Best Shooter in NHL

[mack 44]

Jon Casey would say Stevie Y should be mentioned.

[Law Goalie 147]

Apart form those already mentioned, Bobby Hull deserves to be recognised.

Phil Esposito remains the only guy I've ever seen who could shoot left and right handed in the same shift. (For reference, watch the opening '72 series period; he does the hand-switch very early on, on the fly and from distance, and he nearly beat Tretiak with it. ) He also held the goal scoring record for an awfully long time using a wooden and basically straight stick when everyone else had switched to curves, and he's only been surpassed by three guys: Gretzky (twice), Lemieux, and Brett Hull.

Gretzky would have nominated Kent Nilsson and Lemieux, for whom the phrase 'snapping the puck through a refrigerator door' was suggested.

Weber putting the puck through the net *without breaking it* during the Olympics was pretty freakish; that's is an insanely heavy shot, and he labelled it.

Sakic had a phenomenal shot -- quick, disguised, hard, and frighteningly accurate -- but Forsberg came up with some amazingly innovative shots in his day.

[wrangler 157]

Bobby Hull's slap shot was talked about so much, a lot of folks forget (or never heard about) his wrist shot.

I still remember the time Mikita had the puck off to the side, behind the goal line, and noticed the goalie facing the guy in front of the net, to whom he expected Mikita to pass. As the goalie had moved a bit forward in the crease, Mikita saw his chance, and shot at the goalie's backside, which deflected the puck into the net.

[hellaavangard 33]

James Neal has an awesome shot. He, Benn & Stamkos all come to mind as far as younger guys

[Law Goalie 147]

Bobby Hull's slap shot was talked about so much, a lot of folks forget (or never heard about) his wrist shot.

I still remember the time Mikita had the puck off to the side, behind the goal line, and noticed the goalie facing the guy in front of the net, to whom he expected Mikita to pass. As the goalie had moved a bit forward in the crease, Mikita saw his chance, and shot at the goalie's backside, which deflected the puck into the net.

All that hay-baling's good for the wrister... heh. And, by all accounts, it was a really, really heavy shot too: tons of rotation. I would have been more afraid (strictly speaking) of Dennis, because he didn't have a clue where his shot was going: the net, your head, forty feet above the glass... and harder than his brother.

I never saw that Mikita goal, but it sure sounds like him. Pavel Bure did something similar to Chechmanek once: look off in the slot, put it in right past Chechmanek's ear from about an inch above the goal-line. Evil little man...

[shooter27 116]

I don't think Bure was the only one that did that to Chechmanek.

[Stanello 4]

im biased since im a huge Penguins fan, but James Neal's shot is redic

Complete homer vote, but I've gotta agree.

[thawu 5]

Kovalchuk and Stamkos for current players. Sakic for all-time!

[scorer75 9]

I really don't know how you can compare current players to past players. The game is soooo different. I was recently watching a late 80's classic game and I couldn't help but wonder if you dropped Kovalev onto that sheet of ice what damage he could do...

Also kinda surprised Crosby hasn't been mentioned at all. I know it's cool to hate him and all, but not even to be mentioned? (No, I am not a Crosby or Penguin fan)

[tareatingrat 4]

I really don't know how you can compare current players to past players.

The game is soooo different. I was recently watching a late 80's

classic game and I couldn't help but wonder if you dropped Kovalev onto

that sheet of ice what damage he could do...

That's always what I think when I watch classic games. They look much worse than the low-level pickup I go to. I'm like, really? I could have been a superstar 40 years ago...heh.

[Law Goalie 147]

Crosby's got a great backhand, and a good, quick release on his forehand, but he doesn't do a lot of damage in pure shooting situations (at least to my memory). He is extremely smart about taking away a goalie's ability to commit to shot or pass, in large part because he's a phenomenal passer and a very quick shooter, but I don't think a lot of goalies would be worried about his shot from outside 15' if their D had everything else covered.

As for the classic games... they can be deceptive. The way the game is filmed has changed rather a lot, for one thing. Sure, if you took Kovalev with all his current gear, training, and knowledge, and transported him back to 1984, he'd be very impressive; if you sent him back a year or two earlier, buck naked, and made him cope with life in the NHL in the early 80s and issued him period gear, he'd probably be a slightly more skilled, slightly less competitive version of Nilsson.

[hb4167 6]

Cammalleri's wrister/snapper is insane, not the greatest shot of all time, but amongst current players that thing is WICKED.

[Leafsrule16 5]

Crosby is very underrated. He scores a lot due to his skill and deception however versus guys like Semin or Stamkos who just shoot so heavy even if it hits the goalie it will go in. I'd say Stamkos's one timer is the best shot in hockey today though, heavy.

[thawu 5]

Cammalleri's wrister/snapper is insane, not the greatest shot of all time, but amongst current players that thing is WICKED.

I think Kessel also has a wicked snap shot. His release is soo quick and he can do it in full stride.

Too bad goalies know exactly what he is going to do now when he comes down the wing because it's the same move everytime! Toe drag, snap shot..

[Chadd 916]

I think Kessel also has a wicked snap shot. His release is soo quick and he can do it in full stride.

I'll agree with the first part but not the second. Because he uses a softer shaft and lets the shaft do the work, the release is actually on the slow side from initial movement to the puck coming off the blade. Brett Hull had a similar shooting style and was often credited as having a great release, incorrectly in my opinion.

[interpathway 9]

Great doesn't mean fast, it means effective. All about the end game. Goal scorers always judged by results.

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

No mention of Al McInnis??

[IPv6Freely 2087]

No mention of Al McInnis??

i don't equate hardest to best

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

i don't equate hardest to best

and I don't disagree but he's worth mentioning.

[scorer75 9]

Don't forget Gaborik. I can watch him take shots all day and never get sick of it :)

[DoYouKnowTheMuffinMan 1]

From what I have seen, Gaborik lacks in slap shot/ one-timers making him more of an incomplete shooter compared to some others mentioned.

[TBR 11]

Every one of Mario Lemieux's shots was as good as any player's best shot. A onetimer as good as Brett Hull's, a wrist shot as good as Sakic's, a snap shot as good as Bossy's....

Backhand or forehand, I think Mario had the most lethal arsenal of shots of any player the game has ever seen.

[Chadd 916]

Every one of Mario Lemieux's shots was as good as any player's best shot. A onetimer as good as Brett Hull's, a wrist shot as good as Sakic's, a snap shot as good as Bossy's....

Backhand or forehand, I think Mario had the most lethal arsenal of shots of any player the game has ever seen.

you're crazy

[romdj 26]

Definitely Kovalchuk imo.

I'm surprised that Kane hasn't been mentionned, although his shot isn't the most powerful, his release is unbelievably quick and so is his accuracy.

[JR97 2]

Heatley has a deadly arsenal of shots. Too bad he's a head case because he's talented enough to put up 30-40.

Sakic is the epitome of putting your body into the shot. Especially when he was coming in with speed. He was quick on the draw off of either foot as well. I watched a lot of Sakic and I can probably count on one hand the times I saw him take a slapper. I remember him falling down on one slapper attempt and John Davidson was in the booth saying there's no reason for Sakic to ever take a slapper since his wrister is probably harder than most people's slapper.