Ranking the NHL's Top 10 Shooters in 2014-15

NHL teams put a premium on goal-scoring players because it's the most difficult thing to do in the game. A player who can score 20 goals or more consistently is always going to have a good job in an NHL city.

Some of the best scorers shoot early and often, while others are more prudent but deadly accurate. No matter the strategy, if the shot ends up in the back of the net, it's a worthy effort.

Here are the 10 best shooters in the NHL this season.

10. Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

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How Often Does He Shoot? Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins is just outside the top 50 this season in shots. This is a long way from 2011-12 when he led the league.

Is He Accurate? Malkin has improved his marksmanship and makes this list based on increased accuracy this season. His 14.7 percent success rate ranks him inside the top 40 among league snipers.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? Malkin's offense has been wildly inconsistent over the last five seasons, mostly due to injury issues. He should hit 30 goals for the first time since 2011-12, a good indicator that his skills haven't eroded and the injuries have had no long-term effects.

9. Corey Perry, RW, Anaheim Ducks

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How Often Does He Shoot? Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks is a prolific scorer and has been an impact player since 2008-09. He is not among the leaders in the NHL in shots, ranking No. 70 overall this season.

Is He Accurate? Perry's downturn in shots on goal has been balanced by his increased shooting percentage. At 17.5 percent, he ranks No. 7 overall in the category.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? His goal-scoring totals over the last four full years are 50, 37, 43 and 31 (so far this season). That's a wide range of offense, but all of those seasons should be considered impressive. He's still in his prime and is a brilliant offensive player.

8. Joe Pavelski, C, San Jose Sharks

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How Often Does He Shoot? Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks consistently shoots over 200 shots per season and ranks inside the top 15 overall this year. 

Is He Accurate? In recent seasons, Pavelski's shooting percentage has been on the rise. He is currently at 15.3 percent, which puts him inside the NHL's top 25 overall.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? Pavelski is consistent, and his peak scoring levels are happening later in his career. He didn't pass 30 goals in a season until age 27 and didn't reach 40 until age 29. He should be regarded as an exceptional scorer and could be an excellent offensive player well into his 30s.

7. Steven Stamkos, C, Tampa Bay Lightning

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How Often Does He Shoot? Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning is healthy this season and is among the league's top 10 shooters.

Is He Accurate? He is among the league's deadliest scorers, ranking No. 2 among all active players in the NHL who have played enough career games to qualify.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? Stamkos may be the finest scorer among players who are just entering their prime, with only injuries able to stop him so far. He scores about 46 goals per 82 games in the NHL, representing an enormous talent in a vital area.

6. Tyler Seguin, C, Dallas Stars

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How Often Does He Shoot? Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars is an emerging impact scorer and shoots enough to rank inside the league's top 10 overall. 

Is He Accurate? One reason his goal total has been increasing over the last two years is due to a better shooting percentage. Seguin's career average is 10.5 percent, but he's exceeded that total in each of the last two seasons.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? Seguin's draft pedigree and early emergence as an impact scorer suggest it's likely he's full value for the numbers we see today. The fact that he's already inside the league's top 10 shooters is a reflection of his elite talent.

5. John Tavares, C, New York Islanders

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How Often Does He Shoot? John Tavares of the New York Islanders is a well-rounded player with prolific shooting ability. He ranks No. 7 this season in total shots on goal.

Is He Accurate? Tavares has a career shooting percentage of 12.9 and is at 13.4 this season. That's a good range, and since he's played more than 400 NHL games, this can be considered an established level of ability.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? He's been over a one-point-per-game pace for three seasons now, showing his range. Sometimes, his impressive scoring is overlooked because of his complete skill set. He has scored 24 or more goals in each of his six NHL seasons.

4. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, St. Louis Blues

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How Often Does He Shoot? Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues ranks No. 6 this season in shots and is emerging as an offensive force.

Is He Accurate? Tarasenko's resume is short but impressive, as he's a 13.7 percent career shooter. He is just inside the top 55 this season in percentage.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? He'll need to maintain his shot total for another season or two before it can be regarded as an established level. NHL snipers often emerge at his age, so this spike in offense is probably sustainable.

3. Rick Nash, LW, New York Rangers

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How Often Does He Shoot? Rick Nash of the New York Rangers is enjoying an offensive resurgence—he ranks No. 3 in shots in the NHL this year. 

Is He Accurate? Nash is a career 12.56 percent shooter, ranking just inside the career top 50 overall among active snipers. He's on this list due to shot volume but does have a good scoring rate over the length of his career.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? Nash has endured some down periods but has managed 30 or more goals eight times in his 12 years in the NHL. That's a consistent level of production over a long period of time.

2. Max Pacioretty, LW, Montreal Canadiens

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

How Often Does He Shoot? Max Pacioretty is a prolific shooter for the Montreal Canadiens. He has exceeded 250 shots in each of the last three full NHL seasons and ranks No. 2 in shots this year.

Is He Accurate? Pacioretty ranks No. 99 in the NHL in shooting percentage. He is a fairly accurate shooter, but his impressive scoring totals are due to high shot totals. 

Is He a Consistent Scorer? Pacioretty has scored more than 30 goals in each of the last three complete NHL seasons. He should be considered a consistent sniper and is emerging as one of the best in the game.

1. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals

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How Often Does He Shoot? Alex Ovechkin has led the NHL in shots every season but one since his arrival. The Washington Capitals sniper has taken 72 more shots than the second-place shooter in 2014-15. 

Is He Accurate? Ovechkin is tied for No. 73 in shooting percentage this season and is No. 1 on this list due to the sheer quantity of shots he generates.

Is He a Consistent Scorer? He is the most gifted and consistent goal scorer of his generation. Ovechkin will probably pass 500 goals next season at the age of 30.