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Flyers' History: Top 5 Flyers by position

BiggE

BiggE

SELL THE DAMN TEAM
Jan 4, 2019
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Somewhere, FL
So, this idea came to me when some of us were discussing Leclair vs Couturier. Who are the best Flyers by position? I will give you my top 5 of each position and look forward to seeing yours. For guys who played multiple positions, the choice is yours where you want to put them. Also, at least in my rankings, I gave more credence to guys who spent at least a few full seasons in the orange and black which is why you won't find Forsberg in my top 5 centers. It has nothing to do with his talent, on talent alone he is easily in the top 3, but he just wasn't here long enough to count in my opinion. Same goes for Pronger, just not enough of a body of work.

Anyway, here we go!!

GOAL
1. Bernie Parent
2. Pelle Lindbergh
3. Ron Hextall
4. Pete Peeters
5. Doug Favell

Gave some thought to Roman Cechmanek who would be a close 6th to Favell, but Favvy's longer body of work gave him the edge. I also think that Carter Hart will be at least 4th on this list pretty soon

DEFENSE
1. Mark Howe
2. Eric Desjardins
3. Kimmo Timonen
4. Bob Dailey
5. Brad McCrimmon

If Pronger played another full season or 2 in orange and black, he's easily on this list. Jimmy Watson and Ed Van Impe also received consideration

CENTER
1. Bobby Clarke
2. Eric Lindros
3. Sean Couturier
4. Rick Macleish
5. Rod Brind'amour

The top 2 are no brainers. After that there is very little, if any, separation between the next 3. Dave Poulin just missed, and obviously, if he had been here just couple more years, Forsberg would be at the 3rd spot.

LEFT WING
1. Bill Barber
2. Claude Giroux
3. John Leclair
4. Brian Propp
5. Simon Gagne

From one through five, LW is the deepest group. As much as I liked Ross Lonsberry and Murray Craven. there was really no one close to the top 5.

RIGHT WING
1. Tim Kerr
2. Reggie Leach
3. Mark Recchi
4. Rick Tocchet
5. Jake Voracek

I know some around here won't like Jake being on this list, but he's earned it. While I gave some consideration to Dornhoefer, Holmgren, Knuble and even Simmonds, I just don't see anyone better than Jake for the 5th spot.

And now...YOUR TURN!!
 
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Starat327 said:
I have a hard time pigeonholing G as a LW. I understand that's where hes playing today, but he needs to be in the C list, and if hes not in your top 3, you've made that list incorrectly, imo.
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Can go either way in my book. I like him better as a wing, but yeah, if I’m going with him as a center, he’d slot in at #3 and Ross Lonsberry would move up to #5 on my LW list.
 
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BiggE said:
Can go either way in my book. I like him better as a wing, but yeah, if I’m going with him as a center, he’d slot in at #3 and Ross Lonsberry would move up to #5 on my LW list.
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I know he had his best season there, etc., but the majority of his time was spent as this teams 1C, where he played at an elite level as well.

I don't really have too much if an issue with the rest of your list, though. Probably swap Kimmo and Eric but that could just be recency bias.

Rod above Rick, and I know this is a hot take, but maybe Richie over Rick. I certainly wouldnt fight anyone on that exclusion though.
 
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Starat327 said:
I know he had his best season there, etc., but the majority of his time was spent as this teams 1C, where he played at an elite level as well.

I don't really have too much if an issue with the rest of your list, though. Probably swap Kimmo and Eric but that could just be recency bias.

Rod above Rick, and I know this is a hot take, but maybe Richie over Rick. I certainly wouldnt fight anyone on that exclusion though.
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Macleish’s work in the playoffs gave him the edge over Rod. The Hawk was a money player who always was his best when the games counted the most. Richie got some consideration but, with playoff work in mind, I’d probably give just as much thought to Briere.
 
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BiggE said:
Macleish’s work in the playoffs gave him the edge over Rod. The Hawk was a money player who always was his best when the games counted the most. Richie got some consideration but, with playoff work in mind, I’d probably give just as much thought to Briere.
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Yeah - i dont blame anyone for not putting Richie in there, he was just a personal favorite so it'd be hard for me to exclude him. I also wasn't old enough to watch Macleish(selfish bastard stopped playing the year i was born), so its harder for me to appreciate his work other than watching old tape and stats.
 
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Appleyard said:
Giroux and MacLeish could both be top 5 at both C and LW!
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I think giroux may have a body of work think for left wing—not enough time yet. He is going to end up there, but I think leclair is clearly above him at wing.

I think even here, leclair gets a bit underrated. Once he was locked in, the guy just produced boatloads of goals. If memory serves, he produced regardless of lindros and his health concerns.
 
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Great list and fun diversion from the usual stuff!! I think G has to be considered as a center and for now I would put Macleish over Couts. Maybe if Couts can lead us deep into the playoffs I would change but Macleish was a real gamechanger that was overshadowed by Clarke. Not sure but maybe swap G and Macleish. On D I was never a big fan of Daily. Van Impe, Watson and some day Provorov for me.
 
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MacLeish gets underrated playing behind the LCB line. I would put him ahead of Coots right now because he was at a higher level for longer.
If Coots has a few couple more years like the past two then it’s a tougher argument.

Giroux is a tough call when considering as a C or W.
LW is a really good group.

I would like to put in case for Behn Wilson over McCrimmon. I don’t think Big Behn ever had less than 30 points and was nasty.
 
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lancer247 said:
MacLeish gets underrated playing behind the LCB line. I would put him ahead of Coots right now because he was at a higher level for longer.
If Coots has a few couple more years like the past two then it’s a tougher argument.

