Change is good.
The history books of hockey show a host of young players who excelled at the junior ranks only to struggle to find that same scoring touch in the pros. Often times, a move to a new team can help trigger that production.
With that in mind, here are three players who could benefit from new surroundings:
Ryan Strome
A former fifth overall pick, the New York Islanders forward has struggled to find his way in the early goings of his career.
Ryan Strome made his NHL debut in 2013-14 and put up a respectable 18 points in 37 games. The 23-year-old seemed to be on the right track, building on that performance in the following season when he posted 17 goals and 33 assists in 81 games.
But Strome failed to live up to that play last season, when he finished with just eight goals and 20 assists through 71 games. Still, the team saw enough to sign him to a two-year, $5-million extension, but his challenges have continued through the 2016-17 campaign. This season, Strome has twice been a healthy scratch and has been limited to 14 points in 44 games.
Curtis Lazar
The accolades were there, so you can't blame the Ottawa Senators when they chose Curtis Lazar with the 17th pick in 2013.
After winning the Memorial Cup with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014, and following that up a year later with a gold medal as part of Team Canada at the world juniors, Lazar hasn't seen as much success in the pro ranks.
Lazar made his debut with the Senators in the 2014-15 season, posting 15 points through 76 games, and made a slight uptick a year later, when he tallied 20 in 76 games. But a poor training camp this fall saw Lazar begin the year in the AHL, where the forward finished with four points in 13 games. Since his recall to the NHL, he has just a single point in 27 games.
Tomas Jurco
The Detroit Red Wings know how to develop prospects, especially outside of the first round.
That's why it's so surprising to see less-than stellar numbers from Red Wings winger Tomas Jurco, who has been unable to translate his success from the AHL ranks to the NHL level.
After wrapping the 2013-14 campaign with the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings' minor-league affiliate, in which Jurco recorded 32 points in as many games, he followed that up with 15 points in first 36 games with Detroit. But in the ensuing 120 matches, the Slovak-born winger has tallied only 24 points. A change out of the Winged Wheel uniform could possibly help him find his scoring touch.
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