In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll look at the most disappointing player from each team in 2021. This is part two, where we'll cover the final eight Eastern Conference teams in alphabetical order (i.e. New York to Washington). Be sure to check out part one (Boston to New Jersey), as well as and Grant Campbell's coverage of the most disappointing players in the Western Conference.

New York Islanders – Ryan Pulock

After Devon Toews was traded to Colorado, Ryan Pulock was expected to provide a little more offense from the blueline. Pulock had already showcased his offensive abilities as he scored at or around a 40-point pace in three-straight seasons heading into the 2021 campaign. Toews's departure was expected to open up a bigger power-play role for Pulock, who was only seeing 40-percent of the team's time with the man advantage. Unfortunately, those expectations did not come to fruition as Pulock saw just 43-percent of New York's total PP time this season. He managed just one point with the man advantage through 56 appearances, which is significantly lower than what he'd managed previously in a similar role. He finished the season with 17 points – which translates to 25 points in 82 games. His offensive output this year was hindered by an uncharacteristically low shooting percentage of 1.7-percent. I expect that'll return to the 5 to 6-percent mark next year, which should be a bounce back year for Pulock.

New York Rangers – Tony DeAngelo

During the 2019-2020 campaign, DeAngelo posted 53 points in 68 games and finished fourth in scoring among the league's defenseman. On the heels of that breakout performance, he was drafted in 100-percent of Yahoo fantasy formats heading into 2021 – selected just outside the top-100 in your average Yahoo league. He got off to a slow start this season, tallying one point in his first six appearances. After that sixth game – a 5-4 OT loss against the Penguins – DeAngelo got into an altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev over the game-winning goal. That turned out to be the straw that broke the camel's back as DeAngelo was already on thin ice due to a long history of reported 'character issues'. The Rangers placed him on waivers, which he passed through unclaimed. Reports suggest that DeAngelo rejected New York's offer to mutually terminate his contract, which would have allowed him to become a free agent and sign with a new team this season. Instead, the Rangers are expected to buy him out of his contract this summer. The Montreal Canadiens were reportedly interested in DeAngelo before he refused that contract termination, which suggests that teams are still willing to give him a second chance. He has the offensive talent to succeed in this league, but he'll have to show some significant character growth in order to fit in with a new team and get his career back on track.

Ottawa Senators – Evgenii Dadonov

After a five-year stint in the KHL, Dadonov returned to North America for the 2017-2018 campaign and posted 65 points in 74 games with the Panthers. He followed that up with a 70-point performance in 2018-2019 but took a small step back with a 56-point pace in 2019-2020. Dadonov's offensive skill was on full display throughout his time in Florida, where he frequently played alongside superstars Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. When Dadonov signed a three-year deal with the Senators, it was clear that he'd no longer benefit from playing with superstars in their prime, as he'd joined a team in the early stages of its rebuild. Despite the downgrade, many were optimistic about his fantasy value because he was expected to see lots of ice time as one of the few proven forwards in Ottawa's lineup. While that was the case early on, his ice time declined as the season progressed – partially due to his poor play and partially due to the progression of his younger teammates. He went from skating 17 minutes a night in the first quarter of the season, to less than 14 minutes a night during the final quarter of the campaign. He finished the year with 20 points in 55 appearances, which translates to 30 points in 82 games – a drastic decline from his recent numbers in Florida. While Dadonov is capable of rebounding next year, I think it's unlikely he ever touches a 70-point pace again. Even a 60-point pace seems out of reach as he takes a backseat role to the youth movement in Ottawa.

Philadelphia Flyers – Carter Hart

The Flyers netminder had a strong sophomore season in 2019-2020, posting a 24-13-3 record alongside a 2.42 GAA and .914 save percentage. He elevated his game in the playoffs, winning nine of 14 games while registering a 2.23 GAA and .926 save percentage. As a result of his impressive play last year, Hart was the third goalie selected in your average Yahoo fantasy draft. Unfortunately, his performance didn't come close to meeting the lofty expectations that come with being such a high draft pick. Hart posted a 3.67 GAA and .877 save percentage in 2021, managing just nine wins through 27 appearances. While I don’t think any of us expected such a drastic drop-off, it’s important to recognize that he’s just 22 years old. There are going to be some ups and downs as he develops his game and finds his footing in the NHL. Given the season-to-season variance in goaltending performance, I've never supported spending a high draft pick on a goaltender in fantasy formats. Not only is it hard to find consistency in net, but most leagues tend to have more skater categories than goaltender categories, so it's hard for a netminder to make as much of an impact. The one exception would be Andrei Vasilevskiy, who provides the rare combination of consistently elite goaltender on a consistently elite team. As a result of this year’s struggles, Hart will probably fall in most fantasy rankings ahead of next year’s drafts. Therefore, it should be much easier to acquire him with a mid-round pick, after you've secured some elite skaters in the early rounds.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Evgeni Malkin

For most players, a 70-point pace represents an excellent season. For Evgeni Malkin, a 70-point pace represents a 14-year career low. Malkin's fantasy value has always been hindered by his injury history, but you don't mind taking a chance on him because he produces above a point-per-game pace when healthy. After pacing for 110 points last season, his high offensive ceiling took precedence over any injury concerns. As such, he was selected in the top-30 of your average Yahoo fantasy league. Unfortunately, he only managed 28 points in 33 games, missing nearly two months of action down the stretch.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Curtis McElhinney

It seems unfair to criticize a 38-year-old back-up goaltender, but I couldn't justify putting any other member of Tampa Bay's roster on this list. McElhinney wasn't a fantasy hockey staple this year, but as a capable backup on an elite team, he seemed like a strong option for spot starts. As such, it was disappointing to see him finish the season with a 4-6-2 record, 3.09 GAA and .875 save percentage.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Frederik Andersen

In the average Yahoo fantasy hockey draft, Andersen was selected in the top-10 among goaltenders and the top-50 across all positions. Given his high draft ranking, it was hard to stomach the 2.96 GAA and .895 save percentage he posted through 24 appearances. Not only did he struggle when healthy, but he left fantasy managers in a difficult position as he missed two months of action due a knee injury. It was especially troublesome because no timetable was attached to the injury, so most managers weren't able to plan for long-term replacements. With Jack Campbell taking over the starting role and putting together an excellent 2021 campaign, it'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Andersen. He'll need a new contract for next season – presumably with a new team as Toronto doesn't really have the cap space for him. He may be undervalued next year as a result of this season's struggles, but I'd hesitate to target him in fantasy formats as he's coming off a pretty significant knee injury. We've seen knee injuries continue to hinder netminders even after the original issue has healed.

Washington Capitals – Evgeny Kuznetsov

The 29-year-old forward has seen his point totals gradually decline over the past few years. He managed a career-high 86-point pace in 2017-2018 but followed that up with a 78-point pace in 2018-2019, a 68-point pace in 2019-2020 and a 58-point pace in 2021. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt this year as he got COVID-19 twice during the regular season, which probably hindered his conditioning and prevented him from getting into any kind of rhythm. I'm optimistic that Kuznetsov will enjoy better health next season, which should help him put together a bounce back performance.