This has been a difficult statistical season for NHL defensemen. Injuries eradicated some all-star caliber performers. Others were traded from great situations into unfavorable ones.
And some former statistical stalwarts suffered through the more typical problems: Nagging injuries, lost playing time and the struggle of their team’s power play.
Here is a look at 10 defensemen falling short this season:
Sergei Gonchar, Penguins: In the explosive Pittsburgh offense, he promised to bid for the defensemen scoring title. He is one of the great power-play weapons in the sport. He scored 65 and 67 points the previous two seasons – with 94 of those points coming on the power play. But preseason shoulder surgery knocked him out for most of this season.
Sergei Zubov, Stars: Chronic hip problems cut short his season and threatened to end his career. He played just 10 games this season and scored just four points. He scored 35 points in 46 games last season and 54 points in 78 games two years ago. Now, at the age of 38, he faces an uncertain future after undergoing further surgical repairs.
Ryan Whitney, Penguins: A foot injury caused him to miss the first third of the season. In Gonchar’s absence, he would have flourished as the No. 1 offensive defenseman. He scored 59 and 40 points the previous two seasons. Now he will try to make up for lost time as he rejoins the offense.
Brent Burns, Wild: He had a breakout campaign last season, scoring 43 points. He scored 15 goals, including eight on the power play. But Minnesota actually developed a surplus of offensive defenseman, so he lost his place while on the disabled list. He has 11 points in 29 games. When injuries depleted the Wild front lines, coach Jacques Lemaire and moved Burns up to the wing. This would have helped some players produce, but Brent hasn’t been as comfortable up there. His stock would improve if the Wild traded him to a team needing defensive help.
Andrej Meszaros, Lightning: In Ottawa, he posted decent offensive numbers and lofty plus-minus totals when the Senators were loaded. He scored 39 points with a plus-34 rating in 2005-06. In Tampa Bay, he has been unproductive -- scoring just nine points in 34 games with an even rating. His new team is a mess. The Lightning has undergone one coaching change and could probably use another. There has been staggering personnel turnover. This was supposed to be a puck-possession team with three good scoring lines and a great power play. Hah!
Erik Johnson, Blues: He could have been a 40- to 50-point scorer during his second NHL season. He would have quarterbacked this team’s effective power play. But he blew up his knee during a golf cart accident and will miss the entire season.
Mathieu Schneider, Thrashers: From the mighty Ducks of Anaheim, he moved to the lowly Thrashers in a salary cap-related trade. That swap – compounded by a shoulder injury -- had a predictable result on his statistics. He had eight points and a minus-9 rating in his first 22 games. He can only hope Atlanta trades him to a good team before the season ends.
Sami Salo, Canucks: He scored 62 points in 130 games the last two seasons. He could have benefited from the arrival of Mats Sundin for the second half of the Vancouver season. But Salo suffered a broken rib that will sideline him for a month.
Zach Bogosian, Thrashers: The third overall pick of the 2008 draft was supposed to be a top four defenseman for this team. He would have been especially valuable when Schneider was sidelined. But a broken leg knocked him out for 25 games. He is just now getting his wheels back.
Brett Clark, Avalanche: Back in 2006-07, he scored 39 points in 82 games for Colorado. He appeared to be an emerging defensive star. As it turned out, he’s not. He fell off to 21 points in 57 games last season and he scored just five points in 34 games this season – and none on the power play. Injuries have destroyed the once-potent Avalanche attack and Clark has fallen into a secondary offensive rol