Giroux is a tough call when considering as a C or W.
LW is a really good group.

I would like to put in case for Behn Wilson over McCrimmon. I don’t think Big Behn ever had less than 30 points and was nasty.
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I like Wilson, but no. Way too many defensive miscues and games where he was just flat out bad. A very inconsistent player, he wouldn’t even be in my top 15, let alone 5.
 
lancer247 said:
MacLeish gets underrated playing behind the LCB line. I would put him ahead of Coots right now because he was at a higher level for longer.
If Coots has a few couple more years like the past two then it’s a tougher argument.

Giroux is a tough call when considering as a C or W.
LW is a really good group.

I would like to put in case for Behn Wilson over McCrimmon. I don’t think Big Behn ever had less than 30 points and was nasty.
Click to expand...


Behn wilson for sure
 
Trying to knit pick at the rankings just for the hell of it. I don’t think I could put Giroux ahead of Prop and LeClair for LW.
If you are just doing forwards as a group then yea, I agree. He should be ranked ahead of those guys for his career as a whole. I am not sure he has been at LW long enough to supplant Propp and LeClair. Propp posted 10 years of over 1PPG and was a stalwart on the PK.
I would put him #3 for center followed by MacLeish and Coots bumping Brind’amour off the top 5.
 
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lancer247 said:
Trying to knit pick at the rankings just for the hell of it. I don’t think I could put Giroux ahead of Prop and LeClair for LW.
If you are just doing forwards as a group then yea, I agree. He should be ranked ahead of those guys for his career as a whole. I am not sure he has been at LW long enough to supplant Propp and LeClair. Propp posted 10 years of over 1PPG and was a stalwart on the PK.
I would put him #3 for center followed by MacLeish and Coots bumping Brind’amour off the top 5.
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That’s fair, either way works for me. Giroux is one of the top 10 Flyers of all time in my book.
When you look at his whole body of work, he might, if he can lead the team to a Cup or 2, end up as high as 3rd on my list.

Clarke
Lindros
Parent
Howe
Barber
Giroux
Kerr

are my top 7 and a cut above the rest. After that it gets hard.
 
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Other rankings:

Top 5 snipers
1. Barber
2. Leach
3. Macleish
4. Propp
5. Reechi
Tough leaving Gagne and Briere off.

Top 5 PP specialist
1. Kerr
2. LeClair
3. Propp
4. Giroux
5. Barber
Simmonds was really close. Should probably do a separate list for PP dmen.

Top 5 PKers
1. Clarke
2. Richards
3. Poulin
4. Propp
5. Howe

Top 5 set up men (Clarke, Lindros, Giroux, Recchi, Barber)
1. Clarke
2. Lindros
3. Giroux
4. Recchi
5. Barber
Tried to find a way to put Eklund on there.

Top 5 enforcers
1. Brown
2. Wilson
3. Tocchet
4. Bridgeman
5. Cochrane
Tough to leave the guy that built the image off the list- Schultz.

Top 5 Flash in the Pan players
1. Ron Flockhart
2. Patrik Juhlin
3. Colin Forbes
4. Andy Delmore
5. Al Hill
 
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lancer247 said:
Other rankings:

Top 5 snipers
1. Barber
2. Leach
3. Macleish
4. Propp
5. Reechi
Tough leaving Gagne and Briere off.

Top 5 PP specialist
1. Kerr
2. LeClair
3. Propp
4. Giroux
5. Barber
Simmonds was really close. Should probably do a separate list for PP dmen.

Top 5 PKers
1. Clarke
2. Richards
3. Poulin
4. Propp
5. Howe

Top 5 set up men (Clarke, Lindros, Giroux, Recchi, Barber)
1. Clarke
2. Lindros
3. Giroux
4. Recchi
5. Barber
Tried to find a way to put Eklund on there.

Top 5 enforcers
1. Brown
2. Wilson
3. Tocchet
4. Bridgeman
5. Cochrane
Tough to leave the guy that built the image off the list- Schultz.

Top 5 Flash in the Pan players
1. Ron Flockhart
2. Patrik Juhlin
3. Colin Forbes
4. Andy Delmore
5. Al Hill
Click to expand...


LOVE THIS!
Mine are:

SNIPERS
1. Macleish
2. Barber
3. Kerr
4. Propp
5. Carter

PP Specialists
1. Kerr (by a mile!)
2. Eklund
3. Leach
4. Leclair
5. Duchesne

PKers
1. Clarke
2. Poulin
3. Richards
4. Barber
5. Couturier

Set up Men (Forsberg would be right up there with Clarke, but he wasn't here long enough)
1. Clarke
2. Giroux
3. Lindros
4. Eklund
5. Barber

Enforcers
1. Dave Brown
2. Paul Holmgren
3. Dave Schultz
4. Donald Brashear
5. Behn Wilson

Flash in the pans
1. Ron Flockhart
2. Todd Bergen
3. Robbie Moore
4. Andy Delmore
5. Al Hill

And, for shits and giggles

MOST INTIMIDATING GLARE
1. Pronger
2. Holmgren
3. Mike Keenan
4. Brashear
5. Ed Snider

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
 
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JXC said:
A good argument could be made for Propp #1 at LW.

Wasn’t Murray Craven a Centericeman? Both he and Eklund have better numbers than Coutsie.
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Yeah, he was a complete player. Talk about a guy that can play in every situation. Up 1, down 1, PP, PK.
I often think Gagne when I watch Farabee but I would for him to reach Propp level but without the guffaws.
 
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