The NHL has always had superstars. You can’t be the premiere league without them. Players who not only put up the numbers but are also extremely marketable to fans. They move the needle, provide countless highlights to show on loop, and get every fan in the stadium on their feet.
However, sometimes a player loses that luster. Be it through age, controversy, or simply just fizzling out of the spotlight, some players find superstardom doesn’t last for everyone. Maybe they don’t produce as much as they used to, or maybe they found themselves in a heap of trouble, it varies. These are ten active NHL players who are no longer superstars.
10. Drew Doughty
Once hailed as the best defenseman in the world, the sky was the limit for the Kings’ star blue liner. He was producing offensively and was a force to be reckoned with when you crossed into his zone. Fans everywhere in Los Angeles were wearing his jersey, chanting his name, and every other team was trying to find some way to get the puck around him. Fast forward a couple years. Doughty is still one of the best defenseman on the team, however the offensive numbers are no longer there.
As the team’s success dwindled, so did Doughty’s. Teams adapted around him. He’s still an amazing player however that aura of invincibility is no longer there. He suffered his first ever long term injury in 2021-22 that saw him miss the entirety of the playoffs and most of the season. He still leads the team in ice time so you know the Kings see him as a key player, but his name isn’t as spoken about across the league. Top that with the fact that Doughty tends to be a bit of a chirper, which can rub people the wrong way especially if you’re not producing.
9. Corey Perry
Drafted in 2003, Perry was a member of the 2009 Stanley Cup winning Ducks team. From 2005 to 2019 Perry was a household name in Anaheim. He was one of the best scorers on the team and you would be hard pressed to find a Ducks fan who didn’t have his jersey. Father time catches us all however, and its safe to say that Perry is not the producer that he used to be. Averaging about 26 points the last four seasons, as well as playing for three different teams has seen Perry’s name lose some of its former luster.
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While he did win the Cup twice with Tampa Bay, he saw himself take more of a back seat role as opposed to being one of the head scorers on the team like he used to be. Tampa fans don’t worship him the way Anaheim fans used to. Pair that with the fact that Perry has a somewhat nasty reputation for dirty play, and people’s opinion of him has started to sour. Perry is no stranger to the penalty box, and that makes him more of a detriment given that he doesn’t have the offensive numbers to back it up anymore.
8. Patrick Kane
This one might be controversial. Kane is a massive reason why the Blackhawks dynasty existed. He’s consistently a top scorer in the league every year and when word got out he was going to be traded, he was one of the most sought out names at the deadline. While his production did falter a bit last season, it wasn’t near enough to justify saying he’s completely washed up. So, what happened to make Kane’s name go from household to street? Well, when you’re that good people are always going to look for a reason to hate you and the opportunity to do just that came in 2015.
Patrick Kane was accused of sexually assaulting a 21 year old woman in December of that year. While nothing really came of the allegations, Kane never was able to shake the repercussions that came with it. He was looked at with distaste by a lot of fans around the league, (there was a game in Winnipeg that saw Jets fans chanting “She said no,” at him). With Chicago going from dynasty to bottom feeder as well, Kane was no longer hailed as one of the top stars of the league. He got a very unceremonious departure from Chicago, and at age 34 it’ll be hard for Kane to recapture that former glory
7. Claude Giroux
This one isn’t really the player’s fault, as Giroux has simply been a victim of circumstance. He spent most of his career in Philadelphia, quickly becoming a household name there as one of Philly’s brightest prospect. Working his way to captain, Giroux cemented himself in Philly’s roster as one of the most consistent players there. However, Philly was never able to capitalize off Giroux, in fact they did quite the opposite, and unfortunately Giroux got a lot of the blame. Fans and Philadelphia media depicted Giroux in a poor light, stating that he wasn’t stepping up the way he should as captain.
Giroux eventually had enough and requested a trade. At the trade deadline in 2022, Giroux was shipped to Florida with the hope that he would be a key piece in pushing that team over the hump. Florida would finally win a playoff series, but fizzle out in the next round. They elected not to resign Giroux, and he was instead signed by Ottawa, who would miss the playoffs. Giroux is no longer talked about among the best players in the league, and unfortunately the teams he’s played for are a big reason why.
6. Joe Pavelski
Once thought to be San Jose’s saving grace, Pavelski would spend most of his career on a San Jose team that was never able to fully cross the finish line. Thirteen seasons spent with a team that was consistently playoff contenders, only to fail to ever fully break that barrier and win it all. Pavelski was loyal, and stayed with the Sharks through it all, even when they begin to slip towards the bottom of the standings. The longer he stayed, the more his name slowly got forgotten as other stars around the league emerged on still contending teams.
