ales hemsky – McKeen's Hockey

NHL Playoff Preview: Dallas Stars (1) vs. Minnesota Wild (WC2)

Daniel Friedman and Robert Howard — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 21:13:38 +0000

Summary: The Stars are a high octane machine in the offensive zone. Without the puck? Not as much.

Still, they should prove too much for their wildly inconsistent opponent (pun intended) to overcome. It is hard to like Minny's chances in this series, especially if Zach Parise's going to be sidelined for much of it.

It is uncertain how much further Dallas can go, but this is a series it can win.

PREDICTION: Stars in 6

Key injuries: MIN - Zach Parise, Thomas Vanek, Erik Haula DAL – Tyler Seguin (to miss game one)

Critical Factors: The Wild have performed better (15-11-1) under interim coach John Torchetti, fighting their way into the playoffs after a tough year. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are one of the deadliest combos in the league and how quickly they re-establish their chemistry after Seguin returns from injury could be a factor early. Devan Dubnyk must find his Vezina-finalist form of a year ago on a nightly basis for the Wild to hold back the NHL’s leading offense, but he has not shown a consistently high level this season. Two capable starters in Dallas means a decision in net needs to be made between Antti Niemi (2.67 GAA, 0.905 SV%) and Kari Lehtonen (2.76 GAA, 0.906 SV%), but neither has distinguished themselves. Having allowed the most goals against amongst teams in the playoffs, defense is a glaring concern if they hope to go to a championship.

Potential Breakout Players: Patrick Sharp brings playoff experience along with Johnny Oduya. He joins Benn on the top line with Seguin out. Jason Spezza has averaged almost point a game through his career in the playoffs (56-17-35-52) and is coming off a 33 goal season, including 12 in the last 17 games (17-12-6-18). Ales Hemsky has been hot as of late with 15 points in 17 games – but remain wary. Ryan Suter is essential to Minnesota’s overall game and will need to produce for them to move on.

Season Matchup: Dallas 4-1 - three of five games decided in OT (Dal 2-1)

Key Stats:

CF% 5v5 (war-on-ice.com): DAL 52.6% (2^nd) 47.9% (23^rd)

PDO (war-on-ice.com): DAL 99.7 (16^th) MIN 100.7 (6^th)

Power Play (NHL.com): DAL 22.1% (4^th) MIN 18.5% (15^th)

Penalty Kill (NHL.com): DAL 82.3% (10^th) MIN 77.9% (27^th)

Goals For per-game (NHL.com): DAL 3.23 (1^st) MIN 2.60 (18^th)

Goals Against per-game (NHL.com): DAL 2.78 (19^th) MIN 2.49 (9^th)

Notes: A clear advantage to Dallas in both special teams and possession.

2015 Training Camp Round-up – Oct 6th

Ryan Dadoun — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:23:15 +0000

The Philadelphia Flyers might be a team that spends to the cap, but too much of that is squandered money. With Vincent Lecavalier, Sam Gagner, and Luke Schenn likely to be healthy scratches for the season opener, the Flyers will have $11.3 million in cap space in the press box, and another $4.55 million occupied by players not on the active roster thanks to Nicklas Grossmann's retained salary and Andrew MacDonald's demotion. That's not even including the paychecks the Flyers are still issuing to Ilya Bryzgalov and Daniel Briere as both of those compliance buyouts don't count towards the cap.

Simply put, the Flyers have the unfortunate distinction of being one of the worst franchises in the league when it comes to cap management and while some of that can be attributed to bad luck, the fact remains that Philadelphia has quite the burden to overcome in order to be successful this season.

After all, in the cap era, the successful teams are naturally going to be the ones that have made the most of the limited resources afforded to them. Which is why the Anaheim Ducks have been such a dangerous team. They have some potential issues down the road as Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler's long-term contracts might start to be a burden once they move deeper into their 30s, but for now Anaheim has a lot going for it despite the fact that they have more than $7 million in available cap space. That sets up the possibility that the Ducks will make a big splash near the trade deadline to aide in their battle for the Stanley Cup.

