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Who Will Be The Kraken's Leading Goal Scorer?

September 1, 2021, 4:48 PM ET [21 Comments]
Sean Maloughney
Seattle Kraken Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
We are finally into September which means training camp and pre-season are just around the corner. This is certainly more exciting for Kraken fans who will finally get a chance to see their team out on the ice as a full squad.

How that squad will fair is currently anyone's guess. Some think the Kraken have the ability to push into a playoff spot in a weaker Pacific Division while others think they simply did not draft good enough and the team will sit near the bottom of the league for at least the next year or two. Soon we won't have to guess and we will have actually game data to view to make a more educated decision.

That brings us to our next topic. Over the next couple of weeks I will be dropping some polls at the bottom of my blogs to ask you the viewers, who will be the leading ______ for the team. We will cover a variety of topics and then inevitably look back at what we said next off-season.

Today we will be looking purely at goal scoring; the one area that most agree seems to be lacking from this Kraken roster. There are a few names that will immediately jump out as an option for leading goal scorer but other names could also surprise. Here are the most likely candidates:

Jaden Schwartz (8-13-21 in 40GP last season)
Schwartz was one of the big adds made by Seattle in Free Agency. Schwartz has always had a nose for the net but injuries have stolen time away from him over the past few seasons and at 29 years old he could be on the decline. If he simply needs a fresh start he could return to his 20+ goal scoring ways and because the team will need guys to step up on the PP he could come close to or break his career high of 28 goals.

Jordan Eberle (16-17-33 in 55GP last season)
From very early on his career, Eberle has established himself as one of the most consistent goal scorers in the league. He may not ever reach the 30 goal plateau but regardless of the team he has played on, he is almost always good for 22+ goals over the course of a full season. He potted 16 goals in 55 games last season and 16 goals in 58 games the season before. I have no reason to doubt Eberle being in the same range once again, but will that be enough to have him be the leading goal scorer on the team?

Yanni Gourde (17-19-36 in 56GP last season)
Gourde has been an excellent jack-of-all-trades player for the Lightning over the past four seasons. In his first full season with the Lightning, Gourde produced 25 goals and 64 points and Seattle is hoping that in a feature role he will be able to do so again. Right now Gourde is likely the best fit for the top line centre and he will earn a ton of minutes both at 5 on 5 and on the powerplay but with likely two natural goal scorers in Eberle and Schwartz on his line will he outscore them?

Jared McCann (14-18-32 in 43GP last season)
No player has more of a likely chance to break out on this roster than Jared McCann. The 25 year old produced 14 goals in 43 games last season which would have put him close to 30 over a full 82 game season. That was done so behind Crosby and Malkin, though injuries did also elevate him in the lineup. McCann might start as low as the third line to start the season but if he impresses early than he could earn not only a top six role, but perhaps even be the top line centre on this team.

Joonas Donskoi (17-14-31 in 51GP last season)
While older, Donskoi is another player who is about to get an opportunity to stand on his own. In Colorado, Donskoi has had the privilege of playing with some of the most offensively dominant players in the league but he has shown that he doesn't need MacKinnon in order to make his own offense. Donskoi should be somewhere in the top six and if he can become the triggerman on his own line than he might be another darkhorse pick.

Alexander Wennberg (17-12-29 in 56GP last season)
The 26 year old Wennberg came into the league strong with 40 points in 69 games and then 59 points in 80 games but then fell short over the next few seasons. Last season with the Panthers, Wennberg regained some of that offensive prowess with 17 goals in 56 games. Like McCann, Wennberg could be a player that benefits from elevated ice time and as a result he could play anywhere from the third line to the top line if he comes in hot.

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