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 difference makers for every team in 2015-16.
Metropolitan Division
New York Rangers - Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes : The Boston College Golden Eagles alums put up good numbers for the President’s Trophy winning Rangers. Kreider scored 21 goals last season and has significant motivation to put up big numbers this season, with his contract up next summer. Hayes tallied 17 goals as a rookie and could be moving from center to wing with the signing of veteran Jarret Stoll. The trade of Carl Hagelin to Anaheim opens up a top six slot that Hayes may be able to fill.
Pittsburgh Penguins – Sergei Plotnikov and Derrick Pouliot : The 25-year-old Russian was signed after three solid seasons in the KHL and could be a fit in the Penguins top six if the declining Chris Kunitz or injury-prone Pascal Dupuis cannot keep up. A high scoring defenseman with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, Pouliot scored 24 points in a half season with Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate and will have plenty of opportunity this season with veterans Christian Ehrhoff and Paul Martin gone via free agency and Kris Letang and Olli Maatta returning from injury.
Washington Capitals – Evgeni Kuznetsov: It took the Capitals four years to get Kutzenzov out of the KHL, but the 22-year-old displayed his top-end offensive skills in his first full season with the Capitals, scoring 37 points during the regular season and may be the answer to take some of the offensive burden away from Nicklas Backstrom.
Columbus Blue Jackets – David Savard : After not making much of an impression in parts of three seasons, Savard led all Blue Jackets blueliners with 11 goals and made defenseman James Wisniewski expendable. The 24-year-old should be the point man on the Columbus power play with Jack Johnson.
New York Islanders – Michael Dal Colle : Predicting someone to be impactful in the NHL as a 19-year-old is usually not wise, but Dal Colle is highly skilled and does not have much more to prove in the OHL after scoring 93 regular season points and 31 points during the Oshawa Generals run to the Memorial Cup last season. The winger cannot play in the American Hockey League until he turns 20 next June, so the 2014 top pick will be given every chance to earn a spot at training camp and could be used as a winger for John Tavares.
Carolina Hurricanes – Elias Lindholm : The 20-year-old Swede showed dramatic improvement last season, nearly doubling his scoring totals as a rookie and could be a big part of the Hurricanes core group. Lindholm’s scoring opportunities may increase dramatically if Carolina ships out either Eric Staal or Jeff Skinner during the season.
New Jersey Devils – Pavel Zacha : The sixth overall pick in the 2015 Draft, many feel that the big center has the physical stature and hockey IQ to handle the NHL as an 18-year-old. If the young Czech makes the Devils and does not get sent back to the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, he will likely playing alongside his veteran countryman Elias on one of New Jersey’s offensive units.
Philadelphia Flyers – Michael Raffl : After scoring nine goals as a rookie, the Austrian triggerman increased his production to 21 last season. With the opposition focusing on shutting down top liners Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek, Raffl could reach the 20-goal plateau once again.
Friday – The Central Division
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