NHL Stars Failing to Meet Expectations in 2014-15

NHL teams count on their veterans for consistent production, and when a star player fails to meet that threshold, it can be extremely detrimental. Each season there are a few players we regard as stars who stop doing the things that made them valuable.

Some of these men are suffering from the erosion associated with age. Some are being asked to play different roles and are having little success. It's rare, but there are players in the middle of their careers seeing massive drop-offs in production, something we are witnessing in a couple of cities this season.

Here are today's NHL stars whose production is lagging badly in 2014-15.

9. Joe Thornton, C, San Jose Sharks

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What Did He Do Last Season? Joe Thornton enjoyed another strong season with the San Jose Sharks in 2013-14. He scored 76 points and finished second in team scoring.

How Much Has He Lost? Thornton is off the pace by enough to impact the season. His 24 points in 30 games have him on a trajectory to finish with 65 points—11 below last season's total.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? It's probably a slump, and betting against the big man is never a good idea. Thornton's sublime passing ability and creativity should mean the net fills with pucks for the rest of the season. At 35, he should still have a few productive seasons ahead. 

8. Brian Campbell, D, Florida Panthers

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What Did He Do Last Season? Brian Campbell was a major offensive factor on a team struggling to score a year ago. Campbell's 37 points for the Florida Panthers ranked him in a second-place tie among all Panthers, and his 12 power-play points led the team.

How Much Has He Lost? Campbell has eight points so far this season and is on pace for 25 over the entire year. His four points with the man advantage suggest Campbell can still help in this area.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? Campbell is 35, and despite his terrific speed, it's likely he won't be able to match previous performances in the future. Last year, he played 27 minutes a night; this year, he's at 23 minutes. The Panthers have improved depth at the position, but it's likely Campbell is slowing down a little each season.

7. Patrik Elias, C, New Jersey Devils

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What Did He Do Last Season? Patrik Elias appeared to be timeless in his consistency, ripping off another 50-point season for the New Jersey Devils last year. His level of excellence has been uncanny.

How Much Has He Lost? Elias is on pace for nine goals and 36 points, which represents a 17-point drop in production year over year.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? At 38, he may be slowing down, which is natural and to be expected. Knowing Elias, he'll recover and post another 50-point season for the Devils in 2014-15.

6. Thomas Vanek, RW, Minnesota Wild

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What Did He Do Last Season? Thomas Vanek played for three teams in 2013-14—the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens. He scored 68 points in 78 games overall.

How Much Has He Lost? After he was added as a major part of the Minnesota Wild during the offseason, much was expected and little has been delivered. He is on pace for only 50 points for the entire season, and his three goals are extremely disappointing.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? Vanek is a streaky scorer, but this is alarming. Part of the problem may be who he's playing with, as Mikko Koivu and Kyle Brodziak are his most common linemates so far this year. More time with Zach Parise at even strength may be required for Vanek to flourish.

5. Paul Stastny, C, St. Louis Blues

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What Did He Do Last Season? Paul Stastny was a big part of a very successful Colorado Avalanche team in 2013-14. He scored 60 points in 71 games, including 15 on the power play.

How Much Has He Lost? Stastny has lost some of the season to injury and has 11 points in 20 games—meaning he's on pace for 41 points this year.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? Stastny missed eight games with a shoulder injury, as described in this report from The Canadian Press (via NHL.com). He has four points in his last four games and appears to be back on track.

4. Alexander Semin, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

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What Did He Do Last Season? Alexander Semin scored 22 goals for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2013-14. He ranked No. 4 in team scoring and gave the team excellent power-play production, scoring 12 goals. Semin's 210 shots gave the team a legitimate offensive weapon. 

How Much Has He Lost? The drop in production has been stunning so far this year. Semin has scored one goal in 21 games and has just six points. What's more, he has only 27 shots, meaning the opportunities aren't being created. He projects to score just 22 points this season.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? Semin is just 30, so there's no reason for him to have fallen off this badly. He played most often with Eric Staal as his center one year ago but is now playing with Riley Nash. It's possible Semin would be more productive if he was given a more offensive center to play with in Carolina. 

3. Milan Lucic, LW, Boston Bruins

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What Did He Do Last Season? Milan Lucic provided the Boston Bruins with bruising play and an intimidating player on their top skill lines. While doing that, he also scored 21 even-strength goals, ranking him among the 25 best in the NHL one year ago.

How Much Has He Lost? Lucic has four even-strength goals this season and only five overall. He scored 59 points in 80 games a year ago and is on pace for 38 points in 82 games. That's a significant drop in production.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? Lucic is most comfortable with David Krejci, who has been injured much of the season. The Bruins' scoring is down overall this year. In 2013-14, the club averaged 3.15 goals per game—the third-best total in the league.

This season, that total has fallen to 2.5 per game. The biggest reasons for the fall in production are injuries to Krejci and captain Zdeno Chara, along with the defection of Jarome Iginla to Colorado via free agency. As the veterans return, the scoring should improve for Lucic and the entire team.

2. Taylor Hall, LW, Edmonton Oilers

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What Did He Do Last Season? Taylor Hall scored 80 points in 2013-14, leading the Edmonton Oilers in scoring by a wide margin. He scored 17 of those points on the power play, good for third on his team.

How Much Has He Lost? Hall has scored 17 points in 22 games, with just three coming on the power play. Projected over an entire season, we would expect Hall to deliver 59 points, a significant reduction from one year ago.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? The Oilers have struggled badly overall and specifically on the power play. Hall has overcome a poor team performance before and should do it again. It's unlikely he'll be on this list at season's end.

1. Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles Kings

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What Did He Do Last Season? Anze Kopitar was the most significant offensive weapon in the Los Angeles Kings' arsenal one year ago. He led the team with 70 points, clearing runner-up Jeff Carter by a full 20 points in 2013-14.

How Much Has He Lost? Kopitar has only 12 points in 25 games, pedestrian totals for an impact player. He is on pace for 38 points this season, a massive drop-off in one year.

Why Is This Happening and Is There Hope? Kopitar played most often with Justin Williams last season, and they worked well together. Marian Gaborik arrived later and also had success with Kopitar. This season, the trio is playing together but with less success. The smart bet is to stay the course and wait for him to break out of his slump.

There's no injury issue impacting his performance—beyond an upper-body problem at the end of October, as reported by NHL.com.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com and StatsHockeyAnalysis.com. Projected stats courtesy of TheHockeyNews.com.