Projecting Every NHL Team's Leading Goal Scorer for the 2024-25 Season

The 2024-25 NHL regular season is finally underway for all 32 clubs.

Throughout the schedule, die-hard fans will closely monitor the basic and advanced stats of each team and its players between now and the final buzzer in April.

No matter how deeply you dive into the numbers, goal-scoring remains the most important.

After all, the game's purpose isn't shot blocks, total saves, or puck possession, but scoring more goals than your opponent.

Some players find the back of the net more often than others.

The very best are honored annually with the Maurice Richard Trophy .

Past winners include Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin and Toronto Maple Leafs center Austin Matthews, with Ovechkin winning it nine times and Matthews three times.

Every club has one player who will lead them in goal-scoring.

Follow along as we project this season's leading scorer for every NHL club, including our prediction for how much they'll score this season.

Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the app comments below.

The AnaheimDucks got a team-leading (and career-best) 37 goals from FrankVatrano last season, but the 30-year-old winger might not reach those heightsagain.

They also have a reliable 20-plus scorer in Troy Terry andyoung Trevor Zegras hoping to bounce back from last season'sinjury-shortened campaign.

Nevertheless, weexpect Mason McTavish will finish atop the Ducks' leaderboard.

The21-year-old center finished third among Ducks goal scorers lastseason with 19 along with 41 points and would've had more if injurieshadn't limited him to 64 games.

Entering his third full NHL season, McTavish madesignificant strides during his sophomore campaign.

He may be poisedfor a breakout performance as a scorer.

2024-25projection: 35 goals.

Since DavidPastrnak's 34-goal breakout season in 2016-17, no other member of theBoston Bruins has scored more goals.

Entering this season, he was fourth among all NHLscorers with 323 total goals.

Pastrnak is oneof the league's elite goal scorers.

He was a co-winner (withWashington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin) of the Maurice RichardTrophy in 2019-20 with 48 goals.

Over the last three seasons, hetallied 40, 61 (a career best) and 47 goals.

Now in hisplaying prime, the 28-year-old Pastrnak is the Bruins' top triggerman.

He will remain in the running for the Richard Trophy this season.

Another 50-plus goal performance is not out of the question.

2024-25projection: 52 goals.

Since his38-goal breakout performance in 2021-22, Tage Thompson has been theBuffalo Sabres' leading goal scorer .

He followed up with acareer-best 47 goals in 2022-23 and 29 goals in 71 games last season.

Thompson's decline last season was partially because he missed 11 games due toinjury.

That decline in his production was among the reasons why theSabres missed the playoffs for the 13th straight season .

Thompson wasn'tsolely to blame as the Sabres' goals per game plummeted from 3.57 in 2022-23 to 2.98 last season .

Nevertheless, they'll need him to regain his 40-goal form if they're to clinch their first postseasonberth since 2010-11.

2024-25projection: 41 goals.

Over the past two years, the CalgaryFlames have been rebuilding their roster byshipping out veterans for promising young players.

Among those moves was their acquisition of Yegor Sharangovichfrom the New Jersey Devils in June 2023.

Sharangovichshowed goals-scoring potential as an NHL sophomore in 2021-22,tallying 24 goals in 76 games.

He made the most of his opportunity inhis first season with the Flames, scoring a team-leading 31 goals .

Skating on theFlames' top line, the26-year-old Sharangovich is in an excellent position to build on lastseason's performance.

He's been sidelined by a lower-body injury since the start of this season.

If he's not out for too long, heshould further establish himself among the club's growing core ofyoung talent.

2024-25projection: 34 goals.

Since his NHLdebut in 2016-17, Sebastian Aho has led the Hurricanes in points inevery season except the '16-'17 campaign and 2022-23.

The 27-year-oldcenter is also their goal-scoring in every season except hisrookie year when he finished second.

Aho is the Hurricanes' most consistent offensive star.

Entering this season, he'stheir overall leader since 2016-17 with 254 goals and 303 assists for557 points.

During his eightprevious NHL seasons, Aho never scored 40 goals.

The closest he came was in 2019-20, netting 38 goals in 68 games before the COVID-19 pandemic prematurely ended the season.

This could be the season he finallyreaches that plateau.

2024-25projection: 41 goals.

The debut of Connor Bedard was the bright spot in what was an otherwise forgettable season for the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks.

Chosen first overall by Chicago in the 2023 NHL Draft, the young center quickly established himself as a superstar in the making.

Only 18 years old, Bedard led Chicago and all of last season's NHL rookies with 61 points in 68 games.

