Counting stats
NHL Goals Leaders: Washington Capitals
2017-18All situationsThrough 82 team games
Alex Ovechkin (WSH) leads NHL skaters with 49 goals for the Washington Capitals in 2017-18, ahead of 
Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH) (27).
Leaders: Goals, Washington Capitals, 2017-18
- 1stAlex OvechkinWSH · 82 GP49
- 2ndEvgeny KuznetsovWSH · 79 GP27
3rdNicklas BackstromWSH · 81 GP21
4thLars EllerWSH · 81 GP18
5thT.J. OshieWSH · 74 GP18
The full ranked table, with filters, follows.
What Goals measures
This board ranks every NHL skater by total goals this season, regular season only. Total goals this season, all situations.
Totals reward games played and ice time as much as skill; see the per-60 version for the rate view.
Goals scored this season, every situation including the power play and empty nets. The goal race swings more than the points race, because shooting percentage runs hot and cold. Goals are the scarcest scoring category. Check shots on goal beside them: a scorer without the shot volume to back it up tends to cool off. In 2017-18, 27 skaters qualify for this board; the median is 7 and Alex Ovechkin leads at 49.
Goals leaderboard
| # | Player | Team | G | GP | Per game | SOG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex OvechkinFWSH | WSH | 49 | 82 | 0.60 | 355 | 88%▼4 |
| 2 | Evgeny KuznetsovFWSH | WSH | 27 | 79 | 0.34 | 187 | — |
| 3 | Nicklas BackstromFWSH | WSH | 21 | 81 | 0.26 | 165 | — |
| 4 | Lars EllerFWSH | WSH | 18 | 81 | 0.22 | 161 | 4.9%▲0.8 |
| 5 | T.J. OshieFWSH | WSH | 18 | 74 | 0.24 | 127 | — |
| 6 |  John CarlsonDWSH | WSH | 15 | 82 | 0.18 | 237 | 98% |
| 7 |  Brett ConnollyFWSH | WSH | 15 | 70 | 0.21 | 67 | — |
| 8 |  Tom WilsonFWSH | WSH | 14 | 78 | 0.18 | 123 | 93%▼1.1 |
| 9 |  Jakub VranaFWSH | WSH | 13 | 73 | 0.18 | 133 | — |
| 10 |  Andre BurakovskyFWSH | WSH | 12 | 56 | 0.21 | 84 | 4.8%▼1.7 |
| 11 |  Dmitry OrlovDWSH | WSH | 10 | 82 | 0.12 | 125 | 33%▲7.5 |
| 12 |  Alex ChiassonFWSH | WSH | 9 | 61 | 0.15 | 59 | — |
| 13 |  Jay BeagleFWSH | WSH | 7 | 79 | 0.09 | 65 | — |
| 14 |  Devante Smith-PellyFWSH | WSH | 7 | 75 | 0.09 | 103 | — |
| 15 |  Matt NiskanenDWSH | WSH | 7 | 68 | 0.10 | 120 | — |
| 16 |  Chandler StephensonFWSH | WSH | 6 | 67 | 0.09 | 36 | 27%▲3.3 |
| 17 |  Christian DjoosDWSH | WSH | 3 | 63 | 0.05 | 60 | — |
| 18 |  Michal KempnyDWSH | WSH | 3 | 53 | 0.06 | 82 | — |
| 19 |  Jakub JerabekDWSH | WSH | 2 | 36 | 0.06 | 33 | — |
| 20 |  Brooks OrpikDWSH | WSH | 0 | 81 | 0.00 | 54 | — |
| 21 |  Madison BoweyDWSH | WSH | 0 | 51 | 0.00 | 47 | — |
| 22 |  Aaron NessDWSH | WSH | 0 | 8 | 0.00 | 2 | — |
| 23 |  Travis BoydFWSH | WSH | 0 | 8 | 0.00 | 2 | — |
| 24 |  Tyler GraovacFWSH | WSH | 0 | 5 | 0.00 | 1 | — |
| 25 |  Liam O'BrienFWSH | WSH | 0 | 3 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.1% |
Frequently asked questions
Who leads the NHL in Goals in 2017-18?
Alex Ovechkin leads with 49. The median of the 27 qualified skaters is 7.
Which defenseman leads in Goals in 2017-18?
John Carlson leads NHL defensemen with 15; the top forward is Alex Ovechkin at 49.
How is Goals calculated?
Total goals this season, all situations. Regular season only, from the NHL's official game data.
How reliable is Goals?
Totals reward games played and ice time as much as skill; see the per-60 version for the rate view.