Each NHL Staff’s Most Disappointing Participant In the course of the 2022-23 Season

The 2022-23 NHL common season is formally within the books, so it’s time to begin trying again at some particular person performances.

When the season started, each group and participant had some kind of baseline expectation hooked up to them. Over the course of the 82-game schedule, some met expectations, some exceeded them and others fell brief.

It is that latter group of gamers that we’re focussing on at the moment.

There are lots of the explanation why gamers fall wanting expectations. Typically it is a results of an damage that both lower their season brief or restricted their manufacturing. Different occasions, they falter as a result of unhealthy capturing luck, being forged within the improper position on the improper group or just not enjoying nicely sufficient.

Come alongside as we take a team-by-team take a look at every squad’s most disappointing participant from the 2022-23 season.s

Boston Bruins: Taylor Corridor

That is actually reaching, as a result of what number of disappointing gamers do you even have whenever you set an NHL document for wins in a season and solely lose 12 video games in regulation?

If something, most gamers on Boston’s roster exceeded expectations.

But when we needed to choose one distinguished participant that perhaps did not meet expectations, you possibly can most likely level to Corridor who missed 20 video games due to damage and had the worst point-per-game common (0.59) of his profession.

Even then, it is not likely all that unhealthy. He’s simply perhaps one of many few gamers on the roster that didn’t really overachieve this season.

Buffalo Sabres: Peyton Krebs

The Sabres didn’t make the postseason, extending their playoff drought to a twelfth season. Nonetheless, make no mistake—they’re again, and they’re able to contend subsequent season.

Buffalo has probably the most thrilling younger groups within the league with a dynamic offense that may rating with nearly anyone.

However Krebs, one of many key gamers acquired in final 12 months’s Jack Eichel commerce, did not carry out as much as expectations. He managed simply 9 objectives and 26 complete factors in 74 video games and noticed lots of younger gamers on the roster soar over him by way of manufacturing.

There have been some expectation that Krebs might flourish this season, however he actually didn’t shine as a lot as a number of the different younger gamers on the roster.

He nonetheless very nicely may sooner or later, but it surely didn’t occur for him this season.

Detroit Crimson Wings: Filip Zadina

When the Crimson Wings took Zadina with the No. 6 general choose within the 2018 draft, he was purported to be one of many cornerstone items of their upcoming rebuild. He was thought to be among the best pure goal-scorers in his draft class and had the potential to be a top-line scorer within the NHL.

It has not labored out that means in any respect.

Via the top of the 2022-23 season, he has scored simply 28 complete objectives in 190 video games, together with solely three objectives in 30 video games this season.

He’s going to be getting into his age-24 season subsequent 12 months, which is a degree at which you anticipate gamers to be getting into their peak scoring years within the NHL.

At this level, although, Zadina is extra suspect than he’s a prospect or a longtime participant. The one factor that may give him one other alternative in Detroit is that he’s nonetheless signed for one more two years at a salary-cap hit of $1.825 million per season.

Florida Panthers: Anton Lundell

Lundell didn’t have a nasty season by any means, but it surely was a particular step backward from a really promising rookie marketing campaign that made him appear to be he was destined for stardom.

And he nonetheless very nicely is perhaps.

He’s solely 21 years outdated and has confirmed to be an excellent NHL ahead, however he did undergo a little bit of a sophomore hunch—a minimum of offensively talking.

He may fall below extra of the “unhealthy luck” class of disappointments, as a result of he scored on simply 7.9 % of his pictures this season. That could be a notable drop from the 14 % mark throughout his rookie season. He nonetheless had robust possession numbers and generated extra pictures on purpose per sport than he did as a rookie, however the puck merely didn’t go within the web for him.

Montréal Canadiens: Christian Dvorak

In want of a middle after dropping Phillip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi following the 2020-21 season, the Canadiens traded a 2022 first-round choose and a 2024 second-round choose to the Arizona Coyotes for Dvorak.

Over the previous two years in Montréal, he merely has not completed a lot to justify that worth on a rebuilding group.

