This week's Eastern Edge will be the first part of a series, where we look at how players fared in new surroundings this year. Over the next few weeks, we'll discuss players that joined new teams ahead of the 2021-2022 regular season, as well as those that were traded during the campaign.

Linus Ullmark

The 28-year-old netminder had a solid first season in Boston, posting a 26-10-2 record alongside a 2.45 GAA and .917 save percentage. He shared the net with 23-year-old Jeremy Swayman, who finished the year with a 23-14-3 record, 2.41 GAA and .914 save percentage. Although the two goaltenders had similar numbers during the regular season, Swayman outduelled Ullmark in the playoffs. Ullmark was in net for Boston's first two games of the postseason and lost both starts, posting a 4.16 GAA and .860 save percentage. Swayman took over for the next five games, registering three wins, with a 2.63 GAA and .911 save percentage.

Although Swayman was the better goalie during postseason action, I don't think he'll be anointed Boston's number-one netminder based on such a small sample. It doesn't take a genius to conclude that two bad games don't erase Ullmark's solid play over the past three seasons (95 games). But more importantly, Ullmark is signed for three more years at an AAV (average annual value) of $5 million. In a league where the best teams make every dollar work for them, you can bet the Bruins will give Ullmark a significant number of starts in order to maximize the return on their investment. Swayman will get starts because he's likely Boston's goalie of the future and his development is important to the team. There are compelling reasons for both goalies to play next year, so it's most likely that they share the Bruins' net again. Obviously, that isn't great news for fantasy leagues that track wins and saves – categories which favour high-volume starters. However, I think this is good news for leagues that focus on performance-based stats like GAA and save percentage. There's an aspect of competition when a team has two competent goalies, as they push each other to play their best. Sharing the workload also reduces the risk of fatigue and injury, allowing both netminders to give in their best when called upon. I think Ullmark should still be available in the mid-rounds of next year's fantasy drafts. Given the reasonable acquisition cost, I'd be comfortable targeting him in fantasy leagues next season.

Alex Tuch

In his first season with the Sabres, Tuch tallied 38 points in 50 games. His season debut was delayed by about two and a half months because of offseason shoulder surgery. Given the circumstances, I don't think anyone would have blamed him for a slow start. However, Tuch showed no regard for our modest expectations, posting a whopping 19 points in his first 16 appearances with Buffalo. He did cool off substantially afterwards as it took him 34 games to get his next 19 points. Some might say that Tuch's overall numbers are inflated by his hot start, but I still think there are reasons to be optimistic about his fantasy outlook. For starters, the role he played in Buffalo last season was much bigger than the one he was given in Vegas these past few years. After averaging less than 17 minutes a night last year in Vegas, Tuch saw over 18 minutes per game with the Sabres this past season. He enjoyed a 59% share of Buffalo's total power-play time, a significant increase from the 39% share he held with the Golden Knights in 2020-2021. Tuch benefitted from the extra opportunity, doubling his output with the man advantage from four last season to eight this year. At even strength, he showed good chemistry alongside breakout star Tage Thompson and a resurgent Jeff Skinner. Although the Sabres have a well-earned reputation for being a bad team, they have a lot of exciting pieces now and there's certainly reason to be optimistic for the future. Skaters on bad teams tend to be undervalued in fantasy drafts, although the Sabres are on the rise in my eyes, I think popular perception has them as a bad team again next year. That means Tuch will probably fly under the radar in most fantasy drafts, giving you an opportunity to steal him in the late rounds.

Jakub Voracek

After flirting with a 70-point pace in each of his last three seasons with the Flyers, Voracek's fantasy stock dropped when he was traded to the Blue Jackets – a team whose offense has struggled since Artemi Panarin left after the 2018-2019 campaign. The 2021-2022 Blue Jackets proved to be stronger offensively than most predicted, ranking 14^th in the league with 3.15 goals per game. That offense was propelled by strong showings from Patrik Laine, Boone Jenner, Zach Werenski, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jakub Voracek. Voracek had a surprisingly solid first season in Columbus, posting 62 points in 79 games. Remarkably, 25 of those points came on the power play. That's notable because Columbus' power play has struggled mightily in recent years. As we look towards the future, I don't think the Blue Jackets should be classified as an offensively inept team any longer. I think the team has numerous scoring threats who will be undervalued in fantasy drafts because of the team's history of scoring struggles.