Too Much of a Good Thing: Checking in on the NHL's early shot leaders
The NHL season is now three weeks in, and those willing to dive deep into the numbers are beginning to see trends emerge regarding the league's top stars, as well as some off-the-radar players ready to break out.
Here's an overview of the league's top shot-takers through 21 days:
All skaters
| RK | Player | SOG |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) | 42 |
| 2 | Taylor Hall (EDM) | 40 |
| 3 | Tyler Seguin (DAL) | 39 |
| 4 | Daniel Sedin (VAN) | 38 |
| 5 | Max Pacioretty (MTL) | 37 |
| 6 | Dustin Brown (LA) | 36 |
| T7 | Brent Burns (SJ) | 35 |
| T7 | Nazem Kadri (TOR) | 35 |
| T7 | Radim Vrbata (VAN) | 35 |
| T10 | Justin Faulk (CAR) | 34 |
| T10 | Jakub Voracek (PHI) | 34 |
Tarasenko has been able to find instant success in the NHL as a volume shooter, largely because he still finds a way to take quality shots. ... Kadri's embraced his larger role in the Maple Leafs' offense. He's peppering opposing goaltenders with 4.4 shots per game, up from his previous career high of 2.4. ... Jamie Benn's needed only 21 shots to rack up his league-leading eight goals, but his 38.1 percent shooting percentage is unsustainable. ... Alex Ovechkin barely missed the list, but he's played only six games - his 5.3 shots per game leads the league.
Defensemen
| RK | Player | SOG |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brent Burns (SJ) | 35 |
| 2 | Justin Faulk (CAR) | 34 |
| 3 | Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI) | 33 |
| 4 | Johnny Boychuk (NYI) | 31 |
| T5 | Roman Josi (NSH) | 25 |
| T5 | Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) | 25 |
| T5 | Mark Giordano (CGY) | 25 |
| T5 | Kris Letang (PIT) | 25 |
| T5 | Jason Garrison (TB) | 25 |
| T10 | Torey Krug (BOS) | 24 |
| T10 | Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF) | 24 |
Burns and Faulk ranked third and fourth respectively in shots on goal among defensemen a year ago. ... Josi continues to statistically outperform defensive partner Shea Weber. ... Last year's shooting leader among blue-liners, Erik Karlsson, has 17 shots on goal through eight games.
Rookies
| RK | Player | SOG |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikolaj Ehlers (WPG) | 28 |
| 2 | Jack Eichel (BUF) | 24 |
| 3 | Dylan Larkin (DET) | 21 |
| 4 | Max Domi (ARI) | 20 |
| T5 | Artemi Panarin (CHI) | 19 |
| T5 | Colton Parayko (STL) | 19 |
| 7 | Oscar Lindberg (NYR) | 18 |
| 8 | Connor McDavid (EDM) | 17 |
| T9 | Ben Hutton (VAN) | 15 |
| T9 | Jordan Martinook (ARI) | 15 |
Ehlers hasn't looked the least bit out of place on an NHL scoring line. His stats are going to go through the roof as his minutes and power-play time increase. ... Domi's been one of the primary beneficiaries of the Coyotes' early scoring flurry. ... The top two picks in this year's draft - McDavid and Eichel - have each carved out large roles on their respective teams.