NHL Hockey Player News

Brodin, 21, is in his third NHL season and has one assist through two games after scoring eight goals with 11 assists (19 points) in 79 games a season ago. This is a very good deal for both sides as they have locked up a key member of their blueline for the next six years.

O'Brien, 31, was in Panthers' camp on a professional tryout and impressed enough to earn a two-way contract. O'Brien split last season between the Calgary and Abbotsford (AHL). In 45 games with the Flames, he had three assists, 58 penalty minutes and a minus-8 rating.

The lengthy contract dispute is finally over and it is a good thing for the Blue Jackets, who looked like they would be without their entire top-line to start the season. Johansen and the Blue Jackets were significantly apart on the dollar value, but were able to get a deal done before the start of the 2014-15 campaign. Johansen had his coming out party last year when he scored 33 goals and 30 assists (63 points) in 82 games. Expect another 30-30 season from the 22 year old.

Dillon, 23, had six goals and 11 assists in 2013-14. The 6-foot-3, 225 lbs. defensemen led the Stars in hits last season with 168 and finished second in blocked shots (149). Dillon will once again play 20-plus minutes a night, but his fantasy value is limited due to his lack of power-play time.

Beck, 23, did not register any points in seven games with the Predators last season, but had 17 goals and 32 assists (49 points) in 65 games with Milwaukee (AHL) last season.

Ryan, 27, had 23 goals and 25 assists (48 points) in 70 games in his debut season with the Senators. This signing is key for the Senators, who have lost Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza in the last two years. Ryan didn't seem totally interested in signing at the start of training camp, so the Senators made some significant strides in their negotiations. Ryan will look to get back to 30 goals in 2014-15.

Tkachev, 18, is undersized (5-foot-8, 165 lbs.) and despite having 1st round potential, his size scared teams off so much so that he went undrafted. The Oilers invited him to camp and he has dazzled. He picked up four assists in four rookie camp games and has recorded three assists in three preseason games. Small, talented forwards are not strangers to the Oilers and inviting him to camp seems to have been a great idea at this point. He is extremely elusive with electric hands and a lightning release, the question is can he be a productive full-time NHLer with such a small frame.

Dal Colle, 18, was this summer's fifth overall pick. The 6-foot-2, 171 lbs. forward had 39 goals and 56 assists (95 points) in 67 games with the Oshawa Generals last season. He has a shot to make the Islanders out of camp, where he could find himself playing with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin.

McLeod, 30, had five goals and eight assists (13 points) in 71 games with the Avs last season. The only true fantasy value McLeod might have lies in his PIMs, he had 122 last season with a career high 189.

Stuart was acquired from the Sharks on July 1st after two seasons in San Jose. The 34-year-old defenseman had 11 points (3G / 8A) in 61 games last season. The contract keeps his cap-hit at $3.6 million through the 2016-17 season.

Smith, 23, was originally considered a 'throw-in' in the Tyler Seguin trade, but showed that he is much more than that. He had 20 goals and 31 assists (51 points) in 82 games in his debut season with the Bruins. Smith will be an even more important part of the Bruins' top-6 this season after the departure of Jarome Iginla.

Krug, 23, had 14 goals and 26 assists (40 points) with a plus-18 rating in his rookie season. The 5-foot-9 defenseman has a ton of offensive talent and will play a prominent role on the Bruins' power-play this season. The $1.4 million dollar cap-hit is a one-year steal for the Bruins. He will be a restricted free-agent at the end of next season.

Schwartz, 22, had 25 goals and 31 assists (56 points) in 80 games in his second full season with the Blues. The 2010 14th overall pick took a massive step forward last season and should be a clutch fantasy contributor this season. It took the Blues awhile to get him signed, but he will get a lot of time in training camp to get ready for the season.

Ellis, 23, had six goals and 21 assists (27 points) in 80 games last season. He was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft and has tremendous offensive upside. Ellis is undersized, but will be a key member of the Predators power-play for years to come.

Dekeyser, 24, had four goals and 19 assists (23 points) in 65 games with the Red Wings in his first full pro season. The smooth skating defenceman was a calming presence on Detroit's blueline and should continue to develop his game as a top-4 NHL D-man.

Smith-Pelly, 22, scored two goals and eight assists (10 points) in 19 games with the Ducks last season. He spent the majority of the season in the AHL, where he led the Norfolk Admirals in goals with 27 in 55 games. He should make Ducks out of training camp and is a candidate to play with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

Malone, 34, spent the last six seasons with the Lightning, but saw his run with Tampa Bay come to an end after being arrested on charges of driving under the influence and cocaine possession last April. Malone had five goals and 10 assists (15 points) in 57 games with the Lightning last season.

Gelinas, 23, had seven goals and 22 assists in 60 games in his first NHL season. The 6-foot-4 defenseman averaged 2:25 power-play minutes per night and tallied five goals and 17 assists with the extra-man, both good for second among Devils D-men. He has an a rocket slap-shot and will be a key member of the New Jersey power-play in 2014-15.

Krejci, 28, was set to become a free agent at the end of next season, but is now locked up through the 2020-21 season with an annual cap-hit of $7.25 million. Krejci is coming off of his second best point total as a pro having totaled 19 goals, 50 assists (69 points) with a plus-29 rating in 80 games.

Rinaldo, 24, had four points (2G / 2A) with 153 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Flyers last season. Certainly not known for his offence, Rinaldo can collect PIMS with the best of them.