Top Shooting Seaons by a Defenseman

I am of the belief if you don’t shoot, you can’t score. Clearly that mantra is also shared by Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, who had a team leading shot total of 347. What is especially interesting was that it was so much higher than Evander Kane’s 234 (a difference of 113). I found it unusual for a defenseman to lead his team in shots, especially by such a high amount. I began to wonder: Where do Dustin Byfuglien’s 2010-11 shots rank among the league leaders? Read more about Dustin Byfuglien's historic season after the jump. The table below shows last season’s top 10 in shots. Name Shots 1. Alex Ovechkin 367 2. Dustin Byfuglien 347 3. Jeff Carter 335 4. Phil Kessel 325 5. Henrik Zetterberg 306 6. Rick Nash 305 7. Brian Gionta 298 8. Eric Staal 296 9. Corey Perry 290 10. Jarome Iginla 289 Dustin Byfuglien is in the top tier among the league in terms of shots. His 347, trail only Alexander Ovechkin, now sponsored by Mr. Big. All of the above players are classified as "All Stars". Additionally, no other defenseman makes the top 10 in shots. The next defenseman on the list is Zdeno Chara (20th in the league) with 264 shots. Big Buff's 2010-11 season is in elite company, but how elite? At this point we should take a look at the season leaders for shots by a defenseman. Single Season Leaders - All Time - Defenseman - Shots Name Year Shots 1. Bobby Orr 1969-70 413 2. Bobby Orr 1970-71 392 3. Ray Bourque 1995-96 390 4. Ray Bourque 1993-94 386 5. Bobby Orr 1974-75 384 6. Bobby Orr 1973-74 384 7. Bobby Orr 1971-72 353 8. Dustin Byfuglien 2010-11 347 9. Ray Bourque 1987-88 344 10. Paul Coffey 1988-89 342 As the song goes: “one of these things is not like the other” -- all of the players are on the list are Hall of Famers, except Dustin Byfuglien. The song continues: “these things belong together” -- everyone in the top 10 has a Stanley Cup ring. Continue down the list, available here at NHL.com of the past 30 single season leaders in shots by a defenseman, the most recent aside from Byfuglien’s previous season, is future Hall of Famer Rob Blake in 1999-2000. Other names in the top 30 include Hall of Famers & Stanley Cup Winners, Brian Leetch and Al MacInnis. Is this a coincidence? Or will Winnipegger's see a similar career path from the 26 year old though his 5 year contract with the Jets? Only time will tell...or something cliche like that. This article was written by Michael Remis, you can follow him on twitter @mremis Previous articles by the author TSN Jets Faq Who Will Drop the Gloves for the Winnipeg Jets? Who Will Shoot for the Winnipeg Jets? Tickets Sold in the Winnipeg Jets Secondary Ticket Market Choosing a Goal Song for the Winnipeg Jets The Science of an Intro Song

Top Shooting Seaons by a Defenseman

Dustin Byfuglien’s Historic Shooting Season