Dvorak has scored simply 21 objectives in 110 video games with the Canadiens, together with solely 10 in 64 video games this season. It would not have been an unreasonable ask for the Canadiens to anticipate 20 objectives and 50 factors per season from him, however he hasn’t even come near that type of manufacturing—even worse, he took a small step backward this 12 months.

Moreover, he has missed greater than 40 video games over his first two years in Montréal.

Ottawa Senators: Cam Talbot

There are a number of layers to this disappointment for Ottawa.

The primary is that Talbot merely didn’t play nicely because the Senators’ beginning goalie and helped contribute to a seasonlong drawback on the place. After having a save proportion of .910 or higher in every of the earlier three seasons, he didn’t crack the .900 mark this season and noticed his general save proportion decline for the third 12 months in a row.

Even worse, the participant he was traded for—goalie Filip Gustavsson—performed like a No. 1 goalie in Minnesota and had among the best save percentages within the league at .931. Provided that Gustavsson is 11 years youthful and already appears like a greater participant, this was only a brutal miss by the Senators’ entrance workplace.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Tanner Jeannot

The Lightning surprised the NHL world on the commerce deadline once they traded Cal Foote and 5—FIVE!—future draft picks to the Nashville Predators for Jeannot.

The difficulty was not a lot the associated fee.

Foote is an OK prospect, and the draft picks usually are not more likely to quantity to a lot sooner or later provided that solely certainly one of them was a first-rounder (in 2025).

The Lightning have had an excessive amount of success with trades like this lately, figuring out a mid-20s ahead on an inexpensive deal that’s nonetheless below group management. Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel have been all comparable gamers that required a major price in commerce property and finally panned out.

Jeannot didn’t duplicate that. At the least not but. He had only one purpose and three assists in his first 20 video games after the commerce, and he was then injured late within the season.

He’s nonetheless below group management subsequent season, so you can not completely low cost the concept of a bounce-back 12 months, however within the short-term, his arrival has been a disappointment.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Matt Murray

The Maple Leafs fully overhauled their goalie place this offseason by letting Jack Campbell stroll in free company, signing Ilya Samsonov and buying and selling for Matt Murray.

It was—and nonetheless is—the most important query mark on an in any other case nice group that ought to be capable of compete for a championship.

However whereas Samsonov exceeded expectations, Murray had one other powerful 12 months. He was restricted to simply 26 video games due to accidents and posted a .903 save proportion.

Murray continues to be signed for one more season, and it’s actually laborious to know what the Maple Leafs ought to anticipate from him.

He has two Stanley Cups on his resume from his time in Pittsburgh, however he has not been that goalie for a number of years.

Carolina Hurricanes: Frederik Andersen

That is one other group the place it’s actually tough to discover a true disappointment, as a result of only a few gamers—if any—had a very unhealthy 12 months.

Andersen stands out as a possible disappointment, as his save proportion dropped from .922 a 12 months in the past right down to .903 this season regardless of enjoying behind among the best defensive groups within the league.

He’s nonetheless a really succesful beginning goalie and ought to be ok to assist lead Carolina on a deep playoff run, however his play regressed this season.

That is perhaps sufficient to make him the frustration on this 12 months’s roster.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Cole Sillinger

There have been lots of candidates in Columbus, however Sillinger takes the title given his second-year struggles.

He had an impressive rookie 12 months in 2021-22, scoring 16 objectives as an 18-year-old and enjoying a complicated two-way sport for his age. He seemed like anyone who was going to be a key a part of each the short-and long-term outlook and appeared poised for a giant step ahead in 2022-23.

He ended up moving into the other way and appeared to lose confidence because the season went on. He completed with simply three objectives and 11 complete factors in 64 video games and regressed throughout the board.

Sillinger nonetheless has the expertise to be a top-six heart, and his age continues to be very a lot on his facet, however he completely wants a contemporary begin subsequent 12 months and one thing to assist him regain his confidence.

New Jersey Devils: MacKenzie Blackwood

There was nearly nothing disappointing in regards to the Devils’ 2022-23 season, as they quickly emerged as not solely a Stanley Cup contender, but additionally among the best and most fun younger groups within the league.

This group is loaded for years to return.

The large query mark was all the time going to be in purpose and whether or not or not they may get sufficient out of Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek to maintain them in competition. Vanecek held up his finish of it. Blackwood, sadly, didn’t.

