The Most Disappointing Stars So Far in the 2016-17 NHL Season
Several notable NHL players are struggling through disappointing performances this season. The stats for stars such as New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar are well below their usual standards.
Years of carrying heavy workloads could be catching up with Lundqvist and Kopitar. Injuries could also be factors for some on this list. Others could be feeling the effects of playing for struggling teams.
Here's a look at the NHL stars with the most disappointing performances so far this season.
10. Bobby Ryan, Ottawa Senators
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With 11 goals and 19 points in 41 games, Ottawa Senators right wing Bobby Ryan could reach 20 goals and 40 points this season. However, those aren't the numbers expected of a winger with an average salary-cap hit of $7.25 million through 2021-22.
Earlier in Ryan's career, he had four straight 30-goal seasons with the Anaheim Ducks from 2008-09 to 2011-12. Acquired by the Senators in 2013, the 29-year-old has exceeded 20 goals and 50 points twice since then.
Ryan's production with the Senators isn't close to the numbers he put up with the Ducks. Still, he finished among their top five scorers in each of the last three seasons. In 2016-17, however, he's sitting ninth among the Sens' scoring leaders.
Things seemed to come to a head on Jan. 7 when Ryan was scratched from the lineup against the Washington Capitals. On Jan. 11, the Ottawa Sun's Don Brennan reported neither Ryan nor head coach Guy Boucher elaborated on the matter. In the nine games since then, Ryan's produced five points. Perhaps the benching will help him snap out of his disappointing effort this season.
9. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
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This season isn't a happy one for the struggling Colorado Avalanche and their captain, Gabriel Landeskog. With the club floundering at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the 24-year-old left wing has only 17 points in 36 games. He sits outside the Avs' top five scorers.
This is not the usual rate of production for Landeskog. In four of his previous five NHL seasons, he scored 20 or more goals and exceeded 50 points four times. In each of the last three seasons, he finished among the Avalanche's top three scorers.
A lower-body injury earlier this season cost Landeskog 10 games, but he managed only eight points in 15 contests before he was sidelined. Since his return on Dec. 10, he's tallied nine points in 21 games.
Perhaps Landeskog is still feeling the effects of that injury. The Avalanche's lack of scoring depth hasn't helped his production. The decline in his offense this season is one of the reasons the Avs are this season's lowest-scoring team, averaging just 2.02 goals per game.
8. Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild
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Since joining the Minnesota Wild as a free agent in 2012, left wing Zach Parise has been an invaluable addition. This season, however, the 32-year-old is having difficulty finding the back of the net. With only eight goals in 39 games, Parise could miss reaching the 20-goal mark for the first time in a full NHL season since his 14-goal debut in 2005-06 with the New Jersey Devils.
In his previous 11 NHL seasons, Parise exceeded 20 goals and 50 points eight times. Despite missing 12 games with injuries last season, he still tallied 25 goals and 58 points. Since 2012-13, he's regularly placed among the Wild's top two scorers.
At Parise's current rate of production, however, he likely won't see 50 points this season. With only 22 points, he's well below the Wild's top five scorers. Parise missed the 2016 playoffs with a back injury and was sidelined for six games earlier this season with a lower-body injury. Illness also caused him to miss two games.
Fortunately for the Wild, Parise's offensive decline this season hasn't adversely affected them. He's also still playing well in a defensive role. Whatever's behind his offensive decline, it's made for a disappointing season for this hardworking veteran.
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7. Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils
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Since being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks at the 2013 NHL draft, Cory Schneider's been a reliable presence in goal for the New Jersey Devils. Despite playing for a rebuilding club that's weak on defense and lacking offensive punch, he could be counted on to give it a chance to win.
This season, however, Schneider's won only 14 of 36 starts with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Those stats are well off the 30-year-old's career averages (2.23 GAA, .923 save percentage) in those categories. Among starting goalies, his stats are well down the list.
The grind of losing could be getting to Schneider. On Dec. 27, The Record's Arthur Gross reported the netminder called out his team's "urgency" following a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
While the Devils' woes are a team problem, Schneider's struggles in goal haven't helped. His disappointing play is one reason they're at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
6. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
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In just his first two full NHL seasons, Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau quickly established himself as a scoring star. But in 2016-17, his production is well below his usual pace. With 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 42 games, the 23-year-old could find it difficult to reach 50 points.
In his NHL debut in 2014-15, Gaudreau finished second among Flames scorers with 64 points and was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. Last season, he was the Flames' leading scorer with 30 goals and 78 points.
A fractured finger earlier this season sidelined Gaudreau for 10 games. In his first seven games after his return on Dec. 4, he tallied 11 points and seemed to be back to his former high-scoring ways. But he managed just nine points in the following 18 games, with five of those coming in two games.
