In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll discuss a few under-the-radar players who could provide a sneaky bit of value for your fantasy roster this season.

James van Riemsdyk 

It's no surprise that van Riemsdyk isn't highly touted in fantasy formats this year. The 34-year-old forward couldn't crack a 40-point pace in his last two campaigns. I guess there's some room for forgiveness considering Philadelphia's roster has seen a high degree of turnover and tinkering in recent years. However, my endorsement of van Riemsdyk has less to do with him, and more to do with the situation he finds himself in. Recent reports indicate JVR will start the year on Boston's top line, alongside Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak. Playing beside Pastrnak, one of the league's greatest goal scorers right now, could help van Riemsdyk return to that 50–60-point pace he's hovered around for most of his career. Even if that combination doesn't work out, it's hard to see him falling out of the top-six given Boston's lack of winger depth. JVR probably won't see a prominent power-play role to start the year, but I think he'd be first in line for a promotion if one of Zacha, Marchand, Jake DeBrusk or Brad Marchand got injured.

Sean Couturier

One glance at Philly's roster is likely to produce a burning sensation that'll discourage you from ever taking a second look. Maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but the reality is, plenty of fantasy managers will ignore talent in Philly, simply because the overall team is lacklustre. That'll work in your favour to get strong production at discounted rates. For those brave enough to target Flyers this year, focus seems to be on up-and-coming young players, such as Owen Tippett, Morgan Frost, and Cam York. It makes sense because of the team's rebuilding status. Young players are likely to get prime opportunity as the Flyers figure out who is and isn't part of the organization's future. With those guys capturing the attention in Philadelphia, one player that'll fly under the radar is Sean Couturier. When he's on his game, Couturier is a top two-way center. Although injuries limited the impact he's had in the last two years, he'd posted a 70-point pace for four straight seasons before that. His fantasy stock has plummeted because he's been out of action since December 2021. Following two major back surgeries and a near two-year hiatus, it's fair to question whether Couturier can reclaim his previous form. You don't have to look very far for sources of optimism, as Golden Knights' captain Mark Stone, who led Vegas to the cup this Spring, did so after undergoing two back procedures in the year leading up to their victory. Reports indicate that Couturier was ready and eager to return at the end of last season, but the team opted to keep him on the shelf a little longer to ensure his availability for this upcoming campaign. It may take him a little while to get going because he's been out so long, but he provides an excellent combination of talent and deployment that'll result in strong production if he's healthy. He's a great low-risk high-reward pick this year.

Tony DeAngelo

Character concerns aside, I don't think fantasy managers are optimistic about DeAngelo's outlook this season, primarily because of the internal competition he's facing. Carolina's depth on defense is much better than it was during DeAngelo's last stint with the Hurricanes. Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov, who weren't on the 21-22 roster with DeAngelo, are both capable of playing offensive roles. In contrast to DeAngelo, though, they're more responsible defensively. It's no secret that DeAngelo is all offense, and I think the Hurricanes know that. So, in signing him to a one-year deal this offseason, I think the plan is to play him in a scoring-focused role again, as they did in 21-22, when he scored at a career-high 65-point pace.

Although Burns quarterbacked Carolina's top power-play unit last year, I could see DeAngelo stepping into that role this season. Maybe that's a little crazy to say, especially since Burns did well last year, tallying 23 points with the man advantage. However, considering Burins is 38 years old, wouldn't it make sense to lessen his load a little bit? You obviously can't give his defensive minutes to DeAngelo, but giving DeAngelo some of Burns' power-play time might make sense. Although there's some logic to that argument, there are obviously other ways to reduce the weight on Burns. With the team's deep blue line, other defenders could take on some of his defensive minutes. Maybe it's silly to even suggest Burns needs a role reduction considering he just posted a 61-point season. I guess the way I see it, it makes sense to optimize the roster, distributing the load as evenly as possible, based on individual strengths. Such an approach requires DeAngelo to see offensive opportunity because that's the only place he thrives. The Hurricanes are deeper than most teams, so even if DeAngelo ends up on the second unit, he could get the power-play production necessary to be a 40-point defenseman. It's always safer to bet on the status quo, so most will understandably project Burns to remain Carolina's top power-play defenseman. Although that could very well be the case, I think there's enough potential for DeAngelo to steal that role, that I would keep an eye on him in fantasy formats. The cost to acquire him is so low, you're not losing much if things go wrong, and you have to cut bait.