NHL analyst addresses growing concern over Ben Kindel's goal drought

Entering Thursday night's game, Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Ben Kindel is in the middle of an extended 14-game goal drought, with just one goal in his past 19 games dating all the way back to early December.

While the numbers really stand out, the drought has not reflected a drop in his overall play, which is why NHL analyst Adam Gretz views this stretch as a normal part of player development rather than a cause for concern, and revealed it happens a lot more than people think.

Gretz points out that consistency in scoring production is hard to come by across the NHL, even for the most seasoned veteran.

Effort, defensive play, and puck possession usually remain steady, but goals and points naturally come in waves over an 82-game season.

Even elite scorers like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon may experience stretches of high production followed by quiet periods.

Those peaks and valleys are usually more pronounced for young players because the spotlight is on them.

Adjusting to the pace, physical demands, and competition at the NHL level often leads to a rookie wall at some point during the season, and can even affect a player in their second year, hence the sophomore slump.

Immediate dominance from teenage rookies like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews, or Macklin Celebrini represents rare exceptions to the rule. Many top picks went through similar growing pains as Kindel.

For a younger, lower-drafted player like him, those challenges are even more common, and Gretz is convinced he will pull out of it.

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