A common way of measuring how good players are offensively around here is to count top-5, top-10 and top-20 finishes in goals, assists and points (see, for instance http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=614595 and http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=633070). While I think it's a relatively good way of comparing players I feel it punishes players who misses 10-15 games in a season disproportionally. For instance, let's say Crosby finishes outside the top-10 in scoring this season. Just comparing top-10 finishes would then ignore his amazing play the during the first half of the season. An alternative way is then to use top-10 finishes in ppg. That, on the other hand gives too much credit for players who are injured often.
I'll propose a different way of measuring elite offensive production. The idea is that players scoring at a top-10 pace should be rewarded for that but only in relation too how many games they actually played. Specifically, I consider a player scoring at a top-10 pace if he has at least as high ppg as the player with the 10th highest ppg of those playing at least half of the games in a season. I then summarize the amount of games each player has played at such a pace. Additionally, I adjust the season-length to a 82-game schedule since modern players otherwise would have an unfair advantage due to playing more games each season. I only consider games played in the NHL.
Let me exemplify this method taking Maurice Richard's season in 57/58. In this season he scored 34 points in 28 games. Of all the players who played at least half the season (35 games) the player with the 10th highest ppg was Alex Delvecchio who scored 59 points in 70 games. Clearly Richard scored at a higher pace than that so he gets credited for having scored at a top-10 pace for 28*(82/70)=33 games.
This is the top-50 in games played scoring at a top-5 pace:
Rank|Player|GP at top-5 pace
1. | Gordie Howe | 1589
2. | Wayne Gretzky | 1103
3. | Maurice Richard | 882
4. | Mario Lemieux | 815
5. | Stan Mikita | 785
6. | Bobby Hull | 777
7. | Jean Beliveau | 700
8. | Jaromir Jagr | 680
9. | Phil Esposito | 651
10. | Cy Denneny | 632
11. | Syl Apps | 607
12. | Andy Bathgate | 569
13. | Marcel Dionne | 492
14. | Bobby Orr | 480
15. | Bernie Geoffrion | 477
15. | Ted Lindsay | 477
15. | Howie Morenz | 477
18. | Guy Lafleur | 474
19. | Babe Dye | 460
20. | Doug Bentley | 455
21. | Bill Cowley | 437
22. | Sidney Crosby | 415
23. | Charlie Conacher | 404
24. | Elmer Lach | 399
25. | Alex Ovechkin | 396
26. | Mike Bossy | 392
27. | Busher Jackson | 379
28. | Joe Sakic | 377
29. | Peter Forsberg | 346
30. | Joe Malone | 343
31. | Eric Lindros | 338
32. | Marty Barry | 326
33. | Nels Stewart | 322
34. | Max Bentley | 315
35. | Steve Yzerman | 311
36. | Bryan Trottier | 309
37. | Jari Kurri | 301
38. | Newsy Lalonde | 290
39. | Sweeney Schriner | 289
40. | Dickie Moore | 269
41. | Bill Cook | 246
41. | Martin St. Louis | 246
43. | Toe Blake | 244
44. | Ken Hodge | 243
45. | Frank Boucher | 242
46. | Markus Naslund | 241
47. | Joe Thornton | 240
48. | Evgeni Malkin | 239
49. | Peter Stastny | 237
50. | Milt Schmidt | 235
Next is the top-50 in games played scoring at a top-10 pace:
Rank|Player|GP at top-10 pace
1. | Gordie Howe | 1671
2. | Wayne Gretzky | 1267
3. | Jean Beliveau | 1096
4. | Maurice Richard | 1013
5. | Bobby Hull | 935
6. | Mario Lemieux | 890
7. | Stan Mikita | 785
8. | Nels Stewart | 782
9. | Ted Lindsay | 774
10. | Andy Bathgate | 733
11. | Phil Esposito | 732
