John Grigg

The old sophomore slump is a disease dreaded by all players coming out of their rookie seasons. It’s not a myth, it’s reality; a function of fatigue sometimes, over-confidence others. Sometimes it’s not even a slump, but merely a player working on his all-around game, as per team orders.

There are players expected to make statistical strides this season. Guys like Zach Bogosian, Derick Brassard, T.J. Oshie, Bobby Ryan and Steven Stamkos are obvious. But as we draw closer to the 2009-10 NHL season, I can’t help but wonder which lesser-known players will surprise or disappoint this year. Here are a few suggestions.

Three players I see taking statistical steps back this season are Anaheim’s Andrew Ebbett, Boston’s Blake Wheeler and Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski.

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