Sidney Crosby and 35 of the NHL's Deadliest Snipers

Scoring goals is an important part of hockey. Having shutdown defenders and goaltending is great, but you can't move up in the standings anymore unless you score some goals.

(At least not anymore—this goes out to all the lovers of the tie.)

This slideshow will take a look at the dynamic forwards who have made a habit of lighting the lamp on a consistent basis.

Each scorer will be evaluated on their past success and their potential. 

Enough with the speculation, here are the 35 of the deadliest goal scorers in the NHL. Some players may have been omitted if their career and overall goal totals are too small of a sample size.

Author's Note: This is not a power rankings list. Players here are in the order that I typed them. Most lists obviously will have Stamkos and Ovechkin near the top, so this is just a more general list. Feel free to post your top 10's in the comments.

Thanks for reading and enjoy.

Loui Eriksson

The NHLPA took a poll this year and asked who was the most underrated player in the league.

Loui Eriksson took home that honor.

If Eriksson and the Dallas Stars can have a successful season sans Brad Richards, Eriksson may prove that he earns that title.

Last season Eriksson scored 27 goals and 46 assists for 73 points. He also finished the year with a plus-10 rating.

Eriksson and the Stars happen to be off to a great start in a sans-Richards world.

Ryan Kesler

Ryan Kesler is an emerging two-way forward. He started off slow, but is starting to show he is a premier forward.

In the last three seasons, Kesler has scored 25 goals or more. Last year he had a breakout year with 41 goals.

He is off to a slow start after battling injury, but Kesler can still rebound. He, like Datsyuk, uses his two-way prowess to turn an opponent's mistake into a goal for his team.

Eric Staal

Eric Staal is an emerging star in the NHL. He is the current captain of the Carolina Hurricanes and is a solid contributor. 

In his first season after the lockout, Staal had a breakout year in which he scored 45 goals and assisted on 55 others for 100 points. Since then, Staal has consistently scored in the 70-82 point range. These numbers are solid for one of the league's emerging centermen.

Staal may be off to a tough 2011-2012 season, but he is going to get it together because he is a professional.

Marian Hossa

Marian Hossa has been a journeyman in the NHL, and it seems he has had success with almost every team he has played for. 

In his 14-year career, Hossa has played for the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.

In that span, Hossa has scored 396 goals. He isn't as lethal as he once was, but he can still contribute 50-70 points per season.

Here is a clip of Hossa coming through in the clutch.

Pavel Datsyuk

Pavel Datsyuk is one of the league's most underrated players. He is also one of the league's top two-way forwards.

One of the perks of being a good two-way player is being able to capitalize offensively on an opponent's mistake. How many times has Datsyuk made a defensive play only to move the puck up ice en route to a goal. In a recent The Hockey News special issue entitled "The Best of Everything In Hockey," Datsyuk finished second for best backhand shot behind Sidney Crosby.

THN described Datsyuk as the sneakiest since he often buries his backhander before goalies can react.

Anze Kopitar

Anze Kopitar is one of the highest-paid players on the Los Angeles Kings and for good reason. Kopitar has excelled early on in his career as a King. He has scored 25 or more goals in every season he has played save one.

In those five seasons, Kopitar has also scored 60 points or more each year. He is a solid two-way player with a penchant for being a goal-scorer, and he had his career year in the 2009-2010 campaign. That year he scored 34 goals and assisted on  47 others for 81 points.

Kopitar will only become a better scorer now that Mike Richards has joined the fold to balance the offense for L.A. Could this be their year for the Stanley Cup?

Milan Hejduk

Milan Hejduk is a veteran in the NHL. In his heyday, he was a clutch performer for the Avalanche during their Stanley Cup run.

For his career, Hejduk has had three 30-goal seasons, a 50-goal campaign and six seasons with 20 goals or more.

Hejduk was recently named the team captain of the Colorado Avalanche. It is a fitting honor and couldn't have gone to a more deserving player.

Jonathan Toews

Jonathan Toews has quickly evolved into one of the league's youngest and most respected leaders. Toews led Canada to a gold medal at the World Juniors and led his Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup victory.

Toews is also a solid and consistent scorer. He has scored 20 goals or more each season, with his career-high of 32 coming last year.

Toews has gradually improved as each season has gone by. He continues to show signs of brilliance, along with his teammates.

He has the skills to eclipse 40 goals, but the question is, when will he do it? Toews currently has 17 points through 19 games, and is on pace for 43 goals and 30 assists for 73 points.

Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane, like Toews, is an important part of the Blackhawks.

Kane is important because he brings a solid game to the table. The Blackhawks really benefit from the balanced scoring of Sharp, Kane, Toews, Hossa and countless others.

