NHL Players with the Best Chances to Reach 100 Points in 2016-17

In recent years, tallying 100 points in an NHL season has become an increasingly difficult achievement for players. The only one to reach that mark in 2015-16 was Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, who won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. 

This season, however, NHL scoring is up. On Oct. 27, USA Today's Kevin Allen attributed the rise in production to the addition of young scorers, team speed, reduced goaltending performance and an increase in power-play goals. 

That uptick in scoring bodes well for more players to reach 100 points this season. Some—like Kane and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby—are previous Art Ross Trophy winners and are among this season's leading scorers. Others—such as Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid—are among those promising young forwards. 

Here's a look at the NHL players with the best chances of reaching 100 points this season, reviewing their previous scoring accomplishments and current production. Feel free to weigh in on this topic in the comments section below. 

Honorable Mentions

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Artem Anisimov, Chicago Blackhawks

In his previous seven NHL seasons, Anisimov never scored more than 44 points. With 17 points in 14 games this season, though, he's scoring at a 100-point clip.

Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets

In his first 16 NHL games, the Jets rookie enjoyed two hat tricks. Laine already has 16 points and sits among the league's leading scorers.

Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

Marchand reached a career-best 61 points in 2015-16. With 15 points in 14 games, he's at a 90-point pace. 

Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks

Winner of the 2016 Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie, Panarin is showing no signs of a sophomore slump. With 16 points in 15 games, he's flirting with a 90-point campaign. 

Alexander Wennberg, Columbus Blue Jackets

Now in his third NHL season, the 22-year-old Wennberg is off to a fast start. He has 14 points in 12 games, putting him on track for a 95-point campaign. 

10. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers

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Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux is among the NHL's most consistent performers. Since 2010-11, he's led the Flyers in scoring five times, including four consecutive seasons from 2010-11 to 2013-14. 

Over the past six seasons, Giroux leads all NHL scorers with 383 points in 381 games. In 2011-12, Giroux finished with a career-high 93 points and was third in league scoring. In 2013-14, he again finished third in the league with 86 points. 

For this season, Giroux has 16 points in 15 games. That gives him a per-game average of 1.07 points, putting him within reach of 90. Having exceeded 90 points earlier in his career, a shot at 100 points this season isn't out of the question. 

9. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars

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After joining the Dallas Stars in a trade with the Boston Bruins in 2013, center Tyler Seguin blossomed into one of the NHL's top scorers. Since becoming a Star, Seguin's netted 251 points in 238 games. Only Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Seguin's linemate, Jamie Benn, and Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane have scored more over that period. 

Seguin's best season was 2013-14, when he tallied 84 points in 80 games. He followed up with 77 points in 71 games in 2014-15 and 73 points in 72 games in 2015-16. If not for injuries, Seguin's totals would've been higher. 

With 17 points in 15 games this season, Seguin's averaging 1.13 points per game.  He's on track for a 90-point performance. Should his stats improve over the course of 2016-17, he could be within striking distance of 100 points. 

8. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Since entering the NHL in 2006-07, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has become one of the league's most prolific offensive stars. He's a two-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy (2008-09, 2011-12), along with the Hart Memorial Trophy (2011-12), Ted Lindsay Award (2011-12) and Conn Smythe Trophy (2008-09).  

Malkin also has three 100-point seasons on his resume. His first came in his sophomore season (2007-08), when he netted 106 points. The following year, he posted a career-high 113 points. His last was in 2011-12 (109 points).

In recent seasons, injuries have held down Malkin's production. This season, he has 14 points in as many games. If he can remain healthy and productive over the course of 2016-17, he could have a shot at another 100-point performance.  

7. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars

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Since 2013-14, Dallas Stars left wing and captain Jamie Benn established himself as one of the NHL's most consistent scorers. During that stretch, he's amassed 189 points in 179 games to lead all NHL players in that category.  

In 2014-15, Benn exceeded the 80-point mark (87) for the first time. That effort earned him the Art Ross Trophy. Last season, he followed up with an 89-point performance to finish second in league scoring. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

With 13 points in 15 games, the 27-year-old Benn is well below the 21 points he netted over the same period a year ago. Given his offensive abilities, however, one shouldn't dismiss the possibility he could improve over the course of the season. 

6. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

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Tampa Bay Lightning center and captain Steven Stamkos is among the NHL's most reliable offensive stars. He's a two-time winner (2009-10, 2011-12) of the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer. With 141 goals in 258 games, Stamkos sits second behind Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin for most goals over the past five seasons. 

Stamkos has never reached the 100-point level, but he did come close earlier in his career. Between 2009-10 to 2011-12, he put up three 90-plus-point efforts, including a career-best 97 points. 

Only 26, Stamkos is still within his playing prime. With eight goals and nine assists for 17 points in 14 games, he's averaging 1.21 points per game. He's on pace for close to 100 points this season. If he avoids injury, he could be in line for his first 100-point campaign. 

5. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

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Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov is only four seasons into his NHL career, but he's swiftly blossomed into one of the league's best scorers. He's become a key factor in the Lightning's rise among Stanley Cup contenders. 

Kucherov enjoyed back-to-back 60-plus-point seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Last season, he was the Lightning's leading scorer in the regular season and the playoffs, with 19 points in 17 postseason games. 

After 13 games this season, Kucherov has 16 points. He's averaging 1.23 points per game. At that clip, he could reach over 100 points by season's end. 

4. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

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Connor McDavid is only in his second NHL season. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 NHL draft, the 19-year-old is having no difficulty adjusting to the NHL pace. 

The Oilers captain showed considerable offensive potential during his injury-shortened debut season. With 16 goals and 32 assists for 48 points in just 45 games, he finished third among Oilers scorers in 2015-16. He also finished fourth among last season's rookie scoring leaders, becoming a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy.

After 15 games this season, McDavid has 18 points. Averaging 1.20 points per game, he's close to a 100-point pace and sits among this season's top five NHL scorers. A 100-point season as an NHL sophomore would establish McDavid as one of the league's brightest stars. 

3. Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

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Since being selected seventh overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2011 NHL draft, it's taken center Mark Scheifele several seasons to develop into a scoring star. Now 23 and in his fourth full NHL campaign, he's on the verge of superstardom. 

Scheifele's made steady improvement since his rookie season, when he tallied 34 points in 63 games in 2013-14. In his sophomore season, he had a respectable 49 points in 82 games. Despite missing 11 games last season, Scheifele reached a career-high 61 points. 

After 16 games this season, Scheifele's tallied 20 points. He's the league's leading scorer and is averaging 1.25 points per game. If he can maintain this rate of production, he will reach 100 points. 

2. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

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Prior to 2015-16, Kane established himself as a scoring star with the Blackhawks. His offensive exploits earned him the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2006-07 and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2013 playoffs. He was a key part of the Blackhawks' three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. 

Last season, however, was the best of Kane's career. He reached career highs in goals (46), assists (60) and points (106), becoming the only player to reach 100 points in 2015-16. As a result, Kane was awarded the Art Ross Trophy as the league's scoring leader. He was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. 

In 15 games this season, Kane has 17 points. That's six points down from the 23 points over the same number of games last season. Still, he's among the top five scorers, averaging 1.13 points per game. At this current rate of scoring, he's in range of another 100-point season. 

1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Over the past five seasons, no other NHL player has collected more points than Sidney Crosby. In 281 games, the Penguins captain tallied 340 points. His offensive exploits earned him the Art Ross Trophy in 2006-07 and 2013-14. 

Crosby is no stranger to the 100-point plateau. He reached it for the first time in his rookie season (2005-06), netting 102 points. He tallied a career-high 120 points in 2006-07, followed by 103 points in 2008-09, 109 in 2009-10 and 104 in 2013-14.

Despite missing the opening six games of this season to concussion symptoms, Crosby already has eight goals and 11 points in just eight games. That gives him a league-leading 1.38 points-per-game average. Should Crosby remain healthy and maintain his current rate of production, a sixth 100-point season isn't out of the question. 

Player stats (as of Nov. 11) via NHL.com. Additional info via QuantHockey.