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It's unlikely that Matt Lombardi is going to boast much, if any, fantasy value this year. His last stint in the NHL was with Phoenix, when he posted four goals and four assists in 21 games back in 2012-13.

Saying that, we can celebrate that he’ll finally be back in EA's NHL video game series. The game's developers typically bless him with Barry Allen-like speed – which, if you haven't played before, makes him virtually impossible to catch up with. It's gotten to the point where we've had to ban fellow gamers from using him since it creates a competitive imbalance that’s argubaly more difficult than Crosby. I'll just let that sink in…

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In the world of instant, unlimited access to media and information it's becoming harder (if not near impossible) to stumble on star fantasy assets ahead of your buddies. Between sites like this one and the many other great resources out there poolies are better informed than ever.

Which is why I still can't understand why in the world more of us aren't excited about Jeff Skinner. NHL.com recently put out their top 200 fantasy rankings. It's a daunting task, and not one I envy. No matter what you do you'll never satisfy all formats or league settings and inevitably people are going to disagree. I'm sure if I put out a list tomorrow my twitter feed would be inundated with various versions of "YOU = IDIOT."

Instead of getting angry with the rankings, I often use them as a barometer for what the general public perception of a particular player is. NHL.com has huge web traffic – if they post rankings you can expect it to have an impact on popular opinion of certain guys. Which is why the location of Skinner is intriguing: he's slotted at number 72 and 118.

Even in a format that uses hits, penalty minutes, faceoffs…etc that still feels awfully low for a 22 year old capable of 40 goals and 300 shots. The injuries are a concern, and we can't totally overlook them. But he played in 71 games last season and 42 during the lockout. I'd say Carolina's offence is more to blame than his health.

With a new general manager (Ron Francis) and coach (Bill Peters) it feels like things COULD be different in 2014-15. I wouldn't go betting your family's farm on Skinner – he isn't can't miss when it comes to superstars – but he's really good. Look for north of 30 goals, 65 points and 300 shots in a full slate of games.

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Tyler Bozak's fantasy value is tied intrinsically to his position on the depth chart. Playing prime minutes at evens and on the first power play unit were the key to his 49 points in 58 games last year. The folks over at Pension Plan Puppets are wondering aloud if he's been in that position a wee bit too long.

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Sometimes I like to watch television shows or movie clips and pretend they're about fantasy hockey. I do this since there are very few that are actually devoted to poolies (ok, there are ZERO). If you're worried about your roster heading into next season and need a little pick-me-up, coach Eric Taylor has your back…

Darren Kennedy (@fantasyhockeydk) is a writer for Dobber and Mckeen's hockey. He spent the majority of his childhood dodging blue plasma grenades in halo while drinking WAY TOO MUCH Mountain Dew – it was awesome.