A year ago, we looked at every NHL team and picked a player off each roster in need of a rebound campaign.
Some of them delivered splendidly.
Loui Eriksson scored 30 goals, his best total since 2009. Mike Smith added 12 points to his save percentage, won an additional game and lost 32 fewer contests. Jeff Skinner scored 28 times one year after he recorded 31 points over the course of an entire season. Several others on our list managed to come back in a big way and revitalize faltering careers.
Others continued to slide. Cody Hodgson didn't do much with the one-year lifeline the Nashville Predators threw him, meaning his future is uncertain. Vincent Lecavalier is off to retirement. The Minnesota Wild bought out Thomas Vanek. Goaltenders such as Jimmy Howard and Kari Lehtonen failed to re-establish themselves as starters.
Those varying career paths indicate how a spot on this list should be seen: a fork in the road.
Even the best players can have bad seasons; the trick is not to let things snowball from there. The individuals who go on to thrive or at least survive come back stronger from disappointments. Others don't and e ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jonathan Willis
1 Player on Each NHL Team in Need of a Bounce-Back Season in 2016-17
July 28th, 2016 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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