NHL News: 5 Players You'll Be Surprised Have Not Scored a Goal Yet This Season

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

It is about that time of the NHL season where we can start to figure out which players will be among the elite, and which players will need to step up their games if they are to contribute to a team's playoff push.

This article has more to do with the players that need to step up their games; it's a list of which players who should be putting pucks in the back of the net are in fact not doing that at all.

Some notable names are on it, and these are mostly players who, given their massive bank accounts, are simply not cutting it.

Scott Gomez

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

For a player as revered in the NHL as Scott Gomez, it is weird to say that he has zero goals 20+ games into the season.

Gomez put up seven goals and 31 assists last season, but earlier in his career he showed he is capable of putting the puck in the net. He had 33 goals in 2002-03.

With only four assists to go with his zero goals scored, he will need to increase his productivity if the Montreal Canadiens are to contend in the Northeast division of the Eastern Conference this season. 

Eric Brewer

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Brewer is as defensive as defensemen get, but after how sought-after he was this past offseason, you would think he could produce a goal or two in the early stages of the season.

He has zero goals, six assists and is carrying a plus-minus rating of minus-6 this season, which is not what the Lightning had in mind when they signed him to a four-year deal this past offseason at nearly $4 million per year.

Ethan Moreau

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

As of late, Moreau has not been much of a goal-scorer, but the fact that he has played in nearly every L.A. Kings game this season may have some a bit confused.

The Kings are consistently one of the faster and more goal-heavy teams in the NHL, but Moreau has just three assists in 22 games played this season. Such poor goal production is just not expected from a forward playing for the Kings.

Patrick Eaves

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

On a Detroit Red Wings team that got off to such a hot start, it is weird to see Eaves without a goal this season.

Eaves has played in only nine games so far, but usually production is a bit higher for the 27-year-old.

He has just one assist through nine games this season.

Dustin Penner

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Penner appears at No. 1 on this list because he has been such a goal-minded player these last few years. He has averaged just over 24 goals the last five seasons.

He has played in only 14 games this season, but playing on the Kings and playing—most of the time—with a goal-first mentality is why he appears at No. 1.

He has just two assists on the season.