A lot of fans are optimistic heading into the 2024-25 season and particularly, expect some skaters to overachieve. For a few players, the goal is to score goals, and lots of them. The 30-goal mark seems like the unofficial barrier to declare someone an elite scorer and one many skaters can surprise us and reach this season.
Related: Under-The-Radar 30-Goal Scorers From the 2023-24 NHL Season
Last season, there were a few surprises on the 30-goal list. Frank Vatrano scored 37 while Kyle Palmieri scored 30 and both Sam Reinhart and Zach Hyman eclipsed the 50-goal mark. So, who are the under-the-radar skaters heading into this season? Let’s dive in!
Martin Necas, Carolina Hurricanes
There were plenty of rumors this offseason about whether Martin Necas would be traded and play for another team. He wasn’t, and instead, he signed a two-year contract to remain with the Carolina Hurricanes and be a key part of their offense. Playing in the top six, he is a playmaker but is not known for his scoring with 97 goals compared to 146 assists in his career. That can change this season as he continues to make plays in space but starts firing the puck on the net more.
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
Mathew Barazal is a pass-first player who is known for creating scoring chances but not finishing them. That changed last season when he started to shoot the puck more to round out his game and become an All-Star-caliber player. On the top line alongside Bo Horvat, he’ll have plenty of assists but he’ll also take his scoring to the next level. Barzal was close to 30 goals last season with 23 and he looks to hit that mark this time around as he fuels the New York Islanders offense.
Alexis Lafreniere, New York Rangers
Last season was proof that Alexis Lafreniere was worth taking with the number one overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He scored 28 goals and 29 assists during the regular season and in the playoffs, he was one of the best players on the New York Rangers. He scored eight goals and added six assists to help the team reach the Eastern Conference Final and while the rest of the forward unit struggled, he remained a bright spot.
Lafreniere is a winger who makes the opposition pay when he is given space to operate. He’s no longer a speed skater who is one-dimensional and can’t fit in the forward unit; instead, he can find the back of the net in multiple ways. On a team with a lot of stars, he’s poised to emerge as a top-scoring threat and easily net 30 goals this season.
Cam Atkinson, Tampa Bay Lightning
Cam Atkinson scored 41 goals in 2018-19 on a great Columbus Blue Jackets team that won the first and only playoff series in franchise history. That was as good as it got for him as things went downhill from there. The Blue Jackets started to decline and after spending the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, he’s now with the Tampa Bay Lightning hoping to restart his career. Even with the best hockey in the rearview mirror, Atkinson can still have a great season as a scorer, especially if he’s playing alongside Nikita Kucherov who is one of the best playmakers in the game.
Jack Quinn, Buffalo Sabres
The talent is there but the production and sustainability haven’t been. That’s the story of Jack Quinn and can probably be said about the Buffalo Sabres of recent seasons. He scored nine goals in 27 games last season and has 24 goals in 104 games in his career. If Quinn plays a full season, he’ll easily surpass the 30-goal mark and be a big part of a Sabres offense that might be one of the best in the NHL.
Shane Pinto, Ottawa Senators
There’s a lot of pressure for Shane Pinto to step up into that middle-six center position to round out the Ottawa Senators forward unit and make this team an elite one. Last season was one to forget for Pinto and that’s an understatement. He started the season off the roster and then was suspended for 41 games, making his season debut on Jan. 21 against the Flyers. By that time, the Senators had replaced their head coach and general manager (GM) in a lost season.
Pinto can easily slide into that middle-six role this season and be the dynamic center who sets up scoring chances for other skaters while also finding the back of the net himself. It would be a massive jump for Pinto to score 30 goals, considering he only has 30 in his career, but the talent is there to make it happen.
Trent Frederic, Boston Bruins
Trent Frederic is a reliable depth skater on a team highlighted by star power. The Boston Bruins have David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand leading the top six, but depth skaters must step up to have a sustainable offense. Frederic is one of those skaters who adds that. He scored 17 goals in 2022-23 and 18 last season but has yet to pass the 30-goal mark. Entering the prime of his career, the 26-year-old forward can step up and emerge as a top scorer for the Bruins.
Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild
Last season was Marco Rossi’s first 82-game season in the NHL and while it was a rough one for the Minnesota Wild, it was great for him. He scored 21 goals and added 19 assists to finish seventh on the team in points. He has plenty of speed and more importantly, plenty of help around him, with dynamic skaters all over the forward unit. In a fast-paced offense, Rossi has the talent to pile on the goals and become a key part of a great offense.
Dylan Guenther, Utah Hockey Club
Like Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther can be the next elite skater who doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves. The Utah Hockey Club (which is still waiting on a nickname) has a youth movement with plenty of skaters who can score 30 goals but Guenther is the one who will take a big step forward this season. He showed plenty of flashes last season and if he’s in the lineup for the majority of the season, he’ll easily pass the 30-goal mark.
Quinton Byfield, Los Angeles Kings
It’s hard to call Quinton Byfield an under-the-radar player. He’s one of the best young skaters in the league and will also be paid like one starting this season. He’s a star in the making and poised for a big season. Last season he burst on the scene with 20 goals but at 22 years old, he’s developing into a dynamic power forward who can take over games (at 6-foot-5 and weighing 220 pounds, he’s one of the bigger skaters on the ice but has more skill than most). The Los Angeles Kings have a great forward unit and Byfield has all the talent to take advantage of it. He can easily score 30 goals and possibly 40 by the end of the season.
Other Skaters Who Might Score 30 Goals This Season
Vincent Trocheck has been one of the more valuable free-agent additions in recent seasons. He centers a top-six line for the Rangers and is known as a playmaker but has only scored 30 goals or more once in his career. This season can be the one where he emerges as a scorer and takes the Rangers’ offense, which was great last season, to another level.
Fabian Zetterlund is one of the bright spots on a rebuilding San Jose Sharks team. He’s 25 and coming off a big season, making him a viable option to score 30 along with a few other young skaters on the Sharks. All eyes are on Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini but Zetterlund might be the most productive player on the team.
Speaking of young players, there are a few who might make a big jump this season. Connor Bedard is a generational talent and it would surprise nobody if he scores 30 goals, while Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson are the two elite young players who can reach the mark with a full season’s work under their belts.
Forty-seven players scored 30 goals or more last season and a few came out of nowhere to do so. This season will have a few skaters who do the same.
