Continuing on from my last weeks article covering the Metropolitan Division. We are now moving on to the Western Conference in the Central Division.

Lets get right into it!

Chicago Blackhawks – Anton Fondell

The expectation is that Anton Frondell will take on a significant role down the middle although playing on the wing is still an option once Bedard comes back from injury. Chicago has also added some additional offensive talent with Patrick Kane returning and Bowen Byram joining the defence. That should give the Blackhawks more weapons around their younger players and potentially create better situations for Frondell as he adjusts to a full NHL schedule. There is obviously more risk here, with Frondell having only 12 games at the NHL, so we can't assume that his early production will automatically carry over to a full 82-game season. However, his pedigree is already well established, but the limited NHL sample could keep his draft cost from getting too high. Another thing I'll be watching is the power play, as Frondell and Frank Nazar could both be in the mix for that top-unit spot. If one of them can separates himself there, it could have a pretty big impact on their fantasy value. For now, I am going with Fondell.

Colorado Avalanche – Sam Malinski

Sam Malinski could easily get overlooked on a team like Colorado, where Cale Makar and his defensive partner Devon Toews naturally get most of the attention on the back end. Malinski took a pretty significant step forward last season, going from 15 points in 76 games to eight goals and 40 points in 82 games, 39 of those 40 points came at even strength. He also saw his average ice time jump from 15:57 to 17:37. I wouldn't expect another massive jump in his goal total, especially after shooting just 4.9% last season, but I don't think he needs one. The 32 assists are more encouraging, particularly on a Colorado team that creates plenty of offense from the back end. The Avalanche's top-six forwards will likely be drafted well before their ADP, and while players like Jaden Schwartz or Fedor Svechkov may be available later, I think Malinski offers more value as a depth option. He doesn't need to become a 50-point defenseman to help your roster. If he can maintain 17-18 minutes per game and continue contributing offensively, another season around the 35–40-points is where the value lies.

Dallas Stars – Thomas Harley

There may be some bounce-back appeal with Thomas Harley, especially if his draft cost has dropped after a 36-point season. Just a year earlier, Harley put up 16 goals and 50 points in 78 games, so we already know there is legitimate offensive upside here. What makes Harley interesting is that this isn't a case of hoping a young defenseman suddenly breaks out. He has already shown he can produce and Dallas clearly believes in him as well, handing him an eight-year, $84.7 million extension. The biggest concern is his situation. Harley remains behind Miro Heiskanen for the top power-play role. That limits his ceiling for now, but if he ever gets a full-time opportunity on PP1 again, I think there is 55-plus-point upside. For now, I'm more interested in what he can do at 5v5. If Dallas gives him more freedom to use his skating and transition game, I could see him getting back into the 40-point range. Harley is the type of defenseman I'd be willing to take a chance on know what his ceiling potently looks like.

Minnesota Wild – Danila Yurov

Yurov is probably one of my favourite picks on this list. He finished his first full NHL season with 12 goals and 27 points in 73 games, but he did that while averaging just 13:18 per game. After moving on from Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko, that could give Yurov a chance to move into a more consistent top-six role and take on more responsibility at 5v5 and potentially on the power play. Now, if Yurov stays around 13 minutes a night, another season around 30 points shouldn't be surprising, however, if Minnesota starts pushing him closer to 16-17 minutes, gives him better linemates and increases his power-play opportunities, I think his production could take a pretty significant jump. You're betting on the opportunity arriving before the fantasy market fully catches up.

Nashville Predators – Mavrik Bourque

Bourque was acquired by the Predators this offseason and then signed to a six-year, $33 million extension, showing that Nashville clearly sees him as more than just another depth forward. Prior to that Bourque was playing behind an established group in Dallas, while Nashville has more room for him to take on a bigger offensive role. With the Predators trading Luke Evangelista to New Jersey, it opens up another top-six spot that will likely need to be filled. Bourque should be one of the players in the mix for that opportunity. He also doesn't need to completely change his game to take a step forward, he scored 20 goals on 147 shots last season, so the production wasn't built around an unsustainable shooting percentage. If his ice time increases and he gets better offensive deployment, I think there is room for his production to climb. The level of talent around him isn't quite the same as what he had in Dallas, but if Nashville gives him a bigger role in the top six, I think we should see an uptick in production.

St. Louis Blues – Mason McTavish

We know that 41 points in 75 games last season isn't exactly what we expected from Mason McTavish given the role he was supposed to have in Anaheim. His even-strength ice time dropped from 13:45 to 12:38, while his power-play time fell from 2:22 to 1:55. It was pretty clear he wasn't fitting into Anaheim's long-term plans. We also know he can produce more with increased opportunity and with the Blues reshaping their forward group after trading Jordan Kyrou to Washington and bringing in McTavish and Connor McMichael, there may be an opportunity. The top line should remain Robert Thomas, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway, which leaves McTavish with a clear opportunity to take over the second-line center role. That first line will also likely stay together on the top power-play unit, giving McTavish an opportunity to push for some PP1 time. If everything falls into place and McTavish earns consistent top-six minutes while seeing an increase in power-play usage, we could see him get back to the player we expected him to become.

Utah Mammoth – Vincent Trocheck

This may be one of the more obvious choices as there isn't much mystery surrounding what Trocheck can do. He has consistently been a 50-plus-point player over the last five seasons and now he moves to Utah, where he should have an opportunity to play a significant role with an up-and-coming team. The biggest thing I'll be watching is his deployment. Trocheck averaged 20:33 per game last season, and if Utah continues to use him in a top-six role, I think there is a pretty easy path to another productive season. He also brings a strong track record of driving offense through his assist totals and his FOW% is the highest of any player on the team. Obviously, age is going to be the concern. Trocheck is 33, and we shouldn't expect his best offensive season to suddenly appear in Utah, however, you're essentially betting on a proven 50-point player maintaining a similar role in a new environment.

Winnipeg Jets – Cole Perfetti

The more realistic scenario with Perfetti is simply getting him into a consistent offensive role and allowing his skill set to translate into production more regularly. The biggest factor is the power play. Perfetti has seen powerplay time, in fact last season was the highest PPTOI he's ever had at 2.16 minutes per game. If Perfetti can lock down PP1 while maintaining a consistent top-six role at even strength with stronger linemates, I think there's a realistic path back to the 50+ point season. His stats also look skewed from last season as he had been dealing with the effects of an ankle injury suffered during the preseason. Without that setback, there is a reasonable chance he could have reached 20 goals. We're still waiting for that breakout season, but Winnipeg's offensive depth drops off pretty quickly after the top line, and Perfetti looks like the next forward in line to take on a bigger offensive role.

Thanks for reading! See you next week! For more fantasy hockey content and analysis, follow me on X @Punters_hockey. If you have any questions about your team or a trade? My DMs are always open, happy to help!