Players who became scorers at older age

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

Who are the players who entered league and were not known for their goal scoring for awhile but became scorers at a later point in their career? Players who started as playmakers, grinders, anyhing goes. And I don't mean that they have to be 35 when they start scoring, if that even is a thing, just players who developed to a different type of player etc.

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[Star Ocean]

Johan Franzen.

 

[Kranix]

Phil Esposito was kind of a 25 goal guy until his mid 20s when he exploded but that might have had something to do do with Babby Orr

 

[Mickey Marner]

Marchand, Esposito, Ratelle, Knuble, Glen Murray.

 

[theicebox]

Jack Johnson during the 2020's.

 

[koyvoo]

Blake Wheeler

 

[Prendan Brust]

Brian Rolston, first season above 20 goals at 26.

 

[CartographerNo611]

30 year old Matt Martin scored 5 goals these last 22 playoff games. For context, in 25 games, Mitch Marner has 5 playoff goals... Dubas, people, friggin Dubas.

 

[SotasicA]

Rick Tocchet. Came in as a tough guy. Turned into a steady 40-goal-scoring power forward.

Cam Neely as well, sort of.

 

[SotasicA]

More recent: Noel Acciari. Back to back hat-tricks at age 28. Finished the season a 20-goal-scorer.

Never scored more than 10 goals in a season before.

 

[Khelandros]

Joe Thornton only scored 3 goals in his rookie season, then worked on his goal scoring over the summer. Now he has regressed back to his rookie season goal scoring stats.

 

[SomeDude]

Pascal Dupuis spent the first part of his career as a grinder. Then he met Sidney Crosby and became a 1st liner for almost a decade.

Robert Lang was struggling to stick in the league before being claimed off waivers by the Pens when he was 28 and became a good top 6 guy, scoring 30 goals twice.

 

[SotasicA]

Joe Thornton only scored 3 goals in his rookie season, then worked on his goal scoring over the summer. Now he has regressed back to his rookie season goal scoring stats.

He was 18. And 1st overall. He didn't come into the league no-one expecting him to score goals.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Martin St. Louis

Martin St. Louis Stats | Hockey-Reference.com

 

[The Podium]

Brad Marchand is the right answer here

 

[Kranix]

My son played with Phil Esposito in midget and I remember Espo had a muffin shot then, but as we now know...

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

ryan kesler

Season	Age	Tm	Lg	GP	Goals
2000-01	16	U.S. National Team Development Program	U-18	26	8
2000-01	16	U.S. National Team Development Program	NAHL	56	7
2001-02	17	U.S. National Team Development Program	U-18	46	11
2001-02	17	U.S. National Team Development Program	USHL	13	5
2001-02	17	U.S. National Team Development Program	NAHL	10	5
2002-03	18	Ohio State University	CCHA	40	11
2003-04	19	Manitoba Moose	AHL	33	3
2003-04	19	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	28	2
2004-05	20	Manitoba Moose	AHL	78	30
2005-06	21	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	82	10
2006-07	22	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	48	6
2007-08	23	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	80	21
2008-09	24	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	82	26
2009-10	25	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	82	25
2010-11	26	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	82	41

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[deckercky]

The Sedins.

 

[Deen]

My son played with Phil Esposito in midget and I remember Espo had a muffin shot then, but as we now know...

Your son played with Phil Esposito in midget?!? How old are you? Like 100?

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Guys that first spring to mind:
Robert Lang was pretty much a career extra forward until he broke out at 27 after Pittsburgh got him off waiver from Boston.

Pascal Dupuis didnt really break out until he was 32.

Mike Knuble was a run of the mill 4th line grinder until he became a 30 goal scorer out of nowhere at 30.

Kip Miller was a AHL/IHL journeyman then at age 29 he centered Jagr and became a 42 point scorer. ...In fact the only seasons of his career where he both scored more then 20 points and played full time came when being tied to Jagr's hip in Pittsburgh and Washington.

 

[Kranix]

Your son played with Phil Esposito in midget?!? How old are you? Like 100?

Almost haha. I went to school with Lou Marsh, coincidentally.

 

[Mulletman]

This is Jean Ratelle.
Ratelle entered the league as a 20 year old and put up only 2 goals.
Then as a 21 year old he put up 4 goals
As a 22 year old he scored 11 goals
Then he had a absolutely terrible season at 23 with 0 goals
Ratelle somehow got another shot in the NHL and was able to put up 14 goals as a 24 year old
And then Ratelle finally actually had a semi good NHL season as a 25 year old with 21 goals.
But it wouldn't last as he fell to just scoring 6 goals as a 26 year old.
So after 7 years in the league Ratelle had scored only 58 goals and it was looking more and more like he was heading over to the AHL the following season.
But Ratelle stopped fooling around and did some serious work in the off season on his skating and slap shot.
And during the next 13 seasons in the NHL he scored anywere between 25 and 46 goals every season. And when it was all said and done Ratelle got 491 career goals and made the Hall of fame!

 

[crazy8888]

Mike Knuble comes to mind. He was a much better player in the 2nd half of his career than the first. Scoring included.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Almost haha. I went to school with Lou Marsh, coincidentally.

For just a split second before my brain caught up with the math, I thought you were serious and was like holy **** how is this guy even using a computer?

 

[Kranix]

For just a split second before my brain caught up with the math, I thought you were serious and was like holy **** how is this guy even using a computer?

Lol. You gotta adapt in this world sonny