For now though, one of the questions Anaheim faces is that of offensive depth. Getzlaf and Perry are star forwards, but in recent years the Ducks' second line has left something to be desired offensively, even with Kesler having a solid 2014-15 campaign. With that in mind, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau has experimented with separating Getzlaf and Perry during the preseason and it seems like that trial will continue into the campaign.

It might not last, but if the duo can shine on separate lines, then Anaheim will have a far more balanced attack that will make it harder on opposing teams when it comes to deciding when to put their top defensemen on the ice.

Of course, there are obvious advantages to having a loaded first line too. Weighing the benefits of balanced lines with a strong top unit is something a lot of teams struggle with. The Dallas Stars fell into that camp last season as they had acquired Jason Spezza with the thought that he'd solidify their second line, but then ended up experimenting with an all-star top line of Spezza, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn.

Going into the 2015-16 campaign though, the acquisition of Patrick Sharp should simplify the debate for Dallas - at least to some extent. This time around they're projected to use Sharp on the top line with Benn and Seguin, which gives Dallas a second line of Valeri Nichushkin, Spezza, and Ales Hemsky.

That second unit could help make or break the Stars, in part because of how big of an X-factor it is. Nichushkin has a lot of potential, but missed most of the 2014-15 campaign while Hemsky excelled on a line with Spezza back in Ottawa, but he struggled in his first season with Dallas. If that second line gels though, then Dallas will be a very dangerous team.

Their first trial will be against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. However, the Penguins will not be playing at 100% as Pascal Dupuis' attempt to return after missing most of the 2015-16 campaign due to blood clots has been delayed.

To be clear, Dupuis isn't dealing with blood clots anymore, but he does have a lower-body injury which will keep him out for the next four-to-five weeks. It has to be a frustrating setback for him as injuries have limited him to just 55 contests over the last two seasons. On top of that, when he does return from his current issue, it will be roughly a year after his last NHL game.

Although Dupuis might not end up spending much time serving in a top-six role this season, if healthy he will at very least be an important part of the Penguins' third line. Depth has been an issue for the Penguins in the past and whenever he's hurt, that problem is compounded.

On a more positive note, Scottie Upshall has earned a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues after impressing the team while attending training camp as a tryout. Fellow veteran forward Scott Gomez is still in limbo with the Blues, but he could end up signing with them as well.

Upshall, who is a veteran of 553 NHL games, is projected to play alongside Kyle Brodziak, Steve Ott, and Ryan Reaves on the fourth line, with one of those forwards being a healthy scratch in any given game - likely on a rotating basis.

Waiver Wire: Short Term Solutions

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 29 Nov 2014 21:04:29 +0000

The NHL season has reached the first quarter, how is your fantasy team doing?

If you have a injury or a dud on your roster and you league allows player adds and drops with no commitment or penalty, this week’s waiver wire focuses on players who are currently hot and can fill a gap, but may not be a long term solution.

Kris Versteeg, Chicago Blackhawks – 64% Fantrax Owned

Over the last few seasons Versteeg has been in a decline and hit rock bottom in last season’s playoffs scoring three points in 15 games with a minus -5 where he no longer looked like an NHL player. What a difference a season makes as now he has played his way back up to the second line with Patrick Kane and has 16 points in 19 games. While he may never again be considered keeper quality, he is well worth the own right now.

Michael Hutchinson, Winnipeg Jets – 47% Fantrax Owned

The Jets goalie is posting some impressive stats this season with a record of 8-4-1-2 and a GAA of 1.56 a save % of .947 with one shut out. While both he and Ondrej Pavelec have been solid and are competing for playing time, Pavelec’s history of wild inconsistency make Hutchinson a more than worthy gamble.

Anders Lee, New York Islanders – 41% Fantrax Owned

The Islanders are a good team, they are scoring and winning and it is not with smoke and mirrors either. The play of Anders Lee is a part of why they are having success. While he failed to make the opening roster and missed the first six games he has now scored six points in 17 games including two goals in his last two games. Recently Lee has found himself playing on a line with Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome. While he is on that line he should continue to produce, but it is no guarantee he doesn’t end up on the fourth line again.

