Fantasy Impact: The Carolina Hurricanes have named former Red Wings assistant coach Bill Peters their new head coach.

Peters took a weak Spokane Chiefs team (WHL) in 2005 and guided them to a Memorial Cup within three seasons. From there he took the helm for Rockford of the AHL and after a fairly successful three-year career as an AHL coach, including a 38-33-9 record when he had the second-youngest team in the league, he was brought into Detroit to an assistant coach.

He was in charge of the defensemen and penalty-killing units, which implies that he has defensive leanings. The fact that Detroit is a very system-based team, as well as Rockford being a defense-first team (just two players with over 50 points in 2010-11), you could be looking at a further decline in offense – especially from the secondary options. While Eric Staal is not going to dip below his disappointing 61 points of 2013-14, he may not get much higher than that number. Alexander Semin should also be safe, going by the ‘it can’t get any worse’ theory. But Nathan Gerbe, Jiri Tlusty and for the short term – Elias Lindholm – are at risk.

Jordan Staal has been a 40-point player with Carolina and he is the type of player that will be leaned on heavily by Peters in both special teams situations. I have a hunch that he gets back up over 50. Jeff Skinner is another safe one, as he is a first-liner and when healthy he should match or exceed last season’s stats.

On defense, Peters really leaned on Brian Connelly with Rockford. If he’s leaning on one guy in Carolina, it will be Justin Faulk. It looks as though Andrej Sekera will be the odd-man out here, unless he can establish himself early to his coach as an upper-echelon two-way presence and puts points on the board when Faulk does not. (editor’s note: the Joni Pitkanen reference has been removed)

The biggest boost will go to the goaltending and rate Cam Ward a big “buy”. Despite his shortcomings and the  many fantasy owners who have fallen off the bandwago, a coach can often make the goaltender and he will make Cam Ward. Barring injury – which makes Anton Khudobin a great handcuff.

Fantasy Players this helps, in order:

1. Ward

2. Khudobin

3. J. Staal

4. Faulk

Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:

1. Tlusty

2. Sekera

3. Gerbe

4. Lindholm (short term, one or two seasons)