Brayden Point's goal scoring history
Brayden Point is on pace for something undeniably remarkable this season - and if he keeps it up, the Rocket Richard Trophy could very well be his. Sporting a shooting percentage that defies belief, Point is putting the league on notice. Point has been one of the top goal scorers in the league when healthy for quite some time now. In his sophomore campaign, he lit the lamp 32 times. The following season, he upped that total to 41. Unfortunately, a few ailments and the shortened COVID season held him back over the next few years, and he didn't hit the 40-goal mark again until the 2022-2023 season. But that's when he truly took the league by storm. Point netted 51 goals, finishing top five in goal-scoring by season's end. Just last season he led the Lightning for the second straight year with 46 goals.
As of now, Brayden Point has the fourth-best odds to win the Rocket Richard Trophy, sitting at +1200 on DraftKings. That’s some solid value for a player who's consistently lighting the lamp at an incredible pace. While I’m no betting expert, these odds seem to align with my own opinion: Brayden Point is very likely to walk away with that trophy by the end of the season. But enough about the betting odds - let’s dive into the real numbers... the stats!
Scoring at a historical rate
This year, Brayden Point is on track to top his career best, 51. He’s already scored 16 goals in just 18 games and is arguably the most efficient scorer in hockey right now. Hell, it's not even arguable, it's a matter of fact. The 28-year-old is shooting an incredible 40%, a figure that hasn't been seen over a full season - well, ever. Point is on pace to play 79 games this season. The highest shooting percentage over that many games belongs to Craig Simpson, who scored on 31.6% of his shots in the 1987-88 season. What I'm saying is, it's not probable that he maintains this figure. But hey, I'm not going to be the guy to tell someone they can't do something, and we've seen crazier things happen.
This impressive performance has put Point near the top of the league in several categories. Beyond his eye-popping shooting percentage, he leads the league in power-play goals with 9, despite playing four fewer games than the second-place player. His goals-per-game rate sits at .89, which, if it holds, would give him 70 goals on the season - a feat not reached since 1992-93 when Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny both hit the mark.
Point is also climbing the ranks in regular goals. He’s currently tied for second place with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, and just two goals behind Florida's Sam Reinhart, who’s played six more games. Point has been especially hot as of late, scoring 10 goals in November alone - a month that saw him miss three games - with one game remaining against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. While it’s unlikely this insane pace continues, even a slight dip in production could very well earn Point a Rocket Richard Trophy to add to his trophy case.
Point leading the power-play
The power-play goal stat is especially important following the loss of Steven Stamkos. Stamkos and Point have been the only two players to lead the team in power-play goals since the 2016-2017 season, with Stamkos doing so five times and Point twice. While no Bolts fan wants to admit it, and I’m not sure it’s entirely fair to say, it's possible that the former captain has been replaced. If not entirely supplanted, Point has certainly stepped up where needed. The Lightning power play got off to a rough start to open the season, but thanks in large part to Brayden Point, the special teams unit has gone from the bottom 12 to the top 10 - now sitting at 9th place - in just a few weeks.
Point's stellar play continued with an overtime goal - this too, on the power play - against the Nashville Predators just yesterday, securing a 3-2 win for the Lightning. This marked Point's second OT winner in the past two weeks, having also netted the decisive goal in another 3-2 victory - that one over the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 19th. Having an electric goal scorer who shows up when it matters most is crucial in this league, and Point has been exactly that.
It’s clear that Brayden Point is having one of his best seasons yet, and if he keeps this up, he could rewrite the Tampa Bay record books. Whether or not he can sustain this pace, one thing’s for sure: Point is an absolute superstar with his best hockey ahead of him. So buckle up Bolts fans, because this season could become something truly special.