Ranking the Top Young Snipers in the NHL in 2016-17

Hockey is a young man's game these days.

Looking at the NHL leaderboard this season will suggest there is a lot of truth to that statement. While the more established faces of the league have a strong presence as expected, with Sidney Crosby leading the way on the goal front and Alex Ovechkin nipping at his heels in the top five, there are three players in that group who have yet to celebrate their 25th birthdays.

Rookie Patrik Laine already has established himself as one of the league's top snipers with 13 goals in his first 25 games. Tied with him are Winnipeg Jets teammate Mark Scheifele and David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins. 

There are two more under 25 in the top 10 with superstars Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov making their presence felt again in 2016-17. 

With that in mind, we've ranked the top young snipers in the NHL in the 2016-17 season, using their current totals at the quarter mark of the year and factoring in their performances in recent campaigns.

A hot start, like the one Jonathan Marchessault has had with the Florida Panthers, may not seem sustainable based on his history. And an injury like the one Calgary Flames playmaker Johnny Gaudreau suffered also keeps him off the list. 

Read on to see the rankings, and feel free to add your own order or write in a name or two in the comments section. 

Honorable Mentions

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Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks: The 23-year-old missed the first nine games of the season during his contract negotiations but has been making up for it ever since. With nine goals in 14 games, Rakell is third in goals-per-game average. He had 20 goals in a breakout season last year. 

Jaden Schwartz, St. Louis Blues: Schwartz had a rough season last year when injury limited him to eight goals in 33 games. He has already matched that total in 19 contests so far this season. The 24-year-old scored 25 goals in 2013-14 and 28 the following year. 

Brandon Saad, Columbus Blue Jackets: Saad has scored 60 goals since the start of the 2014-15 season, ranking 23rd in the league and sixth among those eligible for this list. His slower six goals in 21 games this year land him in the honorable mentions, though that could change quickly.

Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators: Stone is on a hot streak right now with four goals in his last five games and has six of his seven on the season in his last 10 contests. The 24-year-old sniper has goal totals of 26 and 23 the past two seasons and ranks 11th among those under 25 in goals scored since the start of the 2014-15 season.

Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames: Monahan has struggled a bit this season with six goals in his first 26 games, but only 23 other NHLers have scored more goals since the start of his rookie year. 

Kevin Hayes, New York Rangers: In his first two NHL seasons, Hayes has scored 31 times in 158 games. This year, the 24-year-old has taken a giant leap forward with 10 tallies in 24 games—putting him on pace for around 35.

Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings: The 24-year-old netted 31 goals last season, following up an impressive breakout season that saw him tally 23. He's currently only on pace for fewer than 20 at the moment, which is why he didn't make the rankings.

Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators: After scoring 61 times in 186 games in three seasons, the 22-year-old has just two goals in 22 games so far this year. He'll probably rebound, but he's here right now based on the fact he scored 33 times last season.

10. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

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Scoring this season: The top overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft, Auston Matthews made a great debut with four goals in his first game in the league and ranks tied for 11th with the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko, Jeff Carter, Rick Nash and James Neal. 

Over his career: Matthews showed quickly he has the talent to score in bunches with a four-goal debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs. A long 13-game goal drought was just one of many learning experiences the freshman will go through as he develops, but it doesn't take away from his impressive totals.

The bottom line: The freshman selected first overall in the 2016 draft is quickly developing into a complete two-way center with a lot of offensive upside. He needs to find more consistency after scoring in bunches with a long 13-game drought in there, but he is on pace for a 30-goal season and part of a strong young core in Toronto that should help his numbers as they grow together.

9. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets

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Scoring this season: Patrik Laine is proving to be a stellar pick at the No. 2 spot in the 2016 NHL draft. The 18-year-old is in a four-way tie for second place with 13 goals through his first 25 games in the league. 

Over his career: This is it so far for the rookie from Finland, but despite the small sample size, Laine has proved he has the skills to become one of the annual favorites for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's top sniper. 

The bottom line: Laine has at times looked like the second coming of Teemu Selanne, who scored 76 times in his rookie season back in 1992-93. That debut started with 11 goals in his first 12 games. Laine had 11 in his first 14 NHL appearances and potted 12 in his first 18 before a six-game drought. Fans shouldn't worry about the lack of consistency in the early going. Laine will almost certainly become a perennial 40-goal sniper. 

8. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

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Scoring this season: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak has had a hot start with 13 goals in 18 games, sitting tied for second in the outright lead and second behind Sidney Crosby with a .72 goals-per-game average.  

Over his career: Pastrnak showed why he was a first-round pick in 2014 when he scored 15 times in 51 games last season. Healthy now, the 20-year-old has taken advantage of his opportunity this year, thriving in a top-line role alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Pastrnak has 38 goals in 115 NHL games, but that number is clearly on the rise. 

The bottom line: His overall career production is lower than that of many on this list with a .33 goals-per-game average over three seasons, but his start this year is just a sign of things to come for him and the Bruins. 

7. Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens

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Scoring this season: The Montreal Canadiens' goal-scoring leader, Alex Galchenyuk, has nine goals in 23 games so far for the Habs—more than veteran Max Pacioretty. 

Over his career: Galchenyuk hit the 20-goal mark in his first 80-game season in 2014-15 and netted 30 last year while making the move over to full-time center from the wing. From the start of the 2014-15 season to now, the 22-year-old has scored 59 goals, which ties him for 26th among active NHLers with Calgary Flames star Johnny Gaudreau. 