Ales Hemsky, Dallas Stars – 37% Fantrax Owned

Yes believe it or not, the streaky Ales Hemsky is flirting with a hot streak. After going a pitiful one point in his first 14 games Hemsky found himself in the press box for game 15. In the following seven games he produced five points. The Dallas Stars have also been hot of late scoring 15 times in their last four games. Add Hemsky to your roster for a good time, not a long time.

Stephen Weiss, Detroit Red Wings – 27% Fantrax Owned

Weiss was one of the players in my Under the Radar Players feature in the McKeens yearbook. I was beginning to regret that decision to include him but recently he has been proving me right. After missing almost the entire first quarter with injuries, healthy scratches and conditioning stints in the minors, Weiss now has five points in his last three games with three goals and two assists on a red hot line with Pavel Datsyuk and Daren Helm. Like I said in the Yearbook, he is a high-risk, high-reward player but one who could return to his 60 point form.

Calvin Pickard, Colorado Avalanche – 27% Fantrax Owned

With Semyon Varlamov struggling with a groin injury that may linger on and off throughout the season, Pickard will battle Reto Berra for the backup position. Pickard has only played in five games but has a respectable 2-3 record with a 2.25 GAA and a .933 save% in that time. While Berra has a contract that all things being equal would win him the NHL job, his 3.57 GAA and .883 save% may see him the odd man out.

John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – 65% Fantrax Owned

Finally, and last but not least we come to the legend of John Klingberg. Who the heck is this guy? If you drafted Klingberg you are either in a very, very deep league or a family member. Klingberg failed to crack the opening night roster and went pointless in his first three games since being called up. Since then he has a whopping eight points in six games. With the Stars recently trading away both Brendan Dillon and Sergei Gonchar and giving Kevin Connauton up to waivers, Klingberg stock has gone through the roof! At only 65% owned do not sleep on this player

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 21:51:45 +0000

It is reality check time. It is no longer early in the season as we approach the quarter point.

If your fantasy team is sucking due to a slow start I got bad news for you, your team just sucks.

The good news is there is still time to do something about it before you go into full on Connor McDavid/Jack Eichel mode. Trade for some sleeper value players and cut bait on those slow starters or injured players.

This week’s Waiver Wire article will help identify who to cut, and who to add.

Cut Bait Candidates.

Tyler Myers, Buffalo

After 18 games, the former Calder Trophy winner has just two points, no goals and is a minus -9. Since winning the Calder, Myers has been in decline and the team is historically bad right now. The risk in dumping Myers is if he is traded to a team like Detroit and suddenly catches fire. Given his contract, it would be difficult for him to be traded during the season and while he may hold some keeper value, if you can move him and find a more reliable option, do so.

Corey Conacher, New York Islanders

Conacher seemed like found money at the start of the season, playing on the top line with John Tavares. Since his early start he has cooled off considerably and now has a total of three points in 13 games. With Conacher being a healthy scratch now it is time to say good bye.

Cody Hodgson, Buffalo

Another Sabre makes this list, and while the whole team could be named Hodgson stands out among the forwards. With a cap hit of $4.25 million you need more than two points and a minus -10 in 18 games to be considered a fantasy option. Unless you need the cap hit to maintain a legal roster as you tank this season, Hodgson offers no value.

Steve Ott, St. Louis

Ott has bounced around on several lines in St. Louis this season but has failed to find any offense. With just two assists in 16 games and no signs of improving it is time to bail on Ott.

Ales Hemsky, Dallas

There was a lot of hype surrounding Hemsky leading into the season as he and Jason Spezza who were dynamite together in Ottawa were both acquired by Dallas in the off-season. Since then, Hemsky has been on a milk carton scoring a pitiful one assist and no goals in 16 games while posting a minus -7 with a $4 million cap hit. Hemsky is going to be a healthy scratch and really has no business being on your fantasy roster.

