Phil Esposito

Esposito suffered a knee injury in 1973, after which some believed he was not the same player. This became true after he was traded to the New York Rangers in November 1975. He was not nearly as effective of a player for the last part of his career. Though he became a popular player in New York, the adjustment was hard. He also had problems with injuries and did not have the same touch he had in Boston. Esposito abruptly retired in the middle of the 1980-81 season.

Over course of his playing career, Esposito scored 717 goals and 873 assists. He scored at least thirty goals in thirteen consecutive seasons. Though Esposito's strengths were often overshadowed by high profile teammates like Hull and Bobby Orr, he still had a number of significant goals. Esposito was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984.