1 Player on Each NHL Team in Need of a Bounce-Back Season in 2016-17
A year ago, we looked at every NHL team and picked a player off each roster in need of a rebound campaign.
Some of them delivered splendidly.
Loui Eriksson scored 30 goals, his best total since 2009. Mike Smith added 12 points to his save percentage, won an additional game and lost 32 fewer contests. Jeff Skinner scored 28 times one year after he recorded 31 points over the course of an entire season. Several others on our list managed to come back in a big way and revitalize faltering careers.
Others continued to slide. Cody Hodgson didn't do much with the one-year lifeline the Nashville Predators threw him, meaning his future is uncertain. Vincent Lecavalier is off to retirement. The Minnesota Wild bought out Thomas Vanek. Goaltenders such as Jimmy Howard and Kari Lehtonen failed to re-establish themselves as starters.
Those varying career paths indicate how a spot on this list should be seen: a fork in the road.
Even the best players can have bad seasons; the trick is not to let things snowball from there. The individuals who go on to thrive or at least survive come back stronger from disappointments. Others don't and eventually fade away.
How will the players on this year's list respond?
Anaheim Ducks: G Jonathan Bernier
1 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 38 GP, 12-21-2 record, .908 save percentage
It was just three years ago when the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Jonathan Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings, sending away a second-round pick, a perfectly good backup goalie and a cheap NHL forward to bring him in and make him their starting goalie.
This summer, Toronto shipped him to the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional draft pick.
That reflects a drop-off in his play over his time with the Leafs. After posting an excellent .923 save percentage over 55 games in his Toronto debut, he fell to first a .912 and then a .908 save percentage in successive years. He's only 27 years old, and there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to re-establish himself as a starter.
Arizona Coyotes: C Henrik Samuelsson
2 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 43 GP, three goals, nine assists, 12 points (AHL)
Remember Henrik Samuelsson? An Arizona Coyotes first-round pick back in 2012, Samuelsson was a big, gritty centre with scoring potential. In his first year of pro hockey (2014-15), he put up a respectable 40 points in 68 minor league games, added to that total in the playoffs and even earned a three-game cameo with Arizona.
Last year, his AHL goal total shrunk from 18 to three, his points falling from 40 to 12.
Samuelsson is only 22 years old and could still be an important player for the Coyotes, but he badly needs to get back on track. Both his waiver exemption and his entry-level contract will be over by the end of the 2016-17 season.
Boston Bruins: RW Jimmy Hayes
3 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 75 GP, 13 goals, 16 assists, 29 points
The trade that sent Jimmy Hayes to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Reilly Smith may never represent fair value to the Bruins, but it likely won't look as bad as it did in 2015-16. Some of that had to do with Smith's continued progression with the Panthers, but the fact Hayes fell from 19 goals to 13 was a major factor.
Enhanced statistics also showed a decline in his performance. In 2014-15, Hayes posted a 52 percent Corsi rating and outperformed the team average in that category. In 2015-16, his total dropped by five points and was three points below the team average despite his not being asked to play particularly hard minutes.
Hayes is 6'5", a physical player and only 26 years of age. He could be an important complementary piece in Boston if he can get back to where he was even a year ago.
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Buffalo Sabres: LW Matt Moulson
4 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 81 GP, eight goals, 13 assists, 21 points
The trend line for 32-year-old Matt Moulson is decidedly discouraging. His goals-per-game average does a good job of capturing the decline in his performance over the last few seasons:
- 2011-12: 82 games, 36 goals (0.44 goals per game)
- 2012-13: 47 games, 15 goals (0.32 goals per game)
- 2013-14: 75 games, 23 goals (0.31 goals per game)
- 2014-15: 77 games, 13 goals (0.17 goals per game)
- 2015-16: 81 games, eight goals (0.10 goals per game)
It would be unreasonable to expect Moulson to get back to the level he was at in his mid-20s, when he scored 30-plus goals in three consecutive years on John Tavares' line, but it's certainly reasonable to expect more than one goal a month.
If Moulson doesn't rebound, it's going to be a major pain for the Buffalo Sabres. He has three years left on a contract with an annual value of $5 million. It was a front-loaded deal, which helps, but with signing bonuses in every year, the benefits of a buyout down the line are reduced.
