Phil Esposito

In 1967, Esposito was traded to the Boston Bruins because Chicago needed a defenseman and he had not played well in the playoffs before that date. It was in Boston that Esposito had his best years as a player and Boston had some of its best years as a franchise. During his six years in Boston, he won or finished second in the scoring title race each year. Esposito also became an all-around player, who was used in every situation.

In his second season with Boston after the trade, Esposito became the first player to score more than 100 points in a season. He followed that up with a 99 point season in 1969-70, and 152 points—including seventy-six goals—in 1970-71. In 1972-73, Esposito had fifty-five goals and seventy-five assists. In 1973-74, he had sixty-eight goals and seventy-seven assists. From 1969-73, he scored at least fifty goals in a season. These were amazing numbers for the time. Esposito also won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 1970 and 1972.