The most dominant playmaker in the NHL, season by season
I decided to take a look at who the most dominant playmaker in the NHL was by season. Each season's highest APG total is shown at an 82 game pace. Here are the results.
1926-27 - Dick Irvin (34.33A): 6.38 assist lead over Frank Boucher
1927-28 - Howie Morenz (34.33A): 8.24 assist lead over Bun Cook
1928-29 - Frank Boucher (29.82A): 1.87 assist lead over Andy Blair
1929-30 - Bill Cook (70.29A): 9.77 assist lead over Dutch Gainor
1930-31 - Joe Primeau (69.05A): 18.73 assist lead over Frank Boucher
1931-32 - Joe Primeau (65.96A): 3.03 assist lead over Hooley Smith
1932-33 - Frank Boucher (49.91A): 3.78 assist lead over Eddie Shore
1933-34 - Joe Primeau (58.31A): 7.06 assist lead over Frank Boucher
1934-35 - Art Chapman (59.32A): 4.65 assist lead over Frank Boucher
1935-36 - Art Chapman (47.83A): 3.41 assist lead over Sweeney Schriner
1936-37 - Syl Apps (49.54A): 2.43 assist lead over Marty Barry
1937-38 - Syl Apps (50.6A): 1.4 assist lead over Art Chapman
1938-39 - Bill Cowley (82A): 24.43 assist lead over Paul Haynes
1939-40 - Milt Schmidt (51.25A): 3.42 assist lead over Phil Watson
1940-41 - Bill Cowley (80.22A): 32.39 assist lead over Neil Colville
1941-42 - Bill Cowley (67.36A): 4.15 assist lead over Phil Watson
1942-43 - Bill Cowley (76.88A): 0.11 assist lead over Max Bentley
1943-44 - Bill Cowley (93.39A): 11.39 assist lead over Elmer Lach
1944-45 - Elmer Lach (88.56A): 21.62 assist lead over Bill Cowley
1945-46 - Bill Mosienko (61.5A): 5.74 assist lead over Elmer Lach
1946-47 - Billy Taylor (62.87A): 4.1 assist lead over Max Bentley
1947-48 - Doug Bentley (50.57A): 1.37 assist lead over Buddy O'Connor
1948-49 - Doug Bentley (60.79A): 3.39 assist lead over Roy Conacher
1949-50 - Ted Lindsay (65.36A): 23.19 assist lead over Paul Ronty
1950-51 - Ted Kennedy (55.97A): 4.39 assist lead over Milt Schmidt
1951-52 - Elmer Lach (58.57A): 9.37 assist lead over Don Raleigh
1952-53 - Gordie Howe (53.89A): 3.52 assist lead over Alex Delvecchio
1953-54 - Gordie Howe (56.23A): 12.89 assist lead over Bert Olmstead
1954-55 - Bert Olmstead (56.23A): 5.86 assist lead over Doug Harvey
1955-56 - Bert Olmstead (65.6A): 10.54 assist lead over Andy Bathgate
1956-57 - Ted Lindsay (64.43A): 3.82 assist lead over Jean Beliveau
1957-58 - Henri Richard (63.64A): 3.08 assist lead over Andy Bathgate
1958-59 - Dickie Moore (64.42A): 5.48 assist lead over Jean Beliveau
1959-60 - Don McKenney (57.4A): 1.85 assist lead over Andy Bathgate
1960-61 - Jean Beliveau (68.92A): 4.86 assist lead over Red Kelly
1961-62 - Bill Hay (71.07A): 5.47 assist lead over Andy Bathgate
1962-63 - Henri Richard (61.19A): 2.96 assist lead over Jean Beliveau
1963-64 - Andy Bathgate (66.99A): 6.7 assist lead over Jean Beliveau
1964-65 - Stan Mikita (69.11A): 14.05 assist lead over Gordie Howe
1965-66 - Jean Beliveau (58.75A): 0.87 assist lead over Stan Mikita
1966-67 - Stan Mikita (72.63A): 15.23 assist lead over Phil Goyette
1967-68 - Phil Esposito (54.3A): 0.38 assist lead over Rod Gilbert
1968-69 - Phil Esposito (85.32A): 11.08 assist lead over Stan Mikita
1969-70 - Bobby Orr (93.87A): 30.28 assist lead over Pat Stapleton
1970-71 - Bobby Orr (107.23A): 27.33 assist lead over Phil Esposito
1971-72 - Bobby Orr (86.32A): 4.32 assist lead over Jean Ratelle
1972-73 - Bobby Orr (93.71A): 13.15 assist lead over Stan Mikita
1973-74 - Bobby Orr (99.73A): 18.78 assist lead over Phil Esposito
1974-75 - Bobby Orr and Bobby Clarke (91.23A): 7.18 assist lead over Pete Mahovlich
1975-76 - Bobby Clarke (96.03A): 23.25 assist lead over Pete Mahovlich
1976-77 - Guy Lafleur (82A): 11.27 assist lead over Marcel Dionne
1977-78 - Bryan Trottier (82A): 3.46 assist lead over Bobby Clarke