12. | Marcel Dionne | 722
13. | Aurel Joliat | 720
14. | Howie Morenz | 712
15. | Alex Delvecchio | 706
16. | Joe Sakic | 693
17. | Mark Messier | 692
18. | Syl Apps | 681
19. | Jaromir Jagr | 680
20. | Bill Cowley | 645
21. | Elmer Lach | 636
22. | Cy Denneny | 632
23. | Mike Bossy | 629
24. | Bernie Geoffrion | 624
25. | Frank Boucher | 570
26. | Reg Noble | 562
27. | John Bucyk | 553
27. | Peter Forsberg | 553
29. | Teemu Selanne | 539
30. | Doug Bentley | 530
30. | Babe Dye | 530
30. | Steve Yzerman | 530
33. | Henri Richard | 529
34. | Eric Lindros | 528
34. | Paul Coffey | 528
36. | Guy Lafleur | 526
37. | Denis Savard | 519
38. | Bobby Orr | 501
39. | Sidney Crosby | 496
40. | Marty Barry | 489
41. | Bill Cook | 488
42. | Norm Ullman | 481
43. | Frank Mahovlich | 479
44. | Bobby Clarke | 478
45. | Jean Ratelle | 477
46. | Peter Stastny | 476
47. | Alex Ovechkin | 475
48. | Charlie Conacher | 472
48. | Rod Gilbert | 472
50. | Darryl Sittler | 466
Finally, here is the top-50 in games played scoring at a top-20 pace:
Rank|Player|GP at top-10 pace
1. | Gordie Howe | 1835
2. | Wayne Gretzky | 1391
3. | John Bucyk | 1244
4. | Jean Beliveau | 1226
5. | Norm Ullman | 1197
6. | Alex Delvecchio | 1193
7. | Frank Mahovlich | 1166
8. | Stan Mikita | 1151
9. | Phil Esposito | 1133
10. | Joe Sakic | 1120
11. | Marcel Dionne | 1116
12. | Nels Stewart | 1104
13. | Maurice Richard | 1089
14. | Bobby Hull | 1014
15. | Jaromir Jagr | 992
16. | Bernie Geoffrion | 901
17. | Mario Lemieux | 890
17. | Mark Messier | 890
19. | Jean Ratelle | 881
20. | Andy Bathgate | 880
21. | Ted Lindsay | 856
22. | Steve Yzerman | 851
23. | Howie Morenz | 842
24. | Henri Richard | 820
25. | Frank Boucher | 813
26. | Aurel Joliat | 800
27. | Gilbert Perreault | 796
28. | Cy Denneny | 792
29. | Elmer Lach | 787
30. | Teemu Selanne | 778
31. | Rod Gilbert | 777
32. | Mike Bossy | 771
33. | Bill Cowley | 758
34. | Toe Blake | 754
35. | Paul Coffey | 748
36. | Dale Hawerchuk | 729
37. | Reg Noble | 719
38. | Ted Kennedy | 710
39. | Joe Thornton | 708
40. | Red Kelly | 699
41. | Adam Oates | 698
42. | Peter Stastny | 692
43. | Ron Francis | 688
44. | Roy Conacher | 682
44. | Peter Forsberg | 682
46. | Syl Apps | 681
47. | Brett Hull | 679
48. | Denis Savard | 676
49. | Sweeney Schriner | 662
50. | Marty Barry | 653
Any thoughts, comments or criticisms?
Edit: Changed minor errors in the tables.
Edit2: Updated through the 2011-12 season.
Edit3: Updated through the 2012-13 season.
I'll propose a different way of measuring elite offensive production. The idea is that players scoring at a top-10 pace should be rewarded for that but only in relation too how many games they actually played. Specifically, I consider a player scoring at a top-10 pace if he has at least as high ppg as the player with the 10th highest ppg of those playing at least half of the games in a season. I then summarize the amount of games each player has played at such a pace. Additionally, I adjust the season-length to a 82-game schedule since modern players otherwise would have an unfair advantage due to playing more games each season. I only consider games played in the NHL.
Let me exemplify this method taking Maurice Richard's season in 57/58. In this season he scored 34 points in 28 games. Of all the players who played at least half the season (35 games) the player with the 10th highest ppg was Alex Delvecchio who scored 59 points in 70 games. Clearly Richard scored at a higher pace than that so he gets credited for having scored at a top-10 pace for 28*(82/70)=33 games.
