Ranking the NHL's Best Sharpshooters Right Now

The NHL season is coming to a close, and it's time we look at the men most responsible for making the flashing red lights go off in their respective stadiums.

While this is a list ranking the top 10 sharpshooters in the game, it's not necessarily based on just the goals these guys have scored this season. Taking into account both shooting accuracy, longevity and potential, these are the best at putting the puck into the net from from anywhere on the ice.

For the purposes of keeping this as current as possible, this list will encompass the best of the best during the 2011-2012 campaign.

With many players putting the puck in the net at a high clip this season, there are many choices for the top 10. Here is my attempt to wade through that mess and give you the best sharpshooters in the NHL right now, and three that are very close to the cutoff.

Honorable Mention: Sidney Crosby, PIT

"Sid the Kid" isn't much of a kid anymore.

When Sidney Crosby is healthy, he can light it up with anyone, showing the kind of athleticism and playmaking ability that puts him in the conversation with the best in the game.

Limited by injuries this season, he's only played in 15 games, scoring four goals at a 7.4 percent clip.

Is his mention on this list unwarranted?

Maybe, but only because of the emergence of James Neal as one of the best scorers in the game.

Crosby will climb back to the top of the NHL mountain when he regains his full health and plays a full season. For now, he at least deserves mention, if nothing else, to remind those who have forgotten what a force he can be when he's on.

Honorable Mention: Jordan Eberle, EDM

In only his second season at the age of 22, Jordan Eberle is putting up numbers that will have him near the top of this list in the near future.

His 32 goals are impressive enough to have him in the top 15 of all NHL goal scorers. What's even more impressive is his 19.0 percent conversion rate, which lands him only behind Steven Stamkos from the group with more than 30 goals.

Eberle is definitely trending in the right direction, and Edmonton Oilers fans have something to cheer about for the long haul when they talk about his improving stock on the team and in the league.

Honorable Mention: Michael Ryder, DAL

Michael Ryder's had a coming-out party for the Dallas Stars this season, putting in 33 goals with a 17.0 percent shooting percentage.

He's also part of the reason Dallas sits in position to not only make the playoffs, but also make a late push at the top of the Pacific Division.

He never scored more than 30 in his time with Montreal and Boston, but he's adding efficiency and a few more goals to his game.

Dallas has definitely enjoyed his rise up this list, and if he follows up with another great season in 2012-2013, then Ryder will have a case to crack the top 10 without the "honorable mention" designation.

10. Matt Moulson, NYI

Matt Moulson, like Jordan Eberle, is trending in the right direction.

He's put together three consecutive 30-plus-goal seasons and shot higher than 13 percent in each of them since joining the Islanders.

His teammate, John Tavares, also helps create opportunities on the line with Moulson. Each have more than 30 goals, but Moulson gets the nod for his percentage and his three consecutive seasons.

The left winger might not be at the top of many lists when it comes to scoring, but Islander fans know he knows how to put it in the net, and hopefully he'll be able to continue that for seasons to come.

9. Patrick Sharp, CHI

Patrick Sharp took some very mediocre years with the Philadelphia Flyers and turned them into some very successful ones in Chicago.

He's just two playoffs removed from scoring 11 goals in helping the Blackhawks claim the Stanley Cup.

With other players like linemate Jonathan Toews helping draw the defense, Sharp is able to get more opportunities to put the puck in the net.

He is one of the up-and-comers on this Blackhawks squad, and he's another young guy that should only get better as Chicago aims to reclaim its success of only two years ago.

8. James Neal, PIT

It's a little early, but as of right now, Pittsburgh got an absolute steal in the trade with the Dallas Stars for James Neal.

Neal is turning out to be the kind of scorer that, when paired with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, becomes part of one of the most lethal offensive lines in all of hockey.

Only 24 years old, Neal even has the ability to improve, specifically on his 11.8 shooting percentage.

After only scoring one goal in 20 games after the midseason trade in 2011, Neal has burst onto the scene with 35 goals in 76 games for a Pittsburgh team looking to enter its way back into Stanley Cup contention.

7. Corey Perry, ANA

Corey Perry has had some very wide-ranging statistical seasons for the Ducks. He's the reigning goal champion from last season and is also high in the rankings this year with 35.

He's also had some low-ranging shooting percentage seasons and low goal totals. But he's on the right track to becoming one of the better players in this league and has shown that he can score the puck when needed.

Perry has a 13.4 shooting percentage, much lower than his 17.2 last year, and consequently, his goals are down.