The bottom line: Among all players eligible for this list, Galchenyuk is 12th in goals scored this season but is just a hat-trick away from leaping into the top five. His pace over the past couple of seasons and the fact he is only 22 and getting better every season have him right under the top six members of this group. 

6. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

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Scoring this season: Connor McDavid is the class of the league when it comes to the points race. He's got an NHL-best 31 points in 24 games. That includes 11 goals, which ranks him seventh in the league in that category—and fourth among those under the age of 25.

Over his career: The super-sophomore's rookie season was cut short because of a shoulder injury, but McDavid netted 16 goals in 45 games as a freshman and is on pace for 35 this year. He's accomplished a lot in a short period of time, making others around him better and succeeding despite having to face the best the opposition has on a nightly basis.

The bottom line: McDavid's goals-per-game average through his two seasons is 22nd among active players and 10th among those eligible for this list who have played at least 10 NHL games. His ranking is based on his strong start this season, getting a boost based on the prediction he will only get better as he plays more because of the incredible talent he has displayed consistently. 

5. Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

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Scoring this season: Rookie Patrik Laine is benefiting from the setup skills of center Mark Scheifele, but the latter is a pretty impressive sniper himself. Scheifele has 13 goals in 25 games, tying him for second behind Crosby. 

Over his career: The 23-year-old has developed into a top center, and although the process was slower than some fans may have hoped, Scheifele emerged into a dangerous weapon for the Winnipeg Jets down the stretch last season and has carried that momentum forward this year. Scheifele has 71 goals in 252 regular-season NHL games, but 42 of them have come in the last 96 outings. 

The bottom line: Scheifele and rookie phenom Laine are tied for the team lead in goals so far this season and challenging Crosby for the early hold on the Maurice Richard Trophy. Big, speedy and only 23, Scheifele has huge upside and is living up to his potential. Among those eligible for this list, only Vladimir Tarasenko has more goals since the start of last season. 

4. Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes

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Scoring this season: It's hard to believe Jeff Skinner has been in the league for seven seasons already, but the 24-year-old is proving he has learned plenty with nine goals in his first 21 games so far this campaign. He's on pace for 35 goals. 

Over his career: Although injuries have kept Skinner from being on the ice regularly or playing to his potential, the young sniper has been a strong scorer throughout his seven years in the NHL. He scored 31 goals as a rookie and had a career-high 33 in 2013-14. He then came close to that mark again last season with 28 markers in his first full season since his freshman year.

The bottom line: Skinner ranks 30th among all active players with a .35 goals-per-game average from his rookie year until now, and is seventh when you eliminate players 25 and older. That's the same rate as Taylor Hall and veterans like Michael Cammalleri, Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp. Just imagine what Skinner could have done if healthy—which is what it looks like we're witnessing this year.

3. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars

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Scoring this season: Tyler Seguin has seven goals in his first 24 games with the Dallas Stars this season, putting him on pace for a fifth straight 20-plus-goal season excluding lockout-shortened years. That's a bit disappointing by his standards but still among the 50 best in the league at the moment.  

Over his career: Seguin has flirted with the 30- and 40-goal plateaus in every full NHL season outside of his rookie year. He has 170 goals in 449 regular-season contests so far, including 114 in 246 games with the Dallas Stars. That total is fifth-best in the league in that span, with only Crosby, teammate Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and Alex Ovechkin netting more. 

The bottom line: Not only is the talented center a gifted playmaker who can set up goals with the best of them, but Seguin is one of those rare top centers who can do it all. His .46 goals-per-game average since joining the Stars is second only to Steven Stamkos, but Seguin also has a 1.04 points-per-game average in that time, which ranks fourth in the league. 

2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

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Scoring this season: Tampa Bay Lightning sniper Nikita Kucherov is eighth in the league with 11 goals scored through his first 23 games this season, putting him on pace for a possible 40. The team is relying on him heavily in the absence of the injured Steven Stamkos. Making this more impressive is the fact he missed all of training camp because of a holdout and went scoreless through his first five games. 

Over his career: Kucherov had just nine goals in his rookie year but played only 52 games that season. Since then, he has been one of the league's top snipers regardless of age. He ranks 20th since the start of the 2014-15 season with a .38 goals-per-game average—netting 29 and 30 in the past two campaigns. 

The bottom line: The 23-year-old is slender but slick, and that makes him a dangerous sniper who has to be considered among the best in the league at the moment. He's one of only 20 players to hit double digits so far this season and ranks ninth among those under 25 in goals-per-game average since the start of the 2009-10 NHL campaign (38th overall). 

1. Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues

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Scoring this season: St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko has 10 goals through his first 23 games so far this year but is also one of just seven NHLers clicking along at a point-per-game pace. 

Over his career: The shifty Russian has 116 goals in 282 regular-season NHL games, and another 19 in 33 playoff contests. Tarasenko has improved every season, hitting the 40 mark last year after notching 37 in 77 games the previous campaign. The 24-year-old has already become one of the most exciting snipers in NHL history. 

The bottom line: Excluding the rookies, Tarasenko ranks first among all players eligible for this list in average goals-per-game over his career. That, combined with his status as one of this season's top scorers, earns him top spot in these rankings. He's going to be a Maurice Richard Trophy contender for years to come. 

All statistics via NHL.com.