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Will anyone score 50 goals in 2017-18? |
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Todd Cordell
I think Vladimir Tarasenko will score 50 goals and be the only player to do so.
I think the Blues will play a bit more of a free-flowing game than they did under Ken Hitchcock and that should lead to some more opportunities for Tarasenko. I expect he'll get a boost in ice time as well (he ranked 4th among Blues forwards in average ice per game with 18:28), which certainly wouldn't hurt his cause.
He's been remarkably consistent -- he has scored 37-40 goals and shot 13.6-14% in three consecutive years -- so I'm banking on him hitting another gear and/or having a bit of an outlier year.
Adam French
I think three players will hit 50 goals. Oddly enough I'm more optimistic with regards to goal scoring than points.
Alex Ovechkin - Ovechkin scored realistically the least amount of goals in a season for him since 2011/2012 where the "washed up" Great 8 scored "only" 38 goals and led to the media dancing around talking about whether he would ever even hit 40 goals again! Then he scored an insane 32 in 48 (lockout) and three straight 50 goal years. I expect him to hit 50 again this yea. He shot almost 100 less shots than he did last season and had a slight dip in his shooting percentage which was his worst since his...well worst season ever. The Caps are still a very strong team and Ovechkin has history on his side in this bet.
Auston Matthews - Austonoffun Matthews scored the most Even Strength Goals in the league last year with 32. An insane feat for a rookie let alone any player. His 40 goal campaign was the first by a rookie since the guy above him in this list. The scary thing is that most players who hit the 40 goal mark this past season (and in most past seasons in general) do so with a lot of Power Play Goals. Ovechkin generally hovers between the 17-26 mark, Stamkos 12-20 and so on. Matthews reached 40 with only 8. That has to go up. With the talent on the Leafs roster, being a year older and the potential for a better linemate in Marleau over Hyman, the stars are aligning. Obviously there is a fear for a sophomore slump, but the greats tend to shun that trope.
Vladimir Tarasenko - This is my drunk on a Friday morning pick. Tarasenko hit 39 goals last season after a 40 goal campaign the year before. His shooting percentage has essentially remained consistent his entire NHL career. Realistically this is me betting on three things. A full season away from Hitchcock and his defensive minded hockey. A fully healthy (and for their sake) revitalized Paul Stastny and Jaden Schwartz. An increase in his PPG output with the addition of PP specialist Brayden Schenn. Schenn finished 7th in Power Play production last season with 28 points which was 50% of his overall production.
James Tanner
Auston Matthews led the NHL in 5v5 goals last year. Imagine what he'd do if Babcock gave him the PP time most other stars get.......plus he'll only get better, so I'll say sure, Matthews will score 50, as will Ovechkin.
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