3 players who can't live up to their famous fathers

Following in the footsteps of a famed parent can be be tough. Expectations are often through the roof to begin with, while being a high draft pick can add even more pressure to live up to the family name.

These three players are each struggling to match their famous father's achievements on the ice:

Sam Reinhart - Paul Reinhart

Paul Reinhart might have set the bar a bit too high. During his 11-year NHL career as a defenseman with the Flames and Canucks, he accumulated 559 points in 648 games (0.86 PPG). Unfortunately, he dealt with chronic back problems in his prime and retired at just 30 years old despite still producing at an elite level.

As a former second overall pick, Sam has failed to meet expectations so far in his pro career. He has just 101 points in 201 NHL games, and while he's still only 22 years old, his lack of foot speed will always prevent him from being an elite NHL player like his old man was.

On the bright side for Sam, he's already surpassed older brothers Max and Griffin on the Reinhart family player rankings list by quite a wide margin.

Alexander Nylander - Michael Nylander

Maple Leafs forward William Nylander is well on his way to matching - if not surpassing - his father Michael's career totals, but Alexander Nylander has gotten off to a rockier start.

The Sabres' prospect is still just 19 years old, but in 79 career AHL games, he has just 34 points to show for. While there's still plenty of time for the younger Nylander brother to right the ship, it seems hard to believe he'll ever come close to matching his father's career high of 83 points.

Sam Gagner - Dave Gagner

While the previous two players still have plenty of years left in their respective careers, Sam Gagner's hourglass is half empty.

The 28-year-old has put together a nice resume, but for a former sixth overall pick, he's been a disappointment, never collecting more than 50 points in a single season.

On the other hand, Dave Gagner was a premier point-producer for the Minnesota North Stars in the late '80s and early '90s, collecting 488 points in 513 games during his prime years.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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