NHL All-Time Top 100: #21–40

21. Phil EspositoBOS · CHI · NYR

The dominant scorer of the post-expansion era, Esposito won five Art Ross trophies in six seasons (1969–74) and two Hart trophies, anchoring two Boston Cups (1970, 1972). His 76 goals and 152 points in 1970-71 stood as single-season records for 10+ seasons, and he was the first player ever to break 100 and 150 points. Six First-Team All-Star selections and 1,590 career points cement a top-25 floor that nobody outside the existing top-20 can match in raw scoring dominance.

22. Eddie ShoreBOS

The only defenseman in NHL history to win four Hart Trophies (1933, 1935, 1936, 1938) — a count exceeded only by Gretzky and Howe at any position. Shore earned seven First-Team All-Star selections in just nine voted seasons (plus one Second Team), won two Cups (1929, 1939), and defined the position before the Norris existed. Position-relative dominance this absolute is unmatched outside Orr/Bourque/Lidstrom/Harvey.

23. Jacques PlanteMTL · NYR · STL · TOR · BOS

Plante’s seven Vezina Trophies remain the all-time record (plus a 1969 sharing), totaling six Cups, including five straight from 1956–1960 with the Canadiens dynasty and one Hart (1962). His 173.7 career Goalie Point Shares rank 8th all-time among netminders, and he revolutionized the position by introducing the goalie mask. Three First-Team and four Second-Team selections plus a 2.38 career GAA across 837 games headline a position-defining résumé.

24. Stan MikitaCHI

Mikita won four Art Ross trophies, two Harts, and two Lady Byngs, becoming the only player ever to sweep Hart-Ross-Byng in a single season — and he did it in back-to-back years (1967, 1968). He earned six First-Team All-Star selections, captured a 1961 Cup, and finished with 1,467 points in 1,396 games entirely with Chicago. The hardware density per season rivals anyone outside the top 20.

25. Larry RobinsonMTL · LAK

Robinson won six Stanley Cups, two Norris Trophies, and the 1978 Conn Smythe, while posting the NHL all-time plus/minus record at +722 — a number no defenseman will approach. His 108.98 career Defensive Point Shares ranks 4th all-time at the position, and his 169.5 career Point Shares places him among the very top defensemen ever. Three First-Team and three Second-Team selections plus 20 consecutive playoff appearances anchor a near-unimpeachable case.

26. Guy LafleurMTL · NYR · QUE

Five Cups (1973, 1976–79), three consecutive Art Ross trophies (1976–78), two Harts, and the 1977 Conn Smythe — Lafleur was the NHL’s premier player for a half-decade. He posted six consecutive 50-goal/100-point seasons and earned six First-Team All-Star selections. His 1.20 career PPG and 134 playoff points in 128 games separate him from later expansion-era stars.

27. Mike BossyNYI

Bossy holds the highest career goals-per-game in NHL history (0.762) at 573 goals in just 752 games, with nine consecutive 50-goal seasons (an unmatched streak) and four straight Cups (1980–83). He won the 1982 Conn Smythe, three Lady Byngs, and earned five First-Team All-Star selections despite never winning Hart or Art Ross — a function of competing against peak Gretzky. Career 1.50 PPG and 160 playoff points in 129 games confirm elite peak value.

28. Terry SawchukDET · BOS · TOR · LAK · NYR

Sawchuk’s 103 career shutouts stood as the NHL record for nearly 40 years until Brodeur, paired with four Vezinas, four Stanley Cups, and 445 wins across 971 games. His 179.0 career Goalie Point Shares ranks 5th all-time, and his 1951 Calder plus seven First/Second-Team selections cap an Original Six résumé that defined goaltending excellence for two decades.

29. Bryan TrottierNYI · PIT

Six Stanley Cups (four with the Islanders, two as a Penguin), one Hart, one Art Ross (134 points in 1979), one Conn Smythe (1980), and the Calder — Trottier is one of only a handful of players to win all four major individual awards plus multiple Cups. His 1,425 career points, +449 career plus/minus, and 182 playoff points (top-15 all-time) reflect a complete two-way center.

30. Denis PotvinNYI

Potvin won three Norris trophies, four Stanley Cups, and the 1974 Calder, retiring as the all-time leader in goals, assists, and points by a defenseman (later passed by Bourque/Coffey). He earned four First-Team All-Star selections and posted 1,052 points in 1,060 games (.99 PPG) plus 165 playoff points — both totals exceptional for a defenseman in any era.

