After trading Artemi Panarin to reacquire Brandon Saad, the Chicago Blackhawks really are getting the band back together. Following a couple of seasons in Dallas, Patrick Sharp returns to the team where he spent the bulk of his career, including three Stanley Cups:

Patrick Sharp's terms in CHI, $800K base salary and $200K in GP bonuses for $1M package.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2017

Sharp turns 36 years old in December, and is recovering from hip surgery he had at the end of March.

At some point, it’s important to finally accept a player for who he actually is. Some people may look at Sharp’s 34-goal season in 2013-14 and think that he can return to be that player. Since that year, however, he’s posted three straight seasons with a shooting percentage under 9 percent, averaging 7.3 percent in that span. An oft-injured winger who has lost his scoring touch is an interesting signing for the Blackhawks, who are trying for another Stanley Cup.

Fantasy Impact

Just how large, or small, an impact Sharp will have is going to be largely left up to his health. The most optimistic timeline would have him recovered by the time August rolls around, with training camp being the goal. Actually staying to that timeline, at his age, is another matter.

Should he be ready to go for the start of the season, it’s fair to wonder what kind of shape he could be in by then. We saw someone considerably younger in Jamie Benn struggle to return to form out of the gate last year when recovering from hip surgery. How long will it take Sharp to look like himself again? It is very much an open-ended question.

The next question is about his usage. Will he be in a top-six role? At present time, Patrick Kane, Richard Panik, and Saad are almost assuredly among the top-six wingers. Sharp could slide on the second line with Kane and Artem Anisimov. That would, however, kill all the fantasy value that guys like Ryan Hartman and Nick Schmaltz hoped to have; if they’re in the bottom-six with minimal power-play time, they won’t carry much value at all.

To that end, discussing Sharp’s fantasy value isn’t so much about what he brings – 20 goals and 45 points should be considered a successful season – but what he does to others. If he slides in on the second line and gets top power-play minutes, this really hurts the value of the younger Blackhawks. If he more or less fills in the Marian Hossa role – third line with secondary PP minutes for the most part – this still leaves an opportunity for others to contribute.

For now, Sharp is just a bench option in 12-team leagues at best. We really have to wait and see how his recovery goes, what his timetable will be, and how Chicago intends on using him.

Fantasy Players this helps, in order:

1. Sharp (at least to start)

Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:

1. Hartman

2. Schmaltz