A move to new surroundings can often be the perfect remedy.
That's certainly been the case with several struggling players in the past. Just ask Joe Thornton, who won the NHL MVP with the San Jose Sharks after spending his first seven seasons with the Boston Bruins.
With a refresh in mind, here are seven players who could benefit from a similar change of scenery:
Sam Bennett
No player may be more in need of a shake up than Bennett, who has failed to find the scoresheet through 13 games this season. No doubt a disappointment, it's safe to say the Flames had high hopes for the 2014 fourth overall pick, who was drafted ahead of the likes of William Nylander and Nikolaj Ehlers.
Bennett tallied 36 points in his rookie campaign two years ago, but declined to just 26 points last season, despite averaging nearly identical ice time. To follow it up, Bennett and the Flames slogged through a difficult contract negotiation last offseason. Calgary ultimately bet on a two-year deal, but the likes of it paying off appear to be slim.
Mikkel Boedker
Boedker agreed to a four-year deal with the Sharks in 2016, but things have not gone swimmingly since his arrival in San Jose.
Sharks bench boss Peter DeBoer - who coached Boedker in junior - is tasked with helping the Danish winger find some consistency, and has moved him throughout the lineup in search of his scoring touch. Playing alongside Joonas Donskoi and Chris Tierney on the team's third line, Boedker picked up two points in his last game after tallying just one point in his previous six outings. If the Sharks would rather move on from Boedker, it'd be difficult to do so, given he's signed for $4 million through 2019-20.
Anthony Duclair
A frequent scratch by former coach Dave Tippett, it's been more of the same for Duclair with new bench boss Rick Tocchet. Despite chipping in three goals this season - only Coyotes rookie Clayton Keller has scored more - Duclair has been scratched for two of the past three games.
Duclair returned to the lineup for Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, a contest in which he skated on the team's fourth line and finished last among forwards with just 10:49 in ice time. Originally acquired from the New York Rangers in 2015, Duclair could be a worthwhile trade chip to help right the last-place Coyotes.
Alex Galchenyuk
Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin sees forward Galchenyuk as a winger, a stance that coach Claude Julien agrees with, judging by his lineup. The point of confusion comes into play with where Galchenyuk has been slotted.
Skating on the team's fourth line, Galchenyuk has scored in three of the last five games, but has not been rewarded with a boost in the lineup. A third overall pick by the Canadiens in 2012, the hope was Galchenyuk would soon be the team's top center, a duty since filled by new recruit Jonathan Drouin. This offseason, the Canadiens committed to a two-year extension with Galchenyuk, but it may only be a matter of time before they move on.
Josh Leivo
The Toronto Maple Leafs winger is productive. The only problem is finding a regular roster spot. Depth at forward has seen Leivo scratched more often than not this season, as the 24-year-old sat out Toronto's first 10 games before drawing into the lineup for two of the past four contests. Leivo picked up a point in the process, but as of the team's last game, he was back to a familiar spot on the sidelines.
Leivo showed off his offensive chops last season when he picked up 10 points in 13 games, and that could pique the interest of rival GMs should the Maple Leafs wish to deal from an area of strength to shore up their defensive depth.
Sam Reinhart
The Buffalo Sabres center has made little progress over his first two seasons, and appears to be taking a step back in the early goings of this campaign as he's picked up just five points through 13 games.
While only three years removed from his draft class, it appears the Sabres made a devastating miss when they selected Reinhart one spot ahead of Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl. Reinhart is now in the final year of his entry-level contract, and first-year Sabres GM Jason Botterill has opted for a wait-and-see approach before locking in a big-ticket extension. Otherwise, he could elect to deal Reinhart to improve his roster elsewhere.
Jacob Trouba
Trouba and the Winnipeg Jets went through an ugly contract dispute in the lead-up to last season, so much so that the American-born blue-liner sat out the first 15 games. He eventually agreed to a two-year deal, a contract that expires at the end of 2017-18.
While Trouba will again be a restricted free agent - meaning the Jets still have more say in how his future plays out - the team could look to move on from a player who previously demanded a trade. Furthering those efforts could be Trouba's inability to live up to his offensive potential. With just four points through 12 games this season, his scoring game appears to have plateaued.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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