In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll identify a player that's worth targeting from each team in the conference. These players should provide value that outweighs the cost to acquire them in fantasy drafts.

Boston Bruins – Jake DeBrusk

Since posting a 50-point pace in his rookie campaign and a 30-goal pace in his sophomore season, DeBrusk's production has been underwhelming over the past three years. However, he showed signs of life late last season, posting 10 goals and six assists in his final 20 appearances. With Taylor Hall and Brad Marchand sidelined to start the year, DeBrusk should see an increased role at both even strength and on the power play. He had a rocky relationship with former coach Bruce Cassidy, so a fresh start with new coach Jim Montgomery could help DeBrusk that next step offensively.

Buffalo Sabres – Victor Olofsson

I've mentioned Olofsson as a strong bounce back candidate a few times during the offseason. With up-and-coming young talent capturing most of the attention in Buffalo, Olofsson – who is just two seasons removed from an impressive 64-point rookie campaign – has fallen off the radar in fantasy leagues. He was hindered by an oblique injury for a decent chunk of last season but still finished with a 56-point pace. He ended the year on a high note, tallying 25 points in his last 28 appearances. I think a healthy Olofsson will carry that momentum into this season, ultimately flirting with a 25-goal, 60-point pace. That's decent production for a player that will start out on the waiver wire in many fantasy leagues.

Carolina Hurricanes – Martin Necas

All eyes in Carolina are on Seth Jarvis, who has been touted as a breakout candidate by many outlets this year. While Jarvis certainly has the talent and opportunity to succeed, he's now a well-known commodity and is being drafted as such. In contrast, Martin Necas, a 23-year-old forward who posted a 63-point pace just one season ago, will begin the season a free agent in many fantasy leagues. Necas is having a strong training camp and could earn himself a top-six role with prominent power-play minutes this year.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Jack Roslovic

The big question in Columbus is which center gets to play between Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau. A few weeks ago, the answer seemed simple: Boone Jenner. Columbus' captain is trusted by coach Brad Larsen and was utilized as the team's top center last year. However, I'm concerned that a back injury, which kept Jenner sidelined for the final quarter of last season, hasn't completely healed. Jenner has been practicing but not playing so far in training camp as a 'precaution'. Maybe I'm overreacting and they're just easing him back into the fold, but I fear Jenner will miss significant time again this year. As a result, I'm willing to take a chance on Roslovic, who posted 19 points in 23 games while Jenner was sidelined last season. Roslovic will have competition for that top-center role, but I think he'll see enough time there to provide good value for your fantasy roster. 

Detroit Red Wings – Tyler Bertuzzi

The 27-year-old forward is fresh off a career-best campaign that saw him pace for 75 points. He's an established piece of Detroit top-six and plays a prominent role on the team's power play. Previously, players crossing the border into Canada had to be vaccinated. Since Bertuzzi isn't vaccinated, he was set to miss games played up north this season – limiting his fantasy value. With Canada recently dropping its vaccination requirements, Bertuzzi shouldn't be missing games due to his vaccination status, giving him more opportunities to contribute to your fantasy roster.

Florida Panthers – Carter Verhaeghe

Verhaeghe was having an excellent campaign last year, he tallied 48 points in his first 61 outings – a 64-point pace. Unfortunately, when Claude Giroux was traded to Florida, Verhaeghe was relegated to a lesser role and tallied just seven points in his last 17 games. With Giroux out of the picture, Verhaeghe should resume a prominent role in the top-six this season. Anthony Duclair will start the season on the sidelines, so Verhaeghe has an outside chance of cracking Florida's top power-play unit. Even if he doesn't, he's posted strong point totals without much power-play production over the past two years.

Montreal Canadiens – Mike Matheson

With Joel Edmundson sidelined indefinitely, the Canadiens will probably begin the season with three young, inexperienced blueliners. That leaves three experienced guys – David Savard, Chris Wideman and Mike Matheson. I think it's fair to say that Matheson is the best of the 'veterans' and will likely be trusted with a lot of ice time this year. Playing a lot of minutes on a team that's expected to be outshot most nights should help Matheson put up a healthy number of blocks. Unlike most teams, the Canadiens don't have an undisputed number-one power-play defenseman, but Matheson is capable of earning that role. Exposure to Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the power play, combined with a significantly increased role at even strength, could help Matheson break the 40-point mark for the first time in his career.