Kane has had a solid first four years in the NHL; in each season, he has scored at least 20 goals with a career-high of 30 in the 2009-2010 season. He continues to impress fans and is living up to his first-round hype.

Could Kane hit 30 or 40 goals this season?

Dany Heatley

Dany Heatley is one of the many point-per-game players on this list. He is a truly talented player who simply needed a change of scenery. He and Ilya Kovalchuk were quite the duo during their Atlanta Thrasher days.

Heatley continued to be a dominant scorer during his start in San Jose, but dwindled toward the end. He is another player who you can't let wander into open ice; Heatley has scored 30 goals or more twice in his career, 40 or more twice and 50 or more twice.

So far, Heatley has 12 points in 19 games for the Wild, so if he wants to keep his average intact, he will have to pick up the pace.

Bobby Ryan

Bobby Ryan is a player who has a bright future, and he has had a steady growth since entering the NHL. He isn't quite on the level of Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry yet, but he is on his way there.

Last season, Ryan scored 34 goals and had 37 assists for 71 points. His linemate and buddy Perry had a landmark season though, as he captured the Rocket Richard Trophy.

Ryan could potentially have a similar growth this season, but only time will tell. Nonetheless, Ryan will enter his fourth season in the NHL, and many expect it to be a great one.

Vincent Lecavalier

Tampa Bay truly has a corps of talented players, and Lecavalier is one of them. He has been a leader of the Lightning as their captain for the better part of his career.

Lecavalier has had three 30-goal seasons, a 40-goal season and a 50-goal season. In addition, Lecavalier has had a bunch of 20-goal campaigns.

It's clear Lecavalier has consistently upped his game and has benefited from the players around him. He is playing under a new contract, so he is expected to contribute to the team.

Will Vinny live up to his current deal? Only time will tell.

Henrik Zetterberg

Henrik Zetterberg is a part of the Big Red Machine that is the Detroit Red Wings.

From top to bottom, the Wings have many capable goal-scorers—Zetterberg happens to be one of these talented forwards.

Zetterberg has made lighting the lamp a top priority during his time in Detroit. He has had three 30 goals or more campaigns, a few 20 goals or more seasons and one season he lit the lamp 43 times.

The star-studded Swede certainly has had a huge impact on the success of the Red Wings.

Jason Spezza

Jason Spezza is a talented goal-scorer, and is one of the few point-per-game players currently in the NHL. Spezza has scored 551 points in 546 career games, and he is starting to emerge as a consistent goal-scorer with three 30-goal campaigns. 

Spezza has battled some injuries, but he has a good shot and is starting to become an offensive threat. If he can continue to play at a point-per-game pace, Spezza will continue to be one of the league's lethal scorers.

John Tavares

John Tavares is a breakout star on the cusp of greatness.

Tavares had 29 goals and 38 assists for 67 points last season. He did exceptionally well in his sophomore season for the Isles, and I can only see his point totals increasing.

Tavares is a 6'0", 202-pound center who has showcased his scoring abilities and his ability to turn on the jets when necessary.

Joe Thornton

Jumbo Joe Thornton just entered the 1,000-game club, but he has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. He has maintained an above PPG average, as Thornton has amassed 1,014 points in 1,008 games.

He has already won an Art Ross Trophy, a Hart Trophy and has had a couple of 100-point campaigns. All in all, Thornton still has some good hockey ahead of him, so expect him to continue putting up decent numbers.

Thornton may be known more for his playmaking ability, but he is always a viable threat to score a goal when he is on the ice.

Daniel Sedin

Both Sedin twins are very talented hockey players, but Daniel is the chief goal-scorer of the two. Daniel took home top marks at the NHL awards show in Las Vegas, as he was the league's top point-producer. Daniel was also tied for fourth in the NHL last season with 41 goals.

What makes him a lethal goal-scorer is his chemistry with his linemate and brother Henrik. This chemistry makes the duo very productive and allows each other to know where the other is on the ice.

When you factor this in, Daniel only needs to put the puck on to be effective. Will Daniel capture the Art Ross Trophy again this season? Only time will tell.

Teemu Selänne

The Finnish Flash is an icon when it comes to the game of hockey. His speed at his peak was unmatched, his hands were soft and gentle, and his scoring touch was electric and lethal.

Teemu Selänne will have amassed a total close to 1,400 points by the time he hangs up his skates.

He may be in his final season, but Selänne still has that scoring touch. Last year, "The Flash" scored 31 goals—that is surely not the typical production you see from a 39-year-old.

Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux has really climbed the depth charts for goal-scorers in the NHL. One of his breakout moments came in the 2009-2010 season when he scored a heartbreaking shootout goal against the New York Rangers the last day of the season.

Giroux tallied 25 goals and 51 assists for 76 points this season. With the departure of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, Giroux is now one of the players leading the Flyers this season. He is a natural goal-scorer whose nimble hands are greatly complemented by his lightning speed.

If Giroux continues his trend of increasing his goal totals, he should crack the 30-35-goal plateau this season.

Jarome Iginla

Along with being one of the league's most respected players, Jarome Iginla is one of the league's deadliest scorers. Iginla is a talented forward and has scored a lot of goals during his 16-year career. He has had six 30-goal seasons, two 40-goal seasons and two 50-goal campaigns.

Iginla continues to impress, as he finished third in the league with 43 goals last season, and he is another forward on this list who may finally get traded this season.

The Flames are a team that needs to really rebuild, so they could start at the top with their captain. There will be a lot of teams that would love to acquire Iginla, but only time will tell whether or not the forward gets traded.

Patrick Marleau

Patrick Marleau is a talented forward who can play both the left wing and center position with ease. He is also a big part of the San Jose Sharks because of his offensive proficiency.

Marleau is a talented skater, shooter, and passer. He is currently an alternate captain for the Sharks and a vital part of their lineup. Marleau was the Sharks' leading goal-scorer last year; he lit the lamp 37 times.

Marleau will need to continue scoring big goals for the Sharks in order for them to be successful.

Alexander Semin

Alexander Semin may not be a very consistent player, but he has one hell of a shot; take a look at the video and see how quickly Semin can become a difference-maker and game-changer.

Semin is often referred to as the "Other Alex" due to playing in Ovechkin's spotlight. Semin is still a talented player in his own right and may decide to pursue greener pastures this offseason since he will become an unrestricted free agent once again.

Any team would leap at the opportunity to add this speedy goal-scorer with a laser slap-shot and a nifty wrist-shot to boot.

Thomas Vanek

Thomas Vanek is an integral part of the Buffalo Sabres who brings speed and skill to the lineup each and every night.

Vanek has scored 50 points in all but one season so far. In that time he has scored 25 goals or more each season with two 30-goal seasons and two 40-goal campaigns. 

Vanek continues to make Sabres hockey exciting to watch, as he brings intensity and action to the table in each game he plays.

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby is an interesting individual. He can practically score goals from anywhere.

Crosby was on pace for 120 points or more before being sidelined with a concussion in the middle of the season last year. He also scored more goals in 41 games than some players did during the entire season. Crosby split honors with Steven Stamkos in the 2009-2010 season for the Rocket Richard Trophy when he scored 51 goals.

Crosby has a lot of potential and has a lot more goals to score in his young career. The only asterisk associated with the young dynamo is the many questions on whether or not he can recover from the concussion he sustained.

Although initially compared to Eric Lindros as being one of the hottest prospects to make the jump to the NHL, now people are comparing Crosby to Lindros for undesirable reasons.

Rick Nash

Rick Nash is a premier scoring forward in the NHL.

However, he has had the misfortune of playing on a subpar Columbus Blue Jackets franchise for the past few seasons.

It is almost as if his talents are being wasted. Many fans wonder what would happen if this superstar left-winger was on a team like the Kings, Canucks, Capitals, Rangers or Blackhawks. 

Nonetheless, Nash has gritted his teeth and served as an honorable Blue Jackets captain. He has good size, as he stand 6"3 and weighs 215 pounds. 

Nash has a good wrist-shot and is also a skilled passer. He is a consistent goal-scorer and averages 33 goals a year. Although he is signed with the Blue Jackets through the 2018-2019 season, one has to wonder if Nash gets dealt before his contract expires.

Jaromír Jágr

Jaromír Jágr is arguably one of the greatest right-wingers in NHL history.

There is really no debate that Jágr can still keep up with the kids of this league despite being 39 years old. He has a very extensive resume that includes a Hart Trophy, two Stanley Cups, three Lester B. Pearson awards and 1,614 career points and counting.

If Jágr can continue his current play, there is no reason why he can't have another Jágr-esque season.

Zach Parise

Zach Parise has been a great goal-scorer since making the jump to the NHL level. Over the last four seasons, he has scored 30 goals or more in each campaign. (His injury-riddled 2010-2011 season is not counted in this statistic.)

Parise is a talented young forward whose most famous goal may have been revered and immortalized if the outcome of the 2010 Winter Olympics hockey finals fell in the United States' favor.

