Top five NHL candidates to bounce back from sophomore slumps

Are sophomore slumps a real thing? That depends on whom you ask.

When you’re a fresh rookie just looking to make an impact, everything is new territory. New cities, new teammates, new situations. There’s a saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” And sometimes in sports, that fearless energy when you feel you need to prove yourself every night is enough to make everything work.

But for whatever reason, a few quality young players see their games drop significantly as sophomores each season. Moritz Seider was a perfect case of that earlier in the season, but playing 23 minutes a night as a 21-year-old is still quite something.

These five players weren’t able to replicate the success they found as freshmen and will look to bounce back in their third full season in the NHL:

Lucas Raymond, RW, 21 (Detroit Red Wings)

2022-23 stats: 74GP/17G/28A/45P

Raymond had the best season of anyone on this list, scoring 17 goals and 45 points in 74 games. But after scoring 23 goals and 57 points in 82 outings as a rookie, expectations were definitely higher. Raymond exceeded expectations as a rookie, going from a middle-six contributor with SHL Frolunda in 2020-21, but his early career play with the Red Wings made him appear like the real deal. He’s only 21, so there’s little reason to be concerned about the fall in production, but breaking the 60-point barrier would go a long way in helping the fanbase’s confidence. It’s worth noting he was Sweden’s best player at the World Championship, and it’s not uncommon to see a player coming off a difficult season shine at the tournament before bouncing back in a big way the following year.

Tanner Jeannot, LW/RW, 26 (Tampa Bay Lightning)

2022-23 stats: 76GP/6G/12A/18P

The Bolts swung for the fences when they acquired Jeannot, trading five picks and defenseman Cal Foote to Nashville to bring him over for the playoff run. Jeannot struggled with just five goals and 14 points in 56 games with Nashville, but the hope was he’d find the form that saw him score 24 goals and 41 points the year before. Instead, he had just one goal and four points in 20 regular season games and had nothing to show for in three playoff outings with Tampa. The team signed him to a two-year extension at $2.665M, which, if he were to hit 40 points again, would be an excellent steal. Jeannot is a physical player with 239 career penalty minutes in 172 games. Now, entering his third full NHL season, we’ll see if he can find the old magic again. If there’s any team that can turn a player’s career around, it’s Tampa.

Anton Lundell, C, 21 (Florida Panthers)

2022-23 stats: 73GP/12G/21A/33P

After an outstanding 44-point rookie season, Lundell looked ready to take a big leap with the Panthers in their attempt to make up for a disappointing end to the year. Instead, he had 11 fewer points in eight more games as he struggled to remain a consistent scoring threat for the club. He found his groove a bit in the playoffs with 10 points en route to a Stanley Cup Final run, but it still felt like a down year for the strong Finnish forward. He’ll likely start the year again as the third-line center, but he can step up and produce anywhere he’s needed.

Cole Sillinger, C, 20 (Columbus Blue Jackets)

2022-23 stats: 64GP/3G/8A/11P

Sillinger’s inclusion on Columbus’ roster in 2021-22 came as a surprise, going straight from the USHL to the NHL after going 12th overall in the NHL Draft. He looked excellent with 16 goals and 31 points before capping off his rookie season with a silver medal with Canada’s World Championship team. But Sillinger couldn’t find the same momentum last year, scoring just three goals and 11 points. He even was sent down to the AHL with Cleveland, where he had just six points in 11 games. The 6-foot-2 forward can be difficult to play against, but it looks like he was always trailing behind last year. The Blue Jackets could look to contend for a playoff spot this year, but will Sillinger be part of those plans?

Alexandre Carrier, D, 26 (Nashville Predators)

2022-23 stats: 43GP/2G/7A/9P

It wasn’t a season to remember for Carrier, who went from the all-rookie team in 2022 to being on the sidelines for half of the year. After missing nine games with an upper-body injury later in the winter, he returned for just a handful of games before missing the final 23 games with another injury. He finished with two goals and nine points in 43 games, a big step back from his 30-point campaign the year before. The 26-year-old once looked to be a big part of the team’s future, but he’ll need to find some stability in 2023-24. Carrier was especially good with Mattias Ekholm, but the Quebec native won’t have that safety net again. He was signed to a one-year, $2.5M contract, so consider it a make-it-or-break-it year for Carrier.

Other notables: Philip Tomasino (Nashville Predators), Vasily Podkolzin (Vancouver Canucks), Rem Pitlick (Pittsburgh Penguins)