After a quick summer break, Geek of the Week is back for another fantasy hockey season, and DobberHockey is officially kicking things off with Bubble Keeper Week. All throughout this past week, various columnists from the site have been going over players who you may need a little convincing or coercing on. Who is that last keeper forward or keeper defenseman that can help give you the edge heading into this season. These aren't home run picks, but more speculatory options that may have higher ceilings than some of the other options you are considering. So without further ado, let's take a look at a few guys I think could make an impact this year. 

Max Domi– CBJ (C/LW) 

2020-21 Stats: 54 GP, 9 G, 15 A, 24 PTS, -18, 99 SOG, 15 Hits, 15:13 ATOI

The 2020 season was largely a season to forget for the 26-year-old forward. After posting a couple respectable seasons in Montreal, the Habs opted to ship out Domi in exchange for winger Josh Anderson. The trade gave the Habs some more size and grit while Domi would be headed to Columbus to play under coach John Tortorella. While Torts has been a very accomplished coach in the NHL, playing under him is not always conducive to offensive success and Domi's fantasy relevance last season really took a hit. Tortorella likes his teams to be structured and defensively oriented above all else. He expects his forwards to play a hard, two-way game. Much like his teammate Patrik Laine, Domi saw his offensive production go way down to a meager 0.44 points per game. 

Coming into the 2021-22 season, Domi has a lot to prove, and it should be noted he will start the season on the IR as he is still recovering from shoulder surgery. Your best option may be to stash him on the IR if you can, as he will be missing at least the first month of the season. He will need to hit the ground running when he makes his return.

The Blue Jackets will be led by Brad Larsen, who previously served as an assistant coach under John Tortorella. It will be interesting to see if he sticks to the same philosophies as Torts, or if he opts to open things up a bit more to get more offense out of the forwards. The Blue Jackets forward corps is relatively crowded, and with the additions of Jakub Voracek and Sean Kuraly, Domi will have to perform well once he returns to solidify a spot in the top-six. He has shown in the past, specifically during his stint in Montreal that he can be a valuable fantasy forward.

There's tons of potential for him to be a solid contributor in points, shots, and faceoffs. He may be hard pressed to find time on the man advantage, and for me that is a major point to be leery of. I think if he can just find a home in the top-six, and get some consistent playing time with the same linemates (something that was not the case last season), he could have a solid bounce-back campaign. One last thing to consider is that he is in a contract year and will be an unrestricted free agent after the end of this season. He will need to have a good showing if he wants to get another lucrative contract going forward.

Evgenii Dadonov– VGK (LW/RW)

2020-21 Stats: 55 GP, 13 G, 7 A, 20 PTS, -9, 89 SOG, 38 Hits, 15:35 ATOI

Much like the aforementioned Domi, Dadonov found himself entering play last year with a new club. Dadonov opted to sign with the Sens as a free agent heading into the 2020-21 season by inking a three-year, $15 million contract. Unfortunately for Dadonov, his skillset wasn't enough to get the Sens over the hump last year while playing in the North Division. In fact, the campaign was largely a disappointment as Dadonov's production slipped to career lows pretty much across the board. During this offseason the Senators' brass opted to deal Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for blueliner Nick Holden and a 2022 third-round draft pick.

The move to Sin City has me cautiously optimistic that we could see a resurgence in Dadonov's offensive production to the point where he is relevant in fantasy hockey once more. He seems to be a player who thrives off of playing with high-end teammates, and there is no shortage of those in Vegas. When Dadonov was still on the Panthers, he thrived when given the chance to play alongside the likes of Aleksander Barkov or Jonathan Huberdeau. While he may not be a slam dunk to get top-six minutes right out of the gate, if Dadonov gets an opportunity to play with guys like Mark Stone or Max Pacioretty, I could see him thriving once more.

I think to start out this season, he might find himself somewhere in a middle-six role, and unfortunately, I think his deployment on special teams will be little-to-none barring injuries to other players. These are definitely red flags for fantasy owners, but this is what makes him a bubble option. He has a high ceiling, but getting there may be easier said than done. I think at the very least he can get back to shooting more like he did back in Florida. He was averaging just under 2.5 shots per game during his time in the Sunshine State, so if he could get back to shooting at that clip, it would be a great start for his fantasy production. 

Jean-Gabriel Pageau – NYI (C)

2020-21 Stats: 54 GP, 14 G, 14 A, 28 PTS. +10, 81 SOG, 111 Hits, 16:47 ATOI

Pageau has always been an intriguing player in fantasy to me. He isn't going to net you 70 points a season, but he racks up just enough points not to be a detriment to your team while providing in numerous other ways. He puts shots on net, he throws the body, he blocks shots and he is deployed on both the man advantage as well as the penalty kill. He also is one of the better options you can have if your league counts faceoffs. Since coming over from the Ottawa Senators midway through last season, Pageau has really fit in great on Long Island. His grindy, two-way style of hockey fits in perfectly with Barry Trotz's shutdown brand of hockey. 

After another gutting elimination from the postseason at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, most of the team is back for another run again this coming season. One major change is that Jordan Eberle was snagged in the expansion draft by the Seattle Kraken, but in his stead Lou Lamoriello went out and brought in a familiar face in Zach Parise. What does this mean for Pageau? While I don't think he will get a crack at top-line minutes, or even second-line minutes, I could see him playing on a very strong third line with quality players. I think two of Parise, Kyle Palmieri or promising sophomore Oliver Wahlstrom are likely candidates. Throw in time on special teams, and I can absolutely foresee Pageau seeing an uptick in his offensive production to go along with the rest of his fantasy arsenal.

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That wraps up my first outlook on this upcoming 2021-2022 season. With plenty of new faces in new places and expansion team to boot, there's a ton of intrigue and interesting talking points heading into the beginning of the season. Stay tuned for more fantasy hockey insight in the coming weeks and be sure to check back daily at DobberHockey for all your fantasy hockey needs! Cheers!