Will a player score 70 goals anytime soon?

[JoVel]

Laine should reach 50 first before talking about 70

There are six active players who have scored 50 so the same can be said about quite a few guys.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

It will require an elite shooter combined with an elite passer... and both of them will have to have simultaneous outlier seasons.

So, yeah, it could happen if someone like prime Laine ended up playing with a prime Thornton.

 

[Shrimper]

If Ovie was in his prime now, yes.

But, no.

 

[Star Ocean]

There are six active players who have scored 50 so the same can be said about quite a few guys.

I never said anyone will reach 70. It is not likely at all.

 

[mattihp]

It will require an elite shooter combined with an elite passer... and both of them will have to have simultaneous outlier seasons.

So, yeah, it could happen if someone like prime Laine ended up playing with a prime Thornton.

Unfortunately, playing with prime Little might diminish Laine's shots at reaching a high prime. We might have seen Laine's best offensive season already if Maurice doesn't get his head out of his derriere.

 

[tony d]

Doubt it, it'd be nice but 70 goal seasons are a thing of the past I think. We should see a 60 goal season again though.

 

[bobbyking]

If McDavid can shoot like ovi or Matthews

 

[McFlash97]

70 goals is an impossible task in the foreseeable future. Not happening until radical changes are implemented.

 

[Passchendaele]

Nobody currently in the NHL can realistically reach 70 goals.

Ovechkin is getting older. Laine is way too streaky.

McDavid is awesome, but he's more of a playmaker. I don't think he'll ever reach 60, and 50 is up for debate.

 

[tealhockey]

with 1 assist the rest of the way

He has to get some incidentals from rebounds no??

 

[Zeke and luther]

Probably not

 

[GoldenSeal]

It's possible but it's something that will come totally out of left field.

 

[Varan]

He has to get some incidentals from rebounds no??

fine, 2 assists along the way

 

[alg363636]

The only ones who could MAYBE do it are Laine and Matthews if absolutely everything went right for them for an entire season.

But I don't think that's happening

 

[bobholly39]

I really don't think it's that far fetched. Just because Ovechkin didn't do it doesn't mean it's impossible.

For as great a goal-scorer as Ovi is - his strength is more in his consistency than his actual peak goal-scoring. 65 is a good number for the era he did it in, but his next best total is 56. I really don't think those numbers are impossible to beat in today's NHL. Ovechkin himself as a 33 year old man was on pace for over 65 goals most of last season till he slowed down a bit at the end.

I think someone in a perfect storm of a season could absolutely top 70.

Maybe Laine puts it together consistently and has a breakout season, playing with top forwards/PP time.
Maybe Toronto puts Matthews on a star-studded 1st line with tons of minutes and he becomes the primary goal-scorer on his line, and perfect storm has him hit that. If he could play with Marner and/or Tavares, i could see it.
Maybe one of the Colorado or Edmonton players benefits from the insane 1st line they're on, and one of them goes on to score something crazy.

So yeah I think it's possible. I didn't list Ovechkin - I think at age 34 him getting there seems almost impossible, but i suppose i shouldn't count him out either. Stamkos is getting up a bit in age too, but playing with Kucherov it could be possible for him.

Don't forget Cheechoo hit 56 a few years ago playing with Thornton. And no disrespect to Cheechoo, but he's not of the caliber of any of the guys i mentioned. So if you put any of these guys i listed in a situation as favorable as Cheechoo had - I could see 70 as a plausible target.

 

[Strakanator]

Mcdavid is likely the only guy capable of that right now.

The goal scorer should be able to skate 30 minutes a night at a high speed like Mcdavid. These are younger guys in the in their prime.

The team also has to have a top power play in the league.

A generational goal-scorer drafted on a top scoring team with a top power-play is the ideal situation. The coach on said team also has to unleash the reigns on the goal scorer and play him all those minutes.

If Mcdavid has a historic goal scoring season and their powerplay is one of the best he could get a lot of goals. However, I think their defense would have to be better at possession and passing to get him the puck. The team also would have to draw a lot of penalties.

Essentially, if Mcdavid went to a really good team he could score 70 goals.

 

[Help]

Victor Mete

 

[psycat]

And I believe Ovechkin is generally regarded as the greatest goal scorer of all time when adjusted for era. So you'll either need a goalscorer greater than Ovechkin, or a higher-scoring era.

Or one with better peak, Brett Hull for example peaked higher in my opinion- still nowhere close to as great of a goalscorer. Stamkos came close to Ovi's best doesn't mean he is nearly as good, in an all time-sense, either.

To me that's the likelier scenario. Imagine a outlier season ala Cheechoo where everything just goes right. Now imagine a more gifted player having such a season. Doesn't mean he would be Ovi great concistently.

Ill say yes btw.

 

[hockeeyyy]

Was this thread about 70 5vs5 goals?

You seem to struggle to understand that Selanne had 52 even strength goals that year. 5on5 production absolutely matters in this context; getting pissy over context makes you emotional and not really worth chatting with on a hockey message board where opinions and discussions are what drives content in the first place.

 

[Sypher04]

Matthews is a great 5v5 scorer but hasn't figured out the PP scoring yet

Actually his goal scoring ability on the powerplay wasn't the problem, as far as I see it. He was very effective doing so early in the season last year. The problem imo started when teams realized they could basically leave a shadow on him because all the plays were being forced through Rielly and Marner and frankly neither one of them shoots often or is much of a shooting threat from their powerplay position.

Laine is the only one who has a chance.

Objectively false.

No way Matthews gets close.

I could see Mcdavid coming close. Mckinnon will be close.

Matthews is a more proficient goal scorer than either so that's an odd position to take.

The guy who has barely cracked 70 points?

The guy who has scored goals at the highest rate in the entire NHL since he joined the league.

 

[LegendaryNumber5]

Yes...Ovi...this year...book it!

 

[razor8]

If Laine is going to score 50+ goals, he needs to improve his skating and movement. Just stationary waiting for the perfect pass isn't going to cut it.

 

[Necrobutcher]

You seem to struggle to understand that Selanne had 52 even strength goals that year. 5on5 production absolutely matters in this context; getting pissy over context makes you emotional and not really worth chatting with on a hockey message board where opinions and discussions are what drives content in the first place.

I'm not only struggling, i was completely unaware. I only knew the total amount, not the 5vs5/PP divide. I get what you're saying and you are pretty much right when I think about it.
I'd say the biggest problem with his offensive game is his skating which is the main reason for his underwhelming 5vs5 numbers. He really should be focusing on that. Maybe hire a personal skating coach. That shot combined with good or at least above average skating... He could do some serious scoring.

And again i'm not saying he will ever score 70 goals. It's obviously unlikely. But if a player that streaky has a really bad season but still scores 30 goals imagine what he can do if he has a really good year.

 

[Necrobutcher]

If Laine is going to score 50+ goals, he needs to improve his skating and movement. Just stationary waiting for the perfect pass isn't going to cut it.

Beat me to it goddamit.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Maybe, but not by anyone that's in the league today. 23 year old Ovi could have done it if league scoring was a bit higher.