Players who had ice cold starts to the season have found better luck by the time the All-Star break rolls around, but there are a handful of stars who are still performing well below their career scoring rates. Those players can be great targets for fantasy managers because eventually the puck luck will come. Here's a look at a few guys who just have to start finding the stat sheet in the second half.
Dustin Byfuglien, D, Winnipeg Jets
At one point this season, the Jets' powerful blueliner went 33 games without a goal. That's stunning for a defenseman who has twice scored 20 goals. While his ice time and shot rate have both dipped from last year, his production shouldn't have completely dropped off the table. Byfuglien's shooting percentage is just 2.3 percent this year, way down from a 7.0 percent mark during his career in Winnipeg. More of his blasts are likely to end up in the back of the net in the second half.
Brent Burns, D, San Jose Sharks
Last year's Norris Trophy winner hasn't given fantasy managers much to write home about this year with just seven goals in 48 games. That's down from 29 last year, and 27 in 2015-16. All arrows point toward an improvement down the stretch. Burns has the second highest shot rate of his career. His lowest shooting percentage since joining San Jose is 5.5 percent, but this year's number is just 3.5 percent.
Max Domi, LW, Arizona Coyotes
Two years ago, Domi looked like the next young superstar in the NHL. As a rookie, he scored 18 goals in 81 games. Since then, he's only produced 12 goals in 109 games. While Domi might not have the ceiling we once expected, he's better than the three goals in 50 games he's tallied this season. The 22-year-old forward has a higher shot rate and more ice time per game than his rookie year, but a shooting percentage of only 2.9 percent. He's bound to find some good bounces soon.
Erik Karlsson, D, Ottawa Senators
The two-time Norris Trophy winner who carried the Senators on his back to the Eastern Conference final last season is having an un-Karlsson-like season with only four goals thus far. He hasn't scored fewer than 13 in a full season since his rookie year, so you should see a rush of goals in the second half. The only concern over his production is looming trade talk and a sinking Sens team.
Mitch Marner, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Sophomore slumps happen, but Marner's slide from a top rookie to struggling second-year player has been driven by a low shooting percentage. In the first two months of the season, he scored just two goals on 51 shots. Since then he's found a little better luck with five goals on 59 shots. It would seem there's more to come. Marner's shot rate is similar to last season, but his shooting percentage has dipped from 10.8 percent to 6.4 percent.
Fantasy Forecaster: Jan. 29-Feb. 4
The NHL returns from the All-Star break on Jan. 30 with a packed schedule. Tuesday night features a 12-game slate, and five teams play four games in six days. Only the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers have fewer than three games.
Note: For those new to the forecaster chart, here are some explanations: "O" (offense) and "D" (defense) matchup ratings are based upon a scale from 1 (poor matchup) to 10 (excellent matchup) and are calculated using a formula that evaluates the team's season-to-date statistics, their performance in home/road games depending on where the game is to be played, as well as their opponents' numbers in those categories. The "Ratings" column lists the cumulative rating from 1-10 of that week's offensive ("O") and defensive ("D") matchups.
In the notes -- team, goalie and player -- below, the focus every week will be mainly on players who are available for potential use. Being rostered in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues is a good generalized cutoff, and I'll include players below 10 percent whenever possible to cater to deeper formats.
Team notes
If there was ever a time for the Canes to get themselves back in the race, it's this week. They face off with three of the East's worst teams in the Senators, Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings, and all three games are at home. Winger Jeff Skinner will have an opportunity to kick back into gear after a slow start to the year. He scored 37 goals last season, but has just 15 this campaign. Defenseman Justin Faulk has also been under producing with just 17 points in 49 games. Still, Carolina's scoring won't matter much if they continue to get sub-par goaltending. Scott Darling has been a major letdown with an .892 save percentage.
San Jose Sharks
Despite underwhelming performances from a number of key players, the Sharks are still hanging onto second place in the Pacific Division. But with the Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks on their heels, the Sharks will have to put together a solid road trip this week. They travel to Pittsburgh and Detroit on back-to-back nights, then play games at Columbus and Carolina to wrap up the week. The Sharks have received strong goaltending from Aaron Dell (.917 save percentage), who has made eight starts in January. It appears he's San Jose's top goalie over Martin Jones (.910 save percentage).
The Golden Knights are the talk of the NHL right now. They currently sit in first place, but this week will act as a huge test. Vegas will leave their comfortable confines for Calgary, Winnipeg, Minnesota and Washington in the span of six days. The difference between the Golden Knights at home and road has been remarkable. They have won 19 of 23 games in Sin City, but only 13 of 24 on the road. Their thought process at the trade deadline will start to take shape over the next week or so.
Goalie notes
Jonathan Bernier, Colorado Avalanche (Rostered in 51.3 percent of ESPN leagues)
If Bernier is available in your league, go get him. The Avalanche are proving to be a better team than expected, and he is now their No. 1 goalie. Over his last six games, the former Maple Leaf has won four games and posted a save percentage higher than .923 in five contests. His overall save percentage is up to .919, his best mark since 2013-14.
Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes (17.4 percent)
The Hurricanes wanted Darling to become their new franchise goalie, but his struggles have forced head coach Bill Peters to turn to longtime Canes goalie Cam Ward. While he performed well early in his career, the last half dozen years haven't been good. Ward hasn't managed a save percentage over .910 since 2011-12, yet he continues to find playing time. In a tough recent stretch that matched Ward against Tampa Bay, Washington, Detroit, Vegas, Pittsburgh and Montreal, he lost four of six games.
Player notes
Bo Horvat, C, Vancouver Canucks (46.8 percent)
Vancouver's young forward returned to the lineup after missing time due to a leg injury. While the Canucks aren't exactly a high-flying offensive team, Horvat will have a chance to do some damage. He has 22 points in 31 games and appears to be on an upward trajectory. Horvat has increased his points per game in every season since entering the league. He'll face some tough teams this week in the Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kyle Okposo, RW, Buffalo Sabres (37.8 percent)
Since signing with the Sabres, Okposo has seen his production dip, possibly because the Sabres are one of the least effective offensive teams in the NHL. But he might be getting things going after a brutal first three months. In January, the former Islander has 12 points in 11 games and is averaging over 18 minutes per game for the first time this year. The Sabres have three home games this week against the New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and St. Louis Blues.
Mathieu Perreault, C, Winnipeg Jets (37.2 percent)
The long-underrated Jets forward has been a consistent producer, racking up 29 points in 38 games. In January, he received more ice time than any other month, playing 18:25 per game. Playing on a line with Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers certainly won't hurt his production, as well. The Jets kick off the unofficial second half with a tough stretch, as they play Tampa Bay, Vegas and Colorado -- but all three games come at home.