Players to add

Mike Hoffman, Ottawa 29% Fantrax Owned

Hoffman has scored well in lower levels and now has seven goals in 13 games for the Sens. While his goal total is impressive he only has one assist, but Hoffman seems to have found a full time NHL job on the “kid line” with Curtis Lazar and Michael Stone. While Hoffman was mentioned in a previous waiver wire post, he bears mention again since his value is high and he is widely available.

Peter Holland, Toronto 17% Owned

Holland might be looking at full time duty with the Leafs on a line with Mike Santorelli and Leo Komarov. The trio is seeing a regular shift suggesting they have the Coaches confidence. The line is reliable defensively, provides lots of energy and now Holland has eight points in 17 games. The Leafs may have given up too soon with Joe Colborne but are about to reap the rewards of being patient with Holland. Don’t sleep on this player if he is available in your league.

Ryan Garbutt 29% owned, Antoine Roussel 57% owned - Dallas

The duo of Roussel and Garbutt are a highly effective pair. While they have much higher value in leagues with greasy stat categories like hits, PIM’s and blocked shots, they even have good value in point’s only leagues that are deep enough. The best part about owning them is watching them play. They pass the eye test as they are impossible to not notice on the ice. They are a factor in almost every game and can be a factor on your fantasy roster as well.

Jimmy Hayes, Florida 14% Owned

Jimmy Hayes has been hot of late in Florida scoring three goals and three assists in his last six games and seeing an average of 13 minutes a game of ice time. While Florida is struggling for offense with players like Alex Barkov, and Jonathan Huberdeau not producing, Hayes has been carrying the mail and delivering fantasy stats.

Trevor van Riemsdyk, Chicago 10% Owned

TVR was a surprise player to make the roster, and while his offense has not arrived yet I assure you it is coming. He has won the confidence of management and Coaches and with the trade of Nick Leddy there is opportunity for TVR to see some power play minutes.

SHOOTING STARS

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 23:25:58 +0000

The Dallas Stars were big winners this offseason adding Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky from the Ottawa to provide the secondary scoring GM Jim Nill felt the team needed. Their AHL affiliate team Texas Stars were the Calder Cup Champions as well. With a fully loaded NHL roster and a Championship roster in the AHL, Dallas is poised to contend with the big dogs of the Western Conference.

The forward depth is as good as any teams now with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn pairing on the first line. New comers Spezza and Hemsky pair up on the second line allowing Ryan Garbutt and Antoine Roussel to drop down to third line duties where they will excel in the peripheral stats categories and agitation in a checking role. Insert the likes of Valeri Nichushkin, Erik Cole and Cody Eakin throughout the top nine and Dallas has impressive depth and a variety of roles with a balance of age and youth.

Perhaps the biggest question is on defense. Dallas lacks a Norris Trophy quality stud, but there is good depth there with Alex Goligoski, Trevor Daley, Jordie Benn, and Brenden Dillon. It remains to be seen if Sergei Gonchar can be a factor for one more season, or if a youngster like John Klingberg or Jamie Oleksiak can make the jump to the NHL.

In goal Dallas is secure with incumbent Kari Lehtonen who is in his prime and had a solid season with33 wins, a 2.41 GAA and a career high five shutouts. At a cap hit of $5.9 million he is a bargain.

The addition of Spezza will help boost the fantasy value of the whole team as Dallas should improve on last seasons 10th best offensive record of 231 goals. Go big on Dallas players.

Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, Ales Hemsky, Valeri Nichushkin, Cody Eakin, Ryan Garbutt, Rich Peverley, Erik Cole, Antoine Roussel, Alex Goligoski, Kari Lehtonen

NHL trade deadline fantasy review

Peter Harling — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 14:32:51 +0000

The NHL trade deadline is the second most exciting hockey day of the year, second only to the fantasy draft.

Most fantasy leagues have a trade deadline of their own, and the fallout of the NHL trades weighs heavy on what happens in your fantasy trades.

