Nick Foligno – In past years, Foligno never received the credit he deserved as a multi-category stud. Already a respectable point producer, he was also a great collector of PIM and hits. This year he took his offensive game to a new level, beating his previous career-high by more than 50 percent. In fact, his 73 points led the entire Blue Jackets' roster, even besting golden boy Ryan Johansen.

Claude Giroux – Posting elite numbers is nothing new for Giroux, as this is the fourth time he has posted 70 or more points. Beyond that, his 279 shots on goal beat his previous high by more than 50. Even more impressive was his excellence in the faceoff circle where his 1063 faceoff wins were second only to Patrice Bergeron, and his faceoff efficiency ranked in the top-10 among full-time centers.

Ryan Callahan – Right wing is the shallowest position in terms of star power, allowing a multi-category player like Callahan to shine, and he is a fringe fantasy star.  His 54 points are not among the league's best but his peripheral categories help form a well-balanced player. However, there is a pattern worth noting. After a fast start out of the gate producing at an unsustainable rate, Callahan slowed down significantly as the season progressed. It appears that his style of play causes him to wear down over the course of a long campaign which can also be seen in his postseason numbers which fail to match up to his production during the regular season.

Honorable Mentions – D

Kris Letang – Letang was able to play a reasonable amount of games this year for a change. His 69 appearances were his highest since 2011. As a result, he posted a career-high 54 points and his 117 blocks were also a personal-best. Unfortunately, the injury bug hit Letang once again late in the year as he is currently out with a concussion and unlikely to return this postseason. Who knows what the future holds for Letang?

PK Subban – The Canadiens' defenseman has developed into a top defenseman but from a multi-category perspective his production across the board has been a bit puzzling. While he has set career-highs in goals (15), assists (45), points (60), plus/minus (21) and blocked shots (142), he has also experienced significant drops in both hits and shots on goal. 

Honorable Mention – G

Holtby bounced back very well under new head coach Barry Trotz to have a career season. In particular, his 41 wins nearly doubled his previous best of 23 and his nine shutouts nearly matched the amount he had in his entire career prior to this year. No doubt, the poor play of backup Justin Peters played a role in Holtby's 73 appearances which helped maximize his numbers.

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2014-15 Fun Facts

Alex Ovechkin – This year, Ovechkin became just the sixth player in NHL history to score 50 or more goals in a season on six different occasions. The other five – Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, Marcel Dionne and Guy Lafleur – all had the benefit of playing around the 1980s era that featureD goals much more frequently. The fact that Ovechkin is the only other player to have accomplished the feat during an age of tough defensive hockey is simply amazing.

Workhorse goaltenders – One of the staples in fantasy hockey is workhorse goalies. That is, there are certain guys that play almost every game on the schedule. They are especially valuable in leagues that favor the accumulation of bulk stats such as wins, shutouts and saves. Last year, we did not see any workhorses with Kari Lehtonen topping the league at 65 appearances in the crease. This year, three goaltenders (Holtby, Jonathan Quick, Tuukka Rask) topped 70 games played. This is equal to the amount of 70-plus-game netminders that we saw in 2010-11 and 2011-12, the two years prior to the most recent lockout.

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Eastern Conference 2014-15 Review

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Playoff Prep – Eastern Conference Part Two