He also tied with teammate Jason Dickinson for the club lead in goals with 22 and led all rookies in that category.

The youngster accomplished that despite Chicago's injury-ravaged, talent-depleted roster and a fractured jaw that sidelined him for 14 games.

Bedard is a year older and wiser with a club now carrying more depth than last season.

It's reasonable to assume he'll put up better numbers this season.

2024-25 projection: 37 goals.

Since 2016-17 ,Nathan MacKinnon has led the Colorado Avalanche in points in every seasonexcept 2020-21 and 2021-22.

He's also been their top goal scorer fourtimes, with last season's career-best 51-goal effort being the latesthe's held that honor.

MacKinnon hasjockeyed with teammate Mikko Rantanen as the Avalanche's leading goalscorer, entering this season narrowly leading his teammate since 2016-17 with 276 totalgoals to Rantanen's 262.

However, the 29-year-old center took hisgame to another level last season, leaving Rantanen well behind.

Winner of the2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy, MacKinnon is at the peak of his playingcareer.

Having reached the rarified air of the 50-goal club lastseason, the Avalanche superstar could do it again.

2024-25projection: 53 goals.

The ColumbusBlue Jackets enter this season lacking reliable established scoringpunch in their playing prime.

However, they possess several promisingyoung forwards who could be poised to make significant strides intheir development this season.

Kirill Marchenko is among that group.

Now 24, the 6'3", 195-pound winger showed promise as a rookie in 2022-23 with 21 goals and 25 points in 59 games.

He led them with 23 goals last season but also improved his overall play with 19 assists for 42 points.

Marchenko should continue seeing top-six minutes for the Blue Jackets.

This will bea prime chance for the young winger to prove himself as thisrebuilding club's reliable scoring forward.

2024-25projection: 31 goals.

The Dallas Starspossess a two-time 40-plus scorer in Jason Robertson and a three-time30-plus scorer in Roope Hintz.

Veterans Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, andMatt Duchene reached those numbers earlier in their long playingcareers.

However, therole of leading goal scorer could belong to Wyatt Johnston.

The21-year-old forward held that honor last season with 32 goals whilefinishing in a three-way tie with Duchene and Hintz for second placewith 65 points.

What's alsoimpressive is Johnston accomplished this during his sophomore season.Entering his third NHL campaign with his prime years still ahead ofhim, the young forward should eclipse last season's numbers to set anew career high in production.

2024-25projection: 41 goals For the past three seasons, Dylan Larkin has held the title of theDetroit Red Wings leading goal scorer with 31, 32, and 33 goals.However, the 28-year-old Wings captain will face a strong challengefor the club scoring crown from Lucas Raymond.

Raymond made a promising debut in 2021-22 with 24 goals but hisproduction slipped to 17 in his sophomore season.

However, the22-year-old winger found another gear last season, scoring acareer-best 31 goals and a team-leading 72 points .

Larkin tallied 33 goals and 69 points in just 68 games andwould've had much more if not for a late-season injury.

Nevertheless,Raymond is coming on as a scoring star in his own right and lookspoised to exceed last season's numbers.

2024-25projection: 39 goals.

Since 2016-17 Connor McDavid has been the EdmontonOilers' points leader in every season except for his injury-shortened 2019-20 campaign .

However, teammate Leon Draisaitl has been their topgoal scorer , entering this season with 326 over that period while McDavid had 319.

Draisaitl hasexceeded the 40-goal plateau five times compared to McDavid's fourseasons.

That includes three 50-plus point campaigns compared to hiscaptain's one.

Zach Hyman wasthe Oilers' top goal scorer last season with 55 but that could end upbeing the 32-year-old winger's high-water mark.

Draisaitl, who turns29 on Oct.

27, remains in his prime and could still have more 50-goal seasons in him.

2024-25projection: 51 goals.

Sam Reinhartenjoyed a dream season in 2023-24.

He tallied a career-best, team-leading 57 goals for the Florida Panthers.

The 28-year-old forward also scored 10 goals in 24 playoffgames, including the winning goal in the seventh and deciding game ofthe 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Reinhart and histeammates had little time during their shortened summer to recuperatefrom that long playoff run.

They also reached the 2023 Stanley CupFinal and that limited time off over the past two years could take atoll as the Panthers attempt to defend their championship.

A reliablescorer who usually tallied between 22 and 33 goals in six of hisseven seasons before 2023-24, Reinhart could find it difficult toreach the 50-goal plateau again this season.

His numbers could return to his previous levels of production.

