Now that most teams are at the halfway point of the season, this is a great time to try to figure out which players might have big second halves.

There are a few different ways to accomplish this, but one thing that helps is to find players who have a history of having much better second halves. Last year makes it more complicated, as there were only 56 games.

Below are 10 players that had better second halves in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. I’m not including last year since it was a shorter season and teams only played against their division. For 2019-20, I’m still including the first half as the first 41 games of the season. Even though the season was cancelled in March because of Covid-19, no one could have predicted that early on.

Remember, just because a player has been a better second-half player in the past doesn’t mean it will happen this season. The past doesn’t predict the future, but it could be a helpful indicator and as such, these players need to be added to your watch list.

10. Sean Couturier

2018-19: 29 points in his first 39 games (0.74 points per game), 47 in his last 41 (1.15 points per game)

2019-20: 30 points in his first 40 games (0.75 points per game), 29 in his last 29 (one point per game)

It’s been an awful season for the Flyers, and almost everyone on the team is struggling. After a great start to the season (12 points in 10 games), Couturier has five points in his last 19 games and hasn’t played for a month as he has dealt with an upper-body injury. Last week, it was announced that he may need surgery, which would take him out for the rest of the season. If not, he should be able to make a return to game action. He’s on a 48-point pace, which would be the first time in five years he didn’t reach a 70-point pace. If we were certain he was coming back this season, Couturier would be much higher on this list. At the same time, I didn’t want to leave him off the list in case he does return.

9. Oliver Bjorkstrand

2018-19: 12 points in his first 36 games (0.33 points per game), 24 in his last 41 (0.59 points per game)

2019-20: 23 points in his first 36 games (0.64 points per game), 13 in his last 13 (1 point per game)

This season has seen one of the hottest starts of Bjorkstrand’s career, which is kind of confusing considering this is probably the worst Blue Jackets team of his career. He has 28 points in 40 games, which is a 57-point pace. That seems low, but if he has a much better second half, he could post career highs. This is the first time he’s been on the top power-play unit and the first time he’s averaged more than 18 minutes a night, so it’s easily accomplishable.

8. Colton Parayko

2018-19: 11 points in his first 41 games (0.27 points per game), 17 in his last 39 (0.44 points per game)

2019-20: 13 points in his first 41 games (0.32 points per game), 15 in his last 23 (0.65 points per game)

One thing that will always hold Parayko back from taking that next step is the lack of power-play minutes. A few years ago, many had anointed Parayko as the next big thing in St. Louis, and while he has been great for peripherals, the offense may never match those expectations. He’s averaging 22 seconds a night on the power-play (easily the lowest of his career), but his overall ice time is almost 24 minutes a night (a career high). His 82-game pace is on par with what he normally finishes with, but a better second half will help him reach a 40-point pace for the first time.

7. Mikael Backlund

2018-19: 20 points in his first 37 games (0.54 points per game), 27 in his last 40 (0.68 points per game)

2019-20: 17 points in his first 41 (0.41 points per game), 28 in his last 29 (0.97 points per game)

For 2019-20, Backlund had the second-highest difference in points-per-game when looking at first versus second half among all players. Calgary is one of the few teams that hasn’t played 41 games yet, but Backlund is starting to heat up. He has four points in his last six games, but is still disappointing with 15 points in his first 40 games. That’s an 82-game pace of 31 points, which would be his lowest pace in 10 years if it holds up.

6. Jonathan Toews

2018-19: 35 points in his first 41 games (0.85 points per game), 46 in his last 41 (1.12 points per game)

2019-20: 28 points in his first 41 (0.68 points per game), 32 in his last 29 (1.10 points per game)

It would not be any surprise if Toews put up a much better point pace in the second half of the season after his atrocious start. Toews missed all of last season. He looked like it took a while for him to get into game shape, as he was pointless in his first five games and nine in his first 25. So, his first-half numbers will be low. Since then, he has 11 in his last 18, but is now day-to-day with a concussion.

5. Pavel Buchnevich

2018-19: 12 points in his first 26 games (0.46 points per game), 26 in his last 38 (0.68 points per game)

2019-20: 21 points in his first 39 games (0.54 points per game), 25 in his last 29 (0.86 points per game)

Three Blues make this list, but Buchnevich is the only one we have to look at a different team when looking at past statistics. He is quietly putting together the best season of his career this year, which is impressive considering the slow start to the campaign (two points in six games plus two games missed due to a suspension). His 0.95 points-per-game is the best mark he’s ever had, and it puts him on pace for 78 points over an 82-game campaign. His three shots per game are almost a full shot per game better than last year, and his 13 power-play points are already the second-highest of his career.

4. Robert Thomas

2018-19: 9 points in his first 32 games (0.28 points per game), 21 in his last 38 (0.55 points per game)

2019-20: 19 points in his first 36 games (0.53 points per game), 23 in his last 30 (0.77 points per game)

Even though he’s only 22 years old, Thomas has been a much better second-half player in every season so far in the league. This year, he’s been dynamite with 32 points in 37 games, so it will be fun to see if he has an extra gear. If he does, he could finish as a point-per-game player. One thing to remember about Thomas is that he doesn’t contribute in any other peripheral categories, so it’s points or bust. His ice time is more than 19 minutes a night (a massive increase from last year’s average of 13:36 per night), and his power-play usage is up as well.

3. Kyle Connor

2018-19: 29 points in his first 41 games (0.71 points per game), 37 in his last 41 (0.90 points per game)

2019-20: 38 points in his first 40 games (0.95 points per game), 35 in his last 31 (1.13 points per game)

Many of the Jets are struggling, but Connor continues to do what players named Connor do: He puts up points. His 24 goals are seventh in the league, his 44 points put him in a tie for 18th, and his 184 shots are second-best. This is all impressive considering how bad the Jets have been. His ice time and power-play ice time are both at career highs.

2. Mika Zibanejad

2018-19: 34 points in his first 41 games (0.83 points per game), 40 in his last 41 (0.98 points per game)

2019-20: 31 points in his first 26 games (1.19 points per game), 44 in his last 31 (1.42 points per game)

The Rangers forward has a reputation for being a slow starter. Even during the shortened season last year, he started with three points in his first 15 games and 11 in his first 27. He then had a six-point game and finished with 39 in his last 29. This year he started with six points in eight games, which is pretty decent considering how slow he normally starts, and now has 38 in his last 37. The guy is a stud, but remember to try to buy low in future seasons earlier in the campaign instead of waiting for the halfway point.

1. Steven Stamkos

2018-19: 46 points in his first 41 games (1.12 points per game), 52 in his last 41 (1.27 points per game)

2019-20: 36 points in his first 35 games (1.03 points per game), 30 in his last 22 (1.36 points per game)

Stamkos is an interesting test case for this list, as he’s had a much hotter start this year than he usually does. However, that doesn’t mean he starts slow. Quite the opposite, as you can see from the statistics. However, he still seems to find a way to improve on his statistics in the second half. He has 48 points in the first half this year (in 40 games), which has to be one of the most unexpected starts of the season considering the team was without Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point for a good chunk of the first half.