Three underperforming NHL players who must step up 

We’re deep enough into the NHL season now that patience is starting to wear thin for some around the league. 

Teams that came in with playoff expectations can’t really call it a small sample size anymore, and waiting around for things to magically fix themselves isn’t much of a plan. When that happens, attention always turns to the stars.

If the stars aren’t driving play or producing the way they normally do, everything else starts to feel harder. Lines get shuffled, roles get stretched and the margin for error disappears pretty quickly.

Not every slow stretch is a red flag. Injuries happen, systems change and some guys just need time to settle in. But at a certain point, especially in a tight race, teams need their best players to be exactly that. With that in mind, here are three players whose teams need more from them as the season goes on.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

You could make a case for just about every Maple Leafs star to appear on this list, given the team’s recent struggles, but the brunt of it falls on the captain. Whether it’s an injury, difficulty adapting to Craig Berube’s system or the departure of Mitch Marner, something simply hasn’t looked right with Matthews.

The superstar center has been held to 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) through 30 games, with four of those points (three goals, one assist) coming via the empty net. Beyond the numbers, the eye test hasn’t been encouraging, either. Matthews has often been unnoticeable in games, going long stretches without touching the puck or driving play the way he’s known for. It’s become concerning, and some are starting to wonder whether this is an extended slump — or an unfortunate glimpse of a new normal.

Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning 

Next up is another elite center from the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay has managed to stay afloat, largely thanks to Jon Cooper’s coaching, but doing so without Point at his usual level isn’t a formula that will hold up all season.

Point missed seven games in November due to injury, but even accounting for that, the production hasn’t been there. In 28 games, he’s posted 19 points (six goals, 13 assists), well off the pace of the 40-goal, 80-point seasons he’s delivered over the past three years. He’s begun to find his game since returning, and if the Lightning have any real hopes of contending again, they’ll need their top center to keep trending upward.

Kevin Fiala, Los Angeles Kings 

Fiala may not always get the spotlight, but he’s one of the league’s more underrated offensive players, with the skill set to play at a true star level. We’ve seen that production before, particularly during his final years in Minnesota and early in his time with the Kings. So far in 2025-26, though, it’s been closer to fine than difference-making.

His 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 34 games are respectable, but Fiala has shown he can produce at a point-per-game pace, and there’s little reason to think he can’t get back there. Outside of star winger Adrian Kempe, the Kings struggle to generate offense, which puts even more pressure on Fiala to carry a larger share of the load if Los Angeles wants to keep pace in the Pacific Division.