Top five NHLers cooling off after hot starts

Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

For whatever reason, NHL fans love reading about doom and gloom. You’re all just sickos, aren’t you?

Today, we’re going to look at five NHLers who started off strong on the scoresheet but fell off in one way or another. We’re not talking about players with injury issues like Ross Colton – instead, it’s players who need to pick up the pace sooner rather than later.

From top-line threats to breakout candidates falling silent, here’s a look at five NHLers who need to find a way to get out of their slumps:

Max Domi, C (Toronto Maple Leafs)

First four games: 5 points
Last 15 games: 1 point

Domi recently assumed No. 1 center duties in Auston Matthews’ absence, but the results just aren’t there right now, with one point in his last 14 games. Domi had five points in his first four games and was thriving alongside William Nylander, but nothing seems to be working right now. Would it kill him to shoot the puck a bit more? He’s never been much of a high-volume shot generator, but he has only registered more than two shots in a game once this season, back on Oct. 24 against the St. Louis Blues. Domi has an expected goals-for percentage of 1.93 at per-60 5-on-5, which is by far the worst of any full-time top-nine player on Toronto. Why can’t he lob a few toward the goalie every now and then?

Martin Pospisil, C (Calgary Flames)

First three games: 5 points
Last 14 games: 0 points

Pospisil turned heads with five points in his first three games alongside Jonathan Huberdeau, giving the Flames a dangerous third line. But Pospisil hasn’t registered a point in more than a month, last nabbing an assist in a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 13. The Flames have fallen back to earth in recent weeks, with their only multi-game win streak coming when they started the season with a 4-0-0 record. Pospisil went from potentially having a massive sophomore campaign to putting himself on pace to match his 63-game rookie output instead. Huberdeau, meanwhile, leads all Flames forwards with 10 points, but he’s on pace for the worst production in a full season since his sophomore campaign in 2013-14.

Jeff Skinner, LW (Edmonton Oilers)

First five games: 4 points
Last 12 games: 2 points

Skinner is two years removed from an 82-point season with the Buffalo Sabres, and while he saw his production fall quite a bit last year, he still was on pace for around 50 points on a non-playoff team. Skinner made an excellent first impression with the Oilers, playing some top-six minutes and registering four points in his first five games. But with just two points since Oct. 17 and a demotion to the fourth line, Skinner has struggled to produce anything noteworthy in recent weeks. He has always been a hot and cold player – he jumped from an 82-game pace of 22 points in 2020-21 to 65 the following year – but the Oilers definitely will want more from their 32-year-old winger. Skinner is on a one-year deal worth $3 million, so he’ll need to pick up the pace if he’s going to cash in on his next deal.

Roope Hintz, C (Dallas Stars)

First six games: 7 points
Last eight games: 2 points

The Stars had big expectations with Hintz as the team’s No. 1 center – but he hasn’t looked all too good recently. He started the season with a solid two-point effort in the opener and had seven points in his first six games. But with just two points ever since, Hintz has found himself to be on a bit of a cold streak that we hadn’t seen from him the past three years. He’s still getting plenty of opportunities, but between him and Jason Robertson, they’re just not clicking right now. Hintz is on pace for just more than 50 points so it’s not like he’s completely fallen off, but he had 72, 75 and 65 points in his past three seasons – Stars fans expect more.

Vincent Trocheck, C (New York Rangers)

First five games: 7 points
Last nine games: 2 points

Trocheck has nine points in 14 games, which isn’t too bad – but seven of them came in the first five games. Trocheck is coming off one of the best seasons of his NHL career – a 77-point output. This year, he’s on pace for around 50. The Rangers as a whole aren’t getting enough from their big stars this year but they can’t afford to have Trocheck producing so little offensively on such a consistent basis. He has two three-game pointless streaks, and his 1.12 points-per-60 this year is far below his 1.89 from a season ago. Trocheck needs to pick it up, and soon.

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