Calgary Flames: RD Dennis Wideman
5 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 51 GP, two goals, 17 assists, 19 points
In 2014-15, Dennis Wideman scored 15 goals and 56 points. He received four mentions on Norris Trophy ballots—one more than the San Jose Sharks' Brent Burns managed. In 2015-16, nearly two-thirds of his points evaporated, and he lost 13 goals off that total.
It's hard to reconcile that sudden drop with his age. Wideman only turned 33 in March; it's a little bit early for him to be falling off a cliff in terms of performance.
While we may snicker a little at the voters who thought he was one of the five best defencemen in hockey a year ago, there's no question he was an effective offensive weapon. It should be possible for him to get back to a similar level of performance in the offensive end of the rink.
Carolina Hurricanes: LW Bryan Bickell
6 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 25 games, zero goals, two assists, two points
We've previously looked at some of the factors that fooled the Chicago Blackhawks into signing Bryan Bickell to a rich, long-term contract. No matter how well he performs with his new NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes, it seems unlikely he’ll be worth the $4.5 million in salary he's going to collect in 2016-17.
He should, however, be able to help an NHL team on the ice. As recently as 2014-15, Bickell scored 14 goals, and there are teams all over the league that have room for a 6'4", 223-pound winger who can crack double digits in goal-scoring.
The trade that sent Bickell to Carolina represents an opportunity. The Hurricanes will doubtless give him a chance at holding down an NHL job, and if Bickell can play the kind of game he's played in years past, he shouldn't have any trouble staying in the league beyond 2016-17.
Chicago Blackhawks: C Marcus Kruger
7 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 41 games, zero goals, four assists, four points
It needs to be said that Marcus Kruger's primary value is not offensive. He kills penalties, he wins faceoffs and, most of all, he handles shift after shift after shift starting in the defensive zone without getting killed. Those things didn't change much last season, though Kruger did fall below 50 percent in the faceoff circle for the first time since 2012-13.
However, the beauty of Kruger is he's a true two-way player at his best, a guy who could score 20-odd points and keep opponents on their toes. A zero-goal, four-assist season isn't acceptable from any forward, even one with Kruger's difficult duties.
Colorado Avalanche: LD Fedor Tyutin
8 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 61 GP, one goal, two assists, three points
Fedor Tyutin turned 33 over the summer, and given the three consecutive seasons of decline in his immediate history, perhaps it's unrealistic to expect him to turn the corner in 2016-17. However, after being bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets and only finding a one-year deal in free agency, his NHL career likely depends upon doing so.
Tyutin's on-ice shot metrics were solid in comparison to those of his teammates last season. If he can build on that and reclaim some of his offensive dimension from past seasons, he could plausibly extend his career by several years.
Columbus Blue Jackets: G Sergei Bobrovsky
9 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 37 GP, 15-19-0 record, .908 save percentage
Perhaps no other individual on the Columbus Blue Jackets roster is as important to the team's hopes for immediate revival as Sergei Bobrovsky. The club's highest-paid player ($7.425 million) struggled through an injury-filled campaign in which his performance was indifferent, even when he was well enough to play. He also opened the door for a goaltending battle, as standout rookie Joonas Korpisalo exceeded him in all areas last season.
At his best, Bobrovsky is an elite NHL goaltender, as his 2013 Vezina Trophy attests. The budget-conscious Blue Jackets are paying him to be the backbone of the team. If he can get back to his previous level of play, the postseason is a realistic possibility for the club.
Dallas Stars: RW Valeri Nichushkin
10 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 79 GP, nine goals, 20 assists, 29 points
It was tempting to go with one of the Dallas Stars' disappointing goaltenders, but then the difficulty would have been deciding which one to spotlight. Instead, we focus here on the 10th overall pick from the 2013 draft, a skater who has the potential to be an impact forward at the NHL level.
Valeri Nichushkin scored 14 goals and 34 points as an 18-year-old rookie in 2013-14, but in the two seasons since, he has not yet duplicated those totals. He was injured for much of 2014-15, and while healthy last season, he came in below his rookie scoring levels. His ceiling should be significantly higher, and there needs to be a sign of that next season.
Detroit Red Wings: RD Mike Green
11 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 74 GP, seven goals, 28 points, 35 points
The Detroit Red Wings brought Mike Green in to provide a much-needed right-hand shot on the blue line and to provide some offensive kick. While the year wasn't a total disaster, he slipped into a No. 3/4 role on the Detroit blue line and failed to deliver as much scoring as must have been hoped.
