Is it too early to hit the panic button on James Neal? Absolutely it is.
He’s an aging player coming off a respectable but not amazing 40-point campaign, so how much scoring do we really expect? He’s got a high-money large-term contract for his age and production, we can’t expect him to live up to that right out of the gate right?
He’s getting lots of powerplay time, the production will show up eventually won’t it? And besides, scoring isn’t the point. He’s a wily veteran, a team leader, and a good dressing room guy. That’s what really counts for older players, right?