Owning a high shot percentage has its pros and cons. On one hand, a player can say they own a hot hand and can take advantage of the scoring opportunities presented to them. On the other, fans will question whether a player is just lucky, and will have a tough time replicating their success next season.
Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron is likely a player facing the most doubt heading into the 2017-18 campaign. The 28-year-old doubled his single-season goal total after recording a previous career high of just 11 with the team a year before.
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Ahead of the upcoming season, we wanted to provide you with a group of players who could see a drop or rise in production in part to a decrease in their shot percentage. Below, we listed the five 20+ goalscorers who had the highest shot percentages in the 2016-17 campaign.
5) Rickard Rakell- 33 G, 18.6%
John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images
After scoring 20 goals in the 2015-16 season, the Swede exploded for 33, leading all Ducks players by at least ten tallies. Rakell saw his shot % increase nearly 7%, and capitalized on most of the opportunities headed his way. Given the fact that he’ll be playing with some solid forwards in Anaheim’s top-six, it’s not out of the question that the forward’s total increases even more in the coming months.
4) Mark Scheifele- 32 G, 20%
Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images
Scheifele finished just behind Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine in total goals with 32- scoring on one of every five of his shots. The emerging superstar will look improve on his impressive total, as the Jets should take a step forward in the coming season.
3) Artem Anisimov- 22, 20.9
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
The Russian has historically posted some strong shot percentages, but none as impressive as the one he finished with last season after playing on a line with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin. The ‘Bread Man’ made his way to the Columbus Blue Jackets, so don’t be surprised if Anisimov’s figure drops a bit in the upcoming season.
2) Paul Byron- 22 G, 22.9%
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Byron is an anomaly, as fans don’t truly know what he’s made of. Was last season a fluke, or is this guy one of the sharper shooters in the league? Time will tell, as he has a lot to prove in the future.
1 ) T.J. Oshie- 33 G, 23.1%
Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images
Oshie was a man on a mission last season, remarkably scoring on 23.1% of his shots. The Capitals have for the most part kept their core intact, so the American should be able to post similar numbers in the upcoming campaign. Oshie’s previous career high was 14.1% from the previous season.
There it is, your top five 20+ goal-scorers with the highest shot percentages from last year. As we prepare for the 2017-18 campaign, remember these names, as it will be interesting to see whether their goal totals have decreased or increased come April.
