Most Likely to Succeed: Chicago Blackhawks

Most likely to Succeed is our newest series which points out one player from every team and explains why that player is poised to increase their point totals. While some teams may have more than one player likely to breakout and some none, we will focus on the ones who actually should improve with a full healthy season. File this article under a sleeper-type but sleepers would not be called that if people saw them coming.

In all honesty Marian Hossa looks bound for an amazing full season in Chicago as do many others but one player particularly sticks out. Eligible at both left wing and center, Patrick Sharp gets almost no respect from Yahoo! leagues, which needs to be addressed. We have gone over this subject before, but man can this scorer be valuable

Through some egregious error, Sharp has been given a whopping O-Rank of 212. Seriously, 212.

How can a multi-position player who will inevitably play with one of three offensive superstars be ranked so low after 25 goals and 66 points? Granted almost fifty players passed 40 assists last yea so a possible bias towards goalscorers seems possible. However, would anyone else rank a player like Alex Steen 50 positions higher?

If you are drafting around this time take advantage and steal a legitimate top 50 player in the later rounds. Sharp should be on everyone’s radar as the Blackhawks should boast a very healthy offense and with the subtractions around him will rely on the versatile forward to produce even more. Three years ago, the 28-year-old potted 36 goals so an increase in goals could happen as well.

This pundit just claimed him in the 13th round, run to see if your league also passed him by.