Most underperforming player (30 game mark)

[TeddyBare]

We are roughly 30 games or just under into the season or a third of year.

So who do you think is the most underperforming player in the league this season?
Relative to expectations at the start of the year

My vote is James Neal
Every highlight package involving Calgary shows them potting goals left right and center.
So much so they are 4th in league scoring.
This is all while their prized UFA signing James Neal has 6 points (3G and 3A) and is 15th on the team in scoring while being the 4th highest paid player.

Click to read more...

 

[koyvoo]

Kopitar

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

Karlsson for me easily. Norris contender/winner looking pretty average this year. Those injuries might have changed him for the rest of his career.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Barzal for me

 

[Snippit]

Karlsson is the answer

 

[The Examiner]

Nylander.

 

[Apotheosis]

EK relative to heights he has reached.

 

[Volica]

Has to be EK right?
Looks like he'll have his worst offensive output season since his first two years in the league; easily the biggest name moved this summer too. The guy was arguably the best defenceman in the NHL; and now that'd be an easy 'yeah right'.

 

[Jovavic]

Hell of a time for Bobrovsky to stink it up, how do you say "contract year" in Russian?

 

[sabremike]

Barzal for me

Of course

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Of course

Sorry that you think so little of him

 

[Snakepit]

HM to James Neal

 

[1989]

W. Nylander, $7m, 0 points.

 

[Machinehead]

EK for me.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Barzal. Don't let his points fool you, in the games I have watched he doesn't look like himself at all this year. He has flashes where you think he is getting his game back but just looks off IMO.

 

[ForumNamePending]

The fact James Neal (and his $5.75 million salary) is on pace for under 20 points is super-unimpressive.

 

[S.S. Giggy]

For the Ducks, it's Rickard Rakell.

 

[Pens x]

Karlsson
Neal
Matt Murray

 

[Dominance]

Mhmm I’m sure all my fellow Leaf fans have watched a ton of Islanders games to come to that conclusion.

Barzal has been outstanding when I’ve seen him. Last night, there was a shift where he must have had the puck on his stick in the offensive end for 45 seconds, repeatedly generating chances before recovering the puck himself. I think his “poor” stats can be largely explained by how the Islanders’ PP has been garbage at finishing. He has only 9 PPP in 26 games; Matthews, for example, has 8 in half as many games.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

James Neal. Bobo and Werenski in Columbus. Eric Karlsson, his "average" play has now gone on for a year now. Don't know it's still his ankle injury, but few teams had the cap for him next year, and now just he might be ignored by some of those teams come next summer.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Well small sample size, but I did say that the Neal contract wasn’t a good one.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Definitely have to say Erik Karlsson for me

Neal is a disappointment as well, but Im not at all shocked by it. Aging UFA with declining numbers gets one final big money payday

 

[Brock Radunske]

James Neal. Bobo and Werenski in Columbus. Eric Karlsson, his "average" play has now gone on for a year now. Don't know it's still his ankle injury, but few teams had the cap for him next year, and now just he might be ignored by some of those teams come next summer.

Yeh he's got to pick it up. If he continues like he is, he'll start losing money in the summer

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Mhmm I’m sure all my fellow Leaf fans have watched a ton of Islanders games to come to that conclusion.

Barzal has been outstanding when I’ve seen him. Last night, there was a shift where he must have had the puck on his stick in the offensive end for 45 seconds, repeatedly generating chances before recovering the puck himself. I think his “poor” stats can be largely explained by how the Islanders’ PP has been garbage at finishing. He has only 9 PPP in 26 games; Matthews, for example, has 8 in half as many games.

his 5v5 stats are what's disappointing. he was 4th in the league at 5v5 p/60 last year. now he's 169th

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Yeh he's got to pick it up. If he continues like he is, he'll start losing money in the summer

Bit of different subject, but the Sharks seem to have gone "all in" this year. Their upcoming talent seems to be thin.
Couture, Burns and Vlasic...making 24m next year. I doubt if that bodes well long term.