Literally any cool, young forward on the Jets – WPG
So let’s run down the list eh?
–Mark Scheifele: 24th in PPG last year, only 60th according to ESPN?
-Patrik Laine: No. 2 overall pick, some say should have gone No. 1. Jack Eichel put up 56 points last year. Feels like that’s Laine’s floor. ESPN has him 175th.
–Nikolaj Ehlers: 38 points in 72 games last year as a 19-year-old for the majority of the year. Once put up 31 points in 14 CHL playoff games. This kid’ll be a stud eventually.
–Marko Dano: Put up 21 points in 35 games two years ago on a bad Columbus squad. Wore out his welcome quick in Chicago. Came to Winnipeg and put up eight points in 21 games. Still only 21, there’s a lot of upside for Dano. Could easily hit the 40-point plateau this year.
–Kyle Connor: Put up 71 points in 38 games for the University of Michigan (eight more than the next guy – as a freshman!) ESPN has him in the mid 200s
Check out our 2016 Expert Consensus Rankings here
Nino Niederreiter – MIN
Despite 20 goals and 43 points last season on a mediocre Wild team, there’s zero talk about Niederreiter coming into the season. Bruce Boudreau is likely one of the best regular-season coaches in the NHL.
Even if he can turn the Wild into a reasonable facsimile of his Capitals or Ducks teams, there should be plenty of chances for Niederreiter to fully live up to his No. 5 overall pick status and reach the 50-point plateau for the first time in his career. ESPN currently has him ranked 193rd – certainly worth a late pick.
Tyson Barrie – COL
After playing a combined 42 games in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, Barrie has now been in the league full-time for three seasons. Where does he rank in points for those three seasons? 13th, ahead of guys like Drew Doughty, Kevin Shattenkirk and Ryan Suter.
Why then does ESPN have him as the 25th best defenseman in the rankings? Now, with a coach who isn’t a complete dolt and doesn’t hate him for no reason, Barrie can be expected to continue to build on his impressive resume while manning the power-play for a team that should at least be respectable this season.
Jiri Hudler – DAL
After putting up 76 points on a surprise Flames playoff team in 2015, Hudler only managed 46 points during his time in Calgary and Florida last year. However, when playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan,
Hudler was able to post 35 points in 53 games (a 55 point pace). The key here? When Hudler is with star players, he can leverage his elite shooting into upper-echelon point production.
This Stars’ team has no shortage of talent. Whether on a wing with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin or Jason Spezza and Patrick Sharp, Hudler will have tons of chance to get the puck to the net.
Robby Fabbri – STL
Lots of hype surrounding Fabbri this preseason and for mostly good reason. Entering the season as a 19-year-old, Fabbri was able to put up 37 points in 72 games during the regular season and a scintillating 15 points in 20 playoff games. Even with old friend David Perron coming back into the fold, the absence of David Backes and Troy Brouwer, plus inevitable Jaden Schwartz injury, will give Fabbri plenty of time opportunity to play with St. Louis’ elite players and join in on the man advantage.
Chris Prod is a correspondent at FantasyPros and runs his own blog about the Central Division, Double Bickells on the Dime. He tweets sparingly @mastodude30.