This week I plan on outlining potential bounce back candidates for this upcoming season. The way I use the term is by classifying it as a player who is poised to rebound back into a closer version of their normal selves. Some aspects that I looked at when determining who to discuss today were their team's situation – were they tanking, were they contenders for the Stanley Cup, the quality in their linemates, and have they gone to a better situation to benefit their production. Other things that I looked at were injuries, not just to the player themselves but to those surrounding them in the organization. While no player is a total product of what surrounds them, the players are either benefited/hindered in some way based on the team around them.


#1) Jack Eichel – C – Vegas Golden Knights

Contract: $10M – 4 Years remaining

This player rivaled Connor McDavid for the first overall selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (we all knew McDavid was going first, but there was chatter about Eichel at times during the year), and the amount of injuries that Eichel has faced so far in his young career has definitely set him back. I say that, but he has a very respectable 380 points (153 goals) throughout 409 games played. The bulk of that came with the Buffalo Sabres and during his tenure with them, they were not a very competitive hockey team to say the least. With his recent recovery from a neck fusion surgery, he looks to be a huge piece of the Vegas Golden Knights core for a long time. He is their focal point, and overall Vegas was a bit of a disappointing hockey club last season (sorry Golden Knights fans). Look for Eichel to come in off a full summer of resting and adjusting to the way his body is now post-surgery recovery hungrier than ever. Even in the limited games he played last season – 34 – he managed to produce 25 points (11 goals).


#2) Phil Kessel – RW – Vegas Golden Knights

Contract: $1.5M – 1 Year remaining (UFA this upcoming summer)

While we're on the train of discussing the Golden Knights, let’s bring up Phil Kessel. The man who has won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and in 2017. After which he was sent to the deserts of Arizona for the last three seasons where he posted 208 games and 133 points (42 goals, 0.64 points per game) which isn't terrible for an NHL player but that isn't the Phil Kessel that we all know. That being said, the quality of the forwards that he was often suited up alongside were not that great, excluding Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. While Kessel was used in a top-six forward role in Arizona, there is a difference in being in Arizona's top-six and Vegas’ top-six. We should expect Kessel to play alongside a combination of Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Chandler Stephenson. Based on the quality of teammates and the organization's direction/goals for this upcoming season we should see Phil Kessel perform closer to what we have seen from him in the past. Something to note, Kessel is coming off his lowest goal totals in his career where he managed just eight goals through 82 games (0.09 goals per game).

#3) Mathew Barzal – C – New York Islanders

Contract: $7M – 1 Year remaining
                    $9.125M – 8 Years remaining (contract extension signed, effective next season)

After debuting as a rookie in the 2017-18 season and posting incredible stats for a first-year player, he took home the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) with his 85 points (22 goals) through a full 82-game season. Barzal has sadly never posted those kinds of numbers again, his 22 goals that year stand to be his career high at the moment. After having what I'm sure many, including myself, consider to be a couple of down years for the young Islanders forward, I feel there is still a point-per-game player in him somewhere. He had the opportunity to play alongside John Tavares during that season, and then after that he hasn't really had the same quality surrounding him. Something to remember here is that the Islanders have been playing a notoriously heavy defensive game for some time now, so to see an offensive minded player post respectable numbers during that time is impressive on its own. Based on the coaching change that the Islanders have appointed Lane Lambert as their new head coach, we may see a new style of hockey coming to the New York Islanders which can definitely impact Barzal and his production.

#4) Erik Karlsson – D – San Jose Sharks

Contract: $11.5M – 5 Years remaining

Over the last 2 seasons with the Sharks the former Ottawa Senator amassed 102 games and 57 points (18 goals) with the club. While for a defenseman that would be considered fantastic, averaging 0.56 points per game would translate to 46 points through a full 82 game season. Those would be good numbers for a lot of blueliners out there, but not for Erik Karlsson. We all saw that he did in the 2010s, he was one of the best defensemen during that era. The former Norris Trophy winner (best defenseman) no longer shares the responsibilities of manning the blueline for the Sharks alongside Brent Burns. The two had a fairly similar playstyle in the sense of being more offensively-minded, and having two assets who are both elite in that area can kind of take away from each other's successes. With Brent Burns being rostered by the Carolina Hurricanes now, expect Erik Karlsson to take sole possession as the main weapon on the back-end for this Sharks club and with that comes more opportunities to produce points.


* Honorable Mentions: Evgeni Malkin, Jaden Schwartz, Jakub Chychrun, Matt Murray, Carter Hart, Dougie Hamilton *

Overall, there are plenty of bounceback options out there and like I mentioned before, there are certain criteria that I do follow when classifying those types of assets.

If you're looking to discuss anything hockey with me, check out my Twitter account (@JamieMolloy_DH), as well as on the articles themselves!