Before 1979-80, Bobby Orr had the highest plus/minus, at +582.

Interpreted as:

most career +/- by a player before 1980

	NAME	+/-	GP	G	A	P	PIM	PPG	PPA	SHG	SHA	GWG	S	S%
1	Bobby Orr B. Orr	+582	657	270	645	915	953	76	248	16	31	26	3,058	8.8
2	Serge Savard S. Savard	+487	794	91	291	382	489	23	65	9	9	11	1,190	7.6
3	Guy Lafleur G. Lafleur	+388	603	355	461	816	275	92	145	3	2	70	2,030	17.5
4	Larry Robinson L. Robinson	+385	498	80	264	344	338	13	57	2	1	13	861	9.3
5	Bobby Clarke B. Clarke	+360	773	270	598	868	909	82	175	26	20	28	1,892	14.3
6	Guy Lapointe G. Lapointe	+357	652	158	358	516	632	56	142	3	8	19	2,032	7.8
7	Brad Park B. Park	+347	705	152	464	616	989	57	172	5	7	23	2,035	7.5
8	Jacques Lemaire J. Lemaire	+344	853	366	469	835	217	88	128	4	2	58	3,052	12.0
9	Stan Mikita S. Mikita	+327	1,376	539	920	1,459	1,248	150	312	12	6	84	4,454	12.1
10	Steve Shutt S. Shutt	+320	509	244	219	463	211	48	39	0	0	37	1,300	18.8
11	Dallas Smith D. Smith	+318	889	55	252	307	955	1	6	5	12	5	1,408	3.9
12	Phil Esposito P. Esposito	+281	1,161	676	816	1,492	817	230	285	23	12	113	4,830	14.0
13	Wayne Cashman W. Cashman	+279	777	225	418	643	861	42	66	2	0	31	1,450	15.5
14	Frank Mahovlich F. Mahovlich	+266	1,048	490	527	1,017	891	110	166	11	5	77	3,366	14.6
15	Ken Hodge K. Hodge	+260	880	328	472	800	777	88	109	3	4	57	2,128	15.4
16	Bobby Hull B. Hull	+259	896	573	483	1,056	522	147	152	18	10	92	4,539	12.6
17	Jacques Laperriere J. Laperriere	+256	692	40	242	282	679	10	84	4	9	5	1,324	3.0
18	Yvan Cournoyer Y. Cournoyer	+254	968	428	435	863	233	152	162	1	0	68	2,427	17.6
19	Terry Harper T. Harper	+252	1,040	34	214	248	1,350	6	12	0	7	3	984	3.5
20	Bill Barber B. Barber	+246	535	243	280	523	388	60	99	21	16	37	1,920	12.7
21	Andre Dupont A. Dupont	+244	583	46	146	192	1,617	9	36	0	6	8	1,110	4.1
22	J.C. Tremblay	+244	796	57	306	363	206	19	114	1	6	11	1,360	4.2
23	Henri Richard H. Richard	+243	1,001	272	549	821	724	34	78	0	1	42	3,199	8.5
24	Peter Mahovlich P. Mahovlich	+237	779	271	431	702	821	69	111	19	6	36	1,921	14.1
25	Craig Ramsay C. Ramsay	+223	611	159	255	414	123	11	32	22	12	21	1,038	15.3