5 unbreakable records set by the Edmonton Oilers

Due to their struggles in the 2010s, it is sometimes hard to remember that the Edmonton Oilers were one of the NHLs most respected teams for a long period of time.

Few teams in NHL history have put together a better dynasty than the 1980s Oilers, who won five Stanley Cups in six years from 1984 to 1990. Those teams boasted plenty of Hall of Famers, including two of the best players to ever lace up — Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

Given how talented of a group they were back in the day, it should come as little surprise that the Oilers organization continues to boast plenty of league records. Here are five that will never be touched.

Wayne Gretzky’s 215-point season

If we wanted, we could make this article simply about records set by Gretzky that won’t be touched. There is a reason he is referred to as The Great One, as he holds numerous records that will last the test of time. That said, perhaps the most untouchable of all is his 215-point season back in 1985-86.

No player in NHL history aside from Gretzky has hit the 200-point barrier, something he achieved on four separate occasions. To help give you an idea of just how dominant he was, the NHLs second-leading scorer in his 215-point season was Mario Lemieux, who had 141.

Paul Coffey scores 48 goals

Though Paul Coffey’s 138 points in a single season rank one shy of Bobby Orr’s record-setting 139, he does have the record for most goals in a season by a defenceman with 48. To little surprise, Coffey won the Norris Trophy that year, one of the three he picked up during his illustrious career.

While 48 goals may not seem entirely impossible for a defenceman to reach, it is important to keep in mind that the most recent to even break 30 came in 2008-09, when Mike Green potted 31. As skilled as some of the defencemen are in today’s game, it seems highly unlikely that anybody will ever surpass Coffey’s single-season goal total.

Grant Fuhr’s assist record

Grant Fuhr is a goalie who is often highly debated in terms of just how good he was. Some point to his rather mediocre stats to suggest that he benefitted from playing on a great team, while defenders will bring up the fact that he became unbeatable when the game was on the line.

Regardless of your personal thoughts on Fuhr, most would agree that no goaltender will ever break his single-season assist record of 14, which came during the 1983-84 season. The second closest is Curtis Joseph, who had nine during the 1991-92 campaign.

Ben Scrivens shutout heroics

While Ben Scrivens’ tenure in Edmonton was filled with more highs than lows, he had arguably the best single game of any goalie in Oilers franchise history. Back on January 29, 2014, Scrivens set an NHL record thanks to his 59-save shutout versus the San Jose Sharks.

Semyon Varlamov was somewhat near the record a season later, stopping 54 versus the Chicago Blackhawks, while Mike Smith also stopped 54 as a member of the Arizona Coyotes during the 2011-12 season against the Columbus Blue Jackets. With goals on the rise throughout the league, it is hard to see anybody stealing this record from Scrivens.

Five seasons of over 400 goals

As you can imagine with Gretzky’s totals over the years, the Oilers scored a ton of goals. He wasn’t the only reason, however, as they possessed plenty of offensive weapons in players like Messier, Coffey, Glenn Anderson, and Jarri Kurri. Thanks to all that talent, they are the only team in NHL history to score more than 400 goals in a single season, a feat which they accomplished five separate times.

The best came in the 1983-84 season, where they put up 446 goals. The four other seasons they recorded north of 400 came in 1985-86 (426), 1982-83 (424), 1981-82 (417), and 1984-85 (401).

You might also like:
• Oilers' Evander Kane hits up Disneyland with close friend Cecily