For the second successive 12 months, he didn’t crack the .900 mark in save proportion. After trying just like the potential long-term reply in web as not too long ago as a number of years in the past, Blackwood now appears to be a fairly important query mark with an unsure future.

New York Islanders: Josh Bailey

Bailey has been an impressive Islander for greater than a decade and has constantly been one of many group’s greatest playmakers.

However this season was certainly one of his worst offensively, producing simply eight objectives and solely 25 complete factors in 64 video games. On a per-game foundation, his manufacturing was the second-worst efficiency of his profession, narrowly beating out his rookie 12 months in 2008-09 when he was 19 years outdated.

Given his observe document and salary-cap hit ($5 million per 12 months) it was a really disappointing season.

New York Rangers: Vitali Kravtsov

If the Rangers have been going to stay a Stanley Cup contender and take the subsequent step of their rebuild, rather a lot was going to rely on their younger gamers and up to date high draft picks changing into higher gamers.

In lots of circumstances, that continued to occur, as Alexis Lafrenière, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and Ok’Andre Miller all proved to be succesful, impactful gamers.

The one exception was Kravtsov, who continued to wrestle to crack the lineup and did little or no when he was on the ice.

His lack of manufacturing resulted in him being traded to the Vancouver Canucks for a seventh-round draft choose in 2026 and William Lockwood. That is not a terrific return on the funding of a former No. 8 general choose.

He has performed in simply 64 video games since being drafted in 2018, scoring solely six objectives.

Philadelphia Flyers: Tony DeAngelo

Is it actually a disappointment should you ought to have identified it was not going to work out? As a result of that ought to have been the case with DeAngelo and the Flyers.

Regardless of DeAngelo’s many flaws as a participant defensively, the Flyers have been nonetheless keen to commerce three draft picks to the Carolina Hurricanes to amass him after which signed him to a two-year cope with a salary-cap hit of $5 million per season.

It ended with him being a wholesome scratch down the stretch, and that is after he proved to be even worse defensively than anyone might have presumably imagined.

What makes this complete scenario much more baffling is the commerce and his new contract got here only one 12 months after the Flyers traded two of their very own draft picks to the Arizona Coyotes to persuade the Coyotes to tackle the rest of Shayne Gostisbehere’s contract. Gostisbehere shouldn’t be solely a greater model of DeAngelo as a participant, however he additionally had a less expensive contract that expired after this season.

Had they simply held onto Gostisbehere, they may have saved 5 draft picks, gained a further choose by buying and selling Gostisbehere on the commerce deadline this 12 months and had $5 million in extra salary-cap house to work with this offseason.

Discuss unhealthy administration.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Tristan Jarry

This was all the time going to be a large 12 months for Jarry on each a group and private stage.

On a group stage, the Penguins wanted him to determine himself as a constant No. 1 goalie they may rely on. Goaltending sabotaged their earlier two playoff runs, and so they actually didn’t have some other choices after failing to handle the place this offseason.

On a private stage, Jarry wanted this season to indicate the Penguins he may very well be relied on in a contract 12 months.

Ultimately, he left them with extra questions than solutions.

For the second successive 12 months, he struggled to remain wholesome and on the ice, and when he was within the lineup, his play was wildly inconsistent and didn’t give the Penguins what they wanted. From February 1 to the top of the season, he managed solely an .890 save proportion and an 8-8-2 document because the group light and missed the playoffs for the primary time in 16 years. Jarry was additionally benched a number of occasions throughout that stretch.

Now the Penguins have to determine what to do with the place. Jarry is eligible for unrestricted free company, and so they haven’t any quick in-house possibility out there. The exterior choices usually are not precisely encouraging, both.

Washington Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetsov

With Nicklas Bäckström sidelined for many of the season and solely a shell of his former self due to age and accidents, the Capitals actually wanted Kuznetsov to have a giant 12 months.

In concept, it was an affordable ask.

Kuznetsov has been a top-line performer all through his profession and had a really robust bounce-back 12 months for the Capitals in 2021-22.

He didn’t repeat that efficiency this 12 months.

