NHL Hockey Player News

Staal is a former 100-point player, but has seen his career numbers come crashing down in recent years. After he was traded to the Rangers at the deadline, he struggled mightily, posting just six assists (3G / 3A) in 20 regular season games and failed to record a point in five post-season games. His recent struggles were detrimental to his UFA value, allowing the Wild to sign him to a potential bargain $3.5M AAV contract.

After spending five and a half years with the Winnipeg Jets, he had a reunion with the Blackhawks after being acquired at the Trade Deadline, but he wasn’t enough to propel them to another Stanley Cup. He had 12 points (8G / 4A) in 19 games with Chicago and 25 goals, 21 assists (46 points) in 78 games overall. Ladd will fill the hole left by Kyle Okposo’s departure to Buffalo and should find himself playing alongside John Tavares in 2016-17.

Reimer, 28, split last season with the Maple Leafs and Sharks after being dealt at the Trade Deadline. He combined for a 17-14-7 record with a 2.31 GAA and .922 SV%. He has a career .914 SV% in 196 starts and signs with the Panthers as insurance for 37-year-old Roberto Luongo. Bobby Lu will likely start the majority of games, but Reimer should start more than your average backup with the upside for a straight platoon if he plays well.

Brouwer had 18 goals and 21 assists (39 points) in 82 games with the Blues last season after he was traded for T.J. Oshie in the offseason. He has only missed one game in the last five years while averaging 22 goals and 20 assists per 82 games over that span. He’ll bring some experience to an otherwise youthful top-6 that includes Sam Bennett, 20, Sean Monahan, 21, and Johnny Gaudreau, 22.

Campbell, 37, played with the Blackhawks from 2008-2011 before signing with the Panthers, where he spent the last five seasons. He never missed a game in his time with Florida, while averaging an impressive six goals and 32 assists per 82 games. He’ll fit in nicely on the Blackhawks’ second pairing behind Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

Ekblad, 20, will carry a $7.5 million cap-hit in the 2017-18 season, which would make him the sixth highest paid defenseman as of now. The 6-foot-4, 216 lbs. blueliner has had two great years to kick off his NHL career—posting 39-points (12G / 27A) in 2014-15 and 36 points (15G / 21A) last season. Ekblad will be the cornerstone of the Panthers franchise through the 2024-25 season.

Backes spent the first 10 years of his NHL career with the Blues after they drafted him 62nd overall in the 2003 NHL Draft. He had developed into one of the best all-around fantasy centres, but is coming off of a disappointing 45-point (21G / 24A) season, but that did not damage his UFA value. He may shift to the wing in Boston, seeing as their top-2 centre positions are locked in with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

Eriksson, 30, was a key part of the Tyler Seguin trade back in 2013 but the Bruins lost him for nothing. He is coming off of his best season with Boston, having collected 30 goals and 33 assists (63 points) in 82 games. Eriksson is a player who rarely misses games and is a threat to score 30 goals with 30 helpers every season. He should click well with fellow Swedes Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

Okposo spent the first nine years of his NHL career with the Islanders, who drafted him seventh overall in 2006. The 28-year-old winger had 64 points (22G / 42A) in 79 games last season. His 42-assists tied a career-high, but 22 goals was five short of his career-best of 27 in 2013-14. He brings some experience to an otherwise young top-6 in Buffalo that features Jack Eichel, 19, Sam Reinhart, 20 and Ryan O’Reilly, 25.

Nielsen has flown under the radar for much of his NHL career, but has finally been rewarded with a huge deal in Detroit. He has averaged 20 goals and 39 assists per 82 games in his last three years with the Islanders and will fill the hole left by Pavel Datsyuk’s departure for the Red Wings. He is a solid two-way centre, who creates offence for his line mates while also helping out Detroit’s special teams on both the power play and penalty kill.

Perron, 28, was a first round pick of the Blues back in 2007 and spent the first six years of his career in St. Louis. Since then he has played for the Oilers, Penguins and Ducks, but has returned to the Blues. He is coming off of a 12-goal, 24-assist season with the Pens and Ducks and should slide right back into the Blues’ top-9.

It was believed that Helm’s time with the Red Wings had come to an end and he was going to hit free agency, but Detroit came in with a five-year deal in the final hour to lock the 29-year-old up through the 2020-21 season. Helm is coming off of a sub-par year, having posted just 13 goals and 13 assists (26 points) in 77 games.

Lucic, 28, spent the first nine seasons of his NHL career with the Bruins and the Kings, tallying a total of 159 goals and 238 assists (397 points) in 647 career games. He has been a reliable Fantasy asset, who has averaged around 20 goals and 30 assists per 82 games over the last eight years. He is a great source of hits and PIMS and with a new-found spot next to Connor McDavid, Lucic could be in for a huge 2016-17 fantasy season.

After scoring 21 goals in just 51 games in 2014-15, the Wild were hoping for big things out of Zucker last season, but he never seemed to gain any traction. The 24-year-old winger struggled with just 13 goals and 10 assists (23 points) in 71 games, but the Wild we able to secure him for two more years at a very reasonable cap-hit.