When players struggle, the hope is it's just temporary and they'll right their ship before too long. For some, that hope turns into reality, while for others it doesn't, resulting in an entire season of disappointment. Which players are underperforming yet still capable of turning things around in the second half? That's for your votes to decide.

I've assembled a list of 20 forwards who are producing below expectations. The question for you is which of them can at least somewhat salvage their seasons by scoring at a 60-point-pace over the rest of 2023-24. The key word is pace, as these players don't necessarily have to reach 60 total points; they just have to score at a rate, from now until the end of the season, which would translate to a 60-point full season pace.

Here are the 20 voting choices, in alphabetical order. You should vote for any and all who you believe will indeed score at a 60+ point pace over the rest of 2023-24. A link to cast your votes will appear at the end of the column.

Matty Beniers

After scoring at a 58-point-pace in his first full season, expectations naturally were that he'd be able to build upon that for 2023-24. Instead, he's faltered, lagging below even the point per every other game mark. The talent undoubtedly is still there; but is this just a sophomore slump he'll have to endure, or can he right his ship in the second half?

Jamie Benn

After four seasons below a 60-point scoring rate, Benn was nearly a point per gamer in 2022-23. This season he's dropped back to his previous levels. His ice time is down, overall and on the PP, so it might be a tall task to expect a second half surge.

Tyler Bertuzzi

Banking on himself by inking a one year UFA deal with the Leafs, Bertuzzi seemed like a good bet to have a solid season. So far…..not so good. Perhaps he ups the effort level in the second half to try and help pad his wallet this summer.

Dylan Cozens

After Cozens posted 68 points in 2022-23, there was talk of he and Tage Thopmson forming a potent one-two punch for the upstart Sabres. Despite comparable ice times, the 2023-24 version of Cozens hasn't performed well. Yes, his SH% is unsustainably low; however, fixing that alone wouldn't put him at a 60-point-pace. Can he rediscover what led to him thriving last season?

Jake DeBrusk

Finally a UFA to be, DeBrusk, who most have felt is itching to get out of Boston, is not doing himself any favors, scoring at barely above a point per every other game pace. Yes, he's seeing less PP time; but that doesn't explain the drop in his shot rate. He too is sporting a lower than normal SH%, but like Cozens it isn't low enough to justify his struggles.

Pierre-Luc Dubois

Much was expected of Dubois, and to say he hasn't delivered would be a vast understatement. The heir apparent to Anze Kopitar has been shooting less and sports a double digit minus rating. Still, LA wants him to succeed, so he'll likely continue to get chances to do so.

Johnny Gaudreau

If last season was a let down, this has been even worse. Gaudreau is taking the ice for basically the same amounts and percentages, but is shooting far less and looks like he isn't motivated at all. Even still, he's at a 53-point-pace and one would think he could rise to 60+, right?

Jonathan Huberdeau

Now into its second season, Huberdeau's slump is giving his owners headaches, since they're too afraid to give up on him, lest he figure things out, but they also can't afford to keep him in their line-ups given how lousy he's doing. He has shown glimpses of solid play of late though, so perhaps he has it in him to get back to some semblance of the player he was?

Andrei Kuzmenko

Fun fact – Kuzmenko had 14 points in his first 16 games. Since then it's been all downhill. Readers of my column know I was sounding the alarm against Kuzmenko even as he was thriving last season. I am not here to toot my own horn. In fact I still don't deny that Kuzmenko is talented. I just feel he needs good players around him, and he takes too many games off, which has not earned him any brownie points with Rick Tocchet. We know he can score at a 60+ point pace for an extended period. But will he over the rest of 2023-24?

Jared McCann

It seems like a lot longer ago than Q4 of 2022-23 when McCann was on fire to the tune of 22 points in 20 games while firing 78 SOG, for a rate of just under four per game. He's not too far below a 60-point-pace though, and his ice times are essentially the same as they were last season. There does seem to be realistic hope.

Timo Meier

Again, not to pat myself on the back, but I warned that Meier would be a misfit in New Jersey, as he can't really skate alongside Jack Hughes since both are high volume shooters, and that leaves Nico Hischier, who plays a two way game not at all conductive to Meier's style. It looks like a lost season for the Swiss forward, although can we really write him off?

Josh Norris

After 35 goals and a 68-point scoring pace in 2021-22, Norris got hurt and simply put has not been the same. He has a big contract though, which ensures he'll keep getting top six minutes, and he is. He just isn't translating that into points, at least not yet. Maybe he'll have his timing back in the second half though, and thrive?

David Perron

After his scoring rate dipped for the second straight season, there was concern father time was catching up to the now 35-year-old Perron. He's played more outside the top six than in it, yet still is on PP1….for now. It remains to be seen whether he can turn things around.

Rickard Rakell

In his first season as a Pen, Rakell scored at a 60-point-pace for the only time in his career, and the thinking was he'd build upon that. Fast forward to now though, and he can't seem to gel with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. The good news is the Pens don't really have anyone else to slot in the top six over him, so he should get a chance to continue to play with an elite center.

Brayden Schenn

After two solid seasons, Schenn is well off his usual pace thus far, lagging below a point per every other game. A quick look at 2022-23 shows he tallied 20 points in his last 20 games, such that he could be a decent bet for a return to form.

Nick Schmaltz

Go figure – usually with Schmaltz the complaint is he's hurt. But for 2023-24 he's been relatively healthy so far. The issue is his production has slowed. Given he scored at a 75+ point in each of the past two seasons he seems like a good bet to up his scoring rate over the rest of the season, that is assuming he doesn't get hurt.

Chandler Stephenson

A success with Vegas since he arrived, Stephenson's scoring rate was 66 points in each of the past two seasons. But he's well under that rate despite more PP time. The issue is despite taking the ice more with the man advantage, his overall TOI is down, and his already low SOG rate is even lower. Still, those who've bet against him before don't have a great track record, and he might get better deployment while Jack Eichel is out of the line-up.

Dylan Strome

After posting 22 points in his final 18 games last season, Strome not only cemented his spot as the first line center in Washington but set the bar high in terms of his scoring rate. It's not as if he's doing poorly now; the issue is the team around him seems to be past its prime, such that unlike a rising tide raising all boats, a sinking one isn't doing him any favors.

Teuvo Teravainen

After three-of-four seasons with a scoring rate of 69+ points, Teravainen seemed to be slowed by injuries last season. Without that excuse for 2023-24, it's not clear what's happening. He too is set to be a UFA, so the timing of his subpar play is strange. Perhaps he'll ignite in the second half, although there are more capable wingers on the Canes now than when he was thriving, so that might be a tall order.

Owen Tippett

After finishing 2022-23 with 15 points in as many games and firing 78 SOG in his last 20 contests, many – myself included – figured Tippett had arrived as a 30+G, 30+A player. Although his 2023-24 output thus far has put him not too far from this pace, his overall TOI is down by nearly two minutes, making it more difficult to envision him thriving in the second half (assuming his recent injury isn't serious) even though his SOG rate is still somehow up versus last season.

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If you have several of these players on your fantasy teams, then you have my sympathies. Let's not dwell on that and instead focus on the task at hand, and that is to identify which of these 20 forwards has it in them to score at a 60+ point pace over the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign. You should vote for any and all players you think will indeed do so. Click here to cast your vote(s).

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Questions for Mailbag Column

My monthly mailbag runs next week and I have room to answer plenty more questions. To get yours to me, you can either private message “rizzeedizzee” via the DobberHockey Forums or, instead, send an email to [email protected] with “Roos Mailbag” as the subject line.