Best Player/Worst Skater

The Talented Allen Ripley

holden
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Last night a barroom debate born from Vieux Carrés and Kilted Haoles broke out:
 
Who was the shittiest-skating awesome player in NHL history? Two immediate answers were Terry O'Reilly and Glen Murray (thanks, TFP), although the criteria certainly isn't limited to Bruins.
 
Have at it. Bonus points for being harsh and funny.
 

jk333

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I was young but Ray Sheppard seemed to be a bad skater. He had a good career that was similar to Glenn Murray.
 

RIFan

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Jason Allison is the guy that always comes to mind for me. How he scored 36 goals with the skating ability of an accomplished beer leaguer is one of hockey's great mysteries.
 

kenneycb

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Andrew Brunette was a lock for 20ish goals seemingly every year and had cement in his skates.  Probably not as good of a career as many mentioned.
 
Edit: And he was funny about it.  From his retirement:

Brunette, always self-deprecating about his slow skating, then began to laugh hard: “I guess you can say I skated to the decision not to play. That’s why it took me so long. It took awhile to get there, just like everything else I did.”
 

PedroSpecialK

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Crazy Legs Joe DiPenta is bar none the worst skater I have ever seen in the NHL, but he wasn't particularly good anyhow.

Good question... Clarkson at his peak has to be up there along with Hartnell
 

NYCSox

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Tim Kerr. He'd just plop himself in front of the net and score 50 every year. I don't think he had any other discernible skills.
 

Dropkick Izzy

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Patrick Flatley might as well have been wearing double runners out there and managed to pot 20 goals twice along with 16, 17 and 18 goal campaigns. He's also in the Islanders Hall of Fame, for whatever that's worth.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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How was Espo as a skater? I never got to watch him, but everything I read - and any replays I've seen - says he was kind of a plodding skater. Setting up shop in front of the net and scoring 76 goals is quite the accomplishment for a slow moving power forward.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Andreychuk is a great answer. I also would say Recchi wasn't the best skater either.
 
Any of the greats that made their money in front of the net, really.
 
Keith Tkachuk is another - especially when he got fat later in his career.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Are we talking just about skating speed? Andreychuk was slow, yes, but the ability to park in front of the net, not be moved, and make hockey plays from there is a skill in and of itself.
 

Red Right Ankle

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Eh, balance is a skating trait in hockey, at least marginally, but I think from the OP's context we can say the focus was on speed and agility.
 

The Talented Allen Ripley

holden
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The whole package can be considered. A plodder who's strong on his skates wouldn't be the worst skater in the world, no? Conversely, you may be able to skate like the wind but have little control or agility.
 

Granite Sox

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Charlie Simmer.
 
Great goal scorer, but shuffled around like he was on double-runners with a walker.
 
Geez... two thirds of these guys seem to have played for the B's.
 
/Neely's Vision
 
It's Called Bruins.
 

Fred not Lynn

Dick Button Jr.
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I am actually amazed at how poorly many NHL players skate. Few truly push down into the ice, good lateral pushes are rare, center of balances are really high, and SO many just skate over the middle and never really achieve much weight transfer at all when they skate. WAY too little emphasis is put on simple, basic skating skill at the youth level of hockey these days, and it shows even all the way up to the NHL.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
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I've seen a ton of live hockey, and for me it was Muzz hands down. I saw him at ice level and I know I play with guys who are better skaters than him.
 

BoSoxFink

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I don't remember during his younger days, but was Jaromir Jagr every really a good skater? He always felt like he was more of a positional guy and used his big body and good balance to hold opposing players off.
 

PedroSpecialK

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He was/is a great skater by way of strength and balance.

In his earlier days he had much better agility, but I'd struggle to place him in this category
 

ngruz25

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Adam Oates is in the Hall of Fame but almost didn't make the NHL because of his skating. I know he worked on it throughout his career, but I don't think he was ever a good skater by any means.
 

MoGator71

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Most of mine have been named already (Robitaille, Kerr, Andreycuk, Hartnell). Most of the power forwards didn't have great wheels (Stevens, Tocchet). Mike Knuble was a turtle.
 

Fred not Lynn

Dick Button Jr.
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MoGator71 said:
Most of mine have been named already (Robitaille, Kerr, Andreycuk, Hartnell). Most of the power forwards didn't have great wheels (Stevens, Tocchet). Mike Knuble was a turtle.
 
Kevin Stevens was at best the third best skater at his high school...
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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Kenny F'ing Powers said:
How was Espo as a skater? I never got to watch him, but everything I read - and any replays I've seen - says he was kind of a plodding skater. Setting up shop in front of the net and scoring 76 goals is quite the accomplishment for a slow moving power forward.
 
 
Frisbetarian said:
Phil Espisito
 
I'm in good company here.