In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll review some of the most disappointing performances across the conference this year. We'll also discuss what to make of these struggles as we look ahead to playoff pools and future fantasy seasons. 

Carter Hart – The Flyers netminder put together a solid performance during his sophomore year back in 2019-2020. During the regular season, he posted a 24-13-3 record alongside a 2.42 GAA and .914 save percentage. He took it to another level in the playoffs, winning nine of his 14 appearances and registering a 2.23 GAA and .926 save percentage in the process. As a result of his impressive play last year, Hart was one of the first goalies off the board in this season's fantasy drafts. To say he fell short of our expectations would be an understatement. He will finish the 2021 campaign with a 3.67 GAA, .877 save percentage and nine wins through 27 appearances. While I don't think any of us expected such a drastic drop-off, it's important to recognize that he's just 22 years old and still developing his game. From a fantasy perspective, Hart could provide some underrated value next season, with this year's struggles causing him to fall in the fantasy rankings ahead of next year's drafts.

Taylor Hall – When the 29-year-old forward signed in Buffalo, our imaginations ran wild with visions of highlight-reel plays from the dynamic duo of Taylor Hall and Jack Eichel. Unfortunately, our dreams weren't realized as Hall posted just two goals and 17 assists through 37 games with the Sabres. One point every two games just doesn't cut it for a player that was selected 54^th overall in the average Yahoo league. If you had the patience to hold onto Hall all season, you've been rewarded since he was traded to Boston; he has five goals and five assists in 12 games with the Bruins. While Hall has been playing well, I'd say his rebound is primarily fueled by line mate David Krejci – who has 14 points in 12 games since Hall arrived. At even-strength, the trio of Hall, Krejci and Craig Smith has thoroughly outshot and out-chanced their opponents, outscoring them 12 to 2 (Source: NaturalStatTrick). I think this line could be extremely dangerous in the postseason, so keep Hall, Krejci and Smith on your radar as you prepare for your playoff pool.

Shea Weber – The Canadiens' captain was productive early on this season, tallying seven points in his first 10 games of the 2021 campaign. At first, the strong start seemed to justify his Yahoo ADP of 93. However, Weber's production fell off as the season progressed, leaving him with just 12 points in 38 games after that initial hot streak. He's been shooting the puck less frequently this season, averaging roughly two shots per game after posting closer to three shots a night in recent seasons. Despite his overall struggles this year, Weber did have a decent showing on the power play, posting 11 points with the man advantage through 48 appearances. With that being said, I wouldn't rely on Weber for power-play production going forward. In the past, Weber was a prominent piece of Montreal's power play because of his booming slap shot. However, the Weber one-timer became predictable and was never really that effective as a power-play strategy. Recently, we've seen more creativity from Montreal with the man advantage, with offensive flowing through Nick Suzuki, Jeff Petry and Tyler Toffoli. At this stage of his career, I don't think Weber has the mobility to thrive with the team's new power-play strategies. With that being said, he'll probably still have a power-play role next season, but don't be surprised if that role gradually evaporates as the youth take over in Montreal.

Evgeni Malkin – The 34-year-old center reminded us of his scoring prowess last season when he tallied 74 points through 55 appearances, which translates to 110 points over 82 games. It was Malkin's best offensive showing in recent years, and as a result, he was drafted early on in fantasy leagues ahead of the 2021 campaign. Unfortunately, he fell short of our lofty expectations, posting just 25 points in 30 outings this year. It's worth noting that his overall numbers are weighed down by a slow start that saw him post seven points in his first 12 games. Since then, he's put up 18 points in 18 appearances. Regardless, it seems that Malkin's lacklustre overall numbers and 23-game injury absence have caused his fantasy value to drop this year. As a result, you should be able to snag him at a discounted price ahead of this year's playoff pools or next season's fantasy drafts.

Patrik Laine – Expectations were high for the 23-year-old winger this year as he was taken 25^th overall in the average Yahoo league. He started strong, posting 13 points in his first 11 appearances. That includes three points in his first game of the season (when he was still a member of the Winnipeg Jets) and 10 points in his first 10 games as a Blue Jacket. Unfortunately, that strong start is now a distant memory, as Laine has just eight points in 32 games since then. At this point, I think it's important to remind ourselves that Laine has been one of the best goal-scorers in the NHL since he debuted in 2016-2017. Between 2016 and 2020, he's tallied 138 goals in 305 appearances – which ranks seventh in the league during that span. He still has that elite goal-scoring ability, so his recent struggles are likely a product of his situation in Columbus. It seems that John Tortorella is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, forcing Laine to develop his defensive game while limiting his offensive freedom, which is ultimately causing the winger's offensive production to suffer.

Laine is a restricted free agent after this season, so it'll be interesting to see if he stays in Columbus or finds himself on a new team. I'm confident Laine will bounce back next year, but I think his free agent situation will receive a lot of media attention during the offseason. It may not be true for all fantasy leagues, but sometimes players are overvalued in fantasy hockey leagues when their name is constantly in the news during the preceding offseason. So, just keep that in mind as you plan for future fantasy drafts. If he joins a new team, it's likely that his fantasy value will rebound prematurely as people take for granted that he'll bounce back – so there won't be room for a discount. However, if Laine stays in Columbus, he may be undervalued next year as a result of his struggles this year. As such, you may be able to steal him in the later rounds of the draft.