G.O.A.T. of Broad Street: Top 10 Flyers

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Welcome to 94WIP's G.O.A.T. of Broad Street, where we will finally determine who the greatest athlete in Philadelphia sports history is. Remember, in order to qualify, the athlete must have played in Philadelphia in the last 50 years (1970). Please cast your vote here to help us decide!
G.O.A.T. of Broad Street is brought to you by A Better Financial Plan.
1. Bobby Clarke

Frankly, there is no other answer as to who the best player in Flyers history is. Bobby Clarke won three Hart Memorial Trophies, had three 100 point seasons and led the Flyers to two Stanley Cup victories as the captain. He is the Flyers all-time leader in points (1210) and is more than 300 points clear of second while his 852 assists also lead the pack. He is simply the best Flyers player of all-time.

2. Eric Lindros

A member of the Legion of Doom along with John LeClair, Lindros was a legend in Philadelphia. Within his first five season, Lindros won the Hart Memorial Trophy as MVP of the league and was averaging 1.47 points per game after his monster 1995-96 season, where he tallied 47 goals and 68 assists. He finished his career as the Flyers leader in points per game (1.36), goals created per game (0.53) and goals per game (0.60). His peak was short, but he was the best Flyers player since Clarke.

3. Claude Giroux

Giroux really does not get the appreciation he deserves, especially for the talent put around him during the 2010s. Since the start of the decade, Giroux's 741 points trail only Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Patrick Kane. That is an elite group of hockey players, and despite the slow start to his career, Giroux is still among the Flyers leaders in several offensive categories. He's 32 and still has some life left, but his decade-long performance puts him high on this list.

4. Bernie Parent

One of the most beloved athletes in Philadelphia sports history, Parent had his #1 retired by the Flyers quickly after a too-early retirement. Who knows what else Parent was capable off if he did not suffer a career-ending eye injury at 34. The Flyers goaltender became the first player to win the Vezina, Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe trophies in the same season (he did it the next season too), and his 47 wins was an NHL record until 2006.

5. Mark Howe

Top defensemen in scoring in Flyers history after starting his career as a forward. Howe somehow finished runner-up in the Norris Trophy after the 1985-86 season where he scored 24 goals and had 58 assists and had a +85 rating. Only three defensemen in NHL history have an 80/80 season (80 points, plus-80 rating) under their belts.

6. Ron Hextall

Not many players can say they were the best in the league in their rookie year. Hextall won the Vezina Trophy when he led the NHL in wins and saves as a 22-year old. He also won the Conn Smythe award when he helped the Flyers reach a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup. He earned the nod from Wayne Gretzky, who said he was the best goaltender he had played against. Hextall played 11 of 13 NHL season with the Flyers and is their all-time leader with 240 wins (9 more than Parent).

7. Bill Barber

The Flyers all-time leader in goals is low on this list, and many would argue he is ahead of both Lindros and Giroux. Barber consistent performance is notable, but Lindros has a Hart Trophy and was the better player during his best years while Giroux's quiet consistency rivals the best in the game in this era. Nobody will take away his playoff greatness (53 goals tied for most in franchise history) or his #7 jersey.

8. John LeClair

LeClair spent 10 of his 16 years in Philadelphia and was problematic for opponents. He gelled well with Lindros and Mikael Renberg on the "Legion of Doom" line which combined to score 305 goals and 361 assists (that’s 666 points…) in three seasons. For three straight seasons, LeClair scored 50 or more goals, then followed that up with consecutive 40-goal seasons.

9. Tim Kerr

Injuries hindered Kerr's career after a spectacular eight year run where he had four consecutive 50-goal seasons. The winger was lethal on the power play, and his 144 goals lead the club by 40. Also, the perm/mullet/mustache combination seals his spot in the top 10.

10. Kimmo Timonen

Timonen came to the Flyers at age 32 and was a stalwart on the back line for seven years. Five of those years, Kimo won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the teams best defender. He helped the Flyers in their late 2000s playoff runs.

 

Honorable Mention - Rod Brind'Amour, Rick MacLeish, Reggie Leach, Brian Propp, Dave Schultz, Eric Desjardins, Pete Lindbergh, Mark Recchi