Down seasons burn owners and sour draft capital, but they also present draft-day opportunities. Identifying bounce-back candidates helps owners avoid the trap of overpaying for last year’s performance and leave the draft with undervalued players that are primed for a comeback. These aren’t the ones returning from injury—skaters like Filip Forsberg, Matt Dumba, or P.K. Subban. Instead, the following players might’ve fallen short of projections last season but should return to meet or exceed expectations this year.
Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) ESPN: 59 | NHL: 38
The bad: Evgeni Malkin had a career-worst -25 rating and a career-high 84 giveaways last season.