Nevertheless, we can'trule out a 40-goal performance skating alongside top centerAleksander Barkov.

2024-25projection: 41 goals.

Since 2020-21,Adrian Kempe has been the Los Angeles Kings' most consistent goalscorer.

Over that four-season period, the 28-year-old winger wastheir scoring leader in 2021-22 with 35 goals and 41 goals in2022-23 .

He was second in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign with14 goals and third last season with 28 goals in 77 games.

Kempe hasn'treceived as much recognition for his production on the retoolingKings around the league.

Skating on the top line with the agelessplaymaking center Anze Kopitar, he's likely to be in range foranother 30-40 goal performance.

Over the last four seasons, he led the Kings with 118 total goals .

A big, fast winger, the 6'2", 201-pound Kempe could face a stiff challenge for the club's goal-scoring crown from Kevin Fiala and emerging star Quintin Byfield.

Still, he remains in a good position for another high-scoring campaign.

2024-25projection: 34 goals.

Since joiningthe Minnesota Wild in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, KirillKaprizov established himself as their top goal scorer.

Over the pastfour seasons, the 27-year-old winger leads all Wild scorers with 160total goals, sitting sixth overall in the league.

The first Wildplayer to win the Calder Memorial Trophy , Kaprizov holds thefranchise's single-season record with 47 goals in 2021-22.

He's alsotheir single-season record holder with 61 assists and 108 points,also set in '21-'22.

Kaprizov is in his playing prime and remains a dangerous scoringthreat whenever he's on the ice.

He reached 46 goals last season andcould reach the 50-goal plateau this season for the first time.

2024-25projection: 51 goals.

Cole Caufieldproved his worth as an offensive forward during the MontrealCanadiens' underdog run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, finishingthird among his teammates in postseason scoring with 12 points in 20games.

Since then,Caufield has teased with his goal-scoring prowess.

He overcame a poorstart in 2021-22 to finish with a team-leading 23 goals .

The 5'8',175-pound winger had 26 goals in 46 games in 2022-23 until a shoulderinjury ended his season .

He enjoyed a career-best performance lastseason with 28 goals and 37 assists for 65 points.

Now 23,Caufield's best seasons remain in front of him.

Skating on the topline , he should exceed 30 goalsthis season if he stays healthy and could even flirt with the 40-goalplateau.

2024-25projection: 38 goals.

Filip Forsberg enjoyed his breakout performance in 2014-15 with 26 goals and 37assists for 63 points.

Since then, he's been the NashvillePredators' highest-scoring player, entering this season as their leader in total goalswith 286 and sitting 13th overall among the league's topgoal-scorers.

That productionincluded a 42-goal performance in 2021-22 and a career-best 48 goalslast season.

Now 30, Forsberg remains in his prime and should exceed 40 goals again this season.

Adding veteran scorers Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault during the offseason will takesome of the goal-scoring burden off Forsberg.

Nevertheless, heremains their first-line winger and prime triggerman.

2024-25projection: 43 goals.

Injuries limitedJack Hughes to 56 points in 49 games in 2021-22 and 74 points in 62games last season .

Those stats still put him among the Devils' top-threescorers during those seasons.

When Hughes ishealthy, however, the 23-year-old forward is a scoring machine.

In2022-23, he set the franchise single-season points record with 99,and also finished with a career-best 43 goals to lead the Devils thatseason.

Hughes could reach those lofty heights if he's fully recovered from his shoulder surgery in April.

He could power theDevils back into playoff contention.

2024-25projection: 41 goals.

The New YorkIslanders have struggled offensively over the past five seasons ,sitting 24th overall with a goals-per-game average of 2.86.

During that period, Brock Nelson has been their most reliablegoal-scoring threat.

Nelson leads theIslanders with 151 total goals over that five-season stretch.

He'salso led them in each season in goal scoring, including threestraight 30-plus goal seasons since 2021-22.

Turning 33 onOct.

15, Nelson is reaching the end of his playing prime.

Still, hisdurability and consistency in recent years suggests he won't behanding over the Isles' goalscoring crown this season.

2024-25projection: 31 goals.

Three players held the New York Rangers' goal-scoring crown over the pastthree seasons.

Chris Kreider held the title with 52 goals in 2021-22 ,followed by Mika Zibanejad's 39 goals in 2022-23 and Artemi Panarin's 49 goals last season .

Panarin'stallies in 2023-24 were a career-best as the 32-year-old winger tookhis play to a higher level following a disappointing performance inthe 2023 playoffs.

He could remain just as determined this season.

