Vancouver Canucks: Ranking the Best Scorers in Team History

The Vancouver Canucks have had quite a few prolific scorers in franchise history.

I've identified the best goal scorers from the last 20 years of Canucks history and ranked them accordingly.

My criteria was that they had to have spent a significant portion, if not their entire careers, in a Canucks uniform.

Also, they had to have had at least a single magical playoff run or outstanding regular season that is burned into the memories of Vancouver fans.

It might also appear the one of the criteria is to be from Ornskoldsvik, but that is just a statistical anomaly.

No. 9: Henrik Sedin

Henrik Sedin is probably a bit of a surprise entry, as he is the usually considered the playmaker to his twin Daniel's sniper role.

But while his goals totals aren’t as high, when Henrik does score, it is usually significant. Also, he does have the ability to score more when needed, as shown by the 2009-2010 season when Daniel was injured, and Henrik carried the Canucks on his back enroute to winning his Art Ross and Hart Trophies.

Best season was 2009-2010, when he scored 29 goals (112 points) in 82 games, for an 0.35 goals per game average en route to winning the Art Ross and Hart trophies. And five of his goals (17 percent) were game winners.

During the Canucks playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring, he recorded three goals (22 points) in 25 games, for a 0.12 goals per game average. One of those goals (33 percent) was a game winner.

Regular Season: 157 goals (668 points) in 811 games, for a 0.19 goals per game average. 26 of his goals (16.6 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 20 goals (66 points) in 90 games, for a 0.19 goals per game average.

No. 8: Alex Mogilny

Alex Mogilny, aka Alexander the Great. 

When he was traded to Vancouver in 1995, it was hoped that the addition of another hugely talented winger would be the missing piece of the puzzle for a team that had just gone to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Plagued by a few injuries and a dysfunctional team that never lived up to its potential (thanks, Messier!), Mogilny only put up 63 goals in 186 games over his last three full seasons in Vancouver.

However, he did put up 55 goals and 52 points over 79 games in 95-96, his first season with the Canucks. 

Regular Season: 473 goals (1,032 points) in 990 games, for a 0.48 goals per game average. 66 of his goals (13.9 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 39 goals (86 points) in 124 games, for a 0.31 goals per game average. Five of his goals (12.8%) were game winners.

*Note that I'm ranking based on their scoring while in a Canucks uniform; otherwise, Mogilny would be much higher.

No. 7: Todd Bertuzzi

Todd Bertuzzi was another member of the West Coast Express line with Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison. 

While it might be hard to believe, Bertuzzi was the premier power forward in the NHL for a few seasons.

With a combination of hulking size and soft hands, no defenseman, not even Chris Pronger in his prime, could handle Bertuzzi down low. And his power game opened up ice for his line mate Markus Naslund to rack up points as well.

A combination of serious back injuries and the Steve Moore incident took their toll on Bertuzzi's game, but he is still a contributing member of the Red Wings, albeit not in a first line capacity.

Bertuzzi has a career season in 2002-2003, when he scored 46 goals (97 points) in 82 games, for a 0.56 goals per game. And seven of his goals (15 percent) were game winners.

Regular Season: 290 goals (712 points) in 1,024 games, for a 0.28 goals per game average. 40 of his goals (13.8 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 14 goals (28 points) in 75 games, for a 0.19 goals per game average. 

No. 6: Alex Burrows

Alex Burrows is hated by many outside of Vancouver for his agitating style. But aside from that, he can score some really pretty, and also timely, goals.

His best season was 2009-2010, when he scored 35 goals, including multiple hat tricks (67 points) in 82 games, for a 0.47 goals per game average. And three of his goals (8.8 percent) were game winners.

During the Canucks playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring, he recorded nine goals (17 points) in 25 games for a 0.36 goals per game average. Two of those goals (22 percent) were game winners, including the Game 7 OT winner over the hated Blackhawks.

Also of note is that Burrows is one of only two players on this list that wasn't a high first round pick. (The other was Pavel Bure, but that was due to Pat Quinn's subterfuge at the draft in picking Bure when every other team thought he wasn't eligible.)

Burrows, on the other, hand went undrafted out of junior and toiled in the ECHL and AHL before getting a contract with the Canucks. He showed some skills when paired with a young Kesler on the Canucks third line, and that earned him a chance to try out as another of the revolving right wingers that so far had failed to mesh with the Sedins.

