As we inch closer to the start of another full season of NHL hockey, I continue to preview numerous players of interest who have found themselves in new homes over the summer break. Whether it be a trade or by their own will via free agency, there was a bevy of offseason movement, and that always makes for some tantalizing hockey speculation! Last week, I highlighted a few forwards I thought might make a big splash in their new markets, but this week we shift our focus back to the blueline.

This offseason more so than any other in recent memory, the free agent defensemen in the league backed up the Brinks truck and cashed in big time. There were some huge contract signings for massive amounts of money being thrown around. While I'm not here to speculate on whether these players were overpaid or not, I do want to look at some of the potential great fits these players find themselves in. So with that being said, let's jump straight into it!

Seth Jones – CHI (D)

2020-21 Stats: (With CBJ) 56 GP, 5 G, 23 A, 28 PTS, -18, 141 SOG, 102 Hits, 25:14 ATOI

Consider it a changing of the guard in Chicago, as the Blackhawks made easily the biggest splashes this offseason when they pulled off a massive trade on draft day by acquiring Seth Jones. The trade saw the Blackhawks ship defenseman Adam Boqvist, 2021 first- and second- round picks, as well as their 2022 first-round pick, in exchange for Jones, the 32nd overall pick in the 2021 draft, as well as a 2022 sixth-round pick. Immediately after acquiring Jones, they inked him to an eight-year, $76 million contract which is AAV of $9.5 million per year. 

After veteran Duncan Keith opted to head to the Oilers this offseason, for the first time in over 15 years there will be a new face anchoring the blueline in Chicago. The 26-year-old should bring some much-needed rejuvenation to the Blackhawks defensive corps, as he will finally get the chance to shine as the true number one D-man. Jones has always had elite offensive upside for a defenseman, but I feel this move to Chicago could be what launches his career to the next level.

Jones was dealt to the Blue Jackets in January of 2016 after serving almost his entire three-year entry-level contract with Nashville. He signed a six-year extension with Columbus and he formed an elite one-two punch with fellow blueliner Zach Werenski. Jones enjoyed moderate success, highlighted by his selection to the 2018 All-Star Game. Although he performed admirably during his tenure with the Blue Jackets, I think the move to Chicago will suit him much better. Chicago is a much more offensive-minded club and I am giddy to see what their new top power play unit will look like this fall.

Additionally, Jones will now be the undisputed number one defender on his club, no questions asked. He should get more reps and more touches than he did when playing alongside Werenski in Columbus. And while this piece is meant to highlight Jones, this also doubles as a great thing for Werenski too, who should be able to blossom a bit with more opportunities. While I don't think the Blackhawks aren't going to win a lot of low-scoring games unless Marc-Andre Fleury stands on his head (which is may in fact do from time to time), I think with the addition of Jones, along with a fully healed Kirby Dach could make for some potent offense.

In Jones' best season back in 2017-18, he put up 16 goals, 41 assists for 57 points. Not surprisingly, that campaign coincided with his best shot output as well, totaling 249 shots on goal which averages out to 3.2 per game. If he can be a good fit in Chi-town and get acclimated with his teammates quickly, I see no reason why he can't reach or even surpass these benchmarks. Also keep in mind he is a decent source of hits and blocked shots for you as well, so fantasy owners have a lot to look forward to this coming season.

Dougie Hamilton – NJD (D)

2020-21 Stats: (With CAR) 55 GP, 10 G, 32 A, 42 PTS, +20, 180 SOG, 52 Hits, 22:43 ATOI

After serving a three-year stint with the up-and-coming Carolina Hurricanes, Dougie Hamilton decided to test the free agency market this summer. Hamilton and his agent wasted little time, signing a seven-year, $63 million contract on the first day of free agency this summer. This will come as a huge blow to the Hurricanes who lose their premiere defender. While they still have a serviceable blueline, Dougie Hamilton-caliber players don't come around very often. 