This could bethe last season for the Rangers' aging core to push for a Stanley Cupchampionship.

That could provide additional motivation for Panarin toreach the 40-goal plateau again.

2024-25projection: 44 goals.

Over the pastthree seasons, Brady Tkachuk has emerged as the Ottawa Senators' mostconsistent scorer.

The 25-year-old Senators captain finished as theirpoints leader in 2021-22 (67) and 2023-24 (74).

He finished second in 2022-23 with a career-best 83 points.

Tkachuk has alsosteadily improved as a goal scorer during that period.

He had 30goals in '21-'22, 35 in '22-'23, and a career-high 37 last season.

The ruggedSenators' power forward is the prime of his playing career.

This couldbe the season when he joins his father Keith and brother Matthew inthe NHL's 40-goal season club.

2024-25projection: 42 goals.

The past fourseasons were difficult for the Philadelphia Flyers, becoming also-rans in the NHL playoff standings.

Travis Konecnywas among the few bright spots for this club during that period.

Konecny emergedover the last three seasons as the Flyers' top scorer, leading theclub with 52, 61, and 68 points respectively.

He's also steadilyimproved as a goal scorer, leading the Flyers over the last twoseasons with 31 in 2022-23 and 33 goals in 2023-24 .

The Flyersrewarded Konency on July 25 with a new eight-year, $70 million contract extension , making him a key part of their rebuilding roster.He'll be motivated to prove himself worthy of the faith managementhas placed in him.

2024-25projection: 37 goals.

The PittsburghPenguins are no longer the powerhouse they once were, missing theplayoffs during the last two seasons .

While long-time veteransEvgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are showing their age, Sidney Crosbycontinues to produce at an elite level.

Crosby led thePenguins in points with 93 in 2022-23 and 94 last season at an age when most players are in the twilight of theircareers.

Now 37 years old, he's showing no sign of slowing down,tallying a team-leading 42 goals last season, marking the third timehe eclipsed 40 goals in a season.

Age willinevitably catch up with Crosby but the betting here is he still hasenough left in the tank for another 90-point season.

He might notreach the 40-goal plateau as he did last season but will remain thePenguins' leading goal scorer.

2024-25projection: 38 goals.

Between 2019-20and 2023-24, Tyler Toffoli played for the Los Angeles Kings,Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, New JerseyDevils and Winnipeg Jets.

Despite those frequent moves, he was a consistent scorer, tallying 20-plus goals in each season and exceeding30 goals in each of the last two seasons.

Signing with therebuilding San Jose Sharks this summer, Toffoli instantly becametheir most experienced goal scorer.

He's expected toplay alongside promising youngsters Macklin Celebrini and WilliamEklund.

Now 32, Toffoliis reaching the end of his playing prime.

His production could dropbelow 30 goals this season but he should still fit in well alongsidehis skillful young linemates.

2024-25projection: 28 goals.

Chosen by theSeattle Kraken in the 2021 expansion draft, Jared McCann wasted notime making the most of the opportunity to see top-six forwardminutes.

He led the club in its first season with 27 goals and 50points.

McCann followedup the following season with a team-leading , career-best 40 goals and70 points, helping the Kraken reach the playoffs during their sophomore campaign .

His production dropped to 29 goalsand 62 points last season but he remained their leading scorer .

The Kraken willattempt to rebound from last season's disappointing performance.They'll expect the 28-year-old McCann to do the same.

Another40-goal season could be a stretch but he should exceed the 30-goalplateau.

2024-25projection: 33 goals.

Over the past three seasons, the St.

LouisBlues have been transitioning away from older veterans toward youngertalent.

Jordan Kyrou has been among thosewho've become part of their core players.

Possessingblazing speed and creative offensive skills, Kyrou enjoyed a breakoutperformance in 2021-22 with 27 goals and 48 assists for 75 points.

Hebecame their leading goal scorer with 37 goals in 2022-23 and 31 goals lastseason .

Kyrou overcame aslow first half to finish strong last season.

With a more consistent effort, the 26-year-old wingercould flirt with the 40-goal plateau in2024-25.

2024-25projection: 39 goals.

The Tampa BayLightning's vaunted firepower will require an adjustment this seasonwith the offseason departure of long-time captain and scoring star StevenStamkos.

Nevertheless, they still possess two-time Art Ross Trophywinner Nikita Kucherov and signed former 40-goal scorer JakeGuentzel.

They also stillhave Brayden Point.

Overshadowed at times by Stamkos and Kucherov,the 28-year-old two-way center has also been among the Lightning'smost consistent scorers.

