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The Metropolitan Division’s Top 10 Right Wings: 2015-16

Now that the left side of the ice has been covered (along with the goaltenders and the defensemen), it’s time to skate over to the other side with a look at the top 10 right wings. And away we go…

Honorable mention: Josh Bailey (NYI)

10. Ryan Strome, New York Islanders
Last year’s rank: Not ranked


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Islanders) 81 17 33 50 23 47 1 7 2 179 9.5

Another in a long line of young Islanders’ forwards who broke out in 2014-15, Strome came close to the 20-goal mark and posted 50 points in his first full season in the NHL – good enough to check in as the team’s third-highest scorer. He also proved to be fairly prolific in his first taste of playoff hockey, with four points in New York’s seven-game series against the Caps. At just 22 (and barely), he’s likely got a lot of hockey ahead of him, and could be a fun one to watch in the coming years.

9. Justin Williams, Washington Capitals
Last year’s rank: N/A


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Kings) 81 18 23 41 8 29 4 9 2 174 10.3

His playoff resume is pretty well known by now – three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe trophy and numerous Game 7 heroics. Beyond the postseason, however, is a pretty impressive 16-year career in which he’s averaged .63 points per game. While not particularly known for his goal-scoring (he’s only topped 20 goals four times), he’s had at least 30 points in 10 of his 16 seasons, and is inching closer to the 600-point milestone. More impressive is that he’s maintained that consistency on multiple teams under multiple systems – and should be able to do so with the Caps, regardless of where he lines up.

8. Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers
Last year’s rank: Not ranked


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Rangers) 78 15 34 49 17 45 0 6 3 154 9.7

His rise to the NHL has been a gradual one, splitting time between New York and the AHL in each of his first two seasons. Over the last two years, though, he’s established himself as a part of the Rangers’ everyday lineup – and an important one, putting up 59 points in his first full season and following that up with a 49-point campaign. Add in his 22 playoff points in 43 games, and it’s easy to see why he’s become such a big part of the Rangers’ attack.

7. Nick Foligno, Columbus Blue Jackets
Last year’s rank: Not ranked


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Blue Jackets) 79 31 42 73 16 50 11 15 3 182 17.0

A consistently steady performer over the years, first for the Senators and more recently in Columbus, Foligno had a breakout season in 2014-15, demolishing his previous career highs in goals, assists, points, power-play goals, power-play assists and shots on goal. It certainly helped that he was one of a handful of Blue Jackets to stay healthy for most of the regular season, and he did have a pretty talented linemate in Ryan Johansen, so it would be easy to dismiss his best season as an outlier. Add in the fact that he’s put up a seemingly unsustainable shooting percentage – at even strength, on the power play and in general – and it wouldn’t be surprising to see his numbers take a hit next season. That said, with the addition of Brandon Saad (who will likely line up next to Foligno and Johansen this season), they may not fall of as much as one might expect.

6. T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals
Last year’s rank: N/A


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Blues) 72 19 36 55 17 51 3 10 4 162 11.7

The second of the two big acquisitions for Washington this summer, Oshie arrives in DC after spending the first seven seasons with the Blues. Over the course of his career, he’s racked up 310 points, with at least 30 points in each of his full (non-lockout) seasons – and while he’s only got one 20-goal season, he’s come close a couple of times and should have plenty of opportunity to crack that milestone in his new role on the Caps’ top line. And of course, no one can forget his patriotic pedigree as a shootout specialist. Only three players have scored more shootout goals than the 31 Oshie has scored since his rookie season, and his 52.5% conversion rate trails only Frans Nielsen for tops among the League’s most prolific shootout artists.

T-4. Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers
Last year’s rank: 8


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Flyers) 75 28 22 50 -5 66 14 10 6 188 14.9

Since arriving in Philadelphia, Simmonds has carved out a role for himself as one of the better power forwards in the Metropolitan, continuing to put up consistently high point totals and helping to make the Flyers’ power play a successful one. Injuries caused him to miss seven games last year, the most he’s ever missed in a single season in his career, and as a result his offensive output suffered a bit – but he still put up 28 goals, one off of his career high (set the previous season) and his 14 power-play goals ranked third in the League. At 27, Simmonds is just now reaching his prime, and should be able to continue performing at a high level for the Flyers.

T-4. Patric Hornqvist, Pittsburgh Penguins
Last year’s rank: Not ranked


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Penguins) 64 25 26 51 12 38 6 9 4 220 11.4

When Hornqvist was traded to Pittsburgh last season, he got a pretty sweet gig alongside one of the League’s better centers (no, the other one) – and immediately picked up where he left off in Nashville, putting up 20+ goals and doing so in just 64 games. In fact, with six seasons and change under his belt, Hornqvist has scored at least 20 goals in five of those years, only failing to do so in his rookie season when he appeared in 28 games and in the lockout year of 2012-13, when he played in 24. If he keeps getting set up by someone like Evgeni Malkin, those 20+ goal seasons could turn into 30+ goals really quickly.

3. Kyle Okposo, New York Islanders
Last year’s rank: 6


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Islanders) 60 18 33 51 -8 12 6 12 2 195 9.2

After a couple of relatively healthy seasons, Okposo suffered a scary eye injury last year that caused him to miss 22 games in the early part of 2015. Even with that whole pesky detached retina, though, Okposo continued to do what he’s done for the better part of the last five seasons: create offense at a high level, with 51 in just 60 games. In fact, over the past two seasons he’s been averaging close to a point per game; if he can maintain that pace (and stay healthy), he’ll start to put himself into the conversation as one of the League’s top scorers.

2. Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers
Last year’s rank: 3


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Flyers) 82 22 59 81 1 78 11 22 3 221 10.0

Speaking of one of the League’s top scorers, Voracek was exactly that last season, putting up 81 points to finish just shy of the Art Ross trophy for 2014-15. His goal production has remained the same for about the last three years, averaging around 22 goals a season – including in the lockout-shortened 48-game campaign of 2012-14, putting him into the top 10 goal-scorers for that year. What changed last year was the assists, which jumped up from 39 to 59, the second-straight season in which he set a new career high in that department and a leap to an assist-per-game rate of an impressive .72.

1. Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins
Last year’s rank: N/A


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG PPA GWG SOG PCT
2014-15 (Maple Leafs) 82 25 36 61 -34 30 8 17 4 280 8.9

For years, the Penguins have been on a seemingly endless search for wingers to play alongside Sidney Crosby, saddling him with average (or even below-average) linemates. Alas, the same cannot be said for their latest acquisition, Phil Kessel, who arrives in Pittsburgh after several beleaguered years in Toronto ready for a fresh start. That he’s put up goal totals in the 30s just about every season and has, at times, been a point-per-game player, is enough to see that he’s a pretty talented player with potential to be even better. Putting him with the best playmaker in the game should help him reach that potential pretty quickly.

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