Projecting 100 Points

Last season, there were only four players that managed to hit the 100-point mark in my pools. That is an exceptionally low number of players to really perform for a pool team, which starts to get the minds going in regards to how many there will be this coming season. Will scoring be up? Will it be another year of the goalie? It's hard to imagine that scoring is going to make any significant jump, although the power play faceoff rule does bring a little more hope. Anyways, I thought I would outline the more likely players to hit the 100-point mark this season and hopefully there will be a few new faces to hit the list, which could make your first round pick all the more easier.

It's rather undeniable that Alexander Ovechkin is the most dynamic player in the league today. The only thing that will stop Ovechkin from 100 points will be the number of games he plays, because he's certainly got all the tools to carry himself over that plateau once again. The question is, 'does he have enough help around him to pad his stats in the assist column?' The likely answer is probably not, seeing as though the team didn't go out and get him much help in the off-season.

The next obvious place to travel in the 100-point tour is Pittsburgh, where Sidney Crosby will continue his assault on the record books after an injury-filled season in 2008. Crosby is quite likely the best bet to reach the 100-point plateau, if he remains healthy, because he has great wingers on his side and the team has enough depth for other teams to consider when defending. Does Crosby go first or does Ovechkin? That's what the poll to the left is all about.

Staying in Pittsburgh, the second in command of scoring (or first last season), Evgeni Malkin, will look to repeat (or improve on) his 106-point season in 2008. Since he moved over 100 points already in his career, it makes him a safe bet that he should possibly be picked third behind the two superstars above or if you're a big Malkin fan, you could likely make a good argument that he could go first or second. The Hockey News projects him to barely hit the plateau on the nose.

The Hockey News doesn't project Marc-Andre Fleury to hit 100 points (according to the Sherpa's scoring), but the Penguins will likely be the team to beat in the East in the regular season. Fleury will benefit from all the scoring in front of him, as long as he keeps the puck in front of him for the better part of most games. His play will have to be somewhat similar to that of his playoff run in order to get all the shutouts necessary for a big year.

The Devils hold one of the most consistent pool players in the league over the last five seasons in Martin Brodeur and there isn't too much to suggest that he couldn't hit the 100-point mark again. The Devils have improved their side this season, which bodes well for the veteran keeper and you could argue the case that he could be a very safe pick for first overall in your pool draft. It was nice to see he finally got a vote on the poll for a possible first pick. Consistency should be what you're looking for when picking players and Brodeur does it to a tee.

Guess who got a little help on the blueline in San Jose... Joe Thornton. The two new additions the Sharks made in the summer should make moving the puck easier, which is Thornton's kind of game. Thornton came four points from eclipsing 100 for the year in 2008, but with some new blood on the team, he should be able to do it with very little trouble. He'll need some better play from some of his wingers, Cheechoo and Michalek, but he is the kind of guy that makes his teammates better.

If Thornton is to get better, that should make the team win a few more games, which bodes well for last season's top goalie, Evgeni Nabokov. Nabokov finished with 106 points in the pool last season, six better than the next goalie. Should that earn him consideration for a top five pick in the draft this season? I would think so. The Sharks have seemingly gotten better in a weaker Pacific Division, so another 40+ win season does have some merit to it.

Also on the outside looking in for 100 points last season was Vincent Lecavalier. He finished up with 92 points on a struggling Tampa Bay team, but things have changed for the Lightning. New faces all across the board, including some players that could fit in well on Vinny's line. An improved Lightning squad should lift the pressure from the superstar of the team, which does likely give Lecavalier a step up on all those players who will be facing him on a regular basis. 100 points is not out of reach this season for him.

Scoring 50 goals is hardly out of the question for Jarome Iginla, but he did fall short of the 50-assist mark as well, which kept him from the 100-point spot last season. Changes in Calgary look to be very positive for Iginla, who will get to play with some new faces, some of which will be on his line. Iginla is a very durable player and can be a very potent scorer for the Flames on any given night, which suggests that with positive changes to the line-up, he may be able to pass the puck at least two more times to capture those lost assists that leads him to 100 points.

In Ottawa, they have themselves a dynamic duo that can light the lamp when they are together. Jason Spezza centres the number one line for the Senators and has the benefit of having a linemate that can pot a lot of goals during the year. Spezza is slowly becoming more of a goal-scorer himself, but needs to have a little more consistency. The team has overhauled the dressing room and distractions could be a bit fewer and far between, which should help the fragile consistency of Spezza and company.

On the scoring end for the Sens, you'll find Dany Heatley, who should have another banner year with his number one centre. A 50-goal season should be his goal going into the year and 100 points should follow if his teammates pick up their scoring around him as well. You should just be able to flip a coin to decide between the two players, but if you have goals scored as a tie-breaker in your league, you may want to lead towards Heatley.

Pavel Datsyuk will look to have himself another first this coming season... a season with 100 or more points. He fell three points short last season and his play improved greatly in the playoffs during the Red Wings Cup run, which gives enough evidence to say that he could break the barrier this year. His stock has improved year after year in the league, just like his production numbers, so this year, he should be a safe pick for the first round of your hockey pool draft.

Only playing 75 games last season, Henrik Zetterberg needed those 7 missed games to hit 100 points, as that's what he was on pace for. A healthy Zetterberg could be extremely deadly for poolies with him on their team, as he could also hit the 100-point peak. Unfortunately, staying completely healthy is easier said than done for Zetterberg, who hasn't played a full season yet in the league during his five seasons. He would be considered a reasonable gamble for any big Red Wings fan, but you may not want to keep high expectations for 82 games.

Suffering from a bit of a scoring drought after his first and only 100-point season, Eric Staal could be looking for his second one in the coming season. The Hurricanes forward finished last season on a point-per-game pace, which led the team after 82 games and he'll likely carry the same amount of weight on his shoulders in the coming season as well. His only knock towards a new 100-point season is his consistency. He might score at a point-per-game pace, but his scoring is very patchy or at least it was last season. Nevertheless, I would be backing him for a big season. He could be a good bargain in the second round.

A player that I'm expecting to bust out completely this coming season is Mike Richards of the Philadelphia Flyers. After a dominating playoff run, cut short by the Penguins, Richards will likely take over the captaincy of the team and he will lead by example for years to come in Philly. Last season, Richards finished with 75 points in 73 games, but he does carry some residual potential, enough that could eclipse that 100-point mark, in my opinion. Watch out for those Flyers, they'll be running and gunning this season.

Notable exclusions that were considered were mostly goaltenders. In the Northwest Division, you would find the battle between Roberto Luongo in Vancouver and Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary for points, but the division is so tight and has gotten even tighter during the summer with all of the acquisitions for all the teams. It will be tough for either of them to register 40 wins or more, let alone pitch enough shutouts to put them over the edge. Daniel Alfredsson probably won't see a ton of time with Spezza and Heatley this season, likely a lot on the power play, but more likely going to have his own line to spread out the offense in Ottawa. That should be enough reason to have a sub-century season.

In order for a player to register a 100-point season, that player must have a scoring pace of at least 1.22 points per game. For a goalie, it's a lot harder, since they are guaranteed not to play all 82 games in a season, but then it all becomes relative.