entire game revolve around you can actually improve your numbers believe it or not. Gretzky would have likely done extremely well. His game wasn't built for the NHL anyways. He was way too cerebral for the lumberjack style hockey that was being played back then.

 

[Albatros]

Gretzky would have been quite similar to Larionov, of course something of an upgrade but it wouldn't necessarily have changed the bigger picture much.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

For what it's worth, here are the players with the best 7 year VsX scores (for goal scoring), with a career high of less than 30:

Player	7 YEAR	max
Busher Jackson	45.6	28​
Sweeney Schriner	44.3	24​
Bryan Hextall	46.3	27​
Toe Blake	42.3	29​
Syl Apps Sr	41.6	26​
Marty Barry	45.6	27​
Aurel Joliat	41.2	28​
Cecil Dillon	43.6	25​
Woody Dumart	38.0	24​
Ted Kennedy	38.0	29​
Milt Schmidt	36.9	27​
Gordie Drillon	46.9	28​
Harry Watson	35.4	26​
Dick Duff	34.1	29​
Johnny Gottselig	34.2	21​
Bun Cook	35.0	24​
Paul Thompson	37.7	22​
Larry Aurie	34.2	23​
Herbie Lewis	33.6	20​
Bob Pulford	32.0	28​

If we include players who reached exactly 30, we'd add Roy Conacher (49.6!), Bill Cowley (37.2), and Henri Richard (37.2) - among a few others.

Most of these players are pre-expansion. Same thing if we limit it to 1968 onwards:

Player	7 year	max
Andrew Ladd	30.3	29​
Blake Wheeler	29.9	28​
Ryan O'Reilly	27.8	28​
Bobby Holik	27.5	29​
Brad Richards	27.4	28​
Cory Stillman	27.3	27​
Nikolaj Ehlers	27.2	29​
Brayden Schenn	26.7	28​
Jakub Voracek	26.4	23​
Ryan Callahan	26.3	29​
Marco Sturm	26.3	29​
Alex Tanguay	26.2	29​
David Perron	26.1	28​
Derek Sanderson	26.1	29​
Tomas Plekanec	25.9	29​
Sergei Samsonov	25.8	29​
Tomas Tatar	25.8	29​
Nino Niederreiter	25.4	25​
Yanic Perreault	25.3	28​
Troy Brouwer	24.9	25​

If we include players who reached exactly 30, we'd add Evander Kane (32.6), Patrick Hornqvist (29.0), and Peter Forsberg (28.2).

As most of us know, VsX is based on regular season production over full seasons. Therefore someone like Forsberg (who stepped up his goal scoring in the playoffs, and who had some good partial seasons ie 1997 & 2004) would be underrated here.

 

[VanIslander]

• 1. Gottselig.
  There continues to show evidence of his greatness.
  
• 2. Wheeler.
  He is the greatest passing winger since Lafleur, Bathgate... like Kane.
  
• 3. Holik.
  Bobby was vaulted until he signed that huge deal and was expected to play a 1st line role?