5 NHL stars who will underachieve in 2018-19
By Kyle McKenna
2. James Neal
Yes, the Calgary Flames needed to upgrade at the winger position after the Flames underachieved in 2017-18 and missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh time in the past 10 seasons.
But the team opted to overpay for winger James Neal, when the Flames inked the veteran to a five-year deal that’s worth a total of $28 million-plus. Calgary and Neal have set themselves up for disappointment, especially in 2018-19.
Considering that Neal arguably exceeded expectations last season with the Knights, the 30-year-old probably won’t have a repeat performance with his offensive production. Keep in mind that the Flames are Neal’s third team in just as many years, and the chances are that the constant moves will take a toll on the one-time 40 goal-scorer (2011-12).
It’s fair to say that the Flames’ youthful assets such as Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan will benefit from Neal’s veteran presence and Stanley Cup Playoff experience, but that doesn’t mean the former Golden Misfit won’t underperform next season on the stat sheet.
While the Whitby, Ontario native has recorded at least 20 goals or more in 11 of his 12 NHL seasons, the former second-round draft pick (2007) is due for a decline in production and the timing is not in his favor heading into next year.
Calgary has been struggling with its identity and consistent play for almost a decade now, and first year head coach Bill Peters probably won’t change that culture during his first season in Western Canada.