In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll look at skaters who have bounced back from an underwhelming first half and put together a strong second half. For the purposes of this article, I took each player's total appearances so far and split those appearances in half. So, if someone played 56 games up until this point, then their 'first-half' production includes their first 28 appearances, and their 'second-half' production includes their next 28 appearances.

This will be the first of two parts as we'll cover skaters from Boston to New Jersey this week, and New York to Washington next week. I avoided players who have already been discussed in detail during recent installments of Eastern Edge (i.e., Tage Thompson and the Canadiens).

David Pastrnak – The Czech sniper had a modest start to the year with 21 points (eight goals) in his first 28 outings. He's taken his game to a new level since then, tallying 36 points (23 goals) in his last 29 outings. Surprisingly, most of Pastrnak's recent success hasn't come beside his usual 'Perfection' linemates Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron – who have been skating with Jake DeBrusk lately. Rather, Pasta's production has taken off since joining forces with two new linemates, who happen to be the next entries on our list.

Taylor Hall – After starting the campaign with an underwhelming 16 points in his first 28 appearances, Hall has found his game with 25 points in his last 29 outings. His production has improved since joining forces with Pastrnak, as the two players have shown strong chemistry in their time together. While Hall and Pastrnak are rostered in most fantasy leagues, there's a third member of this Bruins' line who may be sitting on your waiver wire…

Erik Haula – In his first 27 appearances of the season, Haula managed just six points. The Finnish forward has bounced back in a big way with 19 points in his last 27 outings. Rostered in just 10% of Yahoo Leagues, Haula provides sneaky value as long as he's centering Hall and Pastrnak. The concern is, his spot between the two talented wingers is far from set in stone. The Bruins may be shopping for a second-line center as the trade deadline approaches and could continue shuffling their lines as the season progresses. Regardless, Haula represents a good low-cost option if your fantasy roster needs some offense in the short term.

Jeff Skinner – The Sabres forward had a decent start to the season, tallying 17 points (nine goals) in his first 28 appearances. He's kicked it up a notch recently, posting 24 points (14 goals) in his last 28 outings. Skinner's fantasy value had been decimated by unfavourable deployment under coach Ralph Krueger. Coach Don Granato has helped the 29-year-old winger find his game again. Not everyone has noticed Skinner's bounceback campaign this year as he's only rostered in 27% of Yahoo leagues. 

Brady Skjei – After posting five points in his first 28 games of the season, the Hurricanes defenseman has quietly collected 19 points in his last 28 appearances. His offensive ceiling is limited because he doesn't get any power-play time, but that makes his recent production all the more impressive – because all those points have come at even strength. If your league's fantasy playoffs begin on March 28^th, the Hurricanes will play a league-leading eight games in the first two weeks of your postseason. Skjei could provide some sneaky value if you're making a run at the title in a deeper league.

Anton Lundell – The 20-year-old rookie had a modest start to the campaign, tallying 13 points in his first 26 games. He's been on a tear since then, posting 25 points in his last 26 games and firmly establishing himself in the Calder conversation. He benefits from a sheltered role in Florida, facing weaker opponents while Aleksander Barkov's line handles the tougher matchups. Although he doesn't play in the top-six, Lundell still skates beside talented linemates thanks to Florida's deep roster. He's spent lots of time beside Sam Reinhart, who boasts a point-per-game pace through 53 outings. Although they've been separated recently, Lundell has also seen a lot of minutes beside Mason Marchment, who has surprised many with 34 points in 31 appearances this year. Marchment (67%) and Lundell (73%) are still available in most Yahoo leagues.

Damon Severson – The Devils defenseman started off with eight points in his first 21 games but bounced back in a big way with 23 points in his next 27 appearances. A good chunk of his recent production came while Dougie Hamilton was sidelined with an injury, but Severson has surprisingly managed four points in six games since Hamilton returned to the lineup. Severson was promoted to the top power-play unit when Hamilton got injured and hasn't relinquished that role just yet. I personally think Hamilton will find his way back to the top unit, but we'll see what the future holds.

Yegor Sharangovich – He opened the campaign with nine points in 25 games but has been on fire recently with 19 points in his last 25 outings. His ice time is up from 15 minutes in the first half to roughly 16:30 in the second half. Sharangovich benefits from skating beside budding superstar Jack Hughes at even strength. Hughes was sidelined for 14 games in the first half, which may explain the contrast in Yegor's productionbetween the two halves.