Together with a large decline in level manufacturing (going from 24 objectives and 78 factors right down to 12 objectives and 55 factors), he additionally had a brutal 12 months defensively and was one of many group’s least impactful 5-on-5 performers by way of protection and driving possession.

He nonetheless has a large salary-cap hit, and given his decline and the uncertainty surrounding Bäckström’s future, the Capitals have some main points at heart.

Arizona Coyotes: Jakob Chychrun

OK, hear me out on this.

Chychrun was not a disappointment by way of what he produced. He was excellent. He had 28 factors in 33 video games as a defenseman and was arguably the second-best participant on the group after Clayton Keller.

The frustration is what his time in Arizona represented and the way it ended.

It was the very fact he was once more restricted by accidents.

It was the truth that Arizona, in a perpetual state of rebuild, didn’t have room for an in-his-prime defenseman that’s signed for a number of years at a discount price towards the wage cap, making just a bit greater than $4 million per season.

It’s the truth that when the Coyotes did commerce him, they didn’t get a single high prospect or younger NHL participant in return, receiving solely three draft picks from the Ottawa Senators, solely certainly one of which being a first-round choose.

Previous to the NHL commerce deadline, there have been reviews that Arizona was searching for a number of first-round picks, a high prospect, or a younger NHL participant as a part of any commerce for Chychrun. They didn’t get something near that.

All of that may be a main disappointment for the Coyotes and their followers.

Chicago Blackhawks: Philipp Kurashev

How do you select a disappointment on a group that everyone anticipated to be terrible as a result of the roster itself was…nicely…terrible?

Seth Jones is the favored goal right here due to the outrageous worth the Blackhawks paid to amass him and the ridiculous contract they signed him to, however he had a good 12 months and is a strong participant who simply occurs to have a horrible contract.

Everyone else did what was anticipated—play unhealthy and lose.

However should you actually wished to select a disappointment, perhaps Kurashev matches that description. He is without doubt one of the youthful skills on the group who might have taken the leap to changing into a constant contributor. He didn’t try this, scoring simply 9 objectives in 70 video games.

Is he anyone that’s going to be part of the subsequent good Blackhawks group? That’s nonetheless a query that’s up for debate.

Colorado Avalanche: Alex Newhook

With Nazem Kadri leaving in free company and the Avalanche roster constantly impacted by accidents all 12 months, this appeared like a terrific alternative for Newhook to shine.

He didn’t take full benefit of that chance.

His purpose and level manufacturing took a small dip on a per-game stage, and he did not do a lot to face out regularly.

Does that imply he was unhealthy or a legal responsibility?

Under no circumstances. He performed fantastic. However as a latest first-round choose (No. 16 general in 2019) who has proven flashes of being an impression participant, it is a bit disappointing that he didn’t do extra to turn into the subsequent Avalanche star.

Dallas Stars: Denis Gurianov

When Gurianov first arrived in Dallas a number of years in the past, he seemed like a possible star.

Persistently one of many quickest gamers on the ice and an environment friendly scorer throughout 5-on-5 play, he all the time appeared to take advantage of his minutes.

He appeared like the kind of expertise that with an elevated position, some power-play time and a little bit of luck may very well be a 30-goal scorer within the NHL.

However this season he quickly fell out of favor in Dallas, noticed his ice time constantly drop and mustered only a pair of objectives and 9 factors in 43 video games with the Stars earlier than he was traded to the Montréal Canadiens for Evgenii Dadonov.

The Stars have seen lots of gamers come via their farm system lately and turn into cornerstones (Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnson, Miro Heiskanen, Jake Oettinger), however Gurianov was not certainly one of them.

Minnesota Wild: Matthew Dumba

Regardless of being an everyday within the NHL’s commerce rumor mill, particularly because the Wild handled a large salary-cap crunch, Dumba remained in Minnesota all season.

Whereas the Wild could have exceeded expectations and performed like a contender, Dumba had one of many worst general seasons of an in any other case glorious profession.

He scored simply 4 objectives with 14 factors in 79 video games, by far his worst efficiency offensively over a full season. He additionally posted a number of the worst possession and scoring-chance numbers of his profession.

Dumba did all of that whereas costing the Wild $6 million towards the wage cap.

