NHL Predictions: Picking the Top 20 Points Scorers in the League for 2011-12

It takes supreme talent, strong work ethic and a dash of good luck to end the regular season as one of the NHL's top-20 points scorers. Each season, elite players have down years or suffer an injury and are surpassed on the leader boards by young players in the midst of a breakout season.

We saw this last year when Corey Perry and Claude Giroux vaulted their way past established players like Joe Thornton and Pavel Datsyuk and injured stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the score sheet and ended up on the prestigious top 20 scorers list at season's end. 

This coming season will be no different. While some of the league's finest scorers will struggle for one reason or another and others will fall to injury, young players poised to break out will establish themselves as top-flight scorers. 

These are the 20 players I believe will lead the league in points in 2011-12. 

20. Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets

A force in the offensive zone, Nash's best season came in 2008-09 when he tallied 79 points in 78 games. The 27-year-old power forward has been the undisputed leader of the Blue Jackets since breaking into the league in 2002. 

With sniper Jeff Carter and puck-moving defenseman James Wisniewski joining the fold, as well as further improvement from forwards Derrick Brassard, R.J Umberger and Antoine Vermette, Nash will have a strong supporting cast this season and will likely improve on his 66-point 2010-11 campaign. 

Prediction: 72 points

19. Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes

Drafted second overall in 2003, Staal posted a career-high 100 points in just his second season in the NHL. He hasn't reached the 100-point plateau since, but he has consistently led the Hurricanes in scoring for the last six years with consecutive 70-plus point campaigns.

Staal registered 33 goals and 43 assists for 76 points last season. 

The Hurricanes haven't drastically improved their roster this offseason, but the emergence of youngster Jeff Skinner and Staal's continued growth as a player will result in yet another strong season for the 26 year-old captain. 

Prediction: 75 points

18. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks

Thornton has been a perennial point-per-game scorer for the vast majority of his NHL career with 1,001 points in 995 games played. He is coming off a lackluster regular season in which he scored only 70 points, his poorest full season since 1999-2000, but he was adjusting to a new system that required him to focus heavily on playing a two-way game. 

Thornton may never return to point-per-game form again as he nears the end of the prime of his career, but he will likely improve upon last season's 70-point campaign as he fully adjusts to his new role on the team. The fact that San Jose has one of the strongest groups of top six forwards in the league will undoubtedly help him do so. 

Prediction: 77 points

17. Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

At only 23 years of age, Toews has already been named the captain of an NHL club, scored at just under a point-per-game pace each year of his young career and, most importantly, has won a Stanley Cup. He posted a career-high 76 points for the Blackhawks last season. 

Toews will only continue to improve upon his already stellar play in all three zones and has a very good chance to be a point-per-game player next year on a strong Chicago team. 

Prediction: 78 points

16. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals

Backstrom had a down year last season on a Capitals team in transition, tallying only 65 points in 77 games. The year before last he notched a career-high 101 points, displaying his ability to make plays and put up points at the NHL level. 

Teammates Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green, who are heavily relied upon to be factors on the scoresheet, also had disappointing seasons last year, proving that the team as a whole was struggling to make the transition from being an offensive powerhouse to a tighter, more defensively responsible squad.

There can be little doubt that Backstom's poor point total last year came as a result of these growing pains, and even less doubt that he will have a bounce-back season in 2011-12 and return to all-star form as the Capitals become further acclimated to their new identity. 

Prediction: 82 points

15. Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks

Marleau has spent his entire career with San Jose, posting 766 points in 1,035 games in teal. Now 31 years old, he is coming off an impressive 73-point campaign in which he notched 37 goals playing alongside world-class playmaker Joe Thornton. 

Marleau established himself as one of the league's finest goal scorers three years ago when he potted 38 goals in 76 games and made further strides in that category with a career-high 44 goals in 2009-10. Terrific chemistry with line-mate Joe Thornton and a very strong core of scoring forwards to play with will help Marleau finish among the top 20 points scorers in the NHL this season. 

Prediction: 83 points

14. Marian Gaborik, New York Rangers

Plagued by injuries for most of his career, Gaborik is a prolific goal scorer who has performed admirably during his brief tenure with the Rangers thus far. He posted 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in only 62 games last season and netted a career-high 42 goals in 76 games the year before. 

With star center Brad Richards joining the team, Gaborik will finally have a quality playmaker playing alongside him and should set a new career-high for points in a season this year. 

Prediction: 86 points

13. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers

A late first-round pick in 2006, Giroux had a breakout season in 2010-11 with 76 points in 82 games. This shattered his previous career-high 47 points and solidified his position as one of the Flyers' top scoring threats. 

Now that centers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have been dealt by general manager Paul Holmgren, Giroux will see a sharp increase in ice time and will be counted on to put up points in their absence. He will build on his impressive 76-point campaign and score at just above a point-per-game pace this season. 

Prediction: 88 points

12. Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Recipient of the prestigious Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy awarded to the player who leads the league in goals at the end of the regular season, Perry established himself as en elite scorer last season with 50 goals and 48 assists for 98 points.

What made this even more impressive is that he accomplished the feat while line-mate and top player Ryan Getzlaf was sidelined by an injury for a large chunk of the season, forcing Perry to carry the Ducks on his back and lead them to a playoff berth.

While it is unlikely Perry will win another goal scoring title this season, he will remain a high-end producer and put together another strong campaign. 

Prediction: 89 points

11. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

Drafted 11th overall in 2005, Kopitar is the Kings' top offensive weapon with 358 points in only 393 games played. The 23-year-old center scored 73 points in 75 games last season before he was sidelined by an ankle injury days before the playoffs.

