After being called out for propping up the Cats in Tuesday's Ramblings, it was fitting that Florida was included in Sean McIndoe's list of five teams that could be this year's Avalanche. His assessment of the Panthers was similar to mine, and I won't be wishy-washy about Jaromir Jagr, Florida is better off without him.

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Miro Heiskanen is going to crack the Dallas roster to begin the season, according to Stars beat writer Mike Heika. It obviously would put Jamie Oleksiak, Patrik Nemeth and to a lesser extent Stephen Johns on notice that their long-term outlook with the team is bleak without improved play.

Additionally, if Heiskanen can tread water in a sheltered role and improve over the course of the season, it's a significant boost. Realistically, Heiskanen is unlikely to carry much fantasy value as a rookie, but he could be utilized similar to how the Rangers deployed Brady Skjei last year. If Heiskanen begins close to 60 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone and logs power-play minutes, he could surprise.

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Here's a quick read about Pierre-Luc Dubois' outlook heading into his second training camp. He's an important piece for the Blue Jackets, and while he's not necessarily going to be a universal fantasy option anytime soon, settling in as a serviceable two-way center in a middle-line role would be huge for Columbus.

With Brandon Dubinsky ripe for a shut-down role, and Alexander Wennberg in a top-line offensive role, Dubois could land in a lot of soft five-on-five matchups. Columbus also has enough depth on the wings to have three solid lines if Dubois can take the next step.

Additionally, looking at the Columbus depth chart, there doesn't seem to be an alternative option up the middle. A lot is riding on Dubois. 

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A few interesting tweets concerning some KHL players:

Ilya Samsonov to @DariaTuboltseva: Talked to #Caps, it was a positive dialogue. There're 5-6 goalies in the system I need to outplay

— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) August 10, 2017

Ilya Samsonov to @DariaTuboltseva: I'm ready to play in the AHL if it's needed. Goalie should play all the time, it's not a step back

— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) August 10, 2017

Ilya Samsonov to @DariaTuboltseva: It's a dream to play with Ovi, Kuznetsov and Orlov. And I don't believe #Caps are cursed

— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) August 10, 2017

Kirill Kaprizov signed a 3-year deal with CSKA #NHLWild

— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) August 10, 2017

There isn't a lot to take away from the above, except Kirill Kapirov's fantasy stock tumbling in dynasty/keeper settings. This is just one example, and it might not be tied to the Olympics, but it certainly could be. I'm not going to pretend to know the ins and outs of the NHL-IOC situation, but if the NHL doesn't reach some sort of an agreement, more Europeans might avoid the NHL to represent their countries in the future. It's definitely something to be considerate of.

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Here's another handful of deeper dives on three Anaheim blue liners, two high-upside Coyotes and Mike Smith.

Cam Fowler

Randy Carlyle's return was great for Fowler's fantasy output last season. The defenseman posted 39 points while logging a career-high 24:51 of ice time (3:06 with the man advantage) per game. Fowler's hefty role offers a high fantasy floor, and he's also just entering his prime and age-25 season, so continuing to post rock-solid numbers for the next five years isn't a stretch. It will likely be difficult for him to build on last season's production because of the stacked Anaheim blue line, though.

Sami Vatanen

It was a down year from Vatanen in 2016-17, as the power-play quarterback dropped to only 10 points at even strength while posting a career-low 0.5 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five. He buoyed some fantasy value with 14 points on the man advantage. However, once again, he missed time due to injury and suited up for just 71 games. Injuries are becoming commonplace for the 26-year-old defenseman, which might also be a by-product of his small stature (5-foot-10, 183 pounds). While Vatanen underwent offseason shoulder surgery there is still bounce-back potential. After all, he's looked into a power-play role and has a proven offensive track record.

Hampus Lindholm

Offseason shoulder surgery has Lindholm's status for training camp and potentially even the beginning of the season in jeopardy. However, despite endless talent, Lindholm's struggled to establish himself as a strong fantasy asset the past two season. He is an elite shut-down defenseman and driver of possession that regularly matches up against the opposition's top players and still sports a career 53.1 Corsi For percentage. His offensive upside is capped in the defensively tilted role, and his point total has declined in consecutive seasons. Be careful not to overvalue Lindholm's fantasy stock based on his real-world value.

Anthony Duclair

It was a season to forget for Duclair, as he collected just 15 points — five goals — through 58 games, and his eight points during a 16-game AHL stint weren't impressive, either. It's way too early to write off Duclair's fantasy potential entering his age-22 campaign, and it's also important to note that Duclair is no longer exempt from waivers, so he's going to have a fair opportunity to make it work in Arizona this year. He scored 20 goals and 44 points as a 20-year-old rookie just two years ago, too, remember.

Dylan Strome

With tremendous offensive upside, Strome is expected to be the No. 1 center at some time in the near future, and he showcased why during his final OHL campaign. Strome led Erie to the Memorial Cup Championship and took home tournament MVP honors while posting jaw-dropping numbers the entire way. After a seven-game stint with the Coyotes to start 2016-17, Strome enters training camp this year with a better feel and will probably need to play his way off the roster and not the other way around. However, Arizona could decide to start Strome in the AHL. He needs to fill out his 6-foot-3 frame, and he also might still need to work on his 200-foot game. The sky's the limit, and Strome could just as easily thrive in camp and take a run at the Calder Trophy.

Mike Smith

With approximately 55 starts behind a good team, Smith is in position to have a solid fantasy campaign in his new digs. Smith is huge (6-foot-4), and his puck-handling ability should prove to be an excellent fit with Calgary's elite blue-line corps. It's easy to highlight that Smith has been nothing better than a league-average goalie for a number of years, but league-average numbers are nothing to shake a stick at, especially when it's easy to fade him in daunting matchups. He's not necessarily a goalie to reach for, but Smith shouldn't be ignored in the middle rounds, either.

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Thanks for checking in, Dobberheads.