NHL Stars Off to Unexpectedly Poor Starts in the 2015-16 Season

With the 2015-16 NHL season now in its third week, several NHL stars are garnering attention for their uncharacteristic poor starts. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (pictured above, right) is the most notable, but he's far from the only one.

A handful of top-line forwards, like New York Rangers right wing Rick Nash, are finding goals hard to come by. Some notable goaltenders, like Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins, are having difficulty keeping pucks out of their nets. There are also several teams, like the Anaheim Ducks, with more than one struggling star.

Here's a look at the NHL stars off to unexpectedly poor starts this season, examining the reasons behind their early-season difficulties. As always, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild

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Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk enjoyed a career-best performance in 2014-15. Acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in a midseason trade, Dubnyk finished the season among the league's top goaltenders. His efforts earned him the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and a lucrative new contract with the Wild. 

Just two weeks into this season, however, Dubnyk's numbers were less than stellar. While he sported a 3-1-0 record in his first four games, he had a bloated 3.01 goals-against average and a lousy .887 save percentage. Those are well off last season's stellar numbers (1.76 GAA, .936 SP). 

Dubnyk was unconcerned, telling TwinCities.com's Chad Graff, “I'm just going to worry about wins for now.” Graff suggested the Wild's poor defensive game adversely affected the 29-year-old netminder's numbers. After strong performances in his last two outings against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks, Dubnyk appears to be returning to form.

Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton, Calgary Flames

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During the offseason, the Calgary Flames acquired promising defenseman Dougie Hamilton from the Boston Bruins. Pairing Hamilton with respected captain Mark Giordano seemed the making of a top defensive pairing. But as the Flames stumbled to a 1-5-0 start, the duo was singled out for its poor play.

On Wednesday, the Calgary Herald's Scott Cruickshank reported both owned “identical stat-line eyesores" in those six games. They each netted only one point while carrying respective plus/minuses of minus-six. Meanwhile, Hamilton admitted to Cruickshank he hadn't played his best hockey so far. On Friday, the Calgary Sun's Eric Francis noted Hamilton was dropped to the third defensive pairing with Ladislav Smid. 

The change seemed to improve Giordano's performance. He collected three points skating alongside Dennis Wideman in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. As for Hamilton, it appears he'll remain with Smid on the third line as he adjusts to his new team.

Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

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Since taking over as the Boston Bruins' starting goaltender in 2012-13, Tuukka Rask established himself among the league's elite players. Winner of the Vezina Trophy in 2014, the 28-year-old began 2015-16 never having a season save percentage below .922 or goals-against average above 2.30 as a full-time starter.

But four games into 2015-16, CBS Boston's Michael Hurley reported Rask's stats (4.40 GAA, .854 SP) ranked among the league's worst. However, Hurley felt pinning the sole blame on Rask for the club's poor start “would be truly foolish." He noted the Bruins' shoddy defense was a contributing factor.

Given the club's lack of experienced blue-line depth this season, Rask must anticipate closer scoring chances and improve his rebound control. If the Bruins' defensive game improve, so should his numbers.

Semyon Varlamov and Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche

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As 2015-16 began, the Colorado Avalanche sought to regain the form that lifted them, allowing the team to finish atop the very competitive Central Division in 2013-14. Core players like center Matt Duchene and goaltender Semyon Varlamov were expected to lead the way.

Neither player, however, got off to a good start. With the Avalanche sitting last in the Central after six games, Duchene had only one point, while Varlamov's stats (one win, 3.89 goals-against average, .861 save percentage in four games) were among the worst for NHL starters. 

After being benched for two games, Varlamov returned with a strong effort on Oct. 21 in the Avs' 1-0 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. That suggests he could be regaining his once-dominant style. Duchene, however, must find a way to end his offensive drought and provide the Avs with consistent second-line scoring depth.

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

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Entering this season, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was considered among the league's top goaltenders. Winner of the Vezina Trophy in 2013, he posted a record of 30 wins, 17 losses and three overtime losses in 2014-15, with a 2.69 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. Considering the Blue Jackets were decimated by injuries, those numbers become more impressive.

