Players to fall back this coming season

[FriendlyGuitarist]

Which players do we think had a little luck last season and played better than they really are? Doesn't mean they have to be terrible but to play as they normally would.

 

My pick will be Sheary. He had 53pts in 61 games last season. I think his points will be much lower this coming season, 40 - 50+ points in 82 games if he stays healthy and plays a full season instead of the 61 games he had last season.

[hf101]

10 hours ago, FriendlyGuitarist said:

Which players do we think had a little luck last season and played better than they really are? Doesn't mean they have to be terrible but to play as they normally would.

 

My pick will be Sheary. He had 53pts in 61 games last season. I think his points will be much lower this coming season, 40 - 50+ points in 82 games if he stays healthy and plays a full season instead of the 61 games he had last season.

 

Yeah, I totally expect Sheary to have fewer points next season especially if Guenzel is on a line with Crosby.  Another player I expect to have fewer points would be Artemi Panarin as he won't be fed pucks from Patrick Kane.

[FriendlyGuitarist]

I also think Auston Matthews will fall back a bit next season. Teams will toughen up playing against him and he is still quite young at the NHL level. He will continue to grow and keep getting better.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Hate to say it, but I think Minnesota's Mikael Granlund may take a step or two backwards production-wise.

And that would be a shame if that happened because he is an RFA who has filed for arbitration....and I have read his camp had been wanting a much larger salary.

 

If he is awarded the larger arbitration amount he will look to parlay that into a nice fat contract from Minnesota when THAT one is over....and if he falls back this year (depending on how far backwards he goes), well, he may not even be on the team after his arbitration contract is over!

 

Why would he fall back? 

Well, when Minny first brought him up, it was as a Center (he is that by trade) with the idea of making him the 2C, then eventually the 1C.

 

He had a bit of trouble living up to that, managing point totals in the 40-45 range while his goal totals only broke 10 ONCE!

 

Last season, he had a career best 26 goals and 69 points....but as a WINGER.

And now I am reading some reports and line projections that say Granlund may be moved back to C.

 

Maybe I am reading too much into this (he has matured a bit more as a player after all, now at age 25), but if he did so well as a winger, why not let him continue to grow there?

If the Wild do indeed move him back to Center, that's where I think the regression in production will take place.

 

I hope I am wrong though.

But I do hope Minnesota finds other solutions at C and leave Granlund as a top six and PP winger...I think it suits him better.

[yave1964]

My two in the East would be Bergeron in Boston and Atkinson from the CBJ. Bergeron started slowly and got it going but injuries from his playing style are taking their toll. One Hell of a hockey player but it catches up with you. Atkinson is a fun story but he punched way above his weight clas both literally and figuratively last year and I do not see him repeating. Not saying not to go after either or both fantasy wise, just almost certain to slip.

 

  Out West, I would go with Eric Staal who had a fine year after years of slipping, I think last season was a bit of a blip and I would go with Kesler for the exact same reasons as Bergeron, same type of player, aging, injuries catching up to him. He was the opposite last year, started white hot and then noticeably cooled all year.