Best Single-Season Point Scorers in NHL History (Top 50)

The Top 10 Single-Season Point Totals

1. Wayne Gretzky: 215 points (1985-86)

• 52 goals, 163 assists
• Edmonton Oilers
• Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner
• Unmatched passing dominance

2. Wayne Gretzky: 212 points (1981-82)

• 92 goals, 120 assists
• Most goals ever in single season
• Fastest 50 goals (39 games)

3. Wayne Gretzky: 208 points (1984-85)

• 73 goals, 135 assists
• Peak dynasty Oilers
• Four Stanley Cups in five years

4. Wayne Gretzky: 205 points (1983-84)

• 87 goals, 118 assists
• Multiple 200-point seasons
• Offensive explosion

5. Mario Lemieux: 199 points (1988-89)

• 85 goals, 114 assists
• Best non-Gretzky season ever
• Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner

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6. Wayne Gretzky: 196 points (1982-83)

• 71 goals, 125 assists
• Fifth 190+ point season
• Dominance across multiple years

7. Wayne Gretzky: 183 points (1986-87)

• 62 goals, 121 assists
• Still elite despite "decline"
• Seven consecutive Art Ross Trophies

8. Mario Lemieux: 168 points (1995-96)

• 69 goals, 92 assists
• Return from retirement
• Dead Puck Era outlier

9. Wayne Gretzky: 168 points (1988-89)

• 54 goals, 114 assists
• Los Angeles Kings
• First season after trade

10. Mario Lemieux: 161 points (1992-93)

• 69 goals, 91 assists
• Won Hart despite missing games
• Battling back injuries

Gretzky's Domination of the Record Book

Wayne Gretzky appears in the top 50 more than any other player:

Gretzky's Top 50 Appearances:

• Four seasons over 200 points
• Seven seasons over 180 points
• 13 consecutive seasons with 100+ points
• Unmatched consistency

The 215-Point Season: Gretzky's 163 assists in 1985-86 alone would rank 11th all-time in total career points for most players. His playmaking that season exceeded most players' best complete offensive seasons.

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Lemieux's Peaks: The Non-Gretzky Gold Standard

Mario Lemieux's 199-point season represents the best non-Gretzky performance ever:

1988-89 Season Breakdown:

• 85 goals (fourth all-time single season)
• 114 assists
• 1.99 points per game
• Won Art Ross by 31 points over Gretzky

Other Elite Lemieux Seasons:

• 168 points (1995-96)
• 161 points (1992-93)
• 160 points (1987-88)

Lemieux's peak rivaled Gretzky's, but injuries and illness prevented sustained dominance across as many seasons.

Read more: NHL Players With 100+ Points in a Season (All-Time)

Other Elite Seasons in the Top 50

Steve Yzerman: 155 points (1988-89)

• Detroit Red Wings
• 65 goals, 90 assists
• Peak offensive production

Bernie Nicholls: 150 points (1988-89)

• Los Angeles Kings
• Playing alongside Gretzky
• Career-year performance

Phil Esposito: 152 points (1970-71)

• Boston Bruins
• 76 goals, 76 assists
• Perfect balance

Peter Stastny: 139 points (1981-82)

• Quebec Nordiques
• Elite two-way center
• Underrated excellence

Jaromir Jagr: 149 points (1995-96)

• Pittsburgh Penguins
• Art Ross winner
• Dead Puck Era standout

Modern Entries: McDavid and the New Generation

Connor McDavid's Best Seasons:

• 153 points (2022-23)
• 132 points (2023-24)
• 116 points (2021-22)

McDavid's best seasons rank near bottom of historical top 50 but tower relative to contemporary scoring levels.

Era Context:

• Gretzky's 215 points: League average 7.9 goals per game
• McDavid's 153 points: League average 6.3 goals per game
• 20% fewer goals league-wide

Other Modern High-Point Seasons:

• Nikita Kucherov: 128 points (2018-19)
• Leon Draisaitl: 127 points (2022-23)
• Nathan MacKinnon: 126 points (2023-24)

These sit just outside or at very bottom of top 50 but represent outlier modern dominance.

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Era-Based Analysis

Top 50 by Decade:

1970s: 5 seasons

• Esposito, Orr, Lafleur
• Offensive evolution

1980s: 38 seasons

• Gretzky, Lemieux domination
• Peak offensive era
• Dynasty teams

1990s: 6 seasons

• Early 90s high scoring
• Lemieux, Jagr peaks
• Dead Puck Era begins

2000s-2020s: 1 season

• McDavid only
• Lower-scoring environment
• Elite outlier

Could Anyone Hit 200 Points Again?

Modern context makes 200 points nearly impossible:

Why It Won't Happen:

• Better goaltending (larger equipment, technique)
• Sophisticated defensive systems
• Neutral-zone structure
• Load management limits ice time
• Parity spreads talent

Realistic Modern Ceiling: 130-150 points represents peak in modern NHL. McDavid's 153 likely represents ceiling for foreseeable future.

What It Would Require:

• Gretzky-level talent
• Elite supporting cast
• Heavy power-play usage
• Career-year shooting percentage
• Perfect health (82 games)
• Opponent injuries/weakness

Read more: NHL Records Trivia: Single Season & Career Records

Points Per Game: True Dominance

Highest Points-Per-Game (Minimum 70 games):

1. Gretzky 1985-86: 2.69 PPG (215 points in 80 games)
2. Gretzky 1981-82: 2.65 PPG (212 points in 80 games)
3. Gretzky 1983-84: 2.77 PPG (205 points in 74 games)
4. Lemieux 1992-93: 2.67 PPG (160 points in 60 games)
5. Lemieux 1988-89: 2.62 PPG (199 points in 76 games)

These rates are so far beyond modern norms they seem almost fictional.

Franchise Representation

Edmonton Oilers: 20+ seasons

• Gretzky, Kurri, Messier
• Dynasty era dominance
• Offensive system

Pittsburgh Penguins: 10+ seasons

• Lemieux, Jagr
• High-octane offense
• Multiple generations

Los Angeles Kings: 5+ seasons

• Gretzky post-trade
• Nicholls alongside Gretzky
• 1980s-90s offense

Betting and Season-Long Props

For betting markets, historical point totals provide context:

Modern Point Props: Sportsbooks offer over/under on elite scorers (typically 95-115 points for McDavid). Historical data shows:

• 130+ points requires perfect storm
• 110-120 points represents elite season
• 100-110 points very good season

Futures Context: Understanding that modern 130-point season ranks historically with 180-point seasons from 1980s helps evaluate Art Ross futures.

Read more: NHL Futures Betting Explained

Legacy of the Top 50

The top 50 single-season point totals represent offensive dominance across NHL history. Gretzky's stranglehold on the record book remains unmatched, with Lemieux providing only realistic challenge to his supremacy.

Modern stars like McDavid prove elite offensive talent still exists, even if raw point totals can't match 1980s explosion. Era-adjusted analysis shows McDavid's best seasons rank among greatest ever, even if raw numbers sit lower on historical list.

Read more: NHL Betting: The Ultimate Guide for the 2025/2026 Hockey Season

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