Comrie spent the entire 2019 season with the Manitoba Moose (AHL), going 25-20-2 with a 2.69 GAA and .917 SV% in 47 games. Comrie has appeared in five career NHL games since 2017 but will open 2020 in Manitoba yet again.
Perlini was traded to the Blackhawks last season and recorded 12 goals with three assists (15 points) in 46 games after the deal. Perlini’s playing time dropped precipitously in Chicago, which will cap his upside in 2020.
Gardiner had to sit and wait a long time as a free agent but finally got signed on Friday. Gardiner spent eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs but is coming off of a disappointing 30 points (3G / 27A) in 62 games in 2019. Now the 29-year-old joins Carolina, who already has a loaded blueline, but he could slot onto the second-pair with Brett Pesce and play on the second power-play unit with either Justin Faulk or Dougie Hamilton.
Thornton is back for his 22nd NHL season at the age of 40-years-old. It will be his 15th season with the Sharks and he is coming off of a solid 51-point (16G / 35A) campaign in 2019. He has very minimal upside as the Sharks No.3 centre and should be left on the fantasy hockey waiver wire to start the season.
Sheahan played in Pittsburgh and Florida last season, totalling just 19 points (9G / 10A) in 82 games. He was once a first-round pick of Ken Holland’s in Detroit and the familiarity with the 27-year-old led to him signing in Edmonton. He never developed like the Red Wings had hoped, posting a career-high of just 36 points, so look for him to settle in as the Oilers No.4 centre in 2020.
Schuldt joined the Golden Knights for one game last season after finishing his senior year at St. Cloud State with 10 goals and 25 assists in 39 games. Schuldt has NHL aspirations in 2020 and he seems to be the frontrunner to start the season as Vegas’ No.6 defenseman.
Goldobin missed 19 games last season but totalled 27 points (7G / 20A) in his first fill NHL season. The 23-year-old has had a difficult time getting the Canucks coaching staff to trust him full-time in the top-6 and that will be even more difficult after the additions of Micheal Ferland and J.T. Miller this offseason. Still, Goldobin has 15-goal, 25-assist potential if he plays a full season. However, he looks like the Canucks 13th forward as we approach training camp.
McKeown, 23, had four goals and 21 assists in 70 games with Charlotte (AHL) last season. With a loaded depth chart in Carolina and Jake Bean ahead of him on the call-up list, McKeown will need a few injuries ahead of him if he is going to sniff the NHL in 2020.
Kempe gets a three-year deal nine days before training camp after registering 28 points (12G / 16A) in 81 games last season. Despite seeing an uptick in ice-time, Kempe’s numbers decreased in his second full season. Decreased shot volume was the main component to his drop in goals and a big dip in on-ice SH% affected his assist total. Expect him to centre the Kings second line in 2020, which makes him a candidate to return to 15 goals and 20-plus assists.
Keller was set to become a restricted free agent after this 2020 season but the Coyotes locked him up early. Keller had a tremendous rookie season but took a step backward in 2019 but his shooting percentage and on-ice SH% should see some positive regression in 2020. Keller’s new contract makes him the highest-paid forward on the Coyotes, surpassing Phil Kessel’s $6.8 AAV.
Belpedio had six goals and 15 assists (21 points) in 70 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) last year. The 2014 third-round pick appeared in two games with Minnesota but is set to start 2020 in the AHL for the second straight season.
Kronwall wraps up his career with 432 points (83G / 349A) and 1081 hits in 953 career games with the Red Wings. Kronwall was known for his decimating hits but also had three seasons with 40-plus points, including a 51-point campaign in 2009. The 38-year-old was a Stanley Cup Champion in 2008.
Barbashev had 14 goals and 12 assists (26 points) in 80 games in 2019. The 23-year-old also chipped in during the postseason, picking up six points (3G / 3A) in 25 games en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Barbashev is back but is buried on the depth chart behind Brayden Schenn, Ryan O’Reilly, and Tyler Bozak.
Lovejoy played 11 NHL seasons with the Penguins (184 games), Ducks (150), Devils (190) and Stars (20) and finished with 101 points (20G / 81A) in 544 career games. Lovejoy won a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh in 2016.
Ward signed a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes to retire with the team that he played 13 of his 14 years with. Ward won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe in 2006 and finished his career at 334-256-88, 2.74 GAA and .908 SV%.
Beauvillier set a career-high with 21 goals in 2018 but scored just 18 goals with 10 assists (28 points) in 81 games in 2019. The Islanders didn’t add much up front in the offseason, which will likely lead to Beauvillier playing a top-6 role for the duration of 2020.
Malgin spent the last two seasons splitting time between the AHL and NHL. This past season, Malgin had seven goals and nine assists (16 points) in 50 games with Florida and 14 points (4G / 10A) in 13 games with Springfield. With the Panthers adding Brett Connolly and Owen Tippett set to make the roster this fall, Malgin will be limited to a bottom-6 role in 2020.
Bourque spent the last three games with the Avalanche, appearing in 55 games a season ago. Bourque has totalled just 19 points (7G / 12A) in 113 games over the last two seasons. Bourque has a chance to crack the Jets fourth-line this fall.
Maroon returned to his hometown in 2019, scoring 10 goals with 18 assists (28 points) in 74 games with the Blues. He went on to have a decent postseason but won a Stanley Cup and now signs on with the 2020 preseason favorites to win the Cup. Maroon will have a really hard time cracking the Lighting’s top-6, but he will solidify their bottom-6 and second power-play unit.
Bouramman was a seventh-round pick of the Wild in 2015. Since being drafted, Bouramman has just one goal and three assists (four points) in 28 AHL games with the Iowa Wild. He will report to Springfield (AHL) to start 2020.
