Alexander Ovechkin and the 20 Most Disappointing Players in the NHL This Season
This NHL season has been one of the most exciting in recent memory.
There have been a ton of surprises this year and plenty of disappointments. With happiness comes heartbreak.
The following list is of the players who have broken our hearts like Fredo in Godfather.
Don’t ever go against the NHL. Ever.
Enjoy!
20. Jiri Hudler
1 of 20
This was supposed to be the season that Jiri Hudler became a star for the Detroit Red Wings, and it hasn’t come to fruition.
In 50 games this season, Hudler has only 23 points and has been a liability in his own end.
He hasn’t been the worst player, but the Red Wings expect more out of him, especially if they want to make a long playoff run.
19. Brian Rolston
2 of 20
Earning over $5 million a year, the New Jersey Devils expect more out of Brian Rolston.
Jacque Lemaire has come back to the Devils and instilled a sense of pride. This new system seems to have woken Rolston up, but he has stunk so far this season.
The team tried to let him go but no team in the NHL wanted him.
18. Filip Kuba
3 of 20
With the arrival of Segei Gonchar to Ottawa, the proposal of Filip Kuba being a second defensive-pairing star was viable.
He has faltered and disappeared for the Senators this season.
With just five assists, you can watch an Ottawa Senators game and not hear Kuba’s name the whole game. He’s not helping anywhere.
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17. Dainius Zubrus
4 of 20
Dainius Zubrus is another Devil that hasn’t lived up to the hype brought around him his whole career.
In 55 games this season, he only has 22 points and was playing lazy before Lemaire got into town.
We’ll see if he shapes up or just fizzles and fades like normal.
16. Simon Gagne
5 of 20
The Tampa Bay Lightning got Simon Gagne for cheap, but it seems like you get what you paid for.
Gagne has been injured, and streaky when he has played.
People around Philadelphia said he was a good two-way forward but his defensive deficiencies have been exposed in Tampa Bay, and it seems the Flyers made the best move.
15. Marty Turco
6 of 20
The Chicago Blackhawks knew they would have a question mark in net when they decided that Antti Niemi’s contract was too expensive to renew at the end of the team’s Stanley Cup run.
The Blackhawks front office’s solution to the goalie dilemma: Marty Turco.
Marty Turco is a veteran goaltender who has been a dud for the Blackhawks.
14. Brian Campbell
7 of 20
Brian Campbell makes over $7 million a season for the Blackhawks and doesn’t live up to that price tag at all.
His age has slowed him and his offensive production has been on a steady decline for a few years.
Campbell will be a disappointment until his contract expires.
13. Jason Blake
8 of 20
The Anaheim Ducks haven’t gotten the production out of warrior Jason Blake they had hoped for.
With only 21 points this season, his play has been far below expectations.
Blake has seen his production drop every year for the past four seasons.
12. Michael Leighton
9 of 20
The Philadelphia Flyers re-signed Michael Leighton to a two-year extension after the Stanley Cup appearance last season.
An offseason back surgery showed management that he was the odd man out and now he earns his paychecks in the American Hockey League.
The Flyers will use him if they need him, but they can win without him.
11. Erik Johnson
10 of 20
Erik Johnson was the first overall pick in 2006, and he hasn’t lived up to the hype yet.
The Blues have been decimated with injuries this season, but that’s not an excuse for his play this season.
He hasn’t been great in the defensive zone, and he isn’t adding much in the offensive zone either for the Blues.
10. Devin Setoguchi
11 of 20
The San Jose Sharks haven’t had production out of a lot of their stars but Devin Setoguchi has been particularly bad.
In 47 games, Devin Setoguchi has just 20 points and hasn’t been a threat offensively at all.
The real problem is the lack of defensive effort from Setoguchi and the rest of the forwards of the team.
9. Jamie Langenbrunner
12 of 20
Jamie Langenbrunner is a damn good player, but the slow start by the Devils and the move to the Dallas Stars has really cost him any kind of momentum.
He can be a real force with the Stars, but he seems to be having trouble figuring out what his role is with the team.
Of all the people on this list who can turn it around fast, Langenbrunner would be the one.
8. J.P. Dumont
13 of 20
J.P. Dumont has been a real threat for the Predators over the past few seasons but his production has completely disappeared.
Through the first 55 games, Dumont has 17 points and has been a non-factor on the power play.
The Predators are doing well, but they would be doing a lot better if Dumont pulled his weight.
7. Antti Niemi
14 of 20
With the departure of veteran Evgeni Nabokov, the San Jose Sharks brought in defending Stanley Cup champion Antti Niemi.
Niemi has been disappointing to say the least.
The young goalie has 17 wins in 35 starts and a goals-against average of over 2.50.
The Sharks need better if they plan on going anywhere in the playoffs.
6. Marian Gaborik
15 of 20
Marian Gaborik is an amazing scorer who can be as solid in his own zone as he is in the offensive zone.
The problem is he is often injured and when he does come back, he takes awhile to get back on his game.
He has played average this season, but he is well below a point per game and has missed games.
5. Phil Kessel
16 of 20
I have heard the arguments from the people in Toronto about how they didn’t expect much more than what Phil Kessel has done this year and before.
To that I say, raise your standards!
The Maple Leafs spent two first-round picks for a player that has 36 points through the first 56 games and is a minus-19. That’s terrible.
4. Evgeni Malkin
17 of 20
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been snake bitten by injuries and Evgeni Malkin is just another victim.
After tearing his ACL and MCL in his knee, he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
His season started slow and he was starting to get back to normal when he hurt his knee and skipped the All-Star game. Now he can skip all the other games too.
3. Marc Savard
18 of 20
For Marc Savard and the Bruins, the nightmare season is over and the healing process can begin for Savard.
Savard is out for the year with another concussion, but he could be out longer depending on the prognosis.
This was supposed to be his comeback season, but it might be his last.
2. Dion Phaneuf
19 of 20
Dion Phaneuf was brought in and given the reins to the chariot. Phaneuf had the world in his pocket.
I don’t know if he isn’t taking it serious or if the play of the team is just wearing on him, but he has been terrible.
He has been a physical presence, but he has only 13 points, a minus-7 rating and his team keeps losing.
1. Alex Ovechkin
20 of 20
Alex Ovechkin may be having a solid year, scoring a point per game and still in the hunt for a big year, but this has been a bust so far.
With only 56 points through 56 games, Ovechkin isn’t explosive like he was before.
After Ovechkin was suspended for a reckless check, he hasn’t played hockey with that reckless abandonment that makes him so successful.
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