With a great shot and great speed, Parise may move on to bigger and better things when he becomes a UFA next offseason. Nonetheless, many fans hope for another explosive season from him when he returns to the Devils this fall.

Evgeni Malkin

Evgeni Malkin was once a great overall player, but injuries may limit his effectiveness for the Penguins in the future.

Malkin's goal totals have dropped down consistently over the past four seasons. His goal totals range from 47 in 2007-2008, 35 in 2008-2009, 22 in 2009-2010 and 15 goals in an injury-ridden season last year.

Malkin has undergone a transition in his overall game. While his goal totals may have decreased, his assists have increased. 

Even though he is becoming more of a playmaker, Malkin has the talent and ability to still score goals. I predict a huge rebound for Malkin in the 2011-2012 campaign.

Phil Kessel

Phil Kessel is off to a great start this season, as he leads the league in both points and assists. It seems he is finally putting the Boston and Toronto trade talks to rest.

In a recent issue of THN, Kessel was voted as having the league's best wrist-shot. Kessel has practiced this shot with precision, as he was fourth overall last year in shots taken (325).

The beauty about Kessel is he is very unpredictable, so you never can properly prepare to stop him. If Kessel can stay on pace and keep his hot streak going, he is on pace to finish with 56 goals and 52 assists for 108 points.

Realistically, Kessel should score 35 or more goals and about 80-90 points. Nonetheless, he is one of the league's deadliest scorers.

Marián Gáborík

Marian Gaborik is a very talented hockey player. He has speed, great vision and a great wrist-shot, and he is also a natural goal-scorer when he is "in the zone."

Gaborik is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, and this assists him when it comes to scoring breakaway goals. Gaborik can be a catalyst for the offense when he stays healthy, and he has done that so far during his tenure with the Rangers.

In his freshman year on Broadway, Gaborik netted 42 goals and assisted on 44 others for a career-high of 86 points. Keep in mind these totals were generated while playing with Vinny Prospal as his center. Gaborik has the potential to score 45-55 goals with an excellent passer like Brad Richards setting him up with crisp passes.

Alex Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin is one of the deadliest scorers in the league. He is a physical player, has finesse and can blow by defenders on a breakaway.

Ovechkin has been one of the league's most explosive players since the lockout. He has taken the league by storm, and his numerous MVP and Rocket Richard trophies are a testament to that.

Ovechkin has scored a plethora of highlight-reel goals and will most likely fill up a a video library with his many goals to come. 

Corey Perry

Corey Perry is a newcomer to the NHL goal-scoring scene. He broke through the barrier when he eclipsed the 50-goal plateau last season.

Perry is an explosive, gritty forward and is an integral part of the Anaheim Ducks' top line.

Now that he has shown how explosive he can be there is pressure for Perry to perform. It shouldn't be a problem though, as Perry is a solid skater with a talented shot. He may not crack 50 again this year, but anywhere in the 30-40 goals range would be ideal.

Martin St.Louis

Martin St.Louis will go down as one of the league's best small forwards. He is a player who, despite his small stature, plays as if he is seven feet tall. 

St.Louis has always used his speed and size to be elusive with the puck. He can beat you with a nifty deke at close range or with a snazzy wrister from just below the hashmarks.

The 5'8" forward has been an important part of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the better part of his career. He and Steven Stamkos have formed quite the tandem on Tampa's top line.

St.Louis has a few seasons left in him, but don't take his aging as a sign of weakness; he finished a mere point shy of 100 last year.

Ilya Kovalchuk

There isn't much to say about Kovy. He has a booming shot that he tees up with pinpoint accuracy.

Just watching this video makes you understand why he and his booming slap-shot are deadly.

In nine seasons, Kovalchuk has once not scored 30 or more goals. That span includes three 40 goals or more seasons and two with 50 goals or more.

Kovalchuk has scored 372 goals thus far in his career, and he has a lot of good years ahead of him.

Steven Stamkos

Steven Stamkos is one of the NHL's most explosive players today. He has great speed, smooth hands and a deadly one-timer that can be unleashed from any range with power and accuracy.

Stamkos relies on his slap-shot for the most part, but he also has a capable wrist-shot. What makes Stamkos deadly is his ferocious slap-shot, though. Stammer may have the league's toughest one-timer behind Ilya Kovalchuk.

If you're a teammate of Stammer, give him some open room, a steady pass and his shot will do the rest. 

Comments, Questions, Concerns?

When putting a slideshow like this together, forgetting someone is bound to happen.

So, who did I miss and why?

Leave a comment in the section below to get the conversation started.

Tom Urtz Jr. is an NHL Featured Columnist. For more NHL free-agent news, updates and alerts about players: