Alexander Semin and 9 NHL Players Not Reaching Their Potential

There aren't many situations in hockey more frustrating than when players under perform, and don't live up to their potential.

Whether they are high draft picks, or stars that were acquired by a team in hopes of contending for a Stanley Cup, underachieving is simply unacceptable.

The players on this list don't live up to their potential during the regular season, playoffs or both.

Let's look at nine current NHL players who are not living up to their potential.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Follow him on Twitter for NHL news and analysis. Follow @NicholasGoss35 

Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel's tenure as a Toronto Maple Leafs players started with massive expectations because he was acquired from Boston for two first-round picks.

Kessel was unable to lead the Leafs to the playoffs, or even close to it in 2009-10, and thus Boston was able to have the second overall pick in the draft, where they selected Tyler Seguin.

Last season, Kessel couldn't deliver again, as the Leafs had another struggling season and allowed Boston to capture another top 10 pick, ninth overall.

Kessel has 40-goal talent, but has scored barely over 30 (30 in 2010, 32 in 2011) in two seasons as a Leaf.

He must perform better for the Leafs to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Michael Ryder, Dallas Stars

Michael Ryder has first line talent, too bad you only see it every now and then. His inconsistency drove fans mad in Boston, but to his credit, Ryder had an unbelievable playoffs last year to help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup.

The Dallas Stars signed him to a wealthy contract this season, and are hoping he lives up to his potential and displays consistent top line worthy performances.

Tomas Kaberle, Carolina Hurricanes

Tomas Kaberle was traded to the Bruins last season from the Toronto Maple Leafs to help Boston's powerplay and give them the puck-moving defenseman they lacked.

Kaberle was horrible with the Bruins, and even became a defensive liability at times. He didn't shoot on the powerplay, instead tried to make too many cute passes.

Some people think Kaberle just didn't fit in with Boston's system, but even if that's true, there's no way a veteran of his caliber could have played so poorly in it. 

Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche

Semyon Varlamov has a lot of potential to be a solid NHL goaltender, but he could not help the Washington Capitals go deep into the playoffs, so he was replaced by veteran Tomas Vokoun.

Despite having a good regular season record with Washington, he was only 10-9 in the playoffs and let in some soft goals.

He is now with the Colorado Avalanche, who are a young team without the win-now expectations in Washington.

This situation will allow him to reach his potential in a more smooth and comfortable way.

Jonathan Ericsson, Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson had a solid 2008-09 playoffs during Detroit's run to the Stanley Cup Finals, but after that postseason run he has under performed and has even been called "lazy."

He also has been turnover prone in his defensive zone.

Ericsson recently signed a new three year contract worth $3.25 million a season, and must contribute more at both ends of the ice to prove he's worth that.

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin may seem a strange choice for this list, and even though a knee injury ended his season last year, his 2009-10 campaign was not up to his normal standards.

In that year, Malkin only managed 77 points on 28 goals and 49 assists. While those are strong stats for most players in the NHL, they are not for Malkin, who is a superstar making about $8 million per season.

Malkin was not on pace for a point-per-game last season until his injury, and he must take his game back to his prior MVP level to lead the Penguins without Sidney Crosby for some of the season.

Scott Gomez, Montreal Canadiens

Scott Gomez is the example of an under performing player. He has great talent, but in 80 games last season for the Montreal Canadiens he only scored seven goals and dished out 31 assists.

To make matters worse, he will make about $7.36 million per year for three more seasons. This may be the worst contract in the NHL right now, and you can bet the Canadiens would do anything to rid themselves of it.

Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings

After a breakout sophomore season in 2009-10 when Drew Doughty scored 59 points for the Los Angeles Kings, finished second in the Norris Trophy voting, and excelled for Canada in the Olympics, he had a poor 2010-11 season.

Doughty scored only 40 points last season, and was inconsistent all season.

He is currently a restricted free agent, and would have had more control in the negotiations if he had a season like 2010 last year.

Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals

Alexander Semin has superstar talent but his inconsistent play has hurt the Washington Capitals the last few seasons, especially in the playoffs. 

He has 22 points in his last 30 playoff games, and has been unable to help the Capitals get to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Semin also has 35-goal ability, but after scoring 40 in 2010, he only managed 26 last season. Semin also had 18 less assists last season than in 2010.

He is in the final year of his contract this season, and must take his game to a higher level if he wants to be rewarded with a massive new deal.