Capped: Cheap Goals

Chris Pudsey

2015-02-12

NikitaKucherov

The five best goal scorers per dollar in the league.

Everyone knows that you need goals to win games. Sure, there are other things that go into winning hockey games but the long and short of it, if you don't score goals you won't win. Today's NHL is blessed with some fantastic goal scorers, from perennial snipers like Alexander Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, and Corey Perry to name a few. These guys are paid the big bucks to score goals, first and foremost. However there are also some guys out there who are earning some of the leagues lowest salaries and scoring goals at a high rate of return. So what players out there are the best price-per-goal NHL players?

1. Nikita Kucherov – TB – $0.889M cap hit

What can we say that hasn't already been said about Kucherov? The kid has scored 21 goals so far this year for the Tampa Bay Lightning and is making $0.889M this year and next. That equates to a price per goal value of $42,333 and is the best price-per-goal player so far this year in the NHL. Kucherov flew out of the gate, scoring at an unrealistic rate early on and even went through a 13 game goal scoring "slump" but has now scored in four straight games for the Lightning. The second year forward is learning that the NHL season will be filled with some ups and downs but this sniper is well on his way to his first ever 30 goal campaign. He continues to have excellent chemistry with fellow line mates, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat; arguably making up the leagues deadliest second line.

2. Mike Hoffman – OTT – $0.750M cap hit

Talk about a diamond in the rough. The former fifth round pick back in 2009 has patiently been biding his time, bouncing back and forth between the NHL and AHL, even clearing waivers at one point, and is now leading the Ottawa Senators in goals so far this year. His 17 goals place him number two on my list of best price-per-goal players in the NHL at a value of $44, 177 and his scoring breakout couldn't have come at a better time. Hoffman is set to become a Restricted Free Agent at the end of this year and he is already in discussions for an extension. His offense may be a surprise to those who don't follow the Senators, but anyone who knows the franchise knows exactly what Hoffman is capable of. He led the Senators AHL franchise in scoring last year, even though he only played in roughly two thirds of the games. He even earned his first All-Star game nod this year. Hoffman is firmly entrenched himself into Ottawa's top six and as his confidence is soaring. His bank account is about to see a nice spike as well.

3. Gustav Nyquist – DET – $0.950M cap hit

Much like Hoffman, Nyquist is a Restricted Free Agent at the end of this year and will be in line for a well-deserved raise. His 20 goals so far this year has his value right at $47,500 as far as price per-goal goes and lands him at number three on my list. After his breakout season last year that saw Gus score 28 goals in 57games, he is well on his way to improving on that number and has the Red Wings simply giddy with excitement over his development. Mike Babcock has moved Nyquist around the lineup this year and no matter who he lines up, he finds a way to produce. The place Nyquist has really excelled this year has been with the man advantage. He is currently third in the NHL in power play goals, where 12 of his 20 goals have come from, trailing only Alexander Ovechkin and Joe Pavelski. That's some pretty good company to be hanging with.

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4. Anders Lee – NYI – $0.870M cap hit

UPCOMING GAMES

Nov 05 - 19:11	CAR	vs	PHI
Nov 05 - 19:11	MTL	vs	CGY
Nov 05 - 19:11	BUF	vs	OTT
Nov 05 - 19:11	TOR	vs	BOS
Nov 05 - 19:11	NYI	vs	PIT
Nov 05 - 20:11	MIN	vs	L.A
Nov 05 - 20:11	STL	vs	T.B
Nov 05 - 20:11	WPG	vs	UTA
Nov 05 - 21:11	COL	vs	SEA
Nov 05 - 22:11	ANA	vs	VAN
Nov 05 - 22:11	S.J	vs	CBJ