NHL Predictions 2012: Dany Heatley & 5 Players Who Will Have a Bounce-Back Year

Each season, some of the league's top players perform below expectations. 

There are a variety of factors that can lead to this, ranging from lingering injuries, to struggling to fit in with a new team, to sheer bad luck. For one reason or another, athletes frequently go into unshakable slumps and sometimes get written off as washed-up or over-the-hill far too early as a result.

Here are five players who had disappointing seasons in 2010-11 but appear poised to bounce back this year and return to elite form.  

Ilya Kovalchuk

Acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers midway through the 2009-10 season, Ilya Kovalchuk has yet to score 40 goals in a season since joining the Devils, never mind return to 50-goal form. 

The Russian sniper registered two 50-goal and five 40-goal campaigns with Atlanta but netted only 31 goals last year as a Devil.

Fortunately for New Jersey, Kovalchuk has two goals and two assists in just four games so far this season and is beginning to become more acclimated to the Devils' defensive style of play. Expect at least 40 goals from him as he grows more comfortable with New Jersey's system and his role in it.  

Drew Doughty

Drew Doughty enjoyed a phenomenal sophomore campaign in 2009-10 when he tallied 59 points for the Los Angeles Kings and won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada. 

The two-way defenseman was unable to match that performance last season, though, with just 11 goals and 29 assists for 40 points. 

Doughty has already displayed the ability to play like a Norris-caliber rearguard early in his young career and now has three full years of experience under his belt. With an upgraded offense to feed the puck to and an established starting goaltender behind him, he will be free to involve himself more in the play and will likely rack up more points as a result. 

Alexander Ovechkin

Alexander Ovechkin's 32 goals last season are nothing to sneeze at, but the dynamic goal scorer is generally considered a lock to net 50 goals a season and put up at least 100 points. 

With a total of 85 points in 79 games, Ovechkin registered a career-low in points last year. 

The 26-year-old phenom has four 100-point seasons on his resume and has hit the 50-goal mark four times, as well, including a remarkable 2007-08 campaign in which he potted 65 goals. 

The Washington Capitals were making a transition from a run-and-gun club to a more defensively responsible one last year, so many of their top players saw dramatic drop-offs in offensive production. This is undoubtedly the explanation for Ovechkin's lackluster season, but the talented sniper is poised to resume dominating the NHL as he fully adjusts to Washington's new style of play.

Duncan Keith

After winning the prestigious Norris trophy as the league's top defenseman two years ago, Duncan Keith was a minus player last season for the first time since his rookie year in 2005.

The rugged blueliner also saw his point totals sharply decrease from 69 points in 2009-10 to just 45 points in 2010-11.

A late bloomer who didn't fully come into his own until he was 25, Keith is now among the NHL's elite rearguards and, in part by winning the Norris trophy, has proven that he's capable of competing at a much higher level than he did last year.

Look for Keith to hit 60 points this season on a Chicago Blackhawks team that is ready to make another deep playoff run.  

Dany Heatley

Dany Heatley posted back-to-back 50-goal seasons for the Ottawa Senators and has yet to hit that mark again since. 

In fact, Heatley's goal totals have steadily dropped each year, from 50 in 2006-07 to just 26 last season as a member of the San Jose Sharks. 

The 64 points he registered last year are the lowest point totals he has ever put up in a full season. 

Now playing on the first line for the Minnesota Wild, Heatley will be given a fresh start on a club that will rely on him to be their primary goal scorer. With former teammate Devin Setoguchi and talented playmaker Mikko Koivu on his line, don't be shocked to see Heatley surpass the 40-goal mark this season.