It was a little surprising to see Hamilton jump ship from Carolina. His best years came there, especially his past two seasons. In the 2010 season, Hamilton was well on his way to being regarded as one of the league's absolute elite defensemen. Through 47 contests, Hamilton notched 14 goals and added 26 assists for an even 40 points. Unfortunately, in mid-January he broke his leg in a freak accident in a game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. This injury combined with the regular season being shortened due to COVID spelt the end of Hamilton's season.

This past season Hamilton bounced back strong though, posting 10 goals and adding 32 assists over the span of 55 games. He also had a career high 18 points off the man advantage. In each of his three seasons in Carolina, Hamilton averaged a rate of over three shots per game which is a great rate for anyone, let alone a defender.

The New Jersey Devils will welcome Hamilton in with open arms and look to utilize his offense as much as they can, as offense has been hard to come by in recent years. The Devils were ranked 24th last year in goals scored with just 145, and their power play was rated fourth-worst in the league scoring just 14.19% of the time on the man advantage. Hamilton should be an immediate shot in the arm to at least partially remedy their offensive woes. I imagine Hamilton will be quarterbacking the top power-play unit right off the bat. Although the Devils don't have as many lethal players for Hamilton to work with like he had in Carolina, there are still plenty of capable players to help accommodate him. 

Ryan Ellis – PHI (D)

2020-21 Stats: (With NSH) 35 GP, 5 G, 13 A, 18 PTS, +1, 75 SOG, 21 Hits, 23:46 ATOI

The last player I'd like to take a look at is Ryan Ellis. After a decade of playing consistently above-average hockey in Music City, the Preds decided to ship off one of their longest-tenured players to Philadelphia for former second overall pick Nolan Patrick and defenseman Philippe Myers. I think it's safe to say a change of scenery might be the best thing for Nolan Patrick at this point, and the Flyers got back a rocksteady veteran defender with offensive upside.

Ellis is still just 30 years old, and should have some decent years left in him if he can stay healthy. Ellis has had a lengthy list of injuries over his ten-year career, ranging in seriousness. This past season saw him miss 21 games due to a shattered knuckle in his hand. This injury, compounded by the already shortened schedule, pretty much derailed any fantasy value he had last year. 

During his tenure in Nashville, Ellis has shown flashes of being a solid fantasy contributor. Most notably was his 2016-17 season which saw him bury 16 goals and collect 22 assists in 71 games. In my mind, a big thing holding Ellis back from truly exploding as an offensive catalyst for the Preds was his excellent teammates. For the first five years of his career, he had to contend with Shea Weber, who was in the prime of his career and one of the best defensemen in the league at that time. Even after Weber's departure, Roman Josi has emerged as a blueliner who has pretty much been every bit as good as Weber. Ellis is no slouch either, but there's no denying these two players cut into Ellis' potential production.

This problem could actually carry over to Philadelphia too, but it's still a little early to know what the lines and power-play units will look like heading into the season. The Flyers have absolutely loaded up their blueline this season, and in my opinion, they might have one of the most promising defensive corps in the league. Aside from the aforementioned Ellis, the Flyers also brought in the gritty (no pun intended) Rasmus Ristolainen from the Sabres. On top of that, they went out and signed veteran Keith Yandle to a one-year deal as well. These three newcomers will all join a blueline that already features the promising young pair of Travis Sanheim and Ivan Provorov. In all, that's six very capable NHL defensemen that will all be competing for valuable playing time.

Despite the competition, I feel Ellis has an edge to get major minutes and also a spot on the top power play unit. I think as training camp progresses and exhibition games are played, fantasy owners should monitor this situation closely. A lot of Ellis being relevant hinges on his deployment. Either way though, I think the City of Brotherly Love is a great fit for Ellis to play out the final seasons of his career. 

That wraps up the column for this week. Next Sunday I will be back to preview a few goalies who found new homes over the summer. We are getting closer and closer to draft days for a lot of fantasy leagues, it's an exciting time of year! A few more weeks and the games start to count again! I can't wait. Have a great week everyone!