That is precisely what he would do for six seasons, ensuring that the star player of not just Edmonton, but all of the National Hockey League could skate openly and perform his magic. Anyone who dared to mess with "The Great One" knew that they would have Semenko to answer to, and this was a prospect that few wanted anything to do with.
As the years progressed, Semenko was also protecting players like Paul Coffey and Jari Kurri. Because of the talent that surrounded him, he was able to score 172 Points for Edmonton, but his role was never to put the puck in the net. He was there to do what was necessary to allow his teammates to light the lamp. Semenko is one of the rare cases where we have a player with a NEGATIVE Point Share that we know needs to be ranked because just being there was that important.
Semenko was never going to dazzle you with skill or grace or really, and perhaps in another environment, he would not have the same value. That being said, we don't deal in "what ifs" when we create these lists. We only care about "what is."
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