But as Anaheim continues to build and move toward getting better as a hockey team, Perry should be at the center of what the Ducks do, doing what he does best: scoring goals.

6. Jarome Iginla, CGY

Jarome Iginla is the picture of longevity and productivity in the NHL.

He's put together 11 consecutive 30-plus-goal seasons, winning two titles in the process and becoming the face of a Calgary Flames team still searching for its first Stanley Cup since 1989.

The 34-year-old has put together a career shooting percentage of 13.3 and is even proving he can still score with the best of them, putting in 31 goals this year and not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Calgary is lucky to have Iginla, and it has had him for the entirety of his career.

Iginla is the career leader in games played and goals scored in the history of the franchise, and he should be included on any list of the best scorers until he shows he can't put it in the back of the net anymore.

5. Alexander Ovechkin, WSH

Alexander Ovechkin took the NHL by force when he entered the league in 2005, compiling 52 goals in his first season.

He's done more great work since then, slicing through defenses with ease and also bringing home two goal-scoring crowns (2007-2008 and 2008-2009).

His shooting percentage isn't great, and by all accounts, he's had down years for the past two campaigns, including registering a minus-8, the first time his plus/minus has been negative since his second season.

Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers is a comparison that comes to mind. He puts up the kind of jaw-dropping plays that make television programs, but his stats and team don't always live up to that hype.

However, "Ovie" is still one of the best scorers in the game today, putting on the kind of effortless performances that make his game one of the hardest to control for any opposing team.

4. Ilya Kovalchuk, NJD

Ilya Kovalchuk is one of the most feared scorers in the game today. What he's done over the course of his 10 seasons is impressive, and he's generated some numbers comparable with anyone to ever play.

He's had at least 29 goals in each of his first 10 campaigns, leading the league in 2003-2004 with the Atlanta Thrashers and finishing in the top 10 in many others.

His accuracy has been down over the past three seasons, but he's still a career 14.2-percentage guy.

Recently joining the elite 400-goal club, Kovalchuk has shown the kind of consistency and high-quality play exemplary of one of the better goal scorers in all of hockey.

If he continues that trend and finishes out his 15-year contract with the Devils, he'll maybe even sneak up into the top 10 of the all-time goal leaders.

That kind of production can't be ignored, which is why Kovalchuk is a no-brainer here.

3. Evgeni Malkin, PIT

Evgeni Malkin is an absolute gem of a player.

Can anyone deny that Pittsburgh will once again rule the NHL landscape with a healthy Sidney Crosby for more than a quarter of the season?

Not only does this guy find a way to score (46 goals at a 14.4 percentage), he also leads the league in total points and is one of the favorites to win the Hart Trophy for MVP of the league.

He's managed to maintain that high percentage even though he's taken the most shots (314) of anyone else in the league. Flanked with youngster James Neal, Malkin is one-half of a very formidable scoring lineup.

Malkin makes ESPN's Top 10 more often than not, and his stellar efforts are leading his team to points in the standings.

He's a legitimate MVP candidate each time he skates, and he's also a pleasure to watch, which is a huge plus.

2. Marian Gaborik, NYR

Marian Gaborik, the Minnesota Wild's all-time leading scorer in goals and points to this day, is still ripping up nets as a member of the New York Rangers.

He's a dynamic force on offense, and Wild faithful still wonder "what if?" had he stayed with the Wild.

But Ranger fans aren't complaining, as he's a pivotal member of the first-place team and also strikingly consistent when healthy.

He somewhat struggled in 2010-2011, only scoring 22 goals at an 11.6 clip, but he's responded quite well in the other two, scoring a career high-tying 42 goals the year before and 38 this year.

His 14.8 shooting percentage is extremely high and puts him toward the top of the list in that category as well.

Playing with Brad Richards has certainly helped his productivity, but Gaborik is one of the best shooters in the league no matter who he's playing with.

1. Steven Stamkos, TBL

Steven Stamkos is the cream of the crop in the NHL goal department.

His 55 dingers have him well ahead of second-place Evgeni Malkin, and the scary thing is this guy is only in his fourth season in the league.

Already leading the NHL in goal scoring once before, Stamkos is primed to take that title again after the 2011-2012 season is in the books.

Shooting 20.1 percent on the year, he's easily got the highest ratio of goals/shooting percentage. Not only that, his 17.0 percent lifetime shooting percentage puts him in the category to join the ranks of the elite.

Simply put, Stamkos is a stud.

He knows how to score, where to score from and has the ability to do both pretty much at will. He's the best in the game at doing so, which is why he tops the list.