The second installment in the 2010-2011 Sleeper series targets who’s available to steal in the Northeast Division.
Player: Tyler Ennis
Team: Buffalo Sabres
Position: Center/Wing
Impact: Deeper Fantasy Leagues
Analysis: For any Sabres fan that was able to stomach the playoff series against Boston last season, you would probably agree that one of the bright spots in that shortened Cup run was the play of Tyler Ennis. He has a great work ethic and a knack for racking up the points. The service that you play in may have him listed at center or wing, or potentially both, so keep an eye out for that on draft day. The Buffalo coaching staff has already come out and stated Ennis’ spot on the team this fall is not gueranteed, but chances are he’ll make the squad as a 4th liner who has the potential to work his way up the depth charts quickly. Make sure to flag this feisty forward and make a play in the last couple of rounds as a nice depth move.
Player: Peter Regin
Team: Ottawa Senators
Position: Center/Wing
Impact: Deeper Fantasy Leagues
Analysis: If you’re a believer in the depth of the Ottawa Senators, Peter Regin may be of some interest to you in the later rounds of a deep fantasy hockey draft. He amassed 29 points in his first full season with the Sens in 2009-2010 and they have re-upped with him for 2 more seasons. Regin may have a shot at playing the 2nd line this season with Fisher and Kovalev, and has the potential to hit the 40-50 point mark if he remains in that position. A nice depth pick-up on draft day for sure.
Player: Erik Karlsson
Team: Ottawa Senators
Position: Defense
Impact: Deeper Fantasy and Keeper Leagues
Analysis: Karlsson’s value this season might be a tossup because of the acquisition of Sergei Gonchar, but in terms of a long term option, he might be a savvy acquisition for managers in keeper leagues. Karlsson had a decent rookie campaign and there is still plenty of room for improvement. He’ll be battling Filip Kuba for a spot on the top power play unit, and there’s a good chance he’ll end up splitting time in the end, but in terms of youthfulness and the future for the Sens blue line, Karlsson is your guy.
Player: Tyler Seguin
Team: Boston Bruins
Position: Center
Impact: Deeper Fantasy and Keeper Leagues
Analysis: There’s little doubt of Seguin’s ability to score. The problem with having Seguin on the roster in 2010-2011 is that the Boston Bruins are knee deep in solid center talent. As of right now, Savard is still a member of the team. Behind him in the depth chart is David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron; hell even Nathan Horton can play center if needed. Don’t make the mistake of biting too early on Seguin this season as his impact may not be felt as much as his Entry Draft counterpart Taylor Hall. Still, he’s going to have a nice future ahead of him in this league, so if you’re a manager drafting in a deep keeper league, or looking to add some youthfulness to the keeper team you currently have, Seguin might be right up your alley.
Player: P.K. Subban
Team: Montreal Canadiens
Position: Defense
Impact: Average to Deep Fantasy League, as well as Keeper Leagues
Analysis: Whether Andrei Markov is ready for the opener or not, P.K. Subban will be factoring into the Habs power play quite heavily this season. He may be a player worth reaching for this season, especially in keeper leagues. Another one of my favorite sleepers for the upcoming season.
Player: Lars Eller
Team: Montreal Canadiens
Position: Center
Impact: Deep Fantasy Leagues
Analysis: Habs fans are eager to see what the return on Jaroslav Halak is. Eller should make an immediate impact this season on Montreal’s 3rd line behind Gomez and Pleks. He’s known as more of a playmaker than anything, and could see some power play time this season. Flag him and monitor his minutes through the first couple of weeks. Perhaps he becomes a decent waiver wire pick-up after the first couple of games or so.
Player: Nikolai Kulemin
Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Position: Wing
Impact: Deep Fantasy Leagues
Analysis: Kulemin hasn’t quite taken off like many anticipated, but he hasn’t been terrible for the Leafs. It’s hard to gain recognition when you play on the team that is 5th worst in scoring in the NHL. However, the Leafs may have two decent lines this season and Kulemin could hover around 50 points if given the opportunity. Look for him in the later rounds of a deeper fantasy draft as a nice depth option at wing.
Player: Nazem Kadri
Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Position: Center
Impact: Keeper and Dynasty Leagues
Analysis: Kadri is a workhorse that is going to be a huge contributor to the Leaf organization. I’m on the fence as to whether he is able to crack the lineup this season, so the only situations to draft him before training camp begins are in keeper and dynasty formats. Nonetheless, if he does crack the lineup, draft him in the final rounds of a deep fantasy draft and spend the first couple of weeks seeing how the leafs integrate him into their scheme this season. As for dynasty leagues, if he hasn’t been acquired yet, jump all over him.
Player: Tyler Bozak
Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Position: Center
Impact: Moderately Deep to Deep Fantasy Leagues
Analysis: Bozak had a rock solid 37 games with the Leafs last season and should fly under the radar in drafts this season. He’ll be battling Mikhail Grabovski for the top line center spot but whether he’s on the first or second line, he should still be a serviceable depth center, even in moderately deep formats.
Subscribe to our RSS feed!
Loading ...