duds

Here are the top 3 disappointments from the first half...

1) Ilya Kovalchuk- Big shock here.  The Kovalchuk situation in Jersey has been a complete mess from the very beginning.  The team was so tied up with his big contract they could only dress 3 lines for some games at the start of the season, and Kovy isn't even coming close to earning that pay.  He has only 29 points in 48 games played this season, one less than the incompetent Olli Jokinen.  His +/- is the worst in the league at -29.  But what makes this guy a huge dud to me is how he has brought his team down to the very bottom of the NHL standings.  Jersey was a division winner last year, and have made the playoffs for the past 13 seasons.  He has clearly shaken up the chemistry of this team, and I am not sure as to how well liked he is in the locker room.  I think Kovalchuk is driven more by cash and individual stats rather than winning.  If not, why would he turn down a 10 year $83 million deal with the LA Kings, who apart from being an up and coming young team, have a solid fan base.  Kovy is just as content playing in Newark where the seats are as empty as Atlanta, on yet another team destined to miss the playoffs.  The Atlanta Thrashers this season look much more promising than they ever did with Kovalchuk, because they replaced him with character guys and are now more of a team.  Dont be surprised if Ilya attempts to bolt to the KHL in the next couple of seasons.

2) Joe Thornton-  For the past 5 seasons, it was almost a given that the Sharks would be in the top 3 of the west and Jumbo Joe would be top 10 in scoring.  This year Thornton's play has declined, and consequently the Sharks are now battling for their playoff lives.  His 44 points in 48 games is average for his standards, and his -14 will have to improve if this team wants to be playing in April.  It seems the Stanley Cup window is closing fast for this team, who have always proven to be a dominant team in the regular season but could never get it done in the playoffs.  I am big fan of Thornton and I have always thought his criticism was a bit undeserved, but at the age of 31 it seems he is slowing down ever so slightly.  San Jose is at their best when Joe is at the top of his game.  Joe missed out on the all-star game this year, despite being the captain of the western conference team 2009 in montreal.  He made a 50 goal scorer out of current zamboni driver Jonathon Cheechoo, and Dany Heatley relies on Thornton heavily to get him the puck.  San Jose will only go as far as Joe will take them, and his play will have to elevate in the second half for this team to get into the playoffs.

3) Drew Doughty- A preseason Norris favourite, Doughty's play has taken a step back this season.  The Kings are currently struggling sitting at 11th in the Western Conference.  It's not like Doughty has terrible this season, but his coming out party at the olympics followed by a strong second half and playoff performance set the bar very high for him this year.  But let's keep this in perspective.  Drew is only 21 years old, and seemingly has a hall of fame career ahead of him.  Part of me feels like he is playing a bit injured, but he is way too valuable for the Kings to shut down for a good portion of the season.  Look for Doughty's play to pick up in the second half and for the Kings to make a strong push for the playoffs.