It was a weird year in Raleigh for Derek Stepan, who for the first time in his NHL career found himself fighting to be on the ice rather than in the press box for a good chunk of the season.
Stepan, who signed a one-year deal with the Canes ahead of 2021-22, came in to provide forward depth. When he played, he was fine. He produced 19 points in 58 games — more points in fewer games than both Steven Lorentz and Jordan Martinook — while playing some valuable minutes on the penalty kill.
But for Stepan, the issue was his inability to consistently find his name on the lineup card.