Worst NHL Players Going Into Christmas

It may be Christmas, but some surprising players in the NHL are heading into that break not on good terms with their play this season. The three-day break for players begins Wednesday and because of that, there's really no chance we would change our perception of them going into the holiday season. So let's take a look at the six players so far this season who have disappointed us:

Ryan Kesler (Anaheim Ducks): Oh, I wish he didn't end up having a disappointing season so far, but he has. The Ducks had signed him to a six-year, $41.25 million that doesn't kick in until next season, but if his play keeps up like this, the Ducks will be sure to want their money back. Kesler has four goals and 12 points, currently ranked fifth on the Ducks, and has been a major part of the Ducks' woes. He and Ryan Getzlaf were expected to be the mean tandem at center ice, but that hasn't been the case so far this season. His strength production is also down to 0.7 points in 60 minutes. Usually when the Ducks have problems like this early on, they don't really recover until next season. The Ducks don't want to wait til next season, so Kesler's gotta find some way in the next couple of games to get his production back up or else they'll be out of the playoff picture for good.

Marian Gaborik (Los Angeles Kings): The Los Angeles Kings have been known to bring players that haven't done well with their recent clubs and somehow find success. Well, this season, Marian Gaborik hasn't found success. He currently only has seven goals and 12 points and he usually posts 60 points in a season. That means Gaborik's gonna have to go rapid-fire on point production if he expects to get to 60 by the end of the season. The other problem is that he's on the line with Anze Kopitar, who's been having a great season so far. Gaborik's even-strength production of 1.1 points out of 60 is the worst of his career. The good news for the Kings is that they lead the division. The bad news is that if Gaborik can't get his point production back up to speed, they may fall out of that top spot.

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins): Wowser! Here's a guy I never thought would get on this list. By far, he is one of the best players in the game, and that's why we hold him to such high expectations. But right now, he is falling way short. He has only six goals and 22 points, and his 6.5% scoring rate is less than his normal amount. The bigger surprise is that they actually do better in play and creating scoring chances when Crosby is on the bench. But like a big star, we expect him to snap out of this slump. Like James Harden in Houston, his poor play has already gotten a coach fired, so even though the whole state of the season so far is not on him, if the Penguins don't get better, it will all be on him and that's not fair to a guy who means so much to the Penguins and who got them a Stanley Cup championship at one point.

Dan Girardi (New York Rangers): Girard has been dealing with a knee injury lately, which is why he has not been on the ice much for the New York Rangers, but the Rangers players are actually driving the play 10% more when Girardi's on the bench. Ryan McDonagh, his primary partner on defense, is actually doing better when Girardi's not on the ice, playing a 53% possessed player without him while playing 38.6% player with him. If this is all about an injury issue, I would suggest the Rangers keep him out of the lineup while he rests that knee. Hey, if they play better without him, might as well just do that until he's ready to come back.

Matt Carle (Tampa Bay Lightning): For some reason, we don't hear much from Tampa Bay because they play in Florida, where basketball and football take all the glory. But for Matt Carle, who is the most expensive defenseman that the Lightning have right now, he has no points in 31 games. You can't have that. The Lightning are lucky enough to have Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman, but for Carle, he's gotta be better than this. He is also the worst possession blue-liner for the Lightning right now. Like Crosby and Girardi, when he's on the bench, the Lightning do better with puck possession and skating up the ice. No points is unacceptable to any player who is the most expensive player the team has. He might be moved if he can't somehow find a way to help the Lightning propel the puck into the offensive zone more often.

Jonathan Bernier (Toronto Maple Leafs): You know, every year, I'm always hoping that Jonathan Bernier can play with a Maple Leafs team that can help him in the defensive end. Well, maybe his struggles this season are what the Maple Leafs wanted so they can land a high draft pick and get a goaltender. But coach Mike Babcock is not liking this from him with a 3.21 goals-against-average and a .889 save percentage. He was supposed to be the Number 1 netminder but those numbers are not No. 1 worthy. Bernier started this season 0-8-3 before being sent down on a conditioning assignment, and has allowed three or more goals nine times in the 14 games he has started. He might be shipped out for good if he can't get any help from defensemen.

I know we expected more from these players this season, especially with Crosby, Kesler, and Gaborik, but if your production is down when the team depends on it most, you might be looking at being shipped out from your respective teams. Now, I grant you, this is only early in the season and we still have four more months to go, but four months can come quick to the NHL players and if they want a legitimate shot to win the Stanley Cup, they have to find a way to get their production back up to the way it was before. Let's hope the Christmas season gives them some time to reflect on what happened and what they need to do to get better.