Each NHL Team's Most Disappointing Player of the Season

Alexander Ovechkin is one of several players whose struggles this season have hurt his team's performance, but the good news is the season is far from over.

There is plenty of time to improve individually and as a team before the trading deadline and playoffs arrive.

Let's look at one player from each team who has been a disappointment this season.

Anaheim Ducks: Jonas Hiller

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller has been unable to find his good form he enjoyed prior to his injury-plagued 2010-11 season.

In 31 games started, Hiller is just 9-15-6 with a 3.11 GAA and a save percentage under .900.

Boston Bruins: David Krejci

Boston Bruins center David Krejci is a point-per-game talent, but he has not shown that this season, although I must admit his play has risen since a poor start to the season.

He currently has seven goals and 14 assists, but his plus/minus rating is still poor at minus-two.

Buffalo Sabres: Ryan Miller

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller struggled in the playoffs last season and has not risen his play much this year.

He's only 8-7-1 this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .902 save percentage. For the Sabres to really go deep in the playoffs, they need Miller back to his Vezina Trophy form from 2010.

Calgary Flames: Jay Bouwmeester

Jay Bouwmeester has been one of the better offensive defensemen in the league throughout his career, but this season he has just 13 points on a goal and 12 assists.

The Flames aren't that far off from a playoff spot, and for them to make a run at the postseason, they need Bouwmeester at the top of his game.

Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal

Despite his game-winning goal in overtime to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, Eric Staal has had a poor season for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Staal is one of the premier NHL players, but nine goals and 14 assists for a top 10 center is not good enough. He doesn't have a ton of talent around him, but that's no excuse for a supremely talented player.

Staal is also a minus-21 this year.

Chicago Blackhawks: Corey Crawford

The Chicago Blackhawks are good enough to win the Stanley Cup this season, but goaltending could be the one thing holding them back.

Corey Crawford is going through a bit of a sophomore slump this season with a 2.80 GAA and a .905 save percentage.

Crawford is talented, and there's no reason he can't get back on track before the playoffs arrive.

Colorado Avalanche: Erik Johnson

Erik Johnson hasn't been terrible this season but just 14 points and a minus-11 rating for a former No. 1 overall draft pick just isn't good enough.

Johnson has to play well for the rest of the season if he wants to prove he'll ever live up to his potential.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Jeff Carter

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been awful this season and many players have underperformed, but the most disappointing player for the team has been Jeff Carter.

Carter is a top center talent in hockey, but 10 goals and six assists is not good enough for a player making big money who is expected to perform at a high level offensively.

If Carter doesn't get it turned around soon, a trade may be the only solution to improve the team going forward.

Dallas Stars: Brendan Morrow

Dallas Stars forward Brendan Morrow is the third highest paid player on the team and one of the better offensive players on the roster, but his 10 goals and seven assists are not good enough for someone of his quality.

If the Stars are serious about making the playoffs, they need Morrow to improve his game.

Detroit Red Wings: Justin Abdelkader

Justin Abdelkader is a good player, but two goals and six assists isn't going to cut it on a talented Detroit Red Wings roster.

Abdelkader has no excuse to continue to struggle with the amount of quality on the Red Wings team.

Edmonton Oilers: Ales Hemsky

Edmonton Oilers winger Ales Hemsky has been mightily disappointing this season despite playing for a new contract since he's an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

He has scored just three goals with eight assists this season. Maybe trade rumors have distracted him, but Hemsky is a much better player than his stats this year would indicate.

Florida Panthers: Sean Bergenheim

The Florida Panthers are in first place in the Southeast Division despite the struggles of summer signing Sean Bergenheim.

Bergenheim has just seven goals with no assists in 26 games played. For the Panthers' early success to continue, Bergenheim must play better and contribute more offensively.

Los Angeles Kings: Dustin Penner

The Los Angeles Kings have had troubles scoring goals this season and one reason for that has been the disappointing play of Dustin Penner, who the team traded for last season.

Penner has scored just two goals with six assists this season, which is terrible for someone as talented as him. He must get it going for the Kings' offense to score more and get the team back into the playoff race.

Minnesota Wild: Devin Setoguchi

Devin Setoguchi hasn't been terrible this season, but he needs to play better offensively. He has scored just eight goals with five assists this year to go along with a minus-seven rating.

Setoguchi has a lot of talent and won't have a problem improving as 2012 begins.

Montreal Canadiens: Scott Gomez

Did you expect anyone different? Scott Gomez has the worst contract in the NHL and has just four assists to show for it.

To be fair, he's been injured for a lot of the season, but when Gomez has been on the ice he has struggled mightily.

Nashville Predators: Sergei Kostitsyn

Nashville Predators forward Sergei Kostitsyn has scored just five goals this season on a team desperately needing someone to step up offensively.

