The NHL’s current goal-scoring race is intriguing, with some new names mixed into the battle for scoring supremacy. Here are three positive surprises in the goal-scoring race, and three negative surprises who have yet to score a single goal this year.
Three Positive Goal-Scoring Surprises This Year
Paul Cotter, C, New Jersey Devils
The Devils haven’t been one of the more dangerous offensive teams this season, but you can’t blame Cotter for that. The 24-year-old Cotter – acquired by New Jersey this past summer in a deal with Vegas – has generated five goals and six points in seven games with the Devils, and he looks to be a perfect fit on their second line.
Cotter’s current career single-season high in goals is 13, produced in Vegas in 2022-23. He’s looking like he’s going to demolish that total in short order – and for a $775,000 per-year salary, Cotter is now one of the biggest bargains in the entire league.
Jordan Eberle, RW, Seattle Kraken
Being named captain of the Kraken has given a jolt to Eberle’s on-ice production. In his first five games this season, the 34-year-old Eberle has four goals and six points, putting him on a pace well ahead of his 2023-24 season of just 17 goals and 44 points in 78 games. Eberle’s best goal-scoring season was 34 goals back in his sophomore season of 2011-12. So if his numbers do drop off, he’ll still likely produce 20-25 goals.
Eberle is clearly a key veteran for the Kraken, and while he doesn’t have the weight of the franchise on his back when it comes to scoring goals, Eberle can do a lot of good just by being dependable for a 25-goal year, and Seattle will do some damage in the standings if Eberle takes pressure off their youngsters by chipping in some solid secondary scoring.
Sam Reinhart, RW, Florida Panthers
Let’s be honest – did anyone or everyone think it was going to be automatic that Reinhart regressed from his 57-goal, 94-point output last season? We think some did. The soon-to-be 29-year-old was still going to be a good player, but Reinhart could’ve stumbled out of the gate this season. Instead, Reinhart has four goals and nine points in six games for the Panthers. He’s been a force on Florida’s top line, and he’s likely going to be terrific again this year.
Even if he drops a goal or two behind last season’s pace, Reinhart is going to be great value for the $8.625 million he’s earning this season. He could’ve gotten more on the open UFA market, but Reinhart took less money to stay with a deep Panthers team. So far, he’s been worth every penny.
Three Reliable Goal-Scorers Who Have Yet to Score This Year
Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins
For a guy who has scored at least 21 goals per season in every year but one of his 14 full NHL seasons, Marchand and Bruins fans should be concerned that he has yet to score in five games this year.
Marchand needs to break out for more than just competitive reasons this season. He’s in the final year of his current deal carrying a salary of $6.125-million per year, so a rebound after this slow start will help him a lot in his agent’s negotiations. Marchand hasn’t forgotten how to score, but at age 36, he’s going to be under the microscope to see when Father Time eventually gets the best of him, and when his goal totals begin to plummet with no bounce-back. That process could start this season, but it will be fun watching Marchand fight to continue to be a needle-mover for Boston.
Zach Hyman, RW, Edmonton Oilers
Hyman was one of the best individual stories in the league last season, putting up 54 goals for the Oilers. That’s one hell of a high-value performance, especially considering Hyman’s $5.5-million per-season salary, which runs through the 2027-28 season. But this year – nada, in five games. Not ideal.
With his performance last season, Hyman has assured himself of a spot on Edmonton’s top line next to superstar Connor McDavid until further notice. So you can rest assured he’s going to be getting many more chances to score many more goals. In each of his three seasons with the Oilers, Hyman has improved his goal total – and while that streak probably will end this year, Hyman can and will still be a huge threat to finish plays and get his goal total back to the 40-goal plateau.
Related: Comparing The Oilers’ Start: A Year-Over-Year Look At Their First Three Games
Related: NHL Captains For 2024-25: By The Numbers
Related: NHL Rumor Roundup: Penguins And Jets’ Performances Raise Trade Questions
News Summary:
- Three Surprise NHL Goal-Scorers This Year, And Two Surprise Veterans Who Haven't Scored Yet
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.