5 NHL players set to have comeback seasons in 2018-19
By Kyle McKenna
Find out which NHL stars are poised for comeback seasons in 2018-19.
The 2017-18 NHL campaign was memorable for a number of reasons, but there were also some big-name skaters who underachieved this past season and made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
NHL fans witnessed perennial Stanley Cup Playoff contenders such as the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers miss out on Lord Stanley’s big dance for the first time in a long time, and those Original Six franchises also experienced some of their top skaters taking a step back in their performance level on the ice.
While some of the game’s biggest and brightest stars appeared to be on the decline last season, it’s not uncommon for all-star caliber skaters to make a dramatic comeback and win back the hearts of their respective city’s fanbase.
Here are five players who are set to have comeback seasons in 2018-19.
Regardless if forward Max Pacioretty is traded or not, he’s set for a comeback performance on the ice next season. In fact, there’s no way the (current) Montreal Canadiens captain can go any lower after Pacioretty failed to record 30-or-more goals in a season for the first time since 2012-13, which was also a shortened campaign due to the lockout.
The 29-year-old only recorded 17 goals and chipped in 20 helpers for a total of 37 points in 2018, but it’s no secret that the veteran is in need of a new scene. Pacioretty will embrace whichever team Montreal trades him to and take full advantage of that opportunity to show just how valuable he can be in the right environment.
A change of scenery can do wonders for professional athletes, and no one is in more need for a new environment than No. 67 North of the Border. The former first-round draft pick (2007) would embrace a new role with a team that would grant him the ability to regain his confidence both on and off of the ice, too.
Keep in mind that Pacioretty would have less pressure to handle on a new roster next season considering he more than likely wouldn’t be named the team’s captain, and the chances are that Patches’ new lineup will also benefit his point production in comparison to last season’s.
He can only go up, and expect No. 67 to be a top candidate for the NHL’s 2019 Masterton Trophy.