Is it time to start talking about Chris Kreider as a top 10 player?
As of the time of writing, Chris Kreider is tied for 1st place in the NHL for goals with Leon Draisaitl with 33 and tied for 24th in the league for points with 47. But do you hear anything about Kreider in the runnings for the Rocket Richard trophy? Absolutely not.
Prior to this season, Kreiders career high in goals was back in the 18-19 season where he scored 28 in 79 games. So only 47 games into this season at the age of 30, Kreider has set a career high in goals and is currently 6 points away from tying his career high in points (53) which he set back in the 16-17 season.
One important stat for Kreider this season is his shooting percentage. During his career he has a shooting average of 14.8%, while this season he is currently shooting at 22.4%. While many can state that his goal scoring increase this season is merely just because of his shooting percentage, which is true, it is also important to show that his percentage has been showing yearly for the last 3 seasons:
18-19: 13.93%
19-20: 15.4%
20-21: 19.6%
21-22 (so far): 22.4%
Can he maintain this shooting percentage for the remainder of the season? He is currently shooting at a percentage far higher than the top 5 goal scorers in the league at this moment:
Draisaitl: 20.4%
Matthews: 16.3%
Ovechkin: 13.2%
Debrincat: 18.7%
Nevertheless what Kreider has accomplished so far this season is incredible and to have a career year at the age of 30 is something not seen very often.
How many goals and points do you predict Kreider will finish the season with? Let us know in the comments!
