Ranking the NHL's Top 10 Shooters in 2015-16

Scoring goals is the hardest job in the NHL. Those who can consistently post strong scoring numbers are the highest-paid players in the game.

Some scorers are volume shooters, peppering the net from everywhere and cashing in. Others find holes and corners and tend to have impressive shooting percentages year after year. A precious few combine the two, delivering gaudy shot totals and scoring over 10 percent of the time.

Here are the top-10 shooters in the NHL for 2015-16—ranked by total shots among those with a shooting percentage of 10 percent or more.

10. John Tavares, C, New York Islanders

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The Shot Volume: John Tavares of the New York Islanders ranks No. 19 with 237 shots in the 2015-16 season. 

The Accuracy: Tavares is a consistent shooter and is well above 10 percent most seasons. His current number—12.2 percent—is slightly below his career average of 12.8 percent, according to hockey-reference.com.

The Real Story: Tavares is an underrated shooter likely because of his wide range of skills and status as a franchise center. As a pure sniper, he is extremely valuable because of his consistent excellence. 

9. Jamie Benn, LW, Dallas Stars

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The Shot Volume: Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars ranks No. 18 overall with 238 shots this season. In career terms, this total is on par with his recent seasons.

The Accuracy: Benn is among the league's most accurate shooters, and he is in fact the most precise shooter on this list. His 16.8 percent accuracy this season is a considerable spike from his career total of 13.2 percent, and this is easily the best year of his career in this category.

The Real Story: Benn is a sensational sniper who has scored 34 or more goals in each of the last three seasons. His success comes not necessarily from shot volume, but rather, via accuracy—that ability to find the seam makes him one of the most dangerous shooters in the game.

8. Jeff Skinner, LW, Carolina Hurricanes

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The Shot Volume: Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes is the No. 14 player in shots this season with 245. He is tied with Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

The Accuracy: Skinner is running a 11.0 percent accuracy total this year—not far from his career number of 10.6 percent. Among young snipers, Skinner's shooting percentage has varied wildly from season to season since he arrived in the NHL. 

The Real Story: Since he arrived in a blaze of glory with 31 goals in 2010-11, Skinner has been unable to post back-to-back strong campaigns. The 2015-16 season is another one of recovery, and Hurricanes fans are hoping he can build on it and have success next year.

7. Daniel Sedin, LW, Vancouver Canucks

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The Shot Volume: Daniel Sedin ranks No. 13 in the NHL with 247 shots on net this year. This is his highest total since 2010-11.

The Accuracy: Sedin's 11.3 percent accuracy is within range of his career number of 11.6 percent. It comes after three seasons below 10 percent, and combined with the increased volume, puts him back into the conversation as one of the NHL's best shooters.

The Real Story: Generally associated with his twin brother, Sedin is now 35 and entering the latter stages of his career. It is likely we see some erosion next season with this year marking a welcome return to past glory in a difficult time for the Canucks.

6. James Neal, LW, Nashville Predators

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

The Shot Volume: James Neal of the Nashville Predators ranks No. 10 with 257 shots so far this season. That represents his highest total since his first full season with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2011-12—a year in which he scored 40 goals.

The Accuracy: Neal is a consistent scorer with his 12.1 percent accuracy, which is not too far from the 12.2 percent total that represents his career number.

The Real Story: He is a dependable scorer and is having a typical season in 2015-16. One area that does stand out: Neal leads the entire NHL in even-strength goals this year with 27.

5. Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins

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The Shot Volume: Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins ranks No. 9 among NHL players this season in total shots. The 263 total shots are the most by Bergeron since his second season in the NHL in 2005-06. 

The Accuracy: Bergeron has been a very consistent offensive player in terms of shooting percentage. His 11 percent total this year is slightly higher than his career average.

The Real Story: His calling card is as one of the best defensive forwards in the game—Bergeron has been awarded the Selke Trophy three times in his career. Due to his incredible checking ability, his offensive skills are sometimes overlooked, but Bergeron is a substantial offensive player and among the top shooters in the NHL this season.

4. Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Shot Volume: Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks ranks No. 8 in total shots with 267 overall this season.

The Accuracy: Kane has a 14.6 shooting percentage so far, and his career number is 12.2 percent. He is so quick in close and deadly accurate—one of the key elements to his success.

The Real Story: Kane is a strong candidate for the Hart Trophy as league MVP, and a big reason for that is his dual strengths as a passer and shooter. Although he is No. 4 in our ranking, he is also the second-most accurate shooter this year among the players who qualified for this list.

3. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, St. Louis Blues

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The Shot Volume: Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues is No. 6 in total shots for the 2015-16 season. His 273 shots is a career high—in fact, he has set a new career total in each of his first four seasons.

The Accuracy: Tarasenko has posted a high shooting percentage in his career, and this year's 13.2 percent is not far from his career average of 13.6 percent.

The Real Story: He is that rare player—a high volume shooter who also scores on a fairly high percentage of his total shots. Tarasenko is a young player—he is 24—and has scored 73 goals in his last two seasons. If he continues to combine a large number of shots with great accuracy, then he could win a scoring championship. 

2. Tyler Seguin, C, Dallas Stars

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

The Shot Volume: Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars is currently No. 4 among players this season in shots on goal. He has been a shooter since he arrived. This season marks his third in a row with 275 or more shots.

The Accuracy: Seguin is shooting at a rate of 11.9 percent this year—close to a perfect match for his career 11.8 percent rate. It is interesting to note that his percentage is higher as a member of the Dallas Stars, perhaps reflecting his entering the prime of his career.

The Real Story: He displayed a great deal of potential as a member of the Boston Bruins. When Seguin arrived in Dallas, there was a sharp increase in scoring—107 goals in three years—and it appears to be a result of both more shots and greater accuracy along with his maturation as a player.

1. Alexander Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals

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The Shot Volume: Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is the greatest volume shooter of his generation. He leads this season and has led in nine of his previous 10 years—all but one time in his entire career. He is No. 3 among active players in shots and could be No. 1 all time before he retires.

The Accuracy: The Russian winger is at 12.0 percent this year—down from 13.4 percent one season ago. His career shooting percentage is 12.4, which ranks him just inside the top 50 overall among active shooters.

The Real Story: He is the greatest goal scorer of this century, and he might be the best of all time by the time he is done. Ovechkin loves to shoot the puck, and he is deadly from almost anywhere inside the blue line. Capitals fans have enjoyed a decade of greatness with more to come.

All stats courtesy of hockey-reference.com and NHL.com, unless otherwise noted.