1978-79 - Bryan Trottier (93.87A): 14.94 assist lead over Guy Lafleur
1979-80 - Wayne Gretzky (89.27A): 3.17 assist lead over Marcel Dionne
1980-81 - Wayne Gretzky (111.73A): 27.68 assist lead over Kent Nilsson
1981-82 - Wayne Gretzky (123A): 27.67 assist lead over Peter Stastny
1982-83 - Wayne Gretzky (128.13A): 37.72 assist lead over Denis Savard
1983-84 - Wayne Gretzky (130.76A): 42.61 assist lead over Paul Coffey
1984-85 - Wayne Gretzky (138.38A): 52.28 assist lead over Paul Coffey
1985-86 - Wayne Gretzky (167.08A): 70.55 assist lead over Mario Lemieux
1986-87 - Wayne Gretzky (125.59A): 49.9 assist lead over Ray Bourque
1987-88 - Wayne Gretzky (139.66A): 35.3 assist lead over Mario Lemieux
1988-89 - Mario Lemieux (123A): 3.15 assist lead over Wayne Gretzky
1989-90 - Wayne Gretzky (114.58A): 6.17 assist lead over Mario Lemieux
1990-91 - Wayne Gretzky (128.26A): 7.28 assist lead over Adam Oates
1991-92 - Mario Lemieux (111.47A): 11.74 assist lead over Wayne Gretzky
1992-93 - Mario Lemieux (124.37A): 29.68 assist lead over Adam Oates
1993-94 - Wayne Gretzky (93.14A): 7.95 assist lead over Adam Oates
1994-95 - Ron Francis (89.45A): 9.27 assist lead over Paul Coffey
1995-96 - Mario Lemieux (107.77A): 9.8 assist lead over Ron Francis
1996-97 - Mario Lemieux (77.68A): 3.56 assist lead over Eric Lindros
1997-98 - Peter Forsberg (75.17A): 3.82 assist lead over Jaromir Jagr
1998-99 - Jaromir Jagr (84.02A): 13.58 assist lead over Peter Forsberg
1999-00 - Teemu Selanne (72.43A): 2.14 assist lead over Jaromir Jagr
2000-01 - Jaromir Jagr and Adam Oates (69.85A): 0.21 assist lead over Peter Forsberg
2001-02 - Adam Oates (65.6A): 3.82 assist lead over Jason Allison
2002-03 - Peter Forsberg (84.19A): 7.09 assist lead over Mario Lemieux
2003-04 - Alex Tanguay (64.17A): 6.77 assist lead over Scott Gomez
2005-06 - Joe Thornton (97.19A): 11.57 assist lead over Jason Spezza
2006-07 - Joe Thornton (92A): 4.81 assist lead over Sidney Crosby
2007-08 - Sidney Crosby (74.26A): 4.45 assist lead over Marc Savard
2008-09 - Evgeni Malkin (78A): 3.45 assist lead over Sidney Crosby
2009-10 - Henrik Sedin (83A): 11.38 assist lead over Joe Thornton
2010-11 - Henrik Sedin (75A): 5.24 assist lead over Ryan Getzlaf
2011-12 - Claude Giroux (69.22A): 2.22 assist lead over Henrik Sedin
2012-13 - Sidney Crosby (93.39A): 16.08 assist lead over Kris Letang
2013-14 - Sidney Crosby (69.7A): 2.73 assist lead over Evgeni Malkin
2014-15 - Nicklas Backstrom (60A): 0.36 assist lead over Sidney Crosby
2015-16 - Erik Karlsson (66A): 3 assist lead over Joe Thornton
2016-17 - Connor McDavid (70A): 5.73 assist lead over Ryan Getzlaf
#Top Ten Most Dominant Seasons
- 1985-86 - Wayne Gretzky: 70.55 assist lead
- 1984-85 - Wayne Gretzky: 52.28 assist lead
- 1986-87 - Wayne Gretzky: 49.9 assist lead
- 1983-84 - Wayne Gretzky: 42.61 assist lead
- 1982-83 - Wayne Gretzky: 37.72 assist lead
- 1987-88 - Wayne Gretzky: 35.3 assist lead
- 1940-41 - Bill Cowley: 32.39 assist lead
- 1969-70 - Bobby Orr: 30.28 assist lead
- 1992-93 - Mario Lemieux: 29.68 assist lead
- 1980-81 - Wayne Gretzky: 27.68 assist lead
#Top Ten Most Dominant Seasons (Sans Gretzky)
- 1940-41 - Bill Cowley: 32.39 assist lead
- 1969-70 - Bobby Orr: 30.28 assist lead
- 1992-93 - Mario Lemieux: 29.68 assist lead
- 1970-71 - Bobby Orr: 27.33 assist lead
- 1938-39 - Bill Cowley: 24.43 assist lead
- 1975-76 - Bobby Clarke: 23.25 assist lead
- 1949-50 - Ted Lindsay: 23.19 assist lead
- 1944-45 - Elmer Lach: 21.62 assist lead
- 1973-74 - Bobby Orr: 18.78 assist lead
- 1930-31 - Joe Primeau: 18.73 assist lead
#Most Dominant Seasons
- Wayne Gretzky: 12
- Bobby Orr: 6
- Bill Cowley/Mario Lemieux: 5
- Joe Primeau/Sidney Crosby: 3
Posted Jul 22, 2017, 10:05 PM UTC · edited