The Kings have been very active this offseason, trading for gritty pivot Mike Richards and signing skilled winger Simon Gagne to bolster their top six. With the most talented group of forwards they have iced in some time, the Kings will be an offensive powerhouse this season and Kopitar will be leading the way. 

Prediction: 90 points

10. Brad Richards, New York Rangers

Richards has been in the limelight all summer as the top unrestricted free agent in this year's crop. After listening to offers from Calgary, New York, Los Angeles, Buffalo and Toronto, he inked a long-term deal with the Rangers on July second. 

Richards will join a top six headlined by Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and, most importantly, sniper Marian Gaborik, who will be an ideal line-mate for the pass-first center. With Gaborik on his wing, Richards will shatter the 77 points he scored last year and return to 90-point form this season.  

Prediction: 91 points

9. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks

A dynamic center with size, speed and skill, Getzlaf has registered just under a point-per-game in his young NHL career thus far with 415 points in 430 games. He put up 76 points in 67 games last season.

More of a playmaker than a goal scorer, Getzlaf compliments fellow 2003 first-rounder Corey Perry beautifully. The two of them, joined by young power forward Bobby Ryan, make up one of the most explosive first lines in the league.

Getzlaf has been a star since entering the NHL and has consistently improved his scoring pace, and with Perry and Ryan showing major signs of improvement, he will likely have a career year this season. 

Prediction: 93 points

8. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings

At 30 years of age, Zetterberg is showing no signs of slowing down with four consecutive 70-plus point campaigns coming into this season. He potted a career-high 43 goals and 92 points in 2007-08 for the Red Wings and showed he's still capable of similar numbers last season with 80 points in 80 games. 

While the Red Wings roster has barely been touched this offseason, the decline of several of their older players continues to put more and more pressure on Zetterberg to provide offense. He fulfilled that task last year and will build on that success with a memorable 90-plus point season. 

Prediction: 94 points

7. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Drafted alongside his twin brother Daniel in 1999, Henrik Sedin has been one of the Canucks' most consistent point producers since breaking out in 2005-06 with a 75-point campaign. Since then, he has not missed a single regular season game and has registered a 104-point season (2009-10) and a 94-point season (last year). 

Armed with unparalleled chemistry with brother Daniel and a very strong supporting cast, Henrik will put up another 90-plus point season for Vancouver and will be second only to his brother for the team lead in points. 

Prediction: 95 points

6. Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

St. Louis, who was never drafted into the NHL, joined the Lightning in 2000-01 and cemented himself as one of their top players two years later when he tallied 33 goals and 37 assists for 70 points. Since then, he has been a point-per-game player every season but one and is coming off a 99-point campaign at the ripe age of 36.

St. Louis has found chemistry with young phenom Steven Stamkos, giving the Lightning a dynamic top line capable of completely controlling the game. With Stamkos continuing to grow and St. Louis proving once again that age is just a number, Martin will put together another strong season for the Lightning. 

Prediction: 96 points

5. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin was drafted behind only Alexander Ovechkin in 2004 and has been a prolific scorer at every level of hockey he has played. Only 24, he has amassed 418 points in just 352 NHL games. 

An injury put Malkin out for almost half of the season last year but he still managed 37 points in 43 games. He is reportedly healing as expected and training harder than ever this offseason, so though he may not return to 2008-09 form and break the 100-point mark, he will come very close if he plays a full season for the first time in two years. 

Prediction: 99 points

4. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

With 301 goals in 475 games played, Ovechkin is undeniably the best pure goal scorer in the league today. Despite having a down year last season with just 32 goals, he has proven that he is capable of much better, as demonstrated by his 65-goal season in 2007-08.

Just like teammate Nicklas Backstrom, Ovechkin's lackluster 2010-11 campaign was almost certainly the result of the entire team struggling to adjust to a new system. While some growing pains may still linger, Ovechkin will improve on the career-low 85 points he notched last year and return to 100-point form. 

Prediction: 101 points

3. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Daniel Sedin lead the entire league in scoring last season with a career-high 104 points in 82 games. While twin brother Henrik likes to pass first, Daniel is much more of a goal scorer, which he displayed last year by netting 41 goals.

He is clearly comfortable in his role as Vancouver's go-to goal scorer and has steadily grown into an elite offensive player over the course of the last few seasons. This trend will continue as Daniel reaches the 100-point mark again this season.

Prediction: 102 points

2. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

The first player selected in 2008, Stamkos has put up back-back-back 90-plus point seasons and has already scored 50 goals in a season. He recently re-signed with Tampa Bay with a lucrative five-year deal. 

Stamkos tore up the league during the first half of the regular season last year before slowing down towards the end, proving that even the elite often struggle with consistency early in their careers. Still, he managed an impressive 91 points at only 21 years old and will build on that success this season by leading his team in scoring and reaching the 100-point benchmark.  

Prediction: 107 points

1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Heralded by many as the next "Great One," Crosby is a generational talent who has taken the NHL by storm since stepping onto the ice in 2005. He followed up a remarkable 102-point rookie season with a 120-point campaign and tied Stamkos for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy with 51 goals in 2009-10. 

Crosby put up 32 goals and 34 assists for 66 points in only 41 games last season before suffering a concussion that put him out of the lineup for the remainder of the regular season and the entirety of the playoffs.

Had he played a full season, he would have easily bested Daniel Sedin's 104 points and taken the league scoring title. Assuming that he is cleared to play by the beginning of the season, Crosby will return to the ice as lethal as ever and continue to dominate the NHL, taking another scoring title in the process. 

Prediction: 113 points