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As a long time fantasy and Strat-O-Matic hockey GM, the key to winning is rarely who you select in the first couple rounds, but finding diamonds in the rough or picking a young player in the later rounds who is just about ready to have a breakout season.
Most fantasy leagues schedule their drafts during the exhibition season, when it is still unknown who will make a team and whether they will be playing on a scoring line or as a depth player. With a couple weeks to go before training camps open throughout the league, it is a good time to prognosticate about which players could be a difference maker for each team in 2015-16.
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks – Teuvo Teravainen and Marko Dano: The departures of Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp and Brad Richards will give many new faces big time opportunity with the Blackhawks this season.
Teravainen scored only nine points during the regular season but was more involved offensively during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will definitely be moved into the top six. Dano was pressed into service with Columbus due to injuries to Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov and had 21 points in 35 games and with Chicago will slot in behind Jonathan Toews and Anisimov, but could score a lot of points matched up against the opposition’s third line center.
St. Louis Blues – Dmitrij Jaskin: The trade of TJ Oshie and lengthy recovery for Patrik Berglund could give the 22-year-old Russian winger a more prominent role with the Blues this season. Head coach Ken Hitchcock has always hesitated to give rookies significant responsibilities, but Jaskin scored 13 goals in 54 games playing mostly third line minutes.
Winnipeg Jets – Nikolaj Ehlers: Similar to the situation with Michael Dal Colle and the New York Islanders, the 19-year-old winger may have little to accomplish going back to Junior and cannot play in the AHL until he turns 20 next February. Ehlers scored 101 points during the regular season and 31 points in 14 playoff games for the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads and was lights out for Denmark at the 2015 World Junior Championships.
Nashville Predators – Seth Jones: The big, rangy defenseman put up almost identical point totals to his rookie season, but has the booming shot and offensive instincts to score more. Head coach Peter Laviolette may increase the responsibilities of Jones and slightly reduce the ice time of top pairing blueliners Roman Josi and Shea Weber, whose 26+ minutes per night were in the top five of the NHL in average time-on-ice.
Colorado Avalanche – Nathan McKinnon: The 2014 Calder Trophy winner had a difficult sophomore season, scoring just 38 points in 64 games before missing the last month of the season with a broken foot. With Ryan O’Reilly traded to Buffalo, McKinnon will take over as the second line center behind Matt Duchene and will likely regain his scoring prowess.
Minnesota Wild – Jason Zucker: The impediment to success has been injury with the California native, who missed the last two months of the 2014 regular season and playoffs with a leg injury and 27 games in 2015 with a broken clavicle. Zucker scored 21 goals in 51 games(and only 5 assists) and his totals should increase exponentially if he can stay off injured reserve.
Dallas Stars – Valeri Nichushkin: Big things were expected out of the big Russian after a 34-point output as a rookie in 2014, but a hip injury that required surgery in November kept the winger out until the last week of the regular season. Nichushkin could be placed on the top line with Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin or with second line center Jason Spezza, but he will score wherever he is placed.
Saturday – The Pacific Division
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TSN’s Darren Dreger reported via Twitter on Friday that the Pittsburgh Penguins are happy with the work that Phil Kessel did over the summer.
The winger who was traded by Toronto on July 1 for Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Nick Spaling and two draft picks worked with former Leaf Gary Roberts over the summer and will report to Penguins training camp in two weeks down 13 pounds from last season.
(Insert your street food vendor jokes here)
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