Last season didn't see the same level of goal-scoring from these three NHL players, but different circumstances this year could give them a boost.
A new NHL season brings new opportunities for players to return to form.
Scoring at a consistently high level can be difficult to maintain year over year, and it's normal for even the league's biggest stars to experience offensive slumps.
Injuries, team struggles and role changes are all part of the ups and downs of an 82-game season, but each year offers a chance for players to reset. Here are three of the league's better goal-scorers who have an opportunity to bounce back in the 2024-25 season.
Tage Thompson, C, Buffalo Sabres
Tage Thompson finished with 29 goals in the 2023-24 season after scoring 47 and 38 in the previous two years, but there are reasons to believe the 26-year-old could reach new heights with the Sabres this season.
Thompson's shooting percentage dropped slightly last year, dipping to 11.8 percent after being at least 15 percent in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He still generated shooting opportunities at a high rate, averaging 11.47 shots per 60 minutes last year compared to 12.21 when he scored 47, but he could not convert on his chances as efficiently.
Buffalo's power-play struggles were a huge reason why Thompson couldn't maintain his scoring pace last year. The Sabres went from having the ninth-best power play in the NHL during the 2022-23 season, operating at 23.4 percent, all the way down to 29th in 2023-24 at 16.6 percent.
As a result, Thompson scored just nine power-play goals last season compared to 20 in the previous year. It's unlikely the Sabres' special teams struggle as mightily as they did last season. As their primary goal-scoring threat, Thompson will be the biggest beneficiary of their success.
Timo Meier, RW, New Jersey Devils
Timo Meier's time in New Jersey has been relatively underwhelming, considering the premium the Devils paid to acquire him from the San Jose Sharks in 2023.
After scoring 40 goals in 78 games between both teams in 2022-23, the 27-year-old finished with 28 goals and 52 points in 69 games last season.
However, the final stretch of last season could be a sign of what's to come.
Once the Devils fired Lindy Ruff on March 4, Meier scored 15 goals and 24 points in the final 21 games of the season. Considering his significant uptick in ice time during that span (19:31 compared to 16:46 before the firing), this could be a better indication of the offensive contributor Meier will be under new coach Sheldon Keefe.
There isn't any real competition for Meier's spot as a top-six right winger with the Devils this season, whether he plays alongside Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier. As the team's leading goal-scorer at even strength and on the power play in 2023-24, he'll have every opportunity to reach the 40-goal mark this year.
Patrik Laine, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Given his recent struggles, it's easy to forget Patrik Laine started his career with three 30-plus-goal seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, including a 44-goal campaign in 2017-18. Those years are also the only times Laine suited up for more than 70 games in a season.
The 2016 second-overall pick's injury history and personal struggles prevented him from maintaining that level of production throughout his four years with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Laine now joins a Canadiens offense that has gradually improved in Martin St-Louis' two full seasons as coach, but there are a ton of exciting prospects in their pipeline who could accelerate their rebuild. Montreal even showed glimpses of its offensive potential over the last 14 games of the 2023-24 season, where it ranked ninth in goals-for per game with 3.43.
Whether or not that momentum will carry over into the upcoming season remains to be seen, but adding a proven scorer in Laine to a Canadiens team in need of secondary scoring behind Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield could be a nice boost.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.