He’s an unrestricted free agent after this season, and given the Wild’s cap points following final 12 months’s buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, it is laborious to examine a state of affairs by which Dumba returns to Minnesota.

Nashville Predators: Eeli Tolvanen

The frustration right here may fall extra on the group than the participant himself.

The Predators had been ready for Tolvanen to turn into a star for a number of years, and so they seemingly ran out of persistence in December once they positioned him on waivers.

He was promptly claimed by the Seattle Kraken and went on to gather 16 objectives and 27 complete factors in 48 video games together with his new group. That could be a 27-goal, 46-point tempo over 82 video games and a stage of manufacturing the Predators definitely might have used throughout their late-season playoff push.

Tolvanen ended his once-promising Nashville profession with solely 25 objectives and 51 complete factors in 135 video games over components of 5 seasons.

St. Louis Blues: Jordan Binnington

Binnington was a key participant within the Blues profitable their first Stanley Cup again in 2019, and no person can ever take that away from him or the group.

However he is been a multitude since then, and the Blues are nonetheless on the hook for a $6 million per 12 months cap hit over the subsequent 4 seasons.

They aren’t getting something near the extent of manufacturing they’re paying for.

Binnington’s 2022-23 season hit all types of recent lows, from an .894 save proportion (the worst of his profession), to a sequence of meltdowns on the ice that noticed him practically get right into a struggle with Marc-Andre Fleury and get known as out by his coach for not focussing on merely stopping the puck.

The Blues usually are not a very good defensive group anymore, and issues get even worse whenever you add unhealthy goaltending into that blend.

Binnington shouldn’t be the reply they thought he was going to be, and so they actually should not have many good choices with regards to changing him.

Winnipeg Jets: Neal Pionk

The Winnipeg Jets have the top-line forwards and beginning goalie to be critical Stanley Cup contenders.

The large query lately has been on protection.

The excellent news this season is that Josh Morrissey had a breakout 12 months that noticed him put up large numbers offensively and a minimum of throw his title into the Norris Trophy dialogue.

The unhealthy information is that Pionk, certainly one of their more practical defensemen in latest seasons, went backward. Whereas his purpose and level totals remained proper consistent with his standard stage of manufacturing, he had a troublesome 12 months defensively and by way of driving possession, as he completed near the bottom on the group in shot-attempt share, anticipated purpose share and scoring-chance share. They wanted extra from him.

Anaheim Geese: John Klingberg

Klingberg entered the offseason as the highest defenseman on the free-agent market however remained unsigned practically a month into the signing interval.

It was stunning.

It was much more stunning when he lastly landed a cope with the Anaheim Geese on a one-year contract.

All the pieces about it got here out of left discipline, from solely getting a one-year deal, to signing with a group that had no actual shot at contending. At greatest, perhaps Klingberg might carry out nicely on a one-year “show it” deal, give the group a number of months of robust manufacturing earlier than getting flipped for worth on the commerce deadline after which Klingberg might take one other run at free company this summer season.

Whereas Klingberg’s offensive manufacturing was about what the Geese ought to have anticipated, he had a dismal 12 months defensively and didn’t give them lots of commerce worth. They ultimately traded him to Minnesota for a 2025 fourth-round choose, a prospect and veteran Andrej Šustr.

Klingberg comes out a winner as a result of he will get to play within the playoffs, however he didn’t actually increase his free-agent worth. The Geese, in the meantime, didn’t get any kind of a major return within the commerce.

Calgary Flames: Jonathan Huberdeau

Despite the fact that they misplaced Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk final offseason, the Flames nonetheless seemed like a group that ought to have been a contender or a minimum of a playoff group.

They weren’t, and one of many largest the explanation why was a stunningly down 12 months from Huberdeau, the principle draw of the Tkachuk commerce with Florida.

Over the earlier 4 seasons, Huberdeau was one of many top-five level producers within the NHL and a bonafide offensive star. The Flames have been so proud of him being the centerpiece of the Tkachuk commerce that they shortly re-signed him to an eight-year contract extension price $84 million ($10.5 million towards the wage cap per season).

He responded with certainly one of his worst offensive seasons thus far, recording simply 15 objectives and 40 assists in 79 video games.

