Brendan Shanahan (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #50)
Adjusted Stats
1987-1988 NJ 67 GP 6 goals 16 assists 22 points 0.33 PPG
1988-1989 NJ 70 GP 19 goals 24 assists 42 points 0.60 PPG
1989-1990 NJ 75 GP 26 goals 36 assists 62 points 0.82 PPG
1990-1991 NJ 77 GP 26 goals 34 assists 60 points 0.78 PPG
1991-1992 Stl 82 GP 30 goals 33 assists 62 points 0.76 PPG
1992-1993 Stl 69 GP 42 goals 36 assists 78 points 1.12 PPG
1993-1994 Stl 79 GP 48 goals 46 assists 95 points 1.20 PPG
1994-1995 Stl 77 GP 35 goals 37 assists 72 points 0.94 PPG
1995-1996 Hfd 74 GP 43 goals 33 assists 76 points 1.03 PPG
1996-1997 Hfd/Det* 81 GP 50 goals 43 assists 93 points 1.15 PPG
1997-1998 Det* 75 GP 33 goals 34 assists 66 points 0.89 PPG
1998-1999 Det 81 GP 36 goals 32 assists 68 points 0.84 PPG
1999-2000 Det 78 GP 46 goals 41 assists 87 points 1.12 PPG
2000-2001 Det 81 GP 35 goals 50 assists 85 points 1.05 PPG
2001-2002 Det* 80 GP 43 goals 45 assists 88 points 1.10 PPG
2002-2003 Det 78 GP 35 goals 44 assists 79 points 1.01 PPG
2003-2004 Det 82 GP 30 goals 34 assists 63 points 0.77 PPG
2005-2006 Det 82 GP 41 goals 42 assists 82 points 1.00 PPG
2006-2007 NYR 67 GP 31 goals 35 assists 66 points 0.99 PPG
2007-2008 NYR 73 GP 26 goals 26 assists 52 points 0.71 PPG
2008-2009 NJ 34 GP 6 goals 9 assists 15 points 0.44 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1987-1988 NJ 12 GP 2 goals 1 assist 2 points 0.19 PPG
1989-1990 NJ 6 GP 3 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.85 PPG
1990-1991 NJ 7 GP 3 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.97 PPG
1991-1992 Stl 6 GP 2 goals 3 assists 4 points 0.73 PPG
1992-1993 Stl 11 GP 3 goals 2 assists 6 points 0.52 PPG
1993-1994 Stl 4 GP 2 goals 5 assists 7 points 1.72 PPG
1994-1995 Stl 5 GP 4 goals 4 assists 8 points 1.59 PPG
1996-1997 Det* 20 GP 9 goals 8 assists 18 points 0.89 PPG
1997-1998 Det* 20 GP 6 goals 4 assists 10 points 0.50 PPG
1998-1999 Det 10 GP 3 goals 8 assists 11 points 1.10 PPG
1999-2000 Det 9 GP 4 goals 2 assists 6 points 0.67 PPG
2000-2001 Det 2 GP 2 goals 2 assists 5 points 2.34 PPG
2001-2002 Det* 23 GP 10 goals 13 assists 23 points 0.98 PPG
2002-2003 Det 4 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.60 PPG
2003-2004 Det 12 GP 1 goal 6 assists 8 points 0.64 PPG
2005-2006 Det 6 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.33 PPG
2006-2007 NYR 10 GP 6 goals 2 assists 8 points 0.79 PPG
2007-2008 NYR 10 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.52 PPG
2008-2009 NJ 7 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.44 PPG
Career - 1562 GP, 687 goals, 730 assists, 1413 points, 0.90 PPG
Career-Highs - 50 goals (96-97); 50 assists (00-01); 95 points (93-94); 1.20 PPG (93-94)
Avg. (21 seasons) - 74 GP, 33 goals, 35 assists, 67 points, 0.90 PPG
Peak Avg. (93-01) - 79 GP, 40 goals, 40 assists, 80 points, 1.02 PPG, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 184 GP, 64 goals, 75 assists, 140 points, 0.76 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (01-02); 13 assists (01-02); 23 points (01-02); 2.34 PPG (00-01)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team; 1-time 2nd-team
3-time Stanley Cup Champion
If I was constructing a hypothetical all-time hockey team, I'd want Brendan Shanahan on it, no question. He wouldn't be my first-line left-winger (that'd be Bobby Hull, or more recently Alex Ovechkin), but he'd be the ideal second-line LW. Unlike say, a Mahovlich or Robitaille, Shanahan wasn't just a scoring left-winger...he would pot goals, hit, get in fights and generally play with a sandpapery style that was the epitome of a power forward (like a healthy Cam Neely).
You knew what you were getting year-in, year-out from Shanahan: a great teammate, 35-40 goals, 75-85 points, and usually 120+ penalty minutes. I've talked quite a bit about the "time machine" principal for stars of past eras, hypothetically bringing them forward to this era and seeing whether they could thrive or not. Well Shanahan would have worked in the inverse time machine...he would have been a star, maybe more of a legend, if he'd played in the 50s, 60s or 70s. He's the ultimate "hockey player's hockey player" left-winger.
He was grittier and more of a fighter in his days with the Devils, but when he went to the Blues, Shanahan's offensive game took off. Playoff success didn't immediately follow, but when the Detroit Red Wings acquired Shanahan from the Hartford Whalers for Paul Coffey and Keith Primeau, it was the final piece that they needed to put them over the edge. Now, an ultra-skilled team (Yzerman, Lidstrom, Fedorov) finally had that gritty winger who could score at a crucial point (Ciccarelli had tried to fill that role before, but failed).
His final offensive numbers are far more a product of longevity than single-season brilliance, but Shanahan did reach 40+ adjusted goals seven times, so his 687 career total is not misleading. He won three Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold, yet he may still have been underrated. He is now the head of the Competition Committee for the NHL. I can't think of a better choice: he was the perfect blend of hard-nosed competitiveness and skill. I want to see a league that encourages more players like Brendan Shanahan.
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