Top 10 Best Edmonton Oilers Players of All Time

Out of all the teams in the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers have one of the richest histories and some of the most successful. The Oilers have won five Stanley Cups since their founding in 1971. Throughout the years, the Oilers have played host to some of the most talented hockey players in the sport, but the ten listed below are the best Edmonton Oilers of all time.

Who Are the Best Edmonton Oilers Hockey Players of All Time?

1. Wayne Gretzky
2. Connor McDavid
3. Mark Messier
4. Paul Coffey
5. Jari Kurri
6. Grant Fuhr
7. Kevin Lowe
8. Leon Draisaitl
9. Glenn Anderson
10. Ryan Smyth

1. Wayne Gretzky

• Nine-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner
• Four Stanley Cup wins
• 18 All-Star games

In the world of hockey, there’s hardly any conversation about who the greatest player of the modern era is; it’s Wayne Gretzky. No other player since Gordie Howe has achieved such a level of dominance and maintained it for so long. Gretzky is simply unmatched in terms of accolades, achievements, and big moments. Gretzky currently holds the record for most career goals, with 894 amassed over the course of his 23 seasons in the NHL. Gretzky spent ten of those seasons in Edmonton with the Oilers, and they were likely his very best.

In fact, Gretzky won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in every season he spent in Edmonton except for one. He also won two Conn Smythe Trophies on his way to four total Stanley Cup wins with Edmonton. He made 18 All-Star Games, won ten Art Ross Trophies as the top point scorer, and scored 65 hat tricks in his career. Yet still, his greatness is hard to put into words. There’s no doubt that Wayne Gretzky is the greatest Edmonton Oiler of all time. 

2. Connor McDavid

• Two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner
• Led league in points five times
• Six All-Star games

While matching Wayne Gretzky might prove impossible over the course of history, if there’s one person who could do it, it might be Connor McDavid. When McDavid entered the NHL in 2015, everyone knew he had the potential, but he’s gone above and beyond in terms of on-ice performance. McDavid has thus far led the league in points scored in five separate seasons and has played in six All-Star games. And with only eight seasons in the NHL under his belt, he’s already scored 303 goals.

McDavid won the Hart Memorial Trophy in both 2017 and 2021, though he finished in the top five of voting in four additional seasons. His excellence is consistently on display, and he’s widely thought of as the best active player in the NHL. While Gretzky might be tough to beat in terms of greatness, McDavid has already cemented himself as the second-best Edmonton Oiler of all time. 

3. Mark Messier

• Two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner
• Six Stanley Cup wins
• Conn Smythe Trophy winner

Mark Messier is one of the most iconic Edmonton Oilers players of all time. Messier spent a great deal of time with the team. He began playing in Edmonton in 1979 and played for the team until 1991. In that time, Messier scored 970 points, of which 380 were goals. He played nearly 800 games in an Oilers uniform. Messier was lucky enough to be a part of all five Edmonton Stanley Cup wins and was instrumental in all of them. He even won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1984 for his especially excellent performance in that postseason.

All told, Messier scored 215 total points in the playoffs over the course of his long career. He managed to score 23 hat tricks during his time in professional hockey, and all but seven were during his time in Edmonton. Thanks to his prolonged time and success with the team, Mark Messier will always be one of the most beloved Oilers of all time. 

4. Paul Coffey

• Three-time Norris Trophy winner
• Four-time Stanley Cup winner
• 14 All-Star games

Paul Coffey is one of the best defenders in NHL history. He began his career in Edmonton in 1980 and stayed with the team until 1987. He played some of his best hockey in Edmonton and won two of his three career James Norris Memorial Trophies there. Coffey was also a member of the Oilers when they won four of their five Stanley Cups.

Despite playing defense, Coffey managed to score an incredible 669 points, of which 209 were goals. He was famed for his versatility on the ice and aggressive playing style. As such, he scored 1,531 points before his eventual retirement in 2001. He even scored three hat tricks. Coffey also was able to play in 14 All-Star games over the course of his long career. And he was equally famed for his durability; he played in 80 games in four of his seasons in Edmonton. 

5. Jari Kurri

• Five-time Stanley Cup winner
• Eight All-Star games
• Led NHL in goals in 1985-1986

Jari Kurri was another core part of the Edmonton Oilers roster, which won five Stanley Cups between 1984 and 1990. Kurri was vital to the Oilers’ success in the playoffs throughout those years. He scored 233 total points in the playoffs over his career, so he’s one of the more clutch Oilers in history. Kurri also has a genuinely remarkable 30 hat tricks to his name over the course of his career in the NHL. All but three of them were during his time in Edmonton.