It isn't too late, though. Green is only 30 years old, and since the NHL seems to place a greater emphasis on skill with the puck from its defencemen, there's no reason why he couldn't stay in the league for the foreseeable future and even be an impact player for the next few years. Getting north of 20 minutes per game in terms of usage and back over 40 points would be a good step.
Edmonton Oilers: C Anton Lander
12 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 61 GP, one goal, two assists, three points
Anton Lander is a versatile forward with significant value in any defensive assignment—he can kill penalties, win faceoffs and start shifts in the defensive zone—but the question has always been offence. In 2014-15, he scored 20 points in just 38 NHL games. It looked like he'd finally learned how to bring his scoring with him when he was recalled from the minors.
Not so much, as it turns out. After being rewarded with a two-year, one-way contract, Lander floundered under new head coach Todd McLellan, scoring just a single goal last season. The 25-year-old may have killed his chances of playing in the majors next season out of training camp and desperately needs to show something to keep his NHL dreams alive.
Florida Panthers: C Dave Bolland
13 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 25 GP, one goal, four assists, five points
Last season was an unmitigated disaster for Dave Bolland, who has three seasons left at a $5.5 million cap hit. Two years in, this contract looks like one of the biggest missteps made during the tenure of Dale Tallon as Florida Panthers general manager. Still, there's reason to think Bolland should be able to deliver more than he did a year ago.
In his first season in Florida in 2014-15, Bolland delivered 23 points in 50-odd games, started a ton of shifts in the defensive zone and wasn't a disaster in terms of on-ice shot metrics. He's only just turned 30, and a rebound in all areas is within the realm of possibility.
Los Angeles Kings: RW Marian Gaborik
14 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 54 GP, 12 goals, 10 assists, 22 points
It's easy to forget how important Marian Gaborik was to the Los Angeles Kings offence as recently as 2014-15. He scored 27 goals in just 69 games that year, finishing one off a team lead he surely would have held had he stayed healthy. His 47 points that season ranked him fourth on the team. He also posted a 58 percent Corsi rating, nearly five points better than the outstanding team average.
In 2015-16, everything went bad. Gaborik's shooting percentage was nearly cut in half, his assist rate fell and his ice time started to dwindle too. The 34-year-old is at a dangerous point in his career, and given he's under contract for five more seasons, the Kings desperately need him to find his way back.
Minnesota Wild: LD Jonas Brodin
15 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 68 GP, two goals, five assists, seven points
Jonas Brodin, who turned 23 in July, is a cornerstone piece of the Minnesota Wild blue line. He's averaged more than 20 minutes per game since his 2012-13 rookie campaign, never being eased into tough minutes. He even earned some Norris Trophy love in 2014-15, no doubt in large part thanks to his lovely plus-21 rating.
Things did not go well last season, though. He was separated from Ryan Suter, and while Suter was effective away from Brodin, the Swede struggled in brutal minutes without his star partner. His Corsi totals and plus/minus collapsed, his offence evaporated and, for the first time, it was possible to question whether he would be a long-term fit in Minnesota.
Nevertheless, Brodin is in his early 20s, and these sorts of things happen—especially to young players. This coming season represents an opportunity to re-establish himself as a key building block for the Wild.
Montreal Canadiens: C David Desharnais
16 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 65 GP, 11 goals, 18 assists, 29 points
Undersized scoring centres typically don't get a lot of slack from NHL teams. With the 29-year-old David Desharnais one year away from free agency, there's no time like the present to prove last season was an aberration that will not be repeated.
The 5'7" Desharnais fell to just 29 points last season, his worst total since the 48-game 2012-13 season. A key problem was on the power play, on which he managed a career-low two assists after averaging more than 10 per season the previous two years. His shooting percentage also dipped, as did his relative Corsi rating.
Nashville Predators: G Pekka Rinne
17 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 66 GP, 34-21-9 record, .908 save percentage
Pekka Rinne's impressive won-lost record helped maintain the impression all things were fine in the Nashville Predators net over the course of last season—he was even selected to participate in the All-Star Game—but save percentage tells a truer story here. Little-known backup Carter Hutton outperformed him by 10 points in that metric, and Rinne was 15 points shy of his work in 2014-15, when he was the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy.