That’s not solely disappointing, it’s brutal given the lofty expectations, his latest manufacturing and the brand new contract that has not even begun but.

If he doesn’t bounce again subsequent season, that extension goes to shortly flip into one of many worst contracts within the NHL.

Edmonton Oilers: Jack Campbell

The Oilers knew they wanted to do one thing important in purpose this offseason and spent large cash on Campbell, signing him to a five-year, $25 million deal.

It’s already trying like a large mistake.

Not solely was Campbell one of many worst-performing goalies within the NHL, however he additionally ended up dropping his beginning job to rookie Stuart Skinner.

His .888 save proportion was one of many worst marks within the league and represented the worst single-season efficiency of his profession. Had it not been for the event of Skinner, the Campbell contract might have sabotaged an in any other case nice season in Edmonton.

The Oilers have solved lots of their depth and defensive points this 12 months, however Campbell did nothing to unravel the goalie drawback.

Los Angeles Kings: Jonathan Fast

Talking of goaltending issues, the Kings had their very own for a lot of the season, as Jonathan Fast and Cal Petersen (their opening night time duo) have been a serious level of concern.

Fast’s play was so unhealthy that the Kings finally traded him to Columbus for Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov.

That is one other scenario that included a number of layers of disappointment.

Fast’s play was irritating all by itself. However seeing a franchise icon and a key contributor to 2 Stanley Cup wins have his time with the group finish prefer it did made the scenario all of the extra disappointing.

San Jose Sharks: Kevin Labanc

At one time, Labanc appeared like an enormous breakout candidate who may very well be a key a part of the Sharks’ long-term future.

However his growth stalled out, and at this level, what you see is what you get.

He is a good middle-six ahead that in a really perfect 12 months may need an opportunity to push the 20-goal mark. Perhaps. However he hasn’t even completed that but in his profession.

It isn’t essentially this season explicit that’s disappointing with regards to Labanc, however moderately his general growth as a participant.

Seattle Kraken: Philipp Grubauer

The Kraken made an enormous funding in goaltending once they constructed their preliminary roster by taking Chris Driedger within the enlargement draft and snagging Philipp Grubauer in free company.

Grubauer was the larger signing, not solely by way of cash ($35.4 million over six years), but additionally when it got here to expectations.

Earlier than signing with the Kraken, Grubauer was a Vezina Trophy finalist in Colorado and seemed like a top-10 goalie—the kind of goalie an enlargement group may be capable of construct round.

However in two years with the Kraken, he has not come near matching what he did in Colorado, managing solely an .891 save proportion.

The Kraken as a group exceeded expectations this season and simply certified for the playoffs. Goaltending may nonetheless be the one large factor that holds them again.

Vancouver Canucks: Thatcher Demko

For the second successive 12 months, the Vancouver Canucks completed the common season robust below a brand new coach attempting to erase a brutal begin within the first half of the season.

That’s not a recipe for achievement.

A whole lot of issues went improper for the Canucks to place them of their early season gap, however one of many largest elements was a poor 12 months from Demko. He struggled with accidents and consistency, and he merely didn’t play just like the No. 1 goalie the Canucks want him to be.

The excellent news is he has proven sufficient potential in his profession that there’s purpose to consider he can bounce again subsequent season with a contemporary begin and higher well being, however for this season, he didn’t play the way in which the Canucks wanted him to play.

Vegas Golden Knights: Alec Martinez

The Golden Knights have been capable of rebound from the frustration that was the 2021-22 season to not solely return to the playoffs, but additionally return to being a serious Stanley Cup contender within the Western Convention.

Nonetheless, Martinez had certainly one of his harder seasons within the NHL—a minimum of offensively.

Throughout his peak, he was a strong defensive participant who was additionally able to scoring eight or 9 objectives and hitting the 35-point mark.

He isn’t something near that participant anymore, scoring simply three objectives with 14 complete factors in 77 video games, whereas the Golden Knights dramatically outshot with him on the ice. He’s 35 years outdated, so some decline is inevitable. That is perhaps a priority for the Golden Knights, as he’s nonetheless signed for yet another 12 months at $5.25 million.

All salary-cap information by way of CapFriendly.