Which NHLers could become first-time 50-goal scorers in 2024-25?

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024-25 NHL regular season is finally here.

Sure, it started in Czechia last week. But all 32 teams will finally be in action this week, so the fun really begins Tuesday night. It’s a fresh slate for (nearly) everyone – New Year, New Me.

Right now, everyone’s doing projections. Today, we’re looking at which six NHLers could become 50-goal scorers for the first time in their careers.

A total of 99 different NHLers have scored 50 goals at least once in a season, with a combined 209 times between them. Last season saw it happen four times: Auston Matthews (69 goals), Sam Reinhart (57), Zach Hyman (54) and Nathan MacKinnon (51). Matthews was the only two-timer to do it, and it came after Connor McDavid, David Pastrnak, Mikko Rantanen, and Brayden Point joined the club the previous year.

Expect many of the usual suspects to challenge for 50 again this year – Matthews, Pastrnak, McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon come to mind. And it’ll be interesting to see if Reinhart and Hyman can build on their massive campaigns, too.

But six other players could join quite an impressive club in 2024-25:

Artemi Panarin, LW (New York Rangers)

Previous best: 49 goals, 2023-24

Panarin was a serious Hart Trophy candidate last year after registering a personal best of 49 goals and 120 points in 82 games. It was the first time he passed the 100-point mark, far exceeding his previous best of 96 points in 2021-22. It also marked the first time he had at least 30 goals in a season since 2019-20, and the fourth time he had at least that many since his rookie campaign in 2015-16. The Rangers need to start making serious moves this year to win in their Stanley Cup contention window, and another incredible year from Panarin would help. Panarin’s shooting percentage of 16.2 last year was the best of his career, and well above his 14.6 career average. Can he up the ante as a 33-year-old?

Filip Forsberg, LW (Nashville Predators)

Previous best: 48 goals, 2023-24

Beyond the group that made it to the Stanley Cup final nearly a decade ago, or the 2006-07 squad that brought in Paul Kariya and Peter Forsberg, this might be the most exciting Nashville lineup in franchise history. The team added Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault up front, Brady Skjei will play a big role on the team’s second D-pairing and Juuse Saros can finally breathe after years of trade rumors. Nashville likely isn’t a serious Stanley Cup contender, but they should be better than last year – and that’s good news for Forsberg, who scored a career-high 48 goals and 94 points last year. Was it a fluke? We’ll have to see, but his chemistry with Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist was incredible. You’re asking a lot to hope both of his teammates will perform at the same level this year, but if they do – or if the Preds experiment and put Forsberg on a line with Stamkos and Marchessault – we could be talking about a first-time 50-goal and 100-point scorer.

Kirill Kaprizov, LW (Minnesota Wild)

Previous best: 47 goals, 2021-22

The Wild might not have high expectations heading into the season, but it feels inevitable that Kaprizov will eventually break the 50-goal barrier. As Minnesota’s primary offensive driver, Kaprizov scored at least 40 goals in the past three seasons, including 46 goals in 75 games last year. Had he not missed any time, he could have very well cracked the half-century mark for the first time. If Kaprizov stays healthy and finds some big-time chemistry with sophomore center Marco Rossi, Kaprizov could be the primary reason to tune in to Wild games this season as the team looks to shock opponents despite having quite average depth.

William Nylander, RW (Toront o Maple Leafs)

Previous best: 40 goals, 2022-23 and 2023-24

Nylander is coming off the best season of his career, hitting 40 goals for the second consecutive season. He was also one of just a few players who seemed to wake up during the playoffs, despite only playing four of the seven games. At one point, 50 goals looked very promising, but he failed to register a goal in the final 11 games of the regular season. Nylander was two points shy of his first 100-point campaign, but if he can stay consistent while continuing on in a second-line role with John Tavares and Max Domi, he could be on his way to joining the 50-goal club. NHL stars never need motivation to produce – but Nylander has plenty of it this year. There are plenty of people who dislike his $11.5 million cap hit that’ll last until 2032, but Nylander has a perfect opportunity to shut the haters up with a career year.

Nikita Kucherov, RW (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Previous best: 44 goals, 2023-24

Kucherov has always been more of a playmaker – 100 of his league-leading 144 points last year were assists. But he has cracked the 40-goal barrier twice, including setting a new high of 44 last year. With Stamkos gone, Kucherov will be tasked with picking up the slack, especially on the power play. Jake Guentzel will help, for sure, but Kucherov has proven he can be extremely dangerous around the net time after time and will need to be yet again if the Bolts are going to remain firmly in playoff conversation. Because as time wears on, there’s less certainty that the Bolts will be a true threat every single night – especially if goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy goes down with an injury. But bet against them at your own peril. When Kucherov has the puck, magic tends to happen. A 50-goal season is certainly not out of the question for one of the best wingers of this generation.

Tage Thompson, C (Buffalo Sabres)

Previous best: 47 goals, 2022-23

Last season was a difficult one for Thompson, who saw his production fall from 47 goals and 94 points in 2022-23 to 29 goals and 56 points. He played seven fewer games, but he still struggled to come close to the dominant scoring threat that made him so much fun to watch the previous year. The imposing 6-foot-6 forward is incredible at driving the puck to the net and making things happen, and he’s got one of the heaviest shots in the league. He was also easily Buffalo’s most impactful forward in the first two games of the season against New Jersey in Czechia, which is a promising sign. With Buffalo looking dangerous this year – and with the pressure to perform rising in a city desperate for success – it would be a major boost for the Sabres if Thompson can lead the charge again with his first 50-goal campaign.

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