Predicting the Top 5 San Jose Sharks Goal Scorers for the 2011-12 Season

The San Jose Sharks are a very talented team offensively. They're a team with many people who score 20 goals routinely.

With already a very good set of players, such as Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Ryane Clowe, the Sharks are filled with top goal scorers. 

While they lost other snipers Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley, they gained Martin Havlat, another goal scorer.

I thought it'd be fun to predict which five Sharks players will score the most goals on the team this year.

5. Ryane Clowe

I think Ryane Clowe will be good for the fifth best in goals on the team in the upcoming season.

Last season, Clowe proved he is a scoring threat when he achieved his career high in goals with 24. I believe Clowe will prove he is for real and score a little over 20 goals this season.

I predict about 22 goals from Clowe this year.

4. Joe Pavelski

Last season, despite setting a career high in points with 66, Pavelski scoring has dipped down from 25 to 20.

However, I think "The Big Pavelski" will have a bounce back year in goals, bring up his production and score a bit more than Clowe.

I think he'll end the season with about 26 goals and set a new career high.

3. Martin Havlat

Martin Havlat was one of the three players the Sharks got from numerous trades with the Minnesota Wild. Having a new and better supporting cast will bring his goals up by quite a few.

Last season, in 78 games for the Wild, Havlat tallied 22 goals, for an offensively challenged team. With a much better offense, I believe Havlat can raise his goal production to be third best on the Sharks.

Assuming he plays with one of the Sharks many great playmakers, especially Joe Thornton or Joe Pavelski, Havlat's production will skyrocket. Pavelski had 46 assists last season, only three less than Joe Thornton.

With a good playmaker on his side and talented lines, there's no reason Havlat can't score about 29 or so goals.

2. Logan Couture

Last season, rookie Logan Couture surprised everyone when he scored 32 times for the Sharks.

The proof he will not be a bust this season is that he was one of the only Sharks who was consistent for the entire season last year.

Even with not a whole lot of NHL experience prior to last season, Couture showed he was a talented NHL player, with great confidence and poise.

He'll look to bring in another solid season for the Sharks this year. I think he'll score about 34 goals, I have a lot of confidence in Logan Couture.

1. Patrick Marleau

I'll bet this didn't surprise anyone. Of all the talented goal-scorers in San Jose, I'll bet Patrick Marleau will be the one who tops the Sharks in goals production this season, just like most others in his career.

Spending his entire career with the Sharks, Marleau leads them in goals, points, shots and games played.

Marleau has an amazing combination of a great shot and world-class speed.

Last season, Marleau scored 37 goals. Funny thing is, Marleau wasn't that hot until around the half-way point of the season. He caught on fire at the end, scoring an eye-pleasing 37 goals, his third best in his career. His career high is 44, which he obtained the season before the last.

If Marleau stays hot and consistent for at least most of the season, plus the possibility of having Havlat as a line mate along with Thornton, Marleau should be able to hit the 40 goal plateau again.

He's more than capable of it.