Early next season, Rinne will turn 34, and between injuries and troubles performing, he will have posted only one strong season in his last four. If he doesn't bounce back, it would be fair to consider this the new normal for him.
New Jersey Devils: G Keith Kinkaid
18 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 23 GP, 9-9-0 record, .904 save percentage
The undrafted Keith Kinkaid took the long road to the NHL, and at the age of 25 he finally clawed his way into a backup position with the New Jersey Devils, going 6-5-4 with a .915 save percentage in 2014-15. He was rewarded for that performance with his first one-way contract, a two-year pact with a cap hit of $725,000.
Last year, he topped the 20-game mark in the majors thanks to an injury to Cory Schneider, and he struggled with the increased workload. Now 27 and in the final year of his deal with the Devils, he needs to once again prove he can be a reliable No. 2 option or risk finding himself outside the majors.
New York Islanders: C Ryan Strome
19 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 71 GP, eight goals, 20 assists, 28 points
Ryan Strome, the fifth overall selection in the 2011 draft, took a step backward with the New York Islanders last season. The right-shooting centre fell from 17 goals to eight and from 50 points to just over half that number. He even briefly found himself relegated to the AHL, where he put up just four points over eight games.
Now 23 years old, it's time for the still-promising forward to take and hold a feature role for New York. If he can't do it, there's a real risk he gets lost in the crowd of centres on the roster.
New York Rangers: LW Rick Nash
20 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 60 GP, 15 goals, 21 assists, 36 points
Rick Nash hit career lows for everything last year. The last time he scored under 20 goals, he was an 18-year-old rookie in Columbus, scoring 17 times that year. He also finished with 39 points that year, a low he had tied since but never fallen below.
Nash has been an important player for a long time and even earned Hart Trophy votes in 2014-15, so it's easy to downplay the declines we're starting to see in his game. However, he's 32 years old, and it doesn't get any easier from here on out. Rebounding from a tough year, as he did in 2014-15, would be a good indication he could be around for years to come.
Ottawa Senators: C Chris Kelly
21 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 11 GP, two goals, zero assists, two points
Chris Kelly returned to the Ottawa Senators as a free agent this summer after six years in Boston. Kelly was a Sens draft choice in 1999. He developed with Ottawa's farm team and evolved into an NHL player with the club.
Now 35 years of age and coming off an injury-shortened season, he was only able to secure a one-year, $900,000 commitment. Given his age and his intermittently declining production, a bad year could spell the end of his NHL tenure, but a strong season would be a lifeline to his career.
Philadelphia Flyers: C Boyd Gordon
22 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 65 GP, two goals, two assists, four points
It's a virtual certainty Boyd Gordon has already played through his biggest contract. He completed a three-year, $9.0 million deal in Arizona last season, and over the course of that pact, he went from 21 to 13 and finally to just four points. While much of Gordon's value comes on the defensive side of the puck, nobody pays much for even a highly specialized forward who can't crack double digits in points.
The question is whether Gordon's NHL career is over. He turns 33 in October, and plenty of bottom-six players disappear from the league around that age. A one-year, six-figure contract with the Flyers gives Gordon a chance to rebound and prove he can still contribute. He needs to make the most of it.
Pittsburgh Penguins: RW Eric Fehr
23 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 55 GP, eight goals, six assists, 14 points
Eric Fehr was one of the players brought in to bolster the Pittsburgh Penguins' forward corps last season. The ex-Washington Capital was coming off three strong seasons, during which he provided size, two-way play and secondary scoring. Unlike many of the Penguins' bets last season, though, this one didn't particularly pay off.
After averaging 16 goals per season over the two years prior to signing in Pittsburgh, Fehr fell below that number in terms of points, let alone goals, in 2015-16. He has the security of two more years of guaranteed money, but given he turns 31 in September, he can't afford to take it for granted.
San Jose Sharks: LD Mirco Mueller
24 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 11 GP, zero goals, zero assists, zero points
It wasn't long ago Mirco Mueller was a blue-chip defence prospect. Given he's 21 years of age, it's entirely possible we'll look back at 2015-16 as a blip at the beginning of a long and successful career.
However, the 2013 first-round pick took a step backward last term, going from 39 major league games to just 11. He spent the bulk of his season in the AHL, even as defensive depth was at times an issue for the San Jose Sharks. He should win a job with the club this year, and with any luck he will be in the league for at least the coming decade.
