July 22, 2014

Michael Amato

2014-07-22

The Leafs signed David Booth to a one-year deal on Tuesday and we’ll have a writeup on the fantasy impact tomorrow morning. It sounds like it’s for just over $1 million, which is pretty low risk. He’ll provide some depth and could fit well on the third line.

The Leafs also hired Kyle Dubas, the 28-year-old now former GM of Sault Ste. Marie of the OHL, as an assistant general manager. Brendan Shanahan’s first real move to put his stamp on the roster.

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Antoine Roussel signed a four-year deal with the Dallas Stars on Tuesday and avoided arbitration in the process. He’s not a terrible depth fantasy option when you consider he had 14 goals to go along with more than 200 PIM in 2013-14. He ranked third in the league when it came to penalty minutes.

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Cody Franson is still looking for his long-term contract, as the blueliner inked a one-year deal worth $3.3 million on Monday. Franson's play last year wasn't great and for my money he was the biggest disappointment on the team. With 33 points and a minus-20 rating, he was far from the level he showed in the previous lockout shortened year that saw him notch 29 in just 45 games. In a way, Franson was a microcosm of the Maple Leafs, as both regressed after a strong 2012-13. It's a good lesson on being wary of small sample sizes.

Still, as I've mentioned before, Franson shouldn't be avoided this year in fantasy circles. He was at the top of the league in hits in 2013-14 and if he can become a 45-point player, he'll be a huge fantasy asset. He averaged nearly three minutes a night on the power play and the looking at Toronto's blue line right now, that number should remain similar this year. Roman Polak and Stephane Robidas aren't stealing any of those minutes.

With that being said, how will the Leaf defensive pairings look in 2014-15? Carl Gunnarsson is gone so Dion Phaneuf needs a new partner and it might be wise to stick either Polak or Robidas with him for a stronger defensive presence. Franson played with Jake Gardiner a lot last season, but Randy Carlyle also opted for the pairing of Gardiner and Morgan Rielly at times, which was an adventure from a defensive standpoint. They could also go Phaneuf and Franson while placing Robidas and Polak with one of the young guys. Either way, however Carlyle sets things up will have a big impact on the offensive numbers for someone like Franson.

Or, there is always the possibility he could get traded.

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The New York Rangers and Chris Kreider remain apart on contract talks as the two sides prepare for arbitration. Kreider is a guy I'd be targeting high in fantasy drafts as he could be poised for a breakout season. He notched 17 goals in 66 games last year and six of those came on the power play. He also led the team in plus/minus and had more than 130 shots. If you extrapolate those out over 82 games, Kreider's numbers start to look pretty solid. Also, there is almost no one in New York's bottom six to challenge him for minutes, so you know he's going to get used in great offensive situations.

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Vladimir Sobotka received a one-year deal at $2.75 million from an arbitrator, but he's off to the KHL next season. However, the deal will be in effect for the following year if he returns to the St. Louis Blues. His deal with Avangard Omsk is reportedly worth $4 million a season for three years with an option to return to the NHL after each season, so he'll be taking a substantial pay cut if he decides to come back to North America. Keep that in mind if you have Sobotka in a keeper league.

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