Offseason Bargain Hunting

Chris Pudsey

2015-05-14

USATSI 8517783 154511096 lowres

Michael Stone and Zach Redmond are among the cheap-salaried defensemen to look for going into next season.

Finding those hidden gems to fill out rosters is normally one of the harder things to do in salary cap leagues. It's about getting a leg up on your competition before they know what's really going on. In this week's Capped, we are going to take a look at some inexpensive defensemen who are ready to take the next step in helping your fantasy roster next season. These are the guys you should be looking at when it comes to smart roster management of your precious cap space. If you don't own them, consider reaching out to the GM's who currently do and see if you can't acquire them before they really show their true value.

In no particular order, here's some good, inexpensive defensemen who are ready to help your roster next season, and beyond.

Michael Stone – ARI – $1.15M cap hit, one year remaining

player	GP	G	A	P	PntPG	+/-	PIM	Shots	HITS	PPG	PPP	SHG	BLKS	PPTOI	%PP	%SH	TOI/G	%TOI
STONE, MICHAEL	81	3	15	18	0.22	-24	60	144	202	0	5	0	189	01:06	23.5	29.9	20:52	34.2

It's hard to say how his offense will go next year. There's a good chance he will share his power play time with Oliver Ekman-Larsson so the opportunity will be there. A lot will depend on the supporting cast around him. I wouldn't acquire him looking for offense. Just enjoy the cheap hits and blocks he brings and consider any offense a bonus.

Mark Borowiecki – OTT – $1.1M cap hit, three years remaining

player	GP	G	A	P	PntPG	+/-	PIM	Shots	HITS	PPG	PPP	SHG	BLKS	PPTOI	%PP	%SH	TOI/G	%TOI
BOROWIECKI, MARK	63	1	10	11	0.17	15	107	30	233	0	0	0	102	00:02	0.6	42.9	15:55	25.9

The recently re-signed Borowiecki is exactly what he looks like; he's mean, tough and likes to hit. He also finished second on the Senators in blocked shots behind Cody Ceci. For a guy who basically started the season as a 7/8 defenseman, his +15 speaks a lot about his responsibilities in his own end as well.

Don't expect offense from the 25 year-old but he will fill plenty of other categories for you and at an inexpensive price for a few years. Plug this guy into your daily or weekly lineup and stand back and enjoy the ride. Let your scorers do their thing and let the cheap players like this guy take care of the other categories that you don't have to pay big bucks for.

Ben Lovejoy – PIT – $1.1M cap hit, one year remaining

player	GP	G	A	P	PntPG	+/-	PIM	Shots	HITS	PPG	PPP	SHG	BLKS	PPTOI	%PP	%SH	TOI/G	%TOI
LOVEJOY, BEN	60	2	12	14	0.23	-4	25	86	170	0	0	0	105	00:13	4.4	35.7	19:26	31.9

The trade deadline day saw the Pittsburgh Penguins re-acquire Ben Lovejoy from the Anaheim Ducks for Simon Despres. The Pens wanted more veteran experience, even though both play a similar physical style.

Lovejoy has turned himself into a solid defensive defender who no longer has the offensive upside of others but still delivers in the hits and blocks categories. In fact, that is his strength for fantasy owners.

The fact that Lovejoy is now 31 years-old should make him the easiest on this list to acquire. Don't let the age scare you away. He still has some solid fantasy years left in his tank and considering his role and style of play, you shouldn't have to worry about his next contract breaking the bank either.

Zach Redmond – COL – $750,000, one year remaining

player

PntPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

HITS

PPG

PPP

SHG

BLKS

PPTOI

%PP

%SH

TOI/G

%TOI

REDMOND, ZACH

0.34

-1

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01:30

30.9

6.5

17:09

28.0

Signed as a free agent last summer, Redmond didn't exactly light the world on fire at the start of the season last year. He found himself healthy scratched 11 times in the Avalanche's first 14 games and it took an injury to Erik Johnson to open the door for him. Once the door opened, he took full advantage of the opportunity, putting up career numbers in points as well as a career high 59 games played.

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