5 NHL stars who will underachieve in 2018-19

1. Sergei Bobrovsky

After a handful of Vezina Trophy-worthy seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky may face some adversity between the pipes next season.

The Russian native had a strong finish down the stretch for the Blue Jackets last season when “Bob” posted a 13-2-1 record for Columbus during the regular season’s final three months of play. Still, what happened to the two-time Vezina Trophy winner (2013 & 2017) when it mattered most for Columbus in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals?

While Bobrovsky has never had success in the postseason, the 29-year-old portrayed signs that his play may have finally hit a wall when the Jackets lost four straight games to Washington, after the team took a commanding 2-0 lead in round one.

His regular season numbers don’t lie and he’s proven he’s an elite goaltender, but there have been recent moments when Bobrovsky appeared to be the goaltender from his days with the Philadelphia Flyers (2011-12).

In recent memory, NHL goaltenders have appeared to be more expendable than in the past, and in large part because netminders are trending in a direction where their performance begins declining after a handful of solid seasons. Let’s not forget that this could be labeled as a transition year for the Blue Jackets, as well.

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Columbus lost two defensemen to free agency, Ian Cole and Jack Johnson, and the team’s Artemi Panarin trade talk distraction could significantly impact the team’s overall performance and early on in 2018-19. Columbus may have to get used to seeing backup, Joonas Korpisalo, between the pipes more often next season.