With the new year upon us, it's a great time to look back and review some of our thoughts on 5 key fantasy storylines focusing on defenseman for this season. We will honestly say that even though we pride ourselves in usually giving out accurate advice, we have been very wrong on a few counts: "Sophomore jinx" for Justin Schultz? Scoring 27 points in 48 games as a rookie for Edmonton after leading the entire AHL in points scored should have been proof enough that the young Schultz was ready for the grand stage, but Year 2 has been a struggle. We loved for him to continue his ascent up the scoring charts in '13-14, especially playing with arguably the most talent-laden offensive roster in the West, but he only put up 13 points in 31 games. His combined -33 rating over the last two seasons is a reminder that he clearly needs work in the defensive zone. Until he cleans up his overall two-way game, his minutes will be kept in check. Having said all that, we still view him as a decent "buy-low" option for the second half of the season. Will Michael Del Zotto thrive under Vigneault? This one is tough to figure out, as the ultra-skilled 21-year old needed to desperately escape the contraints imposed on his offensive game by defensive-minded coach John Tortorella. With Alain Vigneault taking over the reins as Rangers head coach, Del Zotto stood the most to benefit and finally respond with a huge season. Unfortunately, the "chateau bow-wow" has become the underachieving d-man's second home, as frequent "healthy scratch" labels and limited minutes have defined his game more than offensive consistency. Dynasty-league owners should consider holding onto him, as MDZ has vast offensive upside with already two seasons of 37 and 41 points amidst all the turmoil. Perhaps a trade will restore him back to fantasy relevance. Debate: Tory Krug or Dougie Hamilton? Yes, Krug was a playoff sensation for Boston last season during the playoff series win against the New York Rangers, but Hamilton has the untapped offensive potential. I have defiantly defended Hamilton as the better fantasy option for this season, but Krug has been the more reliable point producer, scoring 19 points in 37 games including 11 on the power-play. Meanwhile, Hamilton has been a disappointment with only 7 points in 28 games, and also missing time due to a LBI sustained in early December. Krug has somewhat slowed down with three points in the last 10 contests, but he is the obvious better choice in one-year leagues. In terms of keeper-league upside, I have not given up on Hamilton's immense offensive upside. Breakout season in Year 4 for Cam Fowler? We definitely got this one right, as we projected the 22-year old to "break out" this season and surpass his career high of 40-points that he set as a rookie. Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau has been riding Fowler in all situations, giving him plenty of opportunities to put up career numbers. Despite just recording one assist in the last six games, the talented rearguard has 21 points in 39 games and has remained the undisputed power-play quarterback for a talented Duck's unit, which includes an explosive 1-2 punch in Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Start the young Fowler with confidence. Can James Wisniewski re-establish himself as an elite fantasy option in Columbus? We believed "yes" all along, and the hard-shooting defenseman is making us look good with a sizzling start to the '13-14 season, collecting 20 points (2G/18A) in 30 games. Injuries still remain a concern, as he was recently sidelined for 6 games due to a UBI and has yet shown the ability to stay healthy an entire season. However, he has picked up assists in both games since his return, reinforcing the notion that could challenge his career-high 51 points in '10-11 if he can stay in the lineup. I guess that classifies as a "BIG IF", but his elite offensive production makes it easy to justify him starting in all fantasy leagues. Just keep fellow defenseman Fedor Tyutin in reserve, as he would stand to benefit the most in Wisniewski's absence. A great stop-gap fantasy solution.