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The calendar has flipped to 202,4 and several NHL players are glad to put 2023 behind them.
The past year saw breakout performances from the likes of Quinton Byfield, Quinn Hughes, Connor Ingram, and Cole Perfetti among others. Looking ahead to 2024, here are five players looking to bounce back after a poor 2023.
Top five NHL players aiming to mount a comeback in 2024
#1 Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin is 38 and in his 19th NHL season. The Russian is trying to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record, but in 2023, Ovechkin struggled to score. In 34 games, he has scored just seven times and is 65 goals behind Gretzky.
At this point, the hope for Ovechkin would be to score 25 goals the rest of this year to get him down to 40 and hopefully do that next season. However, if he's going to break the record, he will need to turn back the clock in 2024.
#2 Jonathan Huberdeau, Calgary Flames
Since Jonathan Huberdeau was traded by the Florida Panthers to the Calgary Flames, he has struggled.
To begin the 2023-24 NHL season, Huberdeay recorded 16 points in 36 games while last season, recorded 55 points in 79 games. Considering how Huberdeau has looked, his contract is one of the worst in the NHL, and he needs to turn his career around in 2024.
#3 Patrik Laine, Columbus Blue Jackets
Patrik Laine was drafted second overall in 2016 by the Winnipeg Jets and was part of a blockbuster deal to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2021.
This season, Laine has taken another step back and was a healthy scratch in one game due to his poor play. He has recorded nine points in 18 games this season. If he's going to get back to his All-Star self, he will need a massive comeback in 2024.
#4 Ilya Samsonov, Toronto Maple Leafs
Ilya Samsonov signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2022-23 NHL season.
Samsonov took over as the starting goalie and led Toronto to the second round of the playoffs. The Russian was brought back on another one-year deal, but this season, Samsonov has been terrible.
He's 5-2-6 with a 3.94 GAA and a .862 SV% and was placed on waivers. With Samsonov set to be a pending free agent, the Russian will need to bounce back ASAP if he's going to be on an NHL roster for the 2024-25 season.
#5 Jack Campbell, Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers signed Jack Campbell to a five-year deal worth $5 million per season to be the starting goalie for the 2022-23 NHL season.
Campbell was very inconsistent last year, and to begin the 2023-24 NHL season he was terrible. He went 1-4 with a 4.50 GAA and a .873 SV% and was sent down to the AHL.
In the AHL, Campbell's struggles have continued, as he's 5-6 with a 3.32 GAA and a .893 SV%. At this point, his NHL career could be coming to an end if he doesn't turn it around in 2024.