St. Louis Blues: LD Petteri Lindbohm
25 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 10 GP, zero goals, zero assists, zero points
To some degree it's debatable whether Petteri Lindbohm got a fair chance with the St. Louis Blues in 2015-16. What isn't debatable is the coaching staff was underwhelmed with his performance. After playing 23 games in 2014-15, averaging over 15 minutes per game, he fell to just 10 appearances last season and played less than 14 minutes per night.
This may not be a big deal. Lindbohm doesn't even turn 23 until September, and his shot metrics improved last season (though his on-ice save percentage dropped, which can kill any defenceman). There's time, and there's clearly raw material. Still, if he wants to be part of the future in St. Louis, breaking through this coming campaign would be a good idea.
Tampa Bay Lightning: RW Ryan Callahan
26 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 73 GP, 10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points
Don't mistake Ryan Callahan's naming to Team USA's World Cup roster as a sign everything is well with the former New York Rangers captain. Longtime coach John Tortorella and the other American decision-makers may have preferred Callahan to leading playoff scorer Phil Kessel, but that doesn't change the fact his offensive game regressed considerably last season.
Callahan's 10 goals represent his lowest total since his rookie campaign in 2008. Ditto for his 28 points. He came in under 18 assists during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, but otherwise that number stands out as a lowlight too. He's 31 years old, and undersized, physical wingers aren't known for aging well in the NHL.
A strong campaign at this juncture would doubtless help Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman sleep a little easier.
Toronto Maple Leafs: LW Milan Michalek
27 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 45 GP, seven goals, nine assists, 16 points
Milan Michalek was one of three pricey Senators who came over in February's Dion Phaneuf trade, and all three looked to be reclamation projects at the time of the deal.
Colin Greening was spectacular over 30 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs after the trade, so he comes off the list. Jared Cowen's situation is clouded by what Sportsnet's Luke Fox described as a complicated buyout process. That leaves Michalek.
Leaving aside the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, last year was the first time in Michalek's career he failed to hit double digits in goals and record at least 30 points. He's nearly 32 and has battled injury, so perhaps this is the start of a new trend. On the other hand, the pending free agent is only one year removed from a creditable performance and might find a new lease on life with the Leafs.
Vancouver Canucks: LW Alexandre Burrows
28 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 79 GP, nine goals, 13 assists, 22 points
Alexandre Burrows, now 35 years of age, is entering the last season of his contract and is coming off his worst performance over a full season in years. Not since 2007 had he played more than 50 games and failed to score at least 10 goals and 30 points.
Burrows remains an aggressive physical player and a guy with real defensive value, but if his scoring touch doesn't return, he might find himself relegated exclusively to bottom-six roles in the future. If his offence further deteriorates, he may struggle to find work in the majors.
Washington Capitals: LW Daniel Winnik
29 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 76 GP, six goals, 13 assists, 19 points
There weren't many disappointing performances for the Washington Capitals last season. Daniel Winnik, acquired midseason from Toronto, was one of the few.
Offensively, he fell well short of the mark, dropping to his lowest points total over a full season since 2010. His ice time was also reduced, even prior to being dealt by Toronto; last year marked the first time since 2010 he averaged under 15 minutes per game.
The challenge facing Winnik is the same facing a lot of useful utility players in their early 30s. Some guys defy the odds and go on to play much longer than is expected; others in similar positions disappear from the NHL with little or no warning. What happens next season, the final year of Winnik's contract, will go a long way toward telling us which path he's on.
Winnipeg Jets: G Michael Hutchinson
30 of 30
2015-16 stat line: 30 GP, 9-15-2 record, .907 save percentage.
Either of the Winnipeg Jets' primary goaltenders from last season could have qualified for this list. However, for Ondrej Pavelec, 2015-16 was the third time in four campaigns he's come in with a .905 save percentage or lower, so that's arguably his true talent level. Michael Hutchinson is tougher to peg.
For years, Hutchinson put up strong numbers in the AHL, and he finally got a shot with the Jets at the age of 24 in 2014-15. He was excellent. However, last season, his save percentage dropped by seven points, and his won-lost record collapsed along with it.
Hutchinson's level of ability is still up in the air, and with Connor Hellebuyck on the way, now would be a good time to lay a firm claim to major league employment.
Statistics courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com and Hockey Analysis. Salary information per General Fanager.
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