It's a new year, and that usually entails making resolutions.
For some NHL players, that might include hitting a career mark or staying healthy, while others may attempt to recapture their onetime greatness.
It's not uncommon for players to underperform expectations in their organizations or to simply have the luster wear off. Luckily, on many occasions, a fresh start elsewhere can prove to be all the difference in rekindling that spark.
Here are three players who could use a change of scenery:
Jonathan Drouin
After an absolutely electric junior career with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, Drouin has been unable to replicate greatness at the NHL level.
The 20-year-old has put up just 40 points in 89 NHL games as the Tampa Bay Lightning wait for Drouin to dazzle like he did as a teenager.
The Lightning assigned Drouin to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch on Saturday, which may have been the last straw for the young winger. On Sunday, Drouin's agent announced he requested a trade - back in November.
Drouin is in need of a new home where he can start over with ample opportunity to succeed. He leads the Lightning with 1.66 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, yet has only averaged 14:06 of ice time this year. Given a chance, he can produce.
With one year remaining on Drouin's contract before he becomes a restricted free agent, it would be best for the Lightning to trade him before they have to contend with his deal along with contracts for Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Victor Hedman in summer 2017.
Justin Schultz
Schultz entered the NHL as a highly sought-after minor-league free agent. He inked a deal with the Edmonton Oilers followed by an impressive 2012-13 rookie season, collecting eight goals and 27 points in 48 games, but his numbers have declined since.
This season, Schultz is on pace for a mere 10 points, having mustered just one goal and three assists through 26 games.
His defense has been porous in Edmonton, thanks in large part to a lack of guidance and a thin nucleus on the back end.
Schultz would benefit greatly from a team with a solid blue line and a system where he could improve his defensive game, while also getting back to being the productive puck-mover he's shown he can be.
Ryan Johansen
This season has been a tire fire for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
After a record-setting poor start to the campaign saw head coach Todd Richards replaced with John Tortorella, the team continued down a mediocre path in a season they were expected to show growth.
The Blue Jackets' biggest issue has been the play - or lack thereof - from forward Johansen. Following a career year, Johansen limped out of the gate with just six goals in 37 games.
He's served as a healthy scratch under his new head coach, with obvious signs of tension between Johansen and Tortorella. He's still only 23 years old, though, so his value remains significant.
Like the two aforementioned players, it would be in the best interests of both parties to move Johansen. He can still be a dominant NHL player, but doing so under Tortorella is seeming less and less likely.