Burrows took that golden opportunity and ran with it, racking up goals and points where many first rounders and veteran NHL'ers had failed to before. It only took seven or eight years, but the Canucks had finally found a right winger to play with the Sedins.

Regular Season: 111 goals (6,107 points) in 443 games, for a 0.25 goals per game average. Fifteen of his goals (13.5 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 16 goals (28 points) in 58 games, for a 0.28 goals per game average. Three of those playoffs goals (18.8 percent) were game winners.

No. 5: Markus Naslund

Markus Naslund brought respectability, and the playoffs, back to Vancouver after the dismal Messier era. For that, he is one of only two Canucks to have had their numbers retired.  

As the most talented member of the West Coast Express line, Naslund was the Canucks' most consistent scoring threat.

Naslund's best season was 2002-2003, when he scored 48 goals (104 points) in 82 games, for 0.59 goals per game. An astounding 12 of his goals (25 percent) were game winners.

Regular Season: 395 goals (869 points) in 1,117 games, for a 0.35 goals per game average. Fifty three of his goals (13.4 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 14 goals (36 points) in 52 games, for a 0.27 goals per game average. One of his goals (7.1 percent) was a game winner.

No. 4: Trevor Linden

Trevor Linden is the iconic Canuck, at least to anyone who was a fan during the late 80's or early 90's, including of course, the '94 run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

During the Canucks' run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the hated Rangers, Linden scored 12 goals (25 points) over 24 games, for a 0.50 goals per game average.

Even in the twilight of his career, in his last playoff series for the Canucks, Linden showed up and put up two goals, both game winners, and five assists in 12 games from the fourth line against the Stars and Ducks in 2006-2007.

Regular Season: 375 goals (867 points) in 1,382 games, for a 0.27 goals per game average. Forty-one of his goals (10.9 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 34 goals (99 points) in 99 games, for a 0.34 goals per game average. Five of his goals (14.7 percent) were game winners.

No. 3: Daniel Sedin

I could hardly make this list without including Daniel Sedin, who is, after all, the reigning Art Ross winner. 

Daniel had a career season in 2010-2011, when he scored 41 goals (104 points) in 82 games, for a 0.50 goals per game average en route to winning the Art Ross and Hart trophies. And 10 of his goals (24.3 percent) were game winners.

During the Canucks playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring, he recorded nine goals (20 points) in 25 games, for a 0.36 goals per game average. Two of those goals (22 percent) were game winners.

Regular Season: 250 goals (653 points) in 788 games, for a 0.32 goals per game average. Fifty four of his goals (21.6 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 23 goals (62 points) in 90 games, for a 0.19 goals per game average. Five of those playoffs goals (21.7 percent) were game winners. 

No. 2: Ryan Kesler

Ryan Kesler is positioning himself to be the next Trevor Linden for the Canucks. Not necessarily the most skilled player on the roster, but he makes up for it in determination.

Kesler's best season was 2010-2011, when he scored 41 goals (73 points) in 82 games, for a 0.50 goals per game average en route to winning the Art Ross and Hart trophies. And seven of his goals (17 percent) were game winners.

Oh, and he put up those points while winning the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward.

During the Canucks playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring, he recorded seven goals (19 points) in 25 games, for a 0.28 goals per game average. Two of those goals (29 percent) were game winning goals.

Regular Season: 131 goals (288 points) in 484 games, for a 0.27 goals per game average. Eighteen of his goals (13.7 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 10 goals (33 points) in 48 games, for a 0.21 goals per game average. Two of those playoffs goals (20 percent) were game winners. 

No. 1: Pavel Bure

Pavel Bure, the Russian Rocket. Without a doubt, Bure is the single most dynamic scorer on this list, bringing crowds to their feet seemingly every time he touched the puck.

One of the best pure scorers of his generation, Bure's career was eventually cut short by repeated knee injuries.

During the Canucks 1994 run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Bure scored 16 goals (31 points) over 24 games, for a 0.67 goals per game. Two of those goals (12.5 percent) were game winners.

Regular Season: 437 goals (779 points) in 702 games, for a 0.62 goals per game average. Fifty-nine of his goals (13.5 percent) were game winners.

Playoffs: 35 goals (70 points) in 64 games, for a 0.55 goals per game average. Three of his goals (8.6 percent) were game winners.