31. Paul CoffeyEDM · PIT · LAK · DET · HFD · PHI · CHI · BOS

The most prolific scoring defenseman of the high-scoring 1980s, Coffey won four Cups, three Norris trophies, and posted 1,531 career points (2nd all-time among defensemen) with a defenseman-record 48 goals in 1985-86. 185.7 career Point Shares, with a peak single-season 16.1 PS, and 196 playoff points (1st all-time among defensemen). Eight combined First/Second-Team selections.

32. Bobby ClarkePHI

Clarke’s three Hart Trophies (1973, 1975, 1976) place him in a club of nine players in NHL history. He captained Philadelphia to back-to-back Cups (1974, 1975), won the 1983 Selke, and posted 852 assists despite playing center in the rough Broad Street era. His Hart count alone forces inclusion.

33. Ken DrydenMTL

In just eight seasons Dryden won six Stanley Cups, five Vezinas, the 1971 Conn Smythe (before he was even Calder-eligible), and the 1972 Calder. His 0.248 Point Shares per game ranks #1 all-time among goalies, and his 80–32 playoff record with a 2.41 GAA and .915 SV% ranks among the greatest peak playoff résumés ever for a goaltender. Five First-Team All-Star selections in eight years.

34. Glenn HallCHI · DET · STL

Hall’s seven First-Team All-Star selections is the NHL record for any goaltender, paired with three Vezinas, the 1968 Conn Smythe (won despite a Final sweep loss), and the 1956 Calder. His 502 consecutive regular-season starts is an iron-man record that will never be broken, and his 177.6 career Goalie Point Shares ranks 7th all-time. One Cup (1961) is the only modest mark on his ledger.

35. Brett HullSTL · CGY · DAL · DET · PHX

Hull’s 741 career goals rank 5th all-time, including 86 goals in 1990-91 — the third-highest single-season total in NHL history behind only Gretzky’s 92 and 87. He won two Cups (1999, 2002), the 1991 Hart, led the league in goals three straight years, and earned three consecutive First-Team All-Star nods (1990–92). 103 playoff goals in 202 games seal a goal-scorer’s case rivaling anyone in this tier.

36. Nikita KucherovTBL

Through 2025-26, Kucherov owns three Art Ross trophies (2018-19, 2023-24, 2024-25), one Hart, two Lindsays, and back-to-back Cups (2020, 2021). His 144-point 2023-24 season won the Art Ross, and his 1,124 career points in 879 games (1.28 PPG) push him past several all-time legends despite still being active.

37. Evgeni MalkinPIT

Malkin’s hardware case is unusually deep: three Cups, one Hart, two Art Ross (2009, 2012), the 2009 Conn Smythe (first Russian winner), 2012 Lindsay, and 2007 Calder. His 1,407 career points and 161.9 career Point Shares through 2025-26, plus 183 playoff points (top-20 all-time), exceed nearly every center’s totals outside the top 20. The 2008-09 season — leading both regular season and playoffs in scoring — was the first to do so since Lemieux in 1992.

38. Chris CheliosDET · MTL · CHI · ATL

Chelios won three Norris trophies, three Stanley Cups (across 26 NHL seasons), and posted 108.7 career Defensive Point Shares (5th all-time among D). His 1,651 games played rank among the position’s career leaders; he played his final NHL games at age 48, the oldest defenseman in NHL history, and earned three First-Team All-Star selections. The combination of Norris-level peak, Cup hardware, and historic durability outpaces every other defenseman not yet listed.

39. Nathan MacKinnonCOL

MacKinnon owns the 2024 Hart, 2026 Rocket Richard (53 goals), 2022 Stanley Cup, 2014 Calder, 2020 Lady Byng, and 2024 Lindsay — plus the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off MVP. He posted a 140-point season in 2023-24 and 127 points in 2025-26 with a +57 through age 30, and his 1,142 career points in 950 games (1.20 PPG) with a still-rising peak puts him in elite company. Hart finalist four times.

40. Sergei FedorovDET · ANA · CBJ · WSH

Fedorov is the only player ever to win the Hart and Selke in the same season (1994), claiming two Selke trophies, three Cups (1997, 1998, 2002), and the 1994 Lindsay. His 1993-94 line of 56 goals and 120 points finished second to Gretzky in scoring, and he posted 183 playoff games with 176 points. The combination of dual-threat dominance, Cup pedigree, and 1,179 career points edges out one-trophy alternatives like Forsberg, Selanne, and Dionne.