Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald is a rarity: A professional athlete who admits he became weighed down by a hefty contract and trying to prove the deal was justified.
The weight of his six-year, $30-million deal became so heavy that he wasn't himself last season. The harder he tried, the more he turned the puck over. His confidence started to vanish. It could have disappeared altogether when he was sent to the minors at the start of this NHL season.
MacDonald became the highest-paid player in the AHL.
But instead of sulking at the demotion, MacDonald got his game in order, playing alongside his Phantoms defensive partner, Shayne Gostisbehere.