Pavelski finally made the jump from San Jose, signing with Dallas in 2019. However, Dallas also hasn’t been able to find much consistency, and despite a conference finals appearance this last season its hard to say they will before Pavelski’s time is up. At 39 years old he’s still producing very well (he had 77 points last season), but how much longer is he willing to play?
5. Shea Weber
This is a rough one, because while Weber is still technically considered an active player, he is probably never going to play again. The man with the hardest slap shot in NHL history. He was a big bodied titan on the blue line that knew how to put the puck into the net. A captain on both Montreal and Nashville, you would find it hard to find a top ten defenseman list that didn’t have Weber on it. So, what happened? Well, the short answer is that Weber hasn’t played since 2021.
For the last few years Weber has been plagued with serious injuries that have kept him sidelined for long periods of time. Even if he did return, it would be highly unlikely he would be the same player he once was. As the years pass by, Weber’s name is quickly forgotten by fans and while he is still technically active (he was just traded to Arizona), it’s unlikely we’ll ever see him set foot on the ice again
4. Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Quick is a three time Stanley Cup champion, a Conn Smythe winner, a Vezina finalist, and a two time William M Jennings trophy winner. He was an athletic specimen, one of the best goalies of his time, and maybe possibly even the best American born goalie of all time (arguably). Sadly, father time has not been kind to Quickie. His explosive athletic style has taken its toll on his body, and he suffered multiple injuries in 2014 and 2016.
He no longer has that same explosiveness he used to. He’s much slower and he has unfortunately been able to adapt to that, often finding himself out of position or beaten by a fast play. Every now and then he shows flashes of his former glory, but its been short lived, especially in this last season. Quick played his entire career in LA and was beloved, but last season saw him traded at the dead line out of desperation for a solid goaltender. Quick was then traded to Vegas, where he won the cup without ever actually playing a game in the playoffs.
Quick recently signed a one year deal with the Rangers where he will most likely serve as the backup. Hopefully he can recapture some of that former luster he used to have.
3. Zach Parise
In the 2012 offseason, Zach Parise was one of, if not the most sought after free agent on the market. Multiple teams made high offer bids with the hope that he would sign with them and carry them to the finals as he did the Devils. In the end, Minnesota would win the bid, signing Parise to massive 13 year 98-million-dollar contract. He brought Minnesota back into the playoffs and for a while it seemed as if he would be the guy to push Minnesota to the success they had been craving. The Wild’s wager on Parise wouldn’t pay off, as they failed to make it past the second round his entire tenure there.
As the years on his contract progressed, Parise’s production would slowly start to sink. In his final two seasons with the Wild he would scored 46 points and 18 points respectively, well below his paygrade. Parise would join the Islanders in 2021, but the change of scenery did nothing to help his sinking production. Now, Parise finds himself as an unsigned free agent heading into August as he contemplates retirement or playing another year.
2. Jeff Carter
Carter at one point in time had one of the deadliest wrist shots in the league. An absolute sniper in his prime, Carter was a 6’3 monster that could not only body people out of his way, but could dangle quite a bit too. A two time Stanley Cup winner with the Kings, Carter has been a consistent goal scorer for most of his career. Father Time caught up to him however, as it usually does, and in 2017 Carter saw his goal scoring start to fade. He went from scoring 20-30 goals regularly, to scoring under 17. He faced injuries his last two seasons with the Kings, before eventually being dealt to Pittsburgh.
He’s played the last three seasons with the Kings, however he’s taken more of a back seat role on the team, averaging only 13 goals per season. At 38 years old it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to bring that goal scorer back, but he seems content playing the role he is at this moment in time.
1. Carey Price
One of the biggest tragedies in NHL history was Carey Price never winning a Stanley Cup. Playing his entire career in Montreal, Price was considered the best goalie in the world for a long time and he had the numbers to back them up. However, Montreal was never able to find the ultimate prize even with Price in net, and eventually Price became injury riddled.
Its no real surprise given how big his workload was in Montreal, but Price never would come back from these injuries the same. Price was unable to play at all last season, and his future is still relatively unknown. He hasn’t had the same superstar numbers either, though they haven’t bad numbers. It’s an unfortunate situation that one of the greatest goaltenders this generation of hockey has ever seen, will have very little to show for it, but that’s hockey.
Hopefully Price can have one last stellar season and ride off into the sunset like he deserves.
