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Despite the mantra that team results are the only things that truly matter, there is a bit of pride to be had in leading your hockey team in scoring. Late in the season when each game takes on added meaning and victory hangs in the balance, it's the leading scorer who teammates and fans look to when a key goal is needed.
In the shortened 2013 season, Shea Weber led the Nashville Predators with 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 48 games, following Martin Erat, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Patric Hornqvist from the previous three seasons.
But who are the contenders to lead the charge this season for the Preds? Let's review a few of the likely candidates, vote in the poll, debate in the comments below...
Pro: Could play a major offensive role at even strength and on the power play and is hailed as a savvy passer. Con: Has never recorded 50 points in a season, why will he start at age 37? Then again, maybe 49 will be enough.
Pro: Will lead a top EV line and is a featured sniper on the PP. Con: His physical style means he either misses games or plays through injuries often.
Pro: Fires a boatload of shots on net, if he gets hot could score 35+ goals. Con: Injury-prone and doesn't record many assists.
Pro: Will apparently play a larger role than he's ever had before, providing greater opportunity to rack up numbers. Con: He's not playing with the high-flying Blackhawks any more and doesn't have guys like Patrick Kane to draw the attention of opposing defensemen.
Pro: Logs a tremendous amount of ice time in all situations and is the main weapon on the power play. Con: None, really. He should be right in the mix.
Pro: Has put up stellar Corsi-related results for years, was leading the way last season until he got hurt, and is finally earning the trust of Barry Trotz. Con: Hasn't racked up points over an extended period, and he won't score on 26.9% of his shots again.
The Bovada sportsbook today released its list of Over/Under regular season point totals for leading players on each NHL team, and when you get to the Predators, they are projected to have the lowest-scoring leaders in the entire league. #griterdun
| Anaheim Ducks | Ryan Getzlaf | Corey Perry | Teemu Selanne | ||
| 80.5 | 65.5 | 43.5 | |||
| Boston Bruins | Jarome Iginla | David Krejci | Loui Eriksson | Patrice Bergeron | Milan Lucic |
| 65.5 | 64.5 | 62.5 | 60.5 | 54.5 | |
| Buffalo Sabres | Thomas Vanek | Cody Hodgson | Tyler Ennis | ||
| 69.5 | 57.5 | 51.5 | |||
| Carolina Hurricanes | Eric Staal | Alexander Semin | Jordan Staal | ||
| 82.5 | 69.5 | 55.5 | |||
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Marian Gaborik | Brandon Dubinsky | R.J. Umberger | ||
| 59.5 | 47.5 | 37.5 | |||
| Calgary Flames | Mike Cammalleri | Jiri Hudler | Curtis Glencross | Lee Stempniak | Sven Baertschi |
| 53.5 | 48.5 | 44.5 | 44.5 | 41.5 | |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Patrick Kane | Jonathan Toews | Patrick Sharp | ||
| 81.5 | 74.5 | 60.5 | |||
| Colorado Avalanche | Matt Duchene | P.A. Parenteau | Gabriel Landeskog | ||
| 70.5 | 65.5 | 55.5 | |||
| Dallas Stars | Tyler Seguin | Jamie Benn | Ray Whitney | ||
| 67.5 | 67.5 | 54.5 | |||
| Detroit Red Wings | Pavel Datsyuk | Henrik Zetterberg | Daniel Alfredsson | ||
| 80.5 | 79.5 | 48.5 | |||
| Edmonton Oilers | Taylor Hall | Jordan Eberle | Nail Yakupov | Sam Gagner | David Perron |
| 74.5 | 67.5 | 58.5 | 54.5 | 48.5 | |
| Florida Panthers | Jonathan Huberdeau | Tomas Fleischmann | Brian Campbell | ||
| 61.5 | 57.5 | 42.5 | |||
| Los Angeles Kings | Anze Kopitar | Justin Williams | Jeff Carter | ||
| 77.5 | 56.5 | 53.5 | |||
| Minnesota Wild | Zach Parise | Mikko Koivu | Jason Pominville | ||
| 59.5 | 63.5 | 62.5 | |||
| Montreal Canadiens | Max Pacioretty | Tomas Plekanec | P.K. Subban | Alex Galchenyuk | Danny Briere |
| 63.5 | 58.5 | 56.5 | 54.5 | 46.5 | |
| New Jersey Devils | Patrik Elias | Jaromir Jagr | Michael Ryder | ||
| 62.5 | 54.5 | 51.5 | |||
| Nashville Predators | Shea Weber | Patric Hornqvist | Mike Fisher | ||
| 48.5 | 48.5 | 42.5 | |||
| New York Islanders | John Tavares | Matt Moulson | Frans Nielsen | ||
| 83.5 | 69.5 | 47.5 | |||
| New York Rangers | Rick Nash | Derek Stepan | Brad Richards | ||
| 72.5 | 64.5 | 61.5 | |||
| Ottawa Senators | Erik Karlsson | Bobby Ryan | Jason Spezza | Kyle Turris | Clarke MacArthur |
| 64.5 | 63.5 | 62.5 | 47.5 | 44.5 | |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Jakub Voracek | Vincent Lecavalier | Wayne Simmonds | ||
| 70.5 | 55.5 | 51.5 | |||
| Phoenix Coyotes | Mike Ribeiro | Keith Yandle | Shane Doan | ||
| 68.5 | 49.5 | 48.5 | |||
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Sidney Crosby | Evgeni Malkin | James Neal | ||
| 105.5 | 91.5 | 70.5 | |||
| San Jose Sharks | Joe Thornton | Logan Couture | Patrick Marleau | ||
| 70.5 | 68.5 | 59.5 | |||
| St. Louis Blues | David Backes | Derek Roy | Chris Stewart | ||
| 54.5 | 52.5 | 49.5 | |||
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Steven Stamkos | Martin St. Louis | Teddy Purcell | ||
| 96.5 | 85.5 | 60.5 | |||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Phil Kessel | Nazem Kadri | Joffrey Lupul | James van Riemsdyk | David Clarkson |
| 82.5 | 59.5 | 58.5 | 53.5 | 41.5 | |
| Vancouver Canucks | Henrik Sedin | Daniel Sedin | Ryan Kesler | Alex Burrows | Alexander Edler |
| 81.5 | 76.5 | 49.5 | 45.5 | 43.5 | |
| Washington Capitals | Alex Ovechkin | Nicklas Backstrom | Mikhail Grabovski | ||
| 89.5 | 79.5 | 45.5 | |||
| Winnipeg Jets | Blake Wheeler | Andrew Ladd | Evander Kane | Dustin Byfuglien | Bryan Little |
| 65.5 | 63.5 | 59.5 | 52.5 | 50.5 |
More from On the Forecheck:
- Nashville Predators Training Camp: How Waiver Eligibility Could Impact Roster Decisions
- Thursday's Dump & Chase: Prepare for Pekka's Pre-Season Premiere
- How Will Barry Trotz Handle Nashville's Bounty of Centers?
- Wednesday's Dump & Chase: Preds Hosting Public Skate Tonight
- What the Game of Hockey is Really All About: "All That Counts", Reviewed