Dobber’s 10th annual Interactive Playoff Draft List is updated as of yesterday (updates include Mrazek and Kane news), pick it up here for $8.99. It includes my own picks, a printable spreadsheet, injury notes, tips, etc.

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It was an honour to be invited to join the Dobber Hockey team, and doing so alongside Michael Clifford sweetened the deal. Now that we’re both here for the summer, I’m excited to play fantasy hockey pitch and catch with the top dudes in the league.

Given this is my first Ramblings, I’m throwing a shout out to the guys I’ve talked and played hockey with for years. Ramble on, gentlemen, ramble on!

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Nail Yakupov signed a two-year bridge deal with an average annual value of $2.5 million Monday. While many have written him off in the real world, his virtual value is still on the rise. With goals down across the league, offensive talent should be targeted, and Yakupov finished the season with 20 points — nine goals — over his last 28 games.

Looking ahead, he’ll enter his fourth season at just 22 and with 192 games under his belt. While Edmonton doesn’t project to finally figure it out and win many games, they’re going to score. They averaged 2.89 goals per game over their final 19 outings of the season.

Take the obvious plus/minus risk and whitewash it with Yakupov’s eligibility at right wing, and file him in the late-round flier folder. Right wing is the weakest position in the fake game, and there is a legitimate chance Yakupov takes a modest to substantial step forward in 2015-16. Either way, late in drafts, you should be targeting upside.

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Art Ross winner Jamie Benn will undergo hip surgery which will require a four- to five-month rehab period. He projects to be ready for training camp. Still, monitoring his progress over the summer would be wise, especially leading into training camp.

Benn will likely be a polarizing fantasy player in rankings next season. I had him pegged at fifth overall this season. His winger eligibility and cross-category production were the main reasons behind the aggressive ranking. Plus, he is a beast, and Tyler Seguin helps, too. I had Seguin ranked sixth overall. Those two are first-round locks for the 2015-16 season, at least in my books.

Who joins them on the top line is the biggest fantasy question, though. Valeri Nichushkin looked awesome in my last viewing. He reminded me of a Jaromir Jagr-Evgeni Malkin clone. It makes sense to have Nichushkin play with Jason Spezza, though, but Nichushkin would be otherworldly playing with Benn and Seguin. Although, there might not be enough puck for all three of them. Early wagers on Dallas making the playoffs next year stand to be extremely profitable.