To help make sense of it all let’s look at some of the players who benefit, and some who’s value hurt from the NHL trade deadline

Increasing Value

Marian Gaborik, LA Kings

To start his tenure in LA, Gaborik will play on a line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. This should give him a boost, as well the Kings anemic offence. Gaborik has slightly struggled to produce offensively in Columbus this season, partially due to injuries. Injuries will always be a concern with Gaborik who is scheduled to be a UFA this summer. It is difficult to gauge what type of contract he can command, but in the range of $6 million is not out of the question. With his age, susceptibility to injuries and uncertainty of his contract, this could be a sell high opportunity for some one looking at Gaborik for a playoff run.

Lee Stempniak, Pittsburgh Penguins

Often players enjoy a “honeymoon period” when they join a new team. The streaky Stempniak personifies this and with the Dupuis injury, he may see time on a line with Sidney Crosby. He went on a tear after joining Phoenix from Toronto and is only 30% owned in Fantrax leagues. He could be a sneaky great waiver or free agent pick up.

Andrej Meszaros, Boston Bruins

Injuries have cost him his top four pairing rankings and the Flyers have given up on him. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is familiar with Meszaros from their time in Ottawa and he played in Sochi with the Czech team with Zdeno Chara. The pair looked good together and with the injury to Denis Sidenberg the Bruins need a top four option. Meszaros could be it. Or he could be the next Tomas Kaberle. Given Meszaros is only 28 and has managed 17 points in only 38 games I think he is worth the risk.

Ales Hemsky, Ottawa Senators

Hemsky was once considered the future of the Edmonton Oilers. But that was a long time ago it seems and now the Oilers belong to Taylor Hall, RNH and Jordan Eberle. Hemsky is a highly talented player who desperately needed a fresh start on a new team with a top six opportunity. Expect the Sens to try desperately to find some chemistry between Hemsky with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek in an attempt to sneak into the playoffs. If the experiment is successful, the trio could be lightning in a bottle and fantasy hockey gravy.

Ryan Miller, St. Louis Blues

All season long this trade was highly speculated and final came to fruition. Miller had been having a spectacular season with the Sabres, his win stats do not support it but the eye test does not lie. Maybe you can catch a Miller owner sleeping and snag him quick. Now that he is a member of the Blues expect the number of saves to drop, and the wins and shut outs to pile up. It is also reasonable to expect Miller to resign with the Blues as well for keeper leagues.

Jhonas Enroth, Buffalo Sabres

With the trade of Miller (and Halak) the door has never been more open for the starting position in Buffalo. Enroth will battle with Neuvirth for the job. Neuvirth has had chances in Washington and failed to seize the job where as this is Enroths first kick at the can. On a poor Buffalo team this season, he has a GAA of 2.9 and a save % of .911 which is comparable to Millers 2.71 GAA, and .923 save %

Brandon Pirri, Florida Panthers

Former Chicago and current Florida GM Dale Tallon is very familiar with the upside of Brandon Pirri. Pirri was buried behind the depth of the Stanley Cup Champions deep roster, but will be given an opportunity to blossom in Florida. In 29 games ha has only 11 points, but has only played an average of 12:10 minutes per game. Pirri played his first game on a line with Jonathan Huberdeau and he is only 39% owned. Another player worth a pick up if he is available.

Joni Ortio, Calgary Flames

Ortio was not traded at the deadline, but Reto Berra was. With Karri Ramo still injured that makes Ortio the current starting goalie in Calgary. Ortio is only 14% owned this week.

Decreasing in Value

Thomas Vanek, Montreal Canadiens

Vanek had an embarrassing Olympic performance. He is a streaky scorer will not be playing with John Tavares anymore. With a cap hit north of $7 million and heading to free agency, I would not touch Vanek with your ten foot pole.

Martin St. Louis, New York Rangers

St. Louis will still score and provide offense, but expect a slight decline now he is not on the high flying Lightning, and is no longer with Stamkos.

Tim Thomas, Dallas Stars

Thomas was the starting goalie in Florida when healthy. It will be difficult for him to usurp Kari Lehtonen in Dallas and see regular starts. On the bright side, when he does play his stats should be much better as the Stars are a much better team.

Dustin Penner, Washington Capitals

Penner may not respond well to being traded from Anaheim where the team was extremely successful and he was playing on the Getzlaf – Perry line and enjoying individual success. Penner is traditionally a streaky scorer subject to long droughts of indifferent play and motivational issues. This could be project that blows up on the Caps, don’t make the same mistake.

Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

The addition of Jaroslav Halak in Washington ends the rotating three man goalie circus. Halak will be the starting goalie and Holtby will be the backup. The only saving grace for Holtby could be Halak is a UFA this off season, but it looks like the Caps have made a decision on Holtby.

Rene Bourque, Montreal Canadiens

Bourque has struggled this season and his value continues to decline. The addition of Vanek could see Bourque see more time in the press box and fourth line which all but kills his value.

Under the Radar Fantasy All Stars

James Mirtle — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:12:33 +0000

Comeback players, rebound candidates, up-and-coming rookies and sophomores - these are the sorts of fantasy all-stars you want to be taking in your pools. And it just so happens we've assembled an entire roster of them.

The basis for making the "under the radar" fantasy all-star team is that, quite simply, these players will likely fall further than they should in your draft because they are either (a) unproven, (b) playing for poor teams or (c) coming off bad seasons. But those kinds of gambles are exactly what can win your pool (assuming your competitors aren't also holding this list, of course).

FORWARDS

Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado

Big Swede simply got better and better as his rookie season wore on, emerging as a dominant forward at 18 years old late in the year and showing every indication he’ll be a perennial star. There’s always the danger of a sophomore slump but with that comes the upside he continues his great second half and hits 65 points or more.

Mikko Koivu, Minnesota

Still one of the more underrated two-way players in the entire league, Koivu is a 75-point talent stuck in an organization that has always struggled to produce a lot of goals. The additions of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter should help immensely there, shining the spotlight on the man in the middle.

Cody Hodgson, Buffalo

Shipped to the Sabres after not getting the playing time he craved in Vancouver, Hodgson’s debut with his new team wasn’t overwhelmingly impressive. It was, however, good enough that they shipped out Derek Roy to create a hole in the middle, and Hodgson has the talent to put up big numbers with quality wingers.

Eric Staal, Carolina

Granted an odd candidate for an under the radar list, but consider the following: Here’s a player who has had seven consecutive 70-point seasons and was absolutely dominant in the second half last year after having some brutal luck in the early going. Staal will be rejuvenated with brother Jordan in the fold and could get even more offensive help as GM Jim Rutherford continues to add. Bet on a point a game and hope for more - because he’s done it before.

Tomas Plekanec, Montreal

Last season was a disaster for pretty much everyone in Montreal, but the good news there is that there’ll be plenty of rebound candidates on the roster. Plekanec’s going to continue to get big minutes and last year’s 52 points should be the low water mark.

Antoine Vermette, Phoenix

Languished in Columbus (along with many others) but looked reborn upon jumping to the Coyotes and will continue to be a favourite of coach Dave Tippett. Vermette could easily slip to the later rounds but is a safe bet for 45 points and has hit 65 in the past. It’s not like he’ll have much competition for playing time, either.

Mike Ribeiro, Washington

Not really a fan favourite around the league given some of his high profile flops, Ribeiro nonetheless has averaged more than 65 points a season the last four years. The Capitals will also not be nearly as defensive as they were under Dale Hunter, meaning Ribeiro will be freelancing out there with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green at times.

James Van Riemsdyk, Toronto

Let’s try this again. The man known as 'JVR' is the only player to make this list both last year and this one, but given the injuries, it’s worth giving him a mulligan. Toronto wasn’t very good last season, but they did score plenty of goals and won’t lose a single piece from that cast up front. Van Riemsdyk will also get plenty of opportunities to prove he can centre the top line, and any time with Phil Kessel is 'pucks in net' time.

Kyle Turris, Ottawa

He may not ever be a huge scorer, but he is also in little danger of losing his second line spot and will benefit from playing a full season with the Sens. Turris’s totals of a year ago prorate to 43 points so that’s a good starting point for where he’ll land in a full season. And you always hope for more.

