Rocket Richard Trophy Contenders: Quick & Dirty

Over the last few days I've broken down the NHL's leading goal-scorers, in an attempt to see who will contend for the Rocket Richard Trophy this season. For clarity's sake, I thought I'd gather the results here so you can get an overall picture. As a reminder, this list is drawn from the Top 24 on the goal-scoring list as of last Sunday night.

The Favorite
Marian Hossa, Atlanta Thrashers

Prime Contenders
Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers
Brendan Shanahan & Jaromir Jagr, New York Rangers
Simon Gagne, Philadelphia Flyers
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Dark Horse
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

Second-Tier Contenders
Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks
Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators

Unlikely To Contend
Chris Kunitz, Anaheim Ducks
Glen Murray, Boston Bruins
Chris Drury, Buffalo Sabres
Brian Rolston, Minnesota Wild

Expected To Fade
Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres
Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles Kings
Darcy Tucker, Toronto Maple Leafs

Out Of The Running
Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
Ryan Smyth, Edmonton Oilers
Jason Blake, New York Islanders
Martin Straka, New York Rangers
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning


The chart below shows some of the information used in this analysis (Shots Pace, Time on Ice, etc.). Click to enlarge...