He led them in goals with a career-best 51 in 2022-23 and 46 goals last season .

He tied Kucherov for second in goals with 41i n 2018-19 .

Point is in theprime of his career and sees first-line minutes centering Kucherovand Guentzel.

He could end up close to the 50-goal plateau again.

2024-25projection: 48 goals.

Since joiningthe Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016-17, Auston Matthews has been theirleading goal scorer five times.

He also became the only activeplayer other than Washington's Alex Ovechkin to win the MauriceRichard Trophy at least three times , with 41 goals in 2020-21, 60goals the following season, and 69 goals last season.

Entering this season, Matthews led all NHL scorers since his rookie season with 368 total goals.

The27-year-old center also holds the Leafs single-season goals record and is 53 goals away from breaking Mats Sundin's franchise record of420 goals.

Named captain ofthe Maple Leafs this summer, Matthews is the most dangerous scorer ofhis generation.

A healthy season could see him again reach the60-goal plateau, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy,Mario Lemieux, Phil Esposito, and Brett Hull as the only players to doso at least three times .

2024-25projection: 64 goals The ArizonaCoyotes became the Utah Hockey Club during the offseason, but what hasn't changed is winger Clayton Keller remains their topoffensive player.

Since his rookie campaign of 2017-18, he's been theirleader with 166 total goals, 250 assists and 416 points.

Keller led the Coyotes with 28 goals in 2021-22 despite being limited to 67 games by aseason-ending broken leg , then led them again the following season with a career-best 37 goals.

Last season, he had a team-leading 33goals in 78 games.

Now 26, Kelleris entering his playing prime.

Skating at left wing on Utah's topline, he should reach the 40-goal plateau with this improving club asthey push for their postseason appearance since the 2020 COVIDplayoff bubble.

2024-25projection: 41 goals.

Injuries andinconsistent play dogged Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser during most of hiscareer.

The low point came in 2022-23 ashe dealt with trade rumors and his father's death, finishing with 18 goalsin 74 games.

However, the27-year-old Boeser bounced back last season with a career-best 40goals and 73 points.

It was the third time he's led the Canucks ingoals since his 29-goal effort in 2017-18 and his 23-goal performancein 56 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Boeser'sgoalscoring played a significant role in the Canucks reaching theplayoffs for the first time since the 2020 COVID postseason bubble .He could exceed last season's output if he avoids injury.

2024-25projection: 43 goals.

The offseasondeparture of goalscoring winger Jonathan Marchessault to theNashville Predators put the onus on Jack Eichel to pick up the slack.He's led the Golden Knights in points in 2022-23 and 2023-24 but was second in goalscoring to Marchessault.

Injuries have plagued Eichel during his NHL career but he's still been a productive forward.

Over his six seasons withthe Buffalo Sabres and three with the Golden Knights, the 27-year-oldcenter has tallied 24-plus goals seven times, including acareer-high 36 with the Sabres in 2019-20 and 31 last season with theGolden Knights.

An injury-freeseason could see Eichel enjoy the best season of his NHL career.

It could put him over the 40-goal mark for the first time.

2024-25projection: 41 goals.

Alex Ovechkin is the greatest player in Washington Capitals history.

He entered this season as their all-time leader with 853 goals and 1,550 points and holds the single-season record with 65 goals.

"The Great 8" also captained them to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Ovechkin is alsothe greatest goal scorer of his generation, winning the MauriceRichard Trophy a record nine times.

As of Oct.

11, the 39-year-old winger needed 42goals to eclipse Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 to become the greatestgoal scorer of all time.

Father Time,however, is catching up with Ovechkin, who struggled through thefirst half of last season before finding his stride and finishingwith 31 goals.

Nevertheless, the Capitals captain will be motivated toovertake Gretzky this season and could have one last 40-plus goalseason left in him.

2024-projection:44 goals.

A knee injury limited Kyle Connor to 65 games last season but he still led theWinnipeg Jets with 34 goals .

That's not surprising since the27-year-old winger has been their leading goal scorer every seasonsince 2019-20 except for 2022-23 when he finished second .

Between 2017-18 and 2023-24,Connor led the Jets with 241 goals and sat ninth among all NHLscorers.

He's also been their best scorer in theclutch, leading them with 51 game-winning goals .

Connor'sgoal-scoring consistency will again be a key part of the Jets'offensive attack this season.

He should easily exceed 30 goals andshould be within range of the 40-goal plateau.

2024-25projection: 42 goals.

Stats via NHL.com ..

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