Derek Stepan, NY Rangers

There is a reason Glen Sather considered him an untouchable in summer trade talks: There’s great potential in Stepan, even if he remains far from a household name. Right now, you’re guaranteed at least 45 or 50 points, but you never know when he’ll break out and hit 60 or higher. Hopefully it’s after you’ve picked him.

Mikael Granlund, Minnesota

The first of two wild cards. Granlund is a prospect first and foremost, but on a Wild team hoping to make a huge splash and score far more goals, he could get a first line role. Is he ready for that? Impossible to say for sure, but one of the reasons Zach Parise and Ryan Suter signed on with Minnesota was their prospect depth and Granlund is at the top of that list. Could surprise.

Marcus Foligno, Buffalo

Made a phenomenal jump from junior in having an excellent AHL season and then netted 13 points in 14 NHL games. The Sabres forward lines are crowded and he’s probably stuck in the bottom six, but the team’s brass loves him and will give him plenty of opportunities to succeed. Anywhere from 25 to 55 points is possible so bid accordingly.

Ales Hemsky, Edmonton

A forgotten man given all of the Oilers blossoming young talent, Hemsky could surprise everyone with a big bounce back year if he can just stay healthy. That, of course, is a big if, but he was close to a point a game guy the previous few seasons and should come extra cheap given he had only 36 points while playing through injury. Still not that old, either.

DEFENSEMEN

Alex Goligoski, Dallas

Took a step back last season to just 30 points from 46 the year before but should be the beneficiary of the added firepower Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk added in Derek Roy, Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney. Sure, this an old crew, but that’s a good power play crew and Goligoski can get 30-plus points there alone.

Dmitry Kulikov, Florida

No more Jason Garrison with the Panthers should mean a bigger role for young blueliner who everyone continues to wait for a breakout from. The only question is will it come now or will Filip Kuba take a lot of those minutes?

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Phoenix

Unquestionably a future star, he has the misfortune for playing for the super stingy Coyotes, which may hurt his offensive production for the next few years. Still, if you want to grab the next horse on the blueline in a keeper league, here’s a prime opportunity.

Nikita Nikitin, Columbus

Quietly had a terrific breakout season last year on a terrible team and will be entrusted with top four minutes from the get-go this time around. They’re going to load him up with tough minutes, so don’t expect a good plus-minus figure, but Nikitin is one of the better defencemen in the league that no one has heard about.

Jamie McBain, Carolina

Took a small step back as the ‘Canes struggled mightily out of the gate but has plenty of potential and at 24 will continue to take on more and more of a role. Carolina’s offence should improve with the addition of Jordan Staal alone and at some point McBain will hit that 40-point mark and get on poolies’ radar.

Slava Voynov, Los Angeles

So long Jack Johnson. Voynov’s emergence last season was one of the underrated aspects of the Kings championship, as the young Russian went from the minors to playing a regular role in the top four and chipped in offensively, too. He’s a bit buried behind Drew Doughty, but his totals last season prorate to 30 points and that’s with limited power play time. Trending up.

Brendan Smith, Detroit

It’s always very difficult to project young defencemen who have limited NHL experience, but the Red Wings always seem to do an excellent job of working their rookies in slowly and Smith has been apprenticing for this role for ages. Big time potential here - and there’s a hole to fill with Nick Lidstrom’s retirement - but how soon will we see it?

GOALTENDERS

Braden Holtby, Washington

After a star turn in last year’s playoffs, the Capitals are putting their faith in the rookie this season and indications are he should be able to deliver. While Michal Neuvirth is capable of beating him out for a lot of starts, Holtby has the inside track and could end up starting a lot of games for one of the Eastern Conference’s stronger teams.

James Reimer, Toronto

How dangerously do you like to live? If the Leafs go in with Reimer and Ben Scrivens as their tandem, any number of possibilities could unfold, including Reimer regaining his 2010-11 form and excelling as a No. 1 over a prolonged stretch. He won’t get much help from his defence, so buyer beware. (And if you want to really go nuts, take a flier on Scrivens.)

A long-time member of the McKeen’s Hockey team, James Mirtle covers the NHL for The Globe and Mail and is based in Toronto.

You can read more of his work at globesports.com