5 NHL forwards who can break Wayne Gretzky's 92-goal record feat. Auston Matthews

By Ryan Gagne

Modified Feb 19, 2024 16:42 GMT

Wayne Gretzky is the only skater in NHL history to score more than 90 goals in a regular season, lighting the lamp 92 times in 1981-82 to set an unmatched record over 40 years later. Despite a handful of attempts by some Hall of Fame players, no one has surpassed 90, leaving Gretzky's milestone unchallenged.

In the salary cap era, only Alex Ovechkin (65), Connor McDavid (64), David Pastrnak (61), Auston Matthews (60), and Steven Stamkos (60) have managed to score more than 60 in a season.

Although the game has changed, some of today's superstars, like Matthews, are scoring at an unreal pace and could one day surpass the bar Ovechkin set at 65 and surpass 70 or 80, and maybe get to the 90-goal club.

Here's a look at five forwards who could break Gretzky's record of 92 goals.

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5 NHL forwards who can break Wayne Gretzky's 92-goal record

#1. Mikko Rantanen

Best season: 55 (2022-23)

Mikko Rantanen is 27 years old and in the prime of his career, coming off a 105-point season in 2022-23, when he netted a career-high 55 goals. Of course, no one would believe that the Finnish forward would have a chance at matching Gretzky's mark of 92 goals, but they may forget he plays with Nathan MacKinnon, one of the best skaters in professional hockey right now.

Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche

According to statistics from Stathead.com, MacKinnon has set up 126 of his 249 goals, or roughly 50.6%, meaning these two superstars have a unique chemistry that led to a Stanley Cup title in 2022.

Even though many fans would think MacKinnon has a better shot at the goal mark, 62% of his points are assists, and he's never hit 50 goals yet. Since the 2020-21 season, Rantanen has the fifth most goals in the NHL with 150.

#2. Leon Draisaitl

Best season: 55 (2021-22)

Leon Draisaitl is a one-time Art Ross winner and a four-time 100-point scorer who collected a career-best 128 points in 2022-23. Furthermore, that was his second consecutive season with at least 50 goals, netting 52 after 55 the previous year.

Unsurprisingly, 43.3% of his career goals (332) have come on the powerplay, as the Edmonton Oilers have the luxury of deploying McDavid to feed Draisaitl at the back post every night.

As long as Draisaitl stays with McDavid, all bets are off regarding what these two can accomplish together. Even though the ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup, breaking individual NHL records is a pretty good accomplishment for a guy already going to the Hall of Fame upon retirement.

#3. David Pastrnak

Best season: 61 (2022-23)

David Pastrnak scored 61 goals in 2022-23, falling just three goals short of McDavid in the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy race. Besides becoming only the second skater in Boston Bruins history to reach the 60-goal plateau, the franchise just awarded him an eight-year extension, meaning he will terrorize goalies while wearing the Spoked B for at least eight more seasons.

After 10 seasons in the NHL, he's a seven-time 30-goal scorer and has surpassed 40 on three occasions. Thanks to having one of the nastiest slap shots in the league, he will set himself up on the right side of the powerplay and continue to light the lamp from his favorite spot.

Even though one of his best linemates, Patrice Bergeron, retired, Pastrnak has already surpassed 30 goals this season and should reach 50 again by the end of the year. Eventually, he'll lose Brad Marchand, too, but if the Bruins are wise, they will find another center to help the Czech forward continue to score at a torrid pace.

#4. Connor McDavid

Best season: 64 (2022-23)

Connor McDavid has scored over 900 points in nine seasons with more than 600 helpers since he's been more of a playmaker than a sniper while playing for Gretzky's old team, the Oilers. However, he flipped the script on the league in 2022-23, scoring a career-high 64 goals and finishing the campaign with the most goals since Ovechkin had 65 in 2007-08.

Despite being known as a passer, McDavid is a four-time 40-goal scorer and has netted at least 30 every year, except his rookie campaign, which was cut short due to injury.

Considered by so many to be the best player in the world, if McDavid opted to shoot more and had great linemates like Draisaitl, he'd have a shot at netting 70, 80, or even 90 goals.

When we think we've seen it all from McDavid, he does something else, like collect six assists in a single game. Only two players, Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull, have come close to Gretzky's record, but McDavid has the skills to break it.

#5. Auston Matthews

Best season: 60 (2020-21)

Auston Matthews already has 45 goals in just 51 games this season and is on pace to become the first skater since Alex Mogilny and Teemu Selanne in 1992-93 to score 70 goals in a season.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

As one of his generation's best pure goal scorers, Matthews could break Gretzky's single-season goal record and is already ahead of Ovechkin's pace after 500 games. He could challenge Gretzky's all-time goal record (894) in the latter half of his career.

Since the start of the 2020-21 season, when Matthews scored a career-high 60 goals, he's been the NHL leader with 186 goals, 22 ahead of Draisailt, who sits at 164. Moreover, he's got some stiff competition in Sam Reinhart this year (39 goals), but there's no denying what Matthews is doing right now is pretty special.

Even though records are set and meant to be broken, Gretzky's 92 goals are often in the discussion as the most unbreakable, considering the changes in the game since the 1980s. However, someone like Matthews could break one of the game's most cherished records if the stars align.