Ramblings: Kane’s outlook on a thin roster; Potential linemates for Tkachuk, & more (July 24)

Michael Amato

2022-07-24

It remains to be seen where Matthew Tkachuk slots in to the Florida Panthers lineup, but I think it's safe to say his offensive numbers are going to take somewhat of a hit. He scored 100 of his 104 points while playing Johnny Gaudreau last season and maybe the only Panthers player he could've played with that would've put him anywhere close to that mark was Jonathan Huberdeau, but he was shipped back to Calgary.

Perhaps Tkachuk bumps Carter Verhaeghe off the top line and plays with Aleksander Barkov and his numbers won't take a major fall, but I think he'll eventually settle into a role with Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell. That would be a very effective line and a tough one to play against, but in that scenario, a 25-point dropoff for Tkachuk wouldn't shock me.

It's very possible we've just seen the best offensive season Tkachuk is going to have in his entire career, so be careful about overdrafting him or paying too much to acquire him in a trade.

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Ville Husso should be great value long-term in Detroit, but for the 2022-23 campaign there is reason for concern about his numbers. When Alex Nedeljkovic left the Carolina Hurricanes a year ago for Detroit, he saw his save percentage plummet from .932 to .901. Now maybe the Wings will be slightly better this year and perhaps Husso's skillset is a better fit to handle a weaker defensive team, but it's tough to imagine his numbers won't at least take a bit of a dip.

Long-term, though, a young goalie on and up and coming team is great to hold onto if you're in a keeper league.

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It's going to be tough to draft Patrick Kane in the appropriate spot this fall given how decimated the Chicago roster is. Kane isn't going to need high-end talent to produce consistently, but those combinations right now aren't pretty. You'd think his numbers would at least regress somewhat.

That said, on the flipside of the coin, you may want to target a player later in your drafts that Kane may be able to prop up. Lukas Reichel might end up getting the coveted centre spot next to Kane and could see a big rise in production. Reichel may be a bit of a sleeper in deeper leagues.

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Speaking of deep sleepers, I always like to make a list of players with decent value that aren't likely to be drafted. It's inevitable that your team will suffer an early injury or maybe someone you drafted late isn't panning out, so it's good to have a few players you're ready to pounce on. One player that could fit that bill is Adam Henrique. Henrique quietly had a very good season, scoring at a 60-point pace and averaging more than two shots per game. He's also an excellent asset if your league counts faceoff wins and has dual eligibility at centre and left wing. He’s probably not draftable unless your league is very deep, but keep Henrique on your waiver wire radar should a need on your roster open up.

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Looking for a value defenseman late in your drafts? Keep an eye on Los Angeles Kings blueliner Sean Durzi. His 27 points last season don't really jump off the page at you, but more than half of them cam on the power play. Durzi could end up being somewhat of a specialist in that area, where even if his overall totals aren't great, perhaps he'll help you win the power play category on a weekly basis.

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Alex Killorn is coming off a career season but his finish to the campaign was very curious. Killorn only had four goals in his final 16 regular season games and didn't score once in the entire postseason, and he had just a single point after the first round. I'm always wary of players who don't finish strong and that second line in Tampa, that will likely feature Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, is probably going to be a checking line. I just can't see Killorn scoring 25 goals and flirting with the 60-point mark once again.

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If the New Jersey Devils top-six can stay healthy next season I think they are going to be one of higher scoring teams in the league. That's where you'll want to keep an eye on Dawson Mercer and Yegor Sharangovich as value forwards on your roster. There's a good chance at least one or possibly even both are going to be playing with Jack Hughes and they'll each have 25-goal potential in that situation. It's very likely you won't have to reach for either until the final rounds of your drafts or you may even be able to steal them in the first week or two on the waiver wire.

For fantasy hockey tips and advice, follow me on Twitter at @amato_mike

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