Not every NHL player is bound to make progress in the upcoming season.
A trio of forwards in particular won't improve upon the career highs they set in 2016-17.
Here are three players who won't be on the scoresheet as often this season after breakout campaigns a year ago:
Nazem Kadri
The forgotten youngster after the big three in Toronto - Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner - the Maple Leafs center made a name for himself in 2016-17 as he came up with 32 goals on the season.
It marked a career high for Kadri, whose previous best came when he potted 20 goals during the 2013-14 season - the only other season in which he has cracked the 20-goal plateau.
Look for reduced production from Kadri this year, whose unlikely to repeat last season's success. One reason is that Matthews is expected to take on a bigger role up the middle, alleviating Kadri of some of those minutes. Matthews took on more responsibility as last season progressed and will grab the top center duties out of the gate in October.
T.J. Oshie
A lot of things went right for Oshie last season. On a Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals squad, the Washington forward was surrounded by elite talents in Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Evgeny Kuznetsov, among others.
While those three will return alongside Oshie next season, other factors are not as likely to repeat. Most of all, the 30-year-old winger is no longer on the verge of free agency with the chance to cash in.
With big money on the line, Oshie came up with a career-high 33 goals in 2016-17, doing so in just 68 games. That production came with the help of a 23 percent shooting percentage - nine points higher than his previous best. In the end, the performance landed Oshie a $46-million extension through 2025, which will pay him when his prime years have become a thing of the past.
Patrick Eaves
It was an interesting season for Eaves, who netted 21 goals in 59 games with the Dallas Stars, then finishing his season with the Anaheim Ducks following a trade deadline deal that sent him to Orange County.
Surprisingly, Eaves' production did not slow down upon his arrival in Anaheim - in fact, it only continued to climb, as he potted 11 goals and added three assists through 20 contests with the Ducks. All in all, he wrapped the season with 79 games played and 32 goals to his credit.
It marked Eaves' best goal-scoring output since he tallied 20 in his debut season with the Ottawa Senators more than a decade ago. It's not often you have a career year at 33, and it's even less likely Eaves will build on that success this coming season.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
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