Sidney Crosby and 6 NHL Players Who Have Something to Prove in 2011-12

In the world of professional sports, there are always players who are overhyped and given more praise and recognition than they have earned. 

There are also times where a player suffers a serious injury and is expected to make a full recovery and continue playing at the same level that he played at before the incident. 

Players such as these have huge expectations placed upon them and are put under the microscope by fans and experts alike. 

The following six athletes fall under this category and will need to prove that they can consistently perform at a high level, step up their game in crucial moments or make a full comeback from a severe injury. Regardless of how things appear from a fan's perspective, none of these are guaranteed to happen. The players themselves will need to prove their abilities out on the ice. 

Marian Gaborik

Drafted third overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2000, Marian Gaborik has battled knee injuries throughout his career. The oft-injured winger has never played a full 82 games in a season. 

Despite these injury concerns, Gaborik has managed to carve out a reputation as one of the NHL's top snipers with two 42-goal campaigns on his resume. 

The talented Slovakian suited up for just 62 games last year but has started this season strong and healthy. With a legitimate first-line center feeding him the puck in Brad Richards, Gaborik has the opportunity to prove his worth as New York's No. 1 goal-scoring threat and prove that he can stay healthy for an entire season.  

Alexander Semin

Though injuries and bouts with inconsistency have been issues throughout his NHL career, the primary concern with Alexander Semin is his apparent lack of heart. 

The Russian winger has routinely posted high regular season point totals for the Washington Capitals since breaking out as a high-end offensive player in 2006, but has been a non-factor in the postseason.

Semin's work ethic has been questioned time and time again, and his unwillingness to play physical and go to the dirty areas of the ice have rendered him ineffective come playoff time.

This season, Semin will need to prove that he has what it takes to help a team make a deep playoff run, or he may find himself playing in another league once his contract expires at the end of the year. Improving on the 54 points he registered last season wouldn't hurt either.  

Roberto Luongo

Roberto Luongo is widely regarded as a top-five goaltender in the league. 

Though his regular season statistics have been outstanding on a yearly basis throughout his career, he has struggled to continue playing at an elite level during the playoffs.  

Good health, stellar regular season play and strong leadership skills are all things that Luongo undoubtedly possesses, and he deserves to be considered one of the NHL's best netminders.

If he ever wants to be considered among the greatest goalies to ever play the game, though, he'll first need to prove that he can backstop a team to a Stanley Cup.  

Devin Setoguchi

After netting 31 goals on a line with ultra-talented playmaker Joe Thornton in 2008-09, Devin Setoguchi spent two more seasons with the San Jose Sharks, tallying 22 goals in 2009-10 and 20 goals in 2010-11, before being dealt to the Minnesota Wild over the summer. 

The 24-year-old forward has been unable to return to 30-goal form and has struggled to produce at a consistently high rate.

With a fresh start in Minnesota, where he will see increased ice time and be centered by another skilled playmaking center in Mikko Koivu, Setoguchi will have a chance to establish himself as a true first-line sniper and set a new career-high for goals in a season.  

Phil Kessel

The Toronto Maple Leafs paid a hefty price to acquire winger Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins two summers ago, and it has yet to pay off. 

After potting 36 goals for the Bruins in 2008-09, Kessel managed 30 goals as a Leaf the following season and registered 32 goals last year. While these totals aren't dramatic drop-offs, they are mildly disappointing considering the fact that Kessel was expected to step in as Toronto's go-to offensive weapon and push for 40 goals.

Fortunately for the Maple Leafs, Kessel posted a career-high 64 points last season and is off to a very strong start this year with eight points in three games. This could very well be the year that he makes the trade that brought him to Toronto seem far less lopsided and breaks out as a legitimate 40-goal scorer.  

Sidney Crosby

We all know the story here. 

Sidney Crosby has dominated the league since he entered it in 2005, scoring a whopping 102 points in 81 games as a rookie. 

The 24-year-old phenom has scored at well above a point-per-game pace each year of his young career with 575 points in just 412 games played. 

With a Stanley Cup ring, an Olympic gold medal, a Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy and an Art Ross trophy, among other honors, Crosby has done more than enough to prove that he is a true leader and a generational talent. 

The only question surrounding him—and it's a big one—is whether he will be the same dominant player after suffering a severe concussion last January that has kept him out of the lineup ever since. 

Thankfully, Crosby was cleared for contact last week and can now participate in full team practices. Still, there remains no set return date and, even when he does take the ice again, there's no guarantee that we'll see the same player we've all grown accustomed to seeing. 

Only by playing at the elite level he has played at for the entirety of his career can Crosby prove that he's the same player he has always been.