Maybe Gaudreau is still feeling the effects of that finger injury. Opposing teams could also be placing more attention on shutting him down. Whatever the reason, he's not the high-scoring Johnny Hockey who Flames fans are accustomed to.
5. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
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For most of Patrice Bergeron's NHL career, he's been among the Boston Bruins' leading scorers. This season, however, his offensive production has considerably dropped. In 49 games, he has 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points. That puts him well outside the Bruins' top three scorers.
Since his rookie season in 2003-04, the 31-year-old Bergeron has exceeded 50 points eight times. His 68-point effort in 2015-16 was the third-highest total of his career. In six of the previous seven seasons, he finished among the Bruins' top three scorers.
Bergeron's also among the NHL's top defensive forwards and is a three-time winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy. The wear and tear of that two-way play could be taking a toll this season. He could also be feeling the effects of participating in last fall's World Cup of Hockey.
At his current rate of production, Bergeron will miss the 50-point plateau for the first time in a non-lockout season since 2008-09. That unusual decline in his offensive game is among the reasons why the Bruins are one of this season's lowest-scoring clubs, averaging just 2.48 goals per game.
4. Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
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Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews is having difficulty with his offensive game this season. With only nine goals and 28 points in 42 games, he's well below last season's 58-point pace.
The 28-year-old Blackhawks captain could fail to reach 50 points. Since his rookie season in 2006-07, the only time he didn't reach that mark was during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign. It's worth noting that Toews' stats last season were down from the back-to-back 68-point performances of 2013-14 and 2014-15.
An upper-body injury earlier this season sidelined Toews for nine games. He could still be feeling its effects. Toews also plays a strong two-way game, regularly skating on the power play, as well as killing penalties. Those efforts could be affecting his scoring. He's also skating without a regular left wing on his line.
On Jan. 22, Toews had a four-point performance in a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. He followed that with a two-point effort in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. That could indicate that he's shaking off his scoring doldrums. That could prove crucial to the Blackhawks' hopes of staging another Stanley Cup run this spring.
3. Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning
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In what could be his final season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, goaltender Ben Bishop isn't playing up to his usual high standards. With only 11 wins in 25 starts, a 2.78 goals-against average and .905 save percentage, the 30-year-old netminder is well down the list among starters in those categories.
Since becoming the Lightning's top goalie in 2013-14, Bishop played a key role in the club's rise to Stanley Cup contention. He won 35-plus games three times, with a goals-against average no higher than 2.32 and a save percentage no lower than .916. In 2016, Bishop was among the finalists for the Vezina Trophy.
A lower-body injury earlier in the season sidelined him for nine games. However, Bishop was struggling with his consistency before that. He's also slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July, and the Lightning likely cannot afford to re-sign him. Uncertainty over his future could also be playing havoc with his game.
Since Dec. 17, Bishop's performance has improved. His save percentage fell below .906 only once, and he's looked more comfortable in his crease. If he and the Bolts are to avoid a disappointing finish, he must regain his once-stellar form.
2. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
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In his first season as captain of the Los Angeles Kings, Anze Kopitar's offensive game isn't up to its usual standard. In 42 games, he has only five goals and 22 assists for 27 points. That puts him well below last season's 74-point pace.
From 2007-08 to 2015-16, Kopitar annually led the Kings in scoring. Since his NHL debut in 2006-07, the only time he didn't reach 60 points was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
Kopitar is currently sitting well behind leading scorer Jeff Carter's 43 points. Barring a significant increase, he won't finish as the Kings' scoring leader this season. It will also be the first time he's failed to reach 60 points in a full NHL campaign.
One of the league's top two-way forwards, Kopitar's defensive duties could be hampering his offensive production. Last summer, Kopitar took over for teammate Dustin Brown as captain. Perhaps the added burden of leadership is also hurting his scoring.
1. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
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The usually reliable Henrik Lundqvist is having a difficult 2016-17 campaign. He's won 21 of 34 starts, placing him among the top 10 in that category. However, his 2.73 goals-against average and .907 save percentage rank well below those of the league's elite.
From his NHL debut in 2005-06 through 2015-16, Lundqvist was a reliable workhorse in the New York Rangers net. The only time he didn't win at least 30 games was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. His career goals-against average (2.30) and save percentage (.920) are far superior to his stats this season.
Age could be catching up with Lundqvist, who turns 35 on March 2. So could the heavy workload of his previous 11 NHL seasons. Whatever the reason, he hasn't looked like the dominating King Henrik of the past.
In his last four starts, Lundqvist rattled off three straight victories against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. He could be regaining his once-stellar form. If the Rangers are hoping for a long playoff run later this spring, they'll need him at his best.
Player and team stats via NHL.com. Salary info via CapFriendly.
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