The 5 Best NHL Left Wings of All-Time Ranked

The top NHL left wings ever are some of the most consistent point producers in history, including the greatest goal scorer the league has ever seen. Our guide to the best left wingers of all-time covers the top players, featuring trail blazers and gritty power forwards that were known just as well for their ability to bruise as their ability to score.

1. Alexander Ovechkin

• Years Played: 2005–Present
• Team: Washington Capitals
• Stanley Cups: 1
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 3

Alexander Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, currently at 911 goals and counting. He’s the only player to have ever scored 900 goals, and he’s also the only player to have ever scored 200 goals in three separate decades; the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. 

He broke Wayne Gretzky’s career goal record in 2025; a record that was once considered to be unbreakable. Ovechkin has several additional goal-scoring records as well, including the most all-time power play goals, overtime goals, and game winning goals. He also has the most career 30, 40, and 50 goal seasons in NHL history, and is tied with Jaromir Jagr for the most consecutive 30 goal seasons ever. 

In 2008 Ovechkin became the first player and only player to ever win the Art Ross (most regular season points), Maurice “Rocket” Richard (most regular season goals), Lester B. Pearson (most outstanding player in the regular season), and Hart Memorial (League MVP) Trophies in the same year. 

His nine NHL goal scoring titles is the most by any player in history, and nobody has scored against more individual goalies than Ovechkin has either. Ovechkin is the only active player on our list of the top NHL left wings ever, and only time will tell how many goals he finishes his career with. 

2. Bobby Hull

• Years Played: 1957–1980 (WHA from 1972–1979)
• Teams: Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers
• Stanley Cups: 1, 2 Avco Cups (WHA)
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 2, 2 Gordie Howe Trophies (WHA)

Bobby Hull led the NHL in goals seven times, which is second only to Alexander Ovechkin in league history. By his third season he already led the league in goals and points, and was the first player in league history to score more than 50 goals in a season; his 54 goals was the highest single-season total of the Original Six era. That same year he also set the NHL record for most points in a season with 97. 

A few years later he set a new record with 58 goals and 107 points in a single season. By the time his first stint in the NHL came to an end he had five 50 goals seasons, which was only one season less than all combined 50 goal seasons in league history. 

Unhappy with his salary despite being one of the NHL’s biggest stars, 1972 he signed with the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1972 for a record breaking $1,000,000. This was a boon for the new league, as Bobby Hull was the second leading goal scorer and ninth highest point scorer in NHL history when he signed the contract.

Hull scored the most goals in a single WHA season with 77, and went on to score the second-most  goals in the league’s history. He won the league’s championship twice as well. When the WHA folded, four of its teams joined the NHL as expansion teams, including Hull’s Winnipeg Jets. Hull finished his career with the Hartford Whalers, playing alongside NHL legend player Gordie Howe. 

3. Luc Robitaille

• Years Played: 1986–2006
• Teams: Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings
• Stanley Cups: 1
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 0

Luc Robitaille is one of the most productive left wings in history despite his reputation as someone who “couldn’t skate.” He was drafted in the 9th round (171st overall), and went on to become the only Los Angeles Kings player to ever win the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. 

He scored 40 goals or more of each in his first eight seasons. Robitaille also scored 50 or more goals three times during his career, and once scored 63 in a single season. This goals total stood as the most all-time for a left winger until Ovechkin broke it two decades later. That same year he scored 125 points, a record that still stands to this day.

Robitaille and the Kings made it to the finals in 1993, but fell to the Montreal Canadiens in five games. During that post-season he scored at nearly a point-per-game pace, amassing 22 points in 24 games. 

After being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and back to Kings, Robitaille signed with the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent in 2001. During the 2002 playoffs he saw his play time reduced due to the incredible depth of the Red Wings, though he still contributed four goals. The Red Wings won the championship that year, and after 16 years in the league Robitaille finally hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup.

He retired with the second-most assists in NHL history by a left winger. He’s also the all-time leading goal scorer and power play goal scorer for the Kings, which is really saying something considering he was teammates with Wayne Gretzky. 

