Where Have All The NHL's 50-Goal Scorers Gone?
Leon Draisaitl (Thomas Salus-Imagn Images)Eighty years ago today, Maurice 'Rocket' Richard set the gold standard for goals in an NHL season. He became the first player in history to record a 50-goal season.
Since then, 98 other players have done it a total of 209 times. Some players have scored more, in some cases a lot more, but 50 goals remains the standard.
When the Edmonton Oilers host the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday, Leon Draisaitl will try to do it for the 210th time in NHL history. And he'll almost certainly be alone in 2024-25, meaning we'll have to wait at least another season until we see the 100th different 50-goal-man ever.
Scoring by superstars, Draisaitl excluded, seems to have dried up this year. Auston Matthews, who led the league with 69 goals last season, will be lucky to get 30 this year. Sam Reinhart had 57 last season, just 33 to this point in 2024-25. Nathan MacKinnon, who had 51 last season, may win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's scoring champion, but it will be on the strength of a ton of assists. Even Draisaitl's teammates Zach Hyman (57 last year) and Connor McDavid are way down in their goal production.
In fact, it seems Draisaitl is the only player on the Oilers who can be counted on to score these days. It will result in him running away with the trophy that bears Richard's name, but it puts a lot of pressure on one guy.
Today's video column has more.
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