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.
Atlantic Division
Buffalo Sabres – Jack Eichel : The Sabres have a pair of second overall picks likely to make the squad this season. 19-year-old Sam Reinhart wowed many at the 2015 World Junior and improved his strength over the summer, but he may still not be as ready to make an impact in the NHL as Eichel is.
The 18-year-old North Chelmsford, MA native won the Hobey Baker in his freshman year at Boston University and will likely begin the season as the Sabres #2 center behind Ryan O’Reilly to take some of the pressure off, but he could move up to the top line by mid-season if he is as good as most people think.
Boston Bruins – David Pastrnak : The 25th overall pick in 2014 scored over a point-per-game in the AHL before being called up in early January and provided the sluggish Bruins with a speedy sparkplug. Pastrnak had 27 points in 46 games and could be the triggerman on the top line with countryman David Krejci and power play time with the departure of Milan Lucic and Reilly Smith.
Montreal Canadiens – Alex Galchenyuk : Galchenyuk scored 20 goals and 26 assists in 2015, but still has not become the force up the middle that was expected when he was selected third overall in 2012.
Habs coach Michael Therien has used Galchenyuk mostly on the wing and has been leery of playing the 21-year-old to center for defensive reasons, but with veteran center Tomas Plekanec in the final year of his contract and Montreal needing to generate more offense, a shift to the middle may be coming.
Tampa Bay Lightning – Jonathan Drouin : The Lightning’s tidal wave of success did not include their 2013 top pick, who scored only four goals in 70 games in his rookie season and sat for most of the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Rumors percolated into the summer that Tampa Bay would entertain offers for Drouin, but GM Steve Yzerman chose not to make a hasty move and will give the young gifted winger another chance. The question is whether head coach Jon Cooper will put Drouin on a line with Steven Stamkos or in a lesser role.
Detroit Red Wings – Dylan Larkin : It takes a special player to skip over the patient player development procedure of the Red Wings, but the 19-year-old has an excellent chance to make the NHL after one year at the University of Michigan.
Larkin signed an entry-level deal in May and joined the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins and played well for new Wings coach Jeff Blashill in their playoff run. Veteran Pavel Datsyuk could possibly be out to start the season after having ankle surgery and Detroit could turn to Larkin to fill the gap.
Ottawa Senators – Curtis Lazar : The Sens 2013 top pick made the NHL as a 19-year-old and captained Team Canada to Gold at the 2015 World Junior, but scored just six goals in 67 games in his rookie season. Lazar has scoring ability(41 goals for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014) and may merit a larger role with the Sens, who traded veteran center David Legwand to Buffalo.
Florida Panthers – Aleksander Barkov : The big Finnish center built on a solid rookie season, scoring 16 goals and 20 assists as a sophomore. The Panthers have a young and potentially potent one-two punch up the middle with Barkov and Nick Bjugstad(who led Florida with 24 goals) and both will get major ice time and power play opportunities, but Barkov could take a big leap forward with future Hall-of-Famer Jaromir Jagr playing alongside and providing a positive role model.
Toronto Maple Leafs – Morgan Rielly : The Maple Leafs are expected to decrease the playing time of team captain Dion Phaneuf slightly this season and increase the responsibilities Jake Gardiner and Rielly, who increased his goal total to eight in his second season with the Leafs.
The 21-year-old blueliner does not hesitate to jump into the offensive attack, has the skating ability to beat defenders one-on-one and could take the place of Cody Franson on Toronto’s top power play unit. All of which means that Rielly’s totals could go up significantly.
See Previous Columns
Breakout Players For 2015-16 – Metropolitan Division
Breakout Players For 2015-16 – Central Division
Breakout Players For 2015-16 – Pacific Division
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.*******
Note : Continue to check back to my column on Hockeybuzz throughout the day for the latest Leafs updates or on Twitter
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information
click here.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»