Kostitsyn is a talented player, but 15 points and a minus-three rating isn't good enough for someone of his caliber.

New Jersey Devils: Ilya Kovalchuk

Ilya Kovalchuk will have a $6.66 million salary cap hit into the next decade, and if he's going to score as little as he has this season, then the New Jersey Devils are going to have a real problem.

Kovy has scored just 11 goals this season with only 16 assists. The Devils need their star winger to play much better offensively and become the 40-goal scorer he's been for much of his career.

New York Islanders: Kyle Okposo

Kyle Okposo has been a big disappointment this season and hasn't progressed to the level he should be at at this point of his career.

Okposo has scored just six goals with eight assists in 14 games. He also has a minus-14 rating. Unless he shows he can be better on a consistent basis, trading him may be a smart move for the Islanders.

New York Rangers: Brian Boyle

For a player who plays well over 10 minutes per game, Brian Boyle's two goals and six assists is really disappointing.

He's not a top-tier offensive player, but he needs to play better for the Rangers. The team is in the top 10 in goals scored per game, and he could become even more dangerous if Boyle starts to heat up.

Ottawa Senators: Bobby Butler

Bobby Butler is a talented young player but scoring three goals and four assists is not good enough for him this season.

The Ottawa Senators need to score goals this season with inconsistent goaltending, and Butler could really help the team make a playoff push if he can get going offensively.

Philadelphia Flyers: Ilya Bryzgalov

Ilya Bryzgalov signed a $51 million contract in the offseason to correct the problems that had been plaguing the Philadelphia Flyers between the pipes, but he has struggled this season.

Despite a 14-8-1 record, Bryzgalov has a save percentage of .890 and his GAA is 3.01. He needs to be more consistent for the Flyers, especially with the injury problems they have been having on defense.

Phoenix Coyotes: Derek Morris

Derek Morris is still a good defenseman, but his seven points on no goals and seven assists is not good enough for the Phoenix Coyotes, who after a good start to the season have fallen out of the playoff race.

Morris must play better at both ends of the ice for the Coyotes to get back on track. His minus-12 rating is a real concern for Phoenix.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Paul Martin

Paul Martin is the highest paid defenseman on the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he has struggled this season with just one goal and nine assists.

He is also a minus-12, which should concern the Penguins. Even without Sidney Crosby, the Penguins are an elite team, but defensively they need to improve, and that starts with Martin.

San Jose Sharks: Martin Havlat

Martin Havlat scored 22 goals last season for the Minnesota Wild, but this season, on a better San Jose Sharks team, he has scored just two goals with 13 assists.

The Sharks need Havlat to get better and contribute more offensively to make a deep run in the playoffs. He is an experienced forward who is capable of playing much better than he is right now.

St. Louis Blues: Chris Stewart

The St. Louis Blues don't have a player who has scored more than 13 goals this season, and one reason the team is struggling offensively is the play of Chris Stewart.

Stewart has just seven goals with seven assists this season, which is too little offensive production for someone as talented as him.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Dwayne Roloson

Dwayne Roloson is 42 years old and is finally showing that his time as a starting goaltender in the NHL is diminishing.

Roloson carried the Lightning to a game from the Stanley Cup Final last season, but he has struggled quite a bit this year.

His .883 save percentage and 3.27 GAA is not good enough for a team talented enough to go deep in the playoffs again.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Jonas Gustavsson

Jonas Gustavsson has not played well this season and is one of the reasons the Toronto Maple Leafs have fallen from first place in the Northeast Division after the team started off the season so well.

His .898 save percentage and 3.28 GAA statistics won't get it done for a team ready to make the playoffs and end the franchise's playoff drought.

Vancouver Canucks: David Booth

When the Vancouver Canucks traded for David Booth, they thought that playing with better talent could unlock the potential he has, but in 25 games this season he has scored only five goals with seven assists.

He's also a minus-seven and has just a single power-play goal. Booth has to play better for the Canucks to make another run at the Stanley Cup Final. They gave up good value in the trade to get him, and he needs to improve.

Washington Capitals: Alexander Ovechkin

If I told you before the season started that Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin would be 61st in NHL scoring on December 30, then you would have thought I was crazy.

Unfortunately for the Capitals, Ovechkin has struggled mightily this season. He has only 12 goals with 15 assists this season, and his under-performing has plagued the entire team.

On the bright side, the Capitals are only seven points behind the Florida Panthers in the Southeast Division with much of the season to play.

Winnipeg Jets: Jim Slater

There hasn't been any massively disappointing players on the Winnipeg Jets this season, and the team has done well to climb into the playoff race despite a poor start to the season.

Jim Slater has scored seven goals and two assists this season and is a minus-five. If he can play better, then the Jets' offense will be even more dangerous.