Born In the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen / 20/20 Experience - Justin Timberlake
When the Dallas Stars signed unrestricted free agent Ales Hemsky over the summer, they thought they had acquired an ideal linemate for Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn or the perfect right-hand man for Jason Spezza.
A month into the NHL season, Hemsky's three-year, $12 million signing does not look like money well spent. As of Wednesday, he hadn't scored a goal and was minus 6.
Other NHL players whose starts have not measured up to expectations:
2. Brad Richards (Chicago Blackhawks): He was supposed to fill a hole at No.2 center but has two goals and six points in 13 games. That's a 38-point pace. He's averaging 13 minutes a game.
3. Matt Moulson (Buffalo Sabres): He was signed to be Buffalo's proven goal scorer but has no goals in 13 games. Moulson is averaging fewer than two shots a game for the offensively challenged Sabres. He's also a minus 7.
4. Brian Gionta (Buffalo): The Sabres weren't counting on him to score as much as Moulson. But the team certainly didn't expect he would be without a goal 13 games into the season. The primary reason the Sabres are averaging roughly a goal a game is that their veterans aren't producing,
5. Alexander Semin (Carolina Hurricanes): He was a healthy scratch for two games last weekend and has been unable to score in his first nine games.
6. Mike Smith (Arizona Coyotes): It's stunning to see Smith's statistics: a 3.84 goals-against average and .873 save percentage. The Coyotes are not a high-quality team, and Smith's numbers reflect to the team he is taking a step back. But he should be a difference-maker, and he hasn't been able to save his team with the same level of regularity.
7. Dustin Brown (Los Angeles Kings): Even when Brown isn't scoring, he has value because of his leadership and heavy hitting. But his declining scoring has to be worrisome. He had 15 goals last season and has two goals in his first 13 games.
8. Blackhawks forwards: Chicago rank 21th in scoring, and all of the forwards have to share in the blame. The Blackhawks should be among the NHL's top five-scoring teams. But Bryan Bickell and Brandon Saad have one goal each, and Marian Hossa has two. Patrick Kane has four. The Blackhawks have been anything but sharp offensively in the first month.
9. Jack Johnson (Columbus Blue Jackets): He is minus 11. Given his team's injuries, the Blue Jackets need Johnson to be playing exceptionally on the blue line. That has not been the case.
10. Olli Jokinen (Nashville Predators): Jokinen signed for one season at $2.5 million and doesn't have a point while playing 15 minutes a game. The Predators are getting more production out of free agents Derek Roy and Mike Ribeiro, who signed for roughly $1 million each. If Jokinen was hoping to have a strong season to make himself marketable enough to secure a longer-term deal, he must pick up his pace.
The Michael J. Fox Show / ESPN Fantasy Football / Work From Home
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