Kurri was so excellent on the ice that he played in eight All-Star games. Perhaps his best season in the NHL was in 1985-1986 when he led the NHL in goals with 68 and shooting percentage with 28.8%. By the time of his retirement in 1998, Kurri had racked up 601 total goals and 797 assists during his time in professional hockey. 

6. Grant Fuhr

• Four-time Stanley Cup winner
• 1988 Vezina Trophy winner
• 2003 Hall of Fame inductee

Grant Fuhr is, without a doubt, the best goalie to ever play for the Edmonton Oilers. Fuhr was integral to the Oilers’ success in the 1980s and was crucial to four of their fives Stanley Cup wins in that time. Fuhr was known for always stepping up in the playoffs. Fuhr’s lifetime save percentage stands at .887, but in the playoffs, it was often much higher. During the Oilers’ first Stanley Cup run, Fuhr’s percentage was .911. A year later when they defended their Stanley Cup Title, it was .894.

However, that’s not to say that Fuhr wasn’t excellent in the regular season as well, which he definitely was. He played in six total All-Star games and even won the Vezina Trophy in 1988, which is given to the best goalkeeper each season. Fuhr will be remembered by Oilers fans for his long tenure with the team, his playoff excellence, and his many big moments when he proved unyielding in goal. 

7. Kevin Lowe

• Six Stanley Cup wins
• Hall of Fame member
• 15 seasons in Edmonton

Kevin Lowe is one of the most beloved players by Oilers fans, thanks to his visible excellence on the ice and his loyalty to the team. Kevin Lowe, a defenseman from Quebec, entered the NHL in 1979 as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. He wouldn’t play for another team until 1992, when he would be traded to the New York Rangers.

Ultimately, Lowe would find his way back to Edmonton in 1996 and play another two seasons with the team, good for 15 total seasons spent in an Oilers uniform. In that span, Lowe was consistently one of the best defenders in the league. He finished in the top ten for the James Norris Memorial Trophy voting in four separate seasons. He would also manage to score 383 points which is more than respectable for a defensive player. After his retirement, Lowe was an easy selection for the Hall of Fame. 

8. Leon Draisaitl

• 2020 Hart Trophy winner
• 2020 scoring leader
• Four All-Star games

Despite being sometimes overshadowed by the blazing star power that is Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl is a future legend in his own right. Draisaitl entered the NHL in 2015, touted as a top prospect for professional hockey. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, and the rest is history. Draisaitl didn’t get off to a very quick start in Edmonton, but once he found his rhythm, he proved to be one of the best players in the game.

This development as a player thus far has culminated in his 2019-2020 campaign, in which he led the NHL in total scoring, which included a league-leading 67 assists. For his strong effort that season, he was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. He would go on to finish in the top ten of Hart Trophy voting the following two seasons. With both Draisaitl and McDavid on the Oilers’ roster, the team hopes that another run of Stanley Cup titles could be in store, just like in the 1980s. 

9. Glenn Anderson

• Four All-Star games
• Six Stanley Cup wins
• 23 Hat Tricks

Like many of the other players on this list, Glenn Anderson was on the Edmonton roster during the 1980s when they were enormously successful. In fact, Anderson was on the Oilers’ roster for all five of their Stanley Cup wins. And when he was finally traded to the New York Rangers after 11 full seasons with the team, he managed to win another Stanley Cup with them, good for six total NHL Championships.

Anderson was an incredibly talented right wing who had a profound knack for creating opportunities on offense. As such, Anderson was rewarded by attending four All-Star games and a spot in the Hall of Fame. Anderson was so effective on offense that he registered 23 hat tricks over the course of his career. All of them except for one were during his time in Edmonton. And in the 1985-1986 season, he had four hat tricks to lead the league in the category. 

10. Ryan Smyth

• 2007 All-Star Game appearance
• 14 seasons in Edmonton
• 386 career goals

Ryan Smyth joined the Edmonton Oilers as the sixth overall selection in the NHL Draft, and he made his debut in the 1994 season. Ryan Smyth would go on to play 14 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers across two different stints. His first stint was from 1994 to 2006. In that time, he managed to score 234 goals and had 262 assists.

Smyth only played in one All-Star game in his career, in 2007, but his impact could certainly be felt in Edmonton. He scored a respectable 43 points across his career in the playoffs, though he was never a part of a Stanley Cup-winning team. He did record five hat tricks in his career, all of which were during his time in Edmonton. Smyth was also famed for his durability over the course of a season and even led the league in games played in the 1996-1997 season with 82. Smyth rejoined the Oilers between 2011 and 2014, after which he retired. 

Honorable Mentions

• Jordan Eberle
• Al Hamilton
• Ales Hemsky
• Shawn Horcoff
• Charlie Huddy
• Andy Moog
• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
• Bill Ranford
• Esa Tikkanen
• Doug Weight

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