New Jersey Devils – Nico Hischier

New Jersey's captain quietly posted a 70-point pace last season. He'll play a prominent role in the top-six and on the power play again this year, exposed to plenty of young talent on an up-and-coming Devils' roster. He's available outside the first 150 picks in most fantasy leagues. At such a low cost, there's a good chance he provides extra value for your fantasy roster this year.

New York Islanders – Mathew Barzal

Barzal has the high-end talent to be a point-per game player in the NHL. He proved that when he posted 85 points in his rookie season. However, in four years since that rookie campaign, he's been a 65–70-point guy. I believe that his reduced production over the past few years is a product of playing the Islanders' team-oriented, defensively focused system. I'm hopeful Barzal will see slightly more offensive freedom under a new coach this year, which should lead to more production than we've seen in recent years.

New York Rangers – Vincent Trocheck

The 29-year-old forward finds himself in a great situation this year. Not only will he play a prominent role in New York's top-six, likely centering superstar winger Artemi Panarin, but he should also feature on the team's star-studded top power-play unit. I'm optimistic Trocheck will flirt with the 70-point mark this season.

Ottawa Senators – Anton Forsberg

With the Senators improving their offense during the offseason, there's a lot of attention on the team's forwards this year, making it hard to acquire them for a reasonable price in fantasy drafts. The quality of a team greatly influences a goaltender's numbers. So, if we think the team is going to be better this year, why not invest in their goalie? Forsberg posted an impressive .917 save percentage and 22-17-4 record while playing behind a lesser roster last season. He'll have an opportunity to establish himself as the team's starter since Cam Talbot is expected to miss the first five to seven weeks with an upper-body injury.   

Philadelphia Flyers – Kevin Hayes

Has been hindered by injuries in recent years but all accounts suggest that he looks healthy and is having a strong training camp. Hayes should see a lot of ice time this season, especially early on, since Sean Couturier is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury to start the year.  

Pittsburgh Penguins – Jeff Petry

Petry's output last season was hindered by a couple of factors. He spent much of the season playing (1) under a coach with questionable strategies, and (2) away from his family (who stayed in the States due to COVID restrictions in Quebec). Through most of his time in Montreal, Petry was a reliable 45-point player who put up a solid number of shots, hits and blocks. I think we can expect him to be a similar player this season as he debuts for the Penguins. Although he won't see the same opportunity with the man advantage that he saw in Montreal, he'll be exposed to a higher level of offensive talent.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Brandon Hagel

After posting 21 goals and 16 assists in 55 games with the Blackhawks, Hagel was traded to Tampa and tallied just seven points in 22 games with the Lightning. The decrease in production is partially explained by a reduced role as Hagel's ice time was four minutes lower in Tampa than it was in Chicago. With Ondrej Palat leaving Tampa for New Jersey during the offseason, Hagel could step into a coveted role top-six role this year, giving him plenty of exposure to high-end talent.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Matt Murray  

Most of the fantasy-relevant names in Toronto will be snagged early in fantasy drafts. However, Murray has struggled over the past three seasons, so managers are apprehensive to roster him this year and he's staying on the board longer than he should in most drafts. Since a goaltender's numbers are largely a product of the team in front of him, and Murray is playing behind one of the league's best rosters, I'm willing to take a chance on him this season.

Washington Capitals – Connor Brown

With Tom Wilson expected to miss the first few months of the season, Brown will likely start the year on Washington's top line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. In Ottawa, Brown consistently scored at a 50-point pace despite starting most of his shifts in the defensive zone. Enjoying more offensive freedom and playing with two strong players should help Brown produce early on. His spot beside the Russian duo isn't set in stone, especially once Wilson returns to the lineup, so don't be afraid to sell high if Brown gets off to a good start.