After losing their first eight games, however, the start of this season became a nightmare for the Blue Jackets. Bobrovsky was in net for six of those losses, posting a league-worst .840 SP and the worst GAA (4.72) among goalies with four or more games played. Following an Oct. 17 loss to the Ottawa Senators, the 27-year-old admitted he had “zero confidence right now.”

With John Tortorella replacing Todd Richards on Oct. 21 as Blue Jackets head coach, NHL.com columnist Kevin Woodley predicted Bobrovsky should be fine under the new bench boss. While the Jackets lost their first game playing for Tortorella (a 3-2 defeat to the Minnesota Wild), Bobrovsky performed well. This could be a sign he's regaining his confidence. It can't come soon enough for the beleaguered Jackets.

Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers

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Last season was a career best for Philadelphia Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek. He led the Flyers with 59 assists and 81 points and ranked among the league leaders in both categories. Having signed a new long-term contract, expectations were high for the 26-year-old winger in 2015-16.

While the Flyers had a decent start, with nine points in seven games, the same cannot be said for Voracek. During that stretch, he was held to just three assists, with two of those coming in one game. That's well behind last season's production over the same period.

On Oct. 19, Voracek told Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer he wasn't concerned over his lack of production. Despite last season's numbers, he claimed he's always been a slow starter. If his recent history is any indication, Voracek should start finding his offensive range soon.

Rick Nash, New York Rangers

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Last season was right wing Rick Nash's best with the New York Rangers. He set a career high in goals (42), while his 69 points matched his second-highest single-season total. Skating alongside linemates Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard, another solid performance was expected from the 31-year-old winger.

Unfortunately, Nash is struggling to find the back of the net. Through his first five games, he managed to pick up only one assist. After suffering three consecutive defeats in mid-October, head coach Alain Vigneault shook things up by replacing Brassard with center Derek Stepan.

The move only marginally improved Nash's production, as he netted a goal and an assist in four games. That's well below his 11 points in nine games over the same period a year ago.

Anze Kopitar and Milan Lucic, Los Angeles Kings

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The Los Angeles Kings acquiring power forward Milan Lucic from the Boston Bruins was among the biggest offseason moves. Starting the season alongside center Anze Kopitar and right wing Marian Gaborik, the Kings appeared to have a devastating first line.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out as expected. Through the Kings' opening five games, Lucic managed only one assist, and Kopitar managed a single goal. On Oct. 20, LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen reported coach Darryl Sutter shifted Lucic to the second line alongside Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. Rosen also reported Sutter was still trying to figure out the best fit for the big left winger.

Perhaps playing on the second line is the right spot for Lucic, as he scored one goal and collected two assists in wins over the San Jose Sharks and Carolina Hurricanes. Kopitar also scored a goal against the Hurricanes, so perhaps the line shuffling is working out.

Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins

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For years, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby played without a true top-scoring winger on his line. This summer's acquisition of right winger Phil Kessel was expected to finally address that issue. A five-time 30-plus goal scorer, Kessel appeared to be a perfect fit on the Crosby line. 

Unfortunately for the Penguins, that duo failed to click. Kessel managed only two goals and an assist in seven games. Crosby's three points over the same period all came in a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Oct. 20.

Following a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Oct. 22, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dave Molinari reported Penguins coach Mark Johnston moved Kessel onto Evgeni Malkin's line, with Patric Hornqvist skating alongside Crosby. The move seemed to help Kessel, who scored an overtime goal against the Nashville Predators. Crosby, on the other hand, was held pointless.

Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

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For nearly a decade, center Ryan Getzlaf and right wing Corey Perry carried the offensive load for the Anaheim Ducks. Since 2006-07, Getzlaf never scored less than 57 points over a full NHL season, while Perry never tallied below 54 points since 2007-08. In the opening weeks of this season, however, the duo have been offensive duds.

Through their first seven games of this season, the Ducks' six goals were the fewest in the league. The most significant reason for that anemic output was Getzlaf and Perry, who managed only one assist each. That's well below the 10 points they each had over the same period last year.

Following the Ducks' 5-1 loss on Oct. 22 to the Nashville Predators, the Orange County Register's Eric Stephens reported Getzlaf and Perry accepted the blame for their club's poor start. Until these two longtime offensive stalwarts snap out of their doldrums, the Ducks' struggles will continue.