When things aren't going well, the league knows, they can get to him, re: Barzal. He tries too hard, buckles under the pressure. He's been relatively engaged, however, from a franchise player, he needs to produce.
During the two ECF runs he raised his game, I watched every minute of those runs. Best player on the ice for so many sequences. He circled around defenses; I have those memories etched into my memory. Completely controlled shifts. He knew he was the franchise player then, so I'm not sure.
Sorokin just doesn't lose ability; so yes, the mental components. He needs to regroup. Does he feel the pressure, or lack thereof, with a lucrative contract?
Throttle's two poster boys are floundering.