Eric Daoust looks at the next wave of talent coming into the Eastern Conference. 

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While Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel have received all of the attention this summer as the NHL’s top newcomers, the crop of new players ready to make an impact this year extends well beyond them. The players included on this list will include those with 30 or fewer NHL games under their belt that play for Eastern Conference teams.

Note: this is not a list for keeper leagues. This is aimed towards one-year leagues that allow teams enough waiver wire transactions to make it worthwhile to swing for the fences in the later rounds. As players not yet established in the NHL, all of them come with risk. None of them are guaranteed to stick full-time and even if they do their overall production remains to be seen.

Without further ado, here is a list of fantasy-relevant newcomers in the East for the 2015-16 season not named Jack Eichel.

Forwards

Seth Griffith (Boston)

After a summer that saw a few of the team’s core players shipped out, the Bruins look to rebound with a much different look. One major area of weakness was their 23^rd-best 213 goals. Clearly, this team is in dire need for goals and if someone is ready to step up he will get a chance. If the players in Boston on one-way deals cannot get it done, look for Griffith to get chances throughout the year.

Griffith is the more proven commodity having scored six goals and 10 points in 30 games last year. While the total is not outstanding by any means, it is also not that far off from being fantasy-relevant. If he can see more ice time while in the lineup and fire more shots on net he could be a guy to surprise and have a good year. He already has two strong AHL campaigns under his belt at 22 years of age so this appears to be a good time for the team to see what they have in Griffith at the NHL level.

Rocco Grimaldi (Florida)

After a successful run in the college ranks and a solid rookie year in the AHL, Grimaldi is in a good position to make the jump to the NHL. Of course, making the team out of training camp is not a given with other candidates such as Quinton Howden and this year’s first-round pick Lawson Crouse among others in the mix. But the Panthers have some open spots up front so Grimaldi certainly bears watching.

From his short seven-game stint with the Panthers last year, there are some encouraging signs. While he only tallied one point in seven games, he did manage one hit per game. Given his reputation as a feisty player, he has some potential to deliver good hit totals. More importantly, he managed to get 18 shots on net during those seven games despite an average ice time of just 12:36. Depending on the size of your league, Grimaldi could be a solid depth option combining passable offense with peripheral contributions.

Pavel Zacha (New Jersey)

It goes without saying the Devils are very weak up front.  Their patchwork approach failed to deliver as the team finished 28^th in the NHL with 181 goals. New general manager Ray Shero made the right choice in letting many veterans walk as their contracts expired in July which will open spots for younger players. Zacha was Shero’s first draft pick in June and could be the benefactor of the team’s state of transition. If Zacha can stick with the Devils he will be given every opportunity to succeed out of the gate.

Even if he sticks in the NHL this year, Zacha’s point totals will probably not be anything special. Where he could excel is in multi-category leagues where his size and physical play could make him an asset. Additionally, he would also be a candidate to win a lot of face-offs. Just be wary of leagues that count faceoff percentage rather than faceoff wins as most young players struggle at the dot for the first few years of their career.

Sergei Plotnikov (Pittsburgh)

Plotnikov should be on everyone’s radar as a late round pick simply for the fact that he will see some time on Evgeni Malkin’s line this year. In all likelihood this will not be a long-term fit as the team has a lot of talent up front including several players that could take Plotnikov’s spot in a hurry. But you would be gambling on an unknown big Russian with an edge being the perfect complimentary winger at Geno’s side.

In all likelihood, Plotnikov will bounce around the lineup all year. His offense will heat up when he moves up with Malkin but when he slides down he will still provide hits and PIM (although not at the level of guys like Derek Dorsett) along with respectable shot totals. He might be best as a bench guy that you deploy according to the Penguins’ line changes.

Zach Hyman (Toronto)

After three underwhelming years at the college level, Hyman had a breakout senior year with 54 points in 37 games for Michigan. He failed to sign a contract with the Panthers so the team opted to trade him to Toronto rather than let him become an unrestricted free agent. One thing is clear about being a part of the Maple Leafs in 2015: opportunity.

Of course, Hyman is far from a lock to play in the NHL this year. There are others in the farm system looking to make the jump including former first-round pick William Nylander but as an older prospect Hyman should be an early call-up if he fails to make the opening night roster. On a roster with so few scoring options, any young player showing signs could end up in the top-six right away. If Hyman is able to carry his momentum from college to the NHL he could be a guy to watch.

