Nick Kypreos

Nick Kypreos is a Stanley Cup champion and Hockeycentral analyst

Loads of rookies are suffering from a sophomore slump. Here's how to fix it.

Luke Schenn and Steve Stamkos have gone in opposite directions in year two of their NHL careers.

A sophomore jinx or slump refers to someone whose second effort fails to live up to the standards of the first effort. So after watching the first 20 games of this season, it's safe to say the tradition lives on.

Need proof? With the exception of Steve Stamkos, all of the top scoring rookies from last year will be hard-pressed to reach the same point totals they enjoyed last season. From Bobby Ryan and Kris Versteeg to Michael Frolik and Blake Wheeler, putting the puck in the net hasn't come easy.

And it's just not the guys expected to score that are suffering the sophomore slump. Young stars who are supposed to keep the puck out of their own net, such as Luke Schenn and Steve Mason, have struggled as well.

So here's the $64,000 question: what changes in 12 short months? Is it one main thing that causes a second-year star to struggle, or is it an accumulation of a few things?

First of all, compare their state of mind from year to year. Big pressure on an 18-year-old, regardless of draft position, is virtually non-existent going into that first training camp and if it does exist, it's brought on by the player himself. So even if you're nervous as hell seeing all your hockey heroes live and in colour for the first time, your body - and more specifically your "hands" - are, believe it or not, fairly relaxed.

What also helps is the fact you, as a prospect, are coddled, starting from the coaching staff right through to the media that follow the team. Kid gloves are on because the everything-to-gain-and-nothing-to-lose philosophy is established the moment you arrive at training camp. It's all a bonus for a kid who isn't supposed to even make the team.

But the sophomore year is entirely different. After a solid rookie season proving to the whole world you belong, the questions you ask yourself go from "Am I big, strong or fast enough to play in the NHL," to "How much money can I make on my next contract?"

Another question always asked after a great rookie year is "Do I buy a new house now or rent a bigger place than the one I had last season?" Another I heard for 12 straight years of my pro career was, "I can't believe how many hot chicks you meet playing in the NHL, so how long should I wait till I dump my high-school girlfriend?" That's a far cry from "Can I really keep up with the pace," and "Is the coach going to like my style of play?"

Don't get me wrong here; these aren't necessarily bad questions, actually they are quite natural questions that every hockey generation has asked. The big problem with them, though, is they keep you from remembering what got you asking those questions in the first place. It's hard work keeping your top priorities in place. And don't think for a minute all of that responsibility to not get full of yourself lies just with the player. Clubs need to shoulder some of blame when it comes to adding the pressure to perform in a sophomore year.

Schenn is a perfect example of this. This past summer he was constantly being peddled in Leaf promo campaigns, so he doesn't need to be a brain surgeon to figure out real quick he's one of the main cogs in the MLSE big wheel when he's being sold all over town as the team's poster boy.

When 18- and 19-year-old kids spend the entire season living out their childhood dream in a fast-paced rookie season, it's really difficult not to get full of themselves. The key is not to let it snowball. The number of people who come out of the woodwork and want a piece of you is mind-boggling. There are requests from teams, the league, agents, financial advisers, equipment manufacturers, corporate sponsors, and don't forget about the sleek autograph seeker ready to pawn your John Hancock for 50 bucks a pop. It's amazing how much can change in 12 short months.

For all of them there is still plenty of time in the season to get their heads on straight and re-establish their priorities. Some do, while others only dig themselves deeper into a hole.

Ultimately, handling this major change is what separates the men from the boys.