This is the top-50 in games played scoring at a top-5 pace:
1. | Gordie Howe | 1589
2. | Wayne Gretzky | 1103
3. | Maurice Richard | 882
4. | Mario Lemieux | 815
5. | Stan Mikita | 785
6. | Bobby Hull | 777
7. | Jean Beliveau | 700
8. | Jaromir Jagr | 680
9. | Phil Esposito | 651
10. | Cy Denneny | 632
11. | Syl Apps | 607
12. | Andy Bathgate | 569
13. | Marcel Dionne | 492
14. | Bobby Orr | 480
15. | Bernie Geoffrion | 477
15. | Ted Lindsay | 477
15. | Howie Morenz | 477
18. | Guy Lafleur | 474
19. | Babe Dye | 460
20. | Doug Bentley | 455
21. | Bill Cowley | 437
22. | Sidney Crosby | 415
23. | Charlie Conacher | 404
24. | Elmer Lach | 399
25. | Alex Ovechkin | 396
26. | Mike Bossy | 392
27. | Busher Jackson | 379
28. | Joe Sakic | 377
29. | Peter Forsberg | 346
30. | Joe Malone | 343
31. | Eric Lindros | 338
32. | Marty Barry | 326
33. | Nels Stewart | 322
34. | Max Bentley | 315
35. | Steve Yzerman | 311
36. | Bryan Trottier | 309
37. | Jari Kurri | 301
38. | Newsy Lalonde | 290
39. | Sweeney Schriner | 289
40. | Dickie Moore | 269
41. | Bill Cook | 246
41. | Martin St. Louis | 246
43. | Toe Blake | 244
44. | Ken Hodge | 243
45. | Frank Boucher | 242
46. | Markus Naslund | 241
47. | Joe Thornton | 240
48. | Evgeni Malkin | 239
49. | Peter Stastny | 237
50. | Milt Schmidt | 235
Next is the top-50 in games played scoring at a top-10 pace:
1. | Gordie Howe | 1671
2. | Wayne Gretzky | 1267
3. | Jean Beliveau | 1096
4. | Maurice Richard | 1013
5. | Bobby Hull | 935
6. | Mario Lemieux | 890
7. | Stan Mikita | 785
8. | Nels Stewart | 782
9. | Ted Lindsay | 774
10. | Andy Bathgate | 733
11. | Phil Esposito | 732
12. | Marcel Dionne | 722
13. | Aurel Joliat | 720
14. | Howie Morenz | 712
15. | Alex Delvecchio | 706
16. | Joe Sakic | 693
17. | Mark Messier | 692
18. | Syl Apps | 681
19. | Jaromir Jagr | 680
20. | Bill Cowley | 645
21. | Elmer Lach | 636
22. | Cy Denneny | 632
23. | Mike Bossy | 629
24. | Bernie Geoffrion | 624
25. | Frank Boucher | 570
26. | Reg Noble | 562
27. | John Bucyk | 553
27. | Peter Forsberg | 553
29. | Teemu Selanne | 539
30. | Doug Bentley | 530
30. | Babe Dye | 530
30. | Steve Yzerman | 530
33. | Henri Richard | 529
34. | Eric Lindros | 528
34. | Paul Coffey | 528
36. | Guy Lafleur | 526
37. | Denis Savard | 519
38. | Bobby Orr | 501
39. | Sidney Crosby | 496
40. | Marty Barry | 489
41. | Bill Cook | 488
42. | Norm Ullman | 481
43. | Frank Mahovlich | 479
44. | Bobby Clarke | 478
45. | Jean Ratelle | 477
46. | Peter Stastny | 476
47. | Alex Ovechkin | 475
48. | Charlie Conacher | 472
48. | Rod Gilbert | 472
50. | Darryl Sittler | 466
Finally, here is the top-50 in games played scoring at a top-20 pace:
1. | Gordie Howe | 1835
2. | Wayne Gretzky | 1391
3. | John Bucyk | 1244
4. | Jean Beliveau | 1226
5. | Norm Ullman | 1197
6. | Alex Delvecchio | 1193
7. | Frank Mahovlich | 1166
8. | Stan Mikita | 1151
9. | Phil Esposito | 1133
10. | Joe Sakic | 1120
11. | Marcel Dionne | 1116
12. | Nels Stewart | 1104
13. | Maurice Richard | 1089
14. | Bobby Hull | 1014
15. | Jaromir Jagr | 992
16. | Bernie Geoffrion | 901
17. | Mario Lemieux | 890
17. | Mark Messier | 890
19. | Jean Ratelle | 881
20. | Andy Bathgate | 880
21. | Ted Lindsay | 856
22. | Steve Yzerman | 851
23. | Howie Morenz | 842
24. | Henri Richard | 820
25. | Frank Boucher | 813
26. | Aurel Joliat | 800
27. | Gilbert Perreault | 796
28. | Cy Denneny | 792
29. | Elmer Lach | 787
30. | Teemu Selanne | 778
31. | Rod Gilbert | 777
32. | Mike Bossy | 771
33. | Bill Cowley | 758
34. | Toe Blake | 754
35. | Paul Coffey | 748
36. | Dale Hawerchuk | 729
37. | Reg Noble | 719
38. | Ted Kennedy | 710
39. | Joe Thornton | 708
40. | Red Kelly | 699
41. | Adam Oates | 698
42. | Peter Stastny | 692
43. | Ron Francis | 688
44. | Roy Conacher | 682
44. | Peter Forsberg | 682
46. | Syl Apps | 681
47. | Brett Hull | 679
48. | Denis Savard | 676
49. | Sweeney Schriner | 662
50. | Marty Barry | 653
Any thoughts, comments or criticisms?
Edit: Changed minor errors in the tables.
Edit2: Updated through the 2011-12 season.
Edit3: Updated through the 2012-13 season.
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