After taking the holidays off, the Fantasy Hockey Roundtable returns this week to address the question “Which player surprised you the most in the first half of the season (either by performing well above or well below your expectations) and do you think he’ll rebound or collapse? Who do you think will be the surprise player of the second half?”

Speaking for RotoRob, this was my two cents:

Michael Del Zotto of the Rangers has surprised me, both in terms of performing above and below expectations. It was shocking when he started the season so strong — putting up four goals and eight assists in October. But since then, he’s cooled considerably, scoring just one goal and eight more assists the rest of the way. Those numbers wouldn’t be so surprising if Del Zotto hadn’t had started so strong. But given that this is his rookie season, it’s probably just growing pains. I expect him to finish the season quietly.

For the second half of the season, I’m anticipating a huge dive in Sidney Crosby’s numbers. He’ll be coming out of a long postseason and the Olympics. Sid the Kid is tired and it’s already starting to show. Who knows how gassed he’ll be after playing for Team Canada?

Read the rest of the Fantasy Hockey Roundtable on RotoWorld.com.

I don’t think things will turn around for Eric Staal. He’s got no one around him in Carolina and you can see it in his numbers. Also, perhaps more interestingly, Staal is getting plenty of shots off, so it’s not like he doesn’t have the opportunity to score. The shots he’s taking just aren’t lighting the lamp. And that seems to signal he might have lost a step or two. more

The hot player I’m considering dumping is Stephen Weiss from the Florida Panthers. He’s coming off a December 2 hat trick and has five goals in his last five games. He’s got 13 goals and 11 assists in his first 31 games. Weiss is having a career season. Amazingly, he’s never scored more than 20 goals in a season and he’s never had more than 48 points. One school of thought says Weiss will continue to sizzle, but I’m guessing, as the Panthers continue to struggle, his production will return to his usual low-to-average levels. There’s nothing in his history to suggest he’s about to evolve into an offensive superstar. Weiss is doing well right now, and some Fantasy owners are probably cashing in on his recent hot streak, but I’m betting this is all just an illusion. more

His pace through 21 games was 16 points and 133 PIMs, which was far behind last years total of 54 points and 165 PIMs. With six points and four PIMs in his last four games, Backes looks to have turned the corner and he could break the 45-point and 150-PIM barriers again. His RW status is also bonus as it is the hardest position to fill. more

This week’s Fantasy Hockey Roundtable asked “Which goaltending battle has been the most intriguing so far this season?” more