4. Brendan Shannahan

• Years Played: 1988–2009
• Teams: New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings, New York Ranger
• Stanley Cups: 3
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 0

 

Brendan Shanahan is a legendary left wing known as much for his grit as his scoring prowess. He was originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils, and by his third season in the league he was producing at a point-per-game clip, scoring 73 points in 72 games. A few years later he eclipsed that total with 94 points in 71 games for the St. Louis Blues, followed by 102 points the season after that. 

He’s the only player in NHL history with more than 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes. As a matter of fact, he’s believed to be the record holder for the most Gordie Howe hat tricks in history, which is a goal, an assist, and a fight in a single game. He finished his career with 96 fighting majors, as well as a slew of additional roughing penalties. 

Shanahan won three Stanley Cups as a member of the dominant Detroit Red Wings, including the 2002 Cup which also featured Luc Robitaille. Shanahan scored 37 goals that season, and passed the 1,000 point mark as well.

He finished his career as the leading goal scorer among active players when he retired in 2009. His career points total is split almost evenly; 656 goals and 698 assists for 1,354 points, good for 30th of all time. He’s also 23rd in all-time penalty minutes in league history. 

5. Dave Andreychuk

• Years Played: 1982–2006
• Teams: Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Stanley Cups: 1
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 0

Dave Andreychuk thrived playing for six total teams over 24 seasons, a testament to his versatility and ability to play with different systems and players across multiple eras. His 274 career power play goals is second in NHL history behind only, you guessed it, Alexander Ovechkin.

He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, where he spent the first 11 years of his career before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 1993 he posted his highest career point total for the Leafs, 99. That year the Leafs went to the conference finals, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens. 

In 2001 Andreychuk signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which was seen as a surprise move since the Lightning routinely finished near the bottom of the league. After missing the playoffs in his first year, he was appointed captain of the team and led them to their first playoff-berth in seven years. 

In 2004 he captained the team to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. He had played 1,597 games in the regular season over 22 seasons and at that point, which tied Ray Borque for the most seasons played in the league played before winning the Cup.

Honorable Mentions

• Frank Mahovlich: Scored 1,103 points in 1,181 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens. He is the eighth-highest scoring left wing in NHL history.
• Johnny Bucyk: Played 23 seasons in the NHL, all but one with the Boston Bruins. Bucyk retired in 1979 as the highest scoring left wing of all time.
• Michel Goulet: Had four consecutive 50 goal seasons from 1982 to 1986 for the Quebec Nordiques.
• Keith Tkachuk: The first U.S. born player to lead the NHL in goal scoring, and is only one of four Americans to ever score 500 goals in his career.
• Paul Kariya: One of the most electrifying players of his time, Kariya registered exactly 989 points in 989 career games.

Not only did Frank Mahovlich win four Stanley Cups with Toronto and another two with Montreal, he is credited as being the first player to hoist the Cup above his head. Johnny Bucyk is the highest scoring Boston Bruin ever, and won the Cup with them in 1970 and 1972. He had his name engraved on the Cup again in 2011 as a coach and administrator. 

While Michel Goulet never won a scoring title or a Stanley Cup (as a player), he finished as a top 10 scorer seven times during his career. Goulet retired with an average of more than a point per game. Keith Tkachuk was an elite power forward during his career, finishing with 538 goals, 527 assists, and more than 2,200 penalty minutes.

Paul Kariya was easily one of the best players of his era, but concussion related injuries cut his career short.  He is perhaps best remembered for taking a brutal open ice hit in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals and returning later that game to score a goal. Many coaches and players compared his style of play to Wayne Gretzky’s. 

The Best Left Wings in NHL History

Alexander Ovechkin is the NHL’s best left wing in history, having scored the most goals ever; a record that is growing to this day. He’s already the league’s all-time leading goal scorer, power play goal scorer, and game winning goal scorer, among other records. And since he’s still an active player, his numbers are only going to get bigger. 

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