Defensemen

Colin Miller and Joe Morrow (Boston)

With the departure of Dougie Hamilton, the Bruins have a hole on defense, particularly in the puck-moving department. Miller, a key part of the return in the Milan Lucic trade, and Morrow will be given opportunities to make up for some of the loss. While neither of them is established in the NHL, it is worth noting that the Bruins successfully integrated Torey Krug in their lineup a few years ago by giving him a sheltered role that favors his offensive abilities.

Miller burst onto the prospect scene with an outstanding sophomore year with the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs which included 52 points during the regular season and a key role on the team’s run to the Calder Cup. In addition to his offensive abilities, Miller had 82 PIM in 70 games last year, showing the potential to produce in the physical categories this year in your multi-category league.

Morrow is more well-known in the prospect ranks as a first-round pick back in 2011. So far he has not been able to produce at the same level as Miller but after playing two years in the Bruins’ organization and 15 games with the big club last year he might have the inside track for a spot on the main roster. During those games he managed 18 hits, 22 blocks and 20 shots which are signs of good potential in multi-category leagues if he can find his groove in the NHL this year. Morrow might be the safer option while Miller is more boom/bust for this year.

Noah Hanifin (Carolina)

This year’s fifth-overall pick has a great chance to make the Hurricanes’ opening night roster due to the team’s serious lack of quality players. To put it in perspective, the Hurricanes have missed the playoffs six straight years and this year does not look any more hopeful. Thankfully, this will facilitate the arrival of prospects that prove they are ready for NHL action.

Hanifin should easily get second-pairing minutes and second power play opportunities behind established minute-munchers Justin Faulk and James Wisniewski. It is worth noting that last year’s top drafted defenseman, Aaron Ekblad, had 39 points as a rookie and won the Calder trophy. However, without top-pairing minutes and top power play minutes it is highly unlikely Hanifin will be as successful in his first NHL campaign.

Mike Matheson (Florida)

The former 23^rd-overall pick in 2012 turned pro at the end of last year and will be in the mix for a job with the Panthers this fall. The team’s first six defensemen appear to be set but beyond that it will be open. Dylan Olsen or Steven Kampfer could stay on as the team’s seventh defenseman but neither one will create much of an obstacle if Matheson proves to be ready. After all, both Olsen and Kampfer split time between the NHL and AHL a year ago.

Although Matheson stands a good chance to be a solid secondary producer this year, keep expectations in check. He was a good scorer in college but was not off-the-charts either. If you put him on your list he should slot in beneath Hanifin as the conditions will not be there for Matheson to excel in year one.

Scott Mayfield and Ryan Pulock (New York Islanders)

It is worth noting the Islanders have been in talks to bring in a veteran blue liner to round out their lineup. But with no contract signed yet there is a spot open on the back end this fall. Even with the trade of Griffin Reinhart to the Oilers, the Islanders are still in good hands should they decide to promote from within.

Mayfield is a big and tough defenseman with limited offensive upside. He only has 32 points in two AHL campaigns but has averaged more than two PIM per game since turning pro. As a stay-at-home defenseman he will offer a nice mix of PIM, hits and blocks should he make the jump to the NHL full-time.

Pulock is much less physical but is also more gifted offensively. Last year he had 17 goals in just 54 games with Bridgeport of the AHL along with 29 total points. More impressively, he had 134 shots for an average of 2.5 shots per game, a high total for a defenseman. If Pulock can land on the second power play unit consistently he could turn out to be a more goal-heavy version of Hanifin in fantasy leagues this year.

Nikita Nesterov (Tampa Bay)

Nesterov is coming off a breakout year that saw him establish himself as a full-time NHLer on a team where his puck-moving abilities fit in perfectly. He enters this year battling Andrej Sustr for the team’s sixth spot on defense. If the team suffers again from the injury bug on defense it could lead to a much greater role for Nesterov this year.

The concern with Nesterov is his lack of offensive production at any level. In parts of two years in the AHL he had just 30 points in 86 games. But with defensemen it is very difficult to project offensive production as it is usually tied to utilization. The Lightning topped the NHL in goals last year with 262 so there are definitely points to be had if Nesterov can find his way into the lineup consistently.

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Evidently, the options in the East are stronger on defense than up front. Please check out the list of top newcomers in the Western Conference which is more forward-heavy.

Follow me on Twitter @DH_EricDaoust.