NHL Hockey Player News

After coming over from the Blackhawks, Hayes posted 11 goals and seven assists (18 points) in 53 games with the Panthers last season. Hayes will fight for a spot in the Panthers bottom-6 that has become increasingly crowded after a number of offseason signings.

Winnik, 29, spent the last two seasons in Anaheim where he totalled 12 goals and 37 assists (49 points) in 124 games. Winnik is a solid bottom-6 forward that will make the Maple Leafs more difficult to play against. They spend the last few seasons with fighters on their fourth line, but this offseason they have inked a number of role players that bring more to the table than fighting.

Tatar, 23, recorded 19 goals and 20 assists (39 points) in 73 games with the Red Wings last season. The Red Wings did virtually nothing in free agency, which means that young players like Tatar will take on bigger roles in 2014-15. He played in the top-6 for a large portion of last season because the Wings were ravaged by injures. He will likely start the year on the third line with Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco, but with strong play could climb into the top-6 quickly. A 20-goal, 20 assist season should be Tatar's floor this year.

Brassard, 26, set a new career-high in goals (18) and finished the season fourth on the Rangers with 45 points in 81 games last year. In his first full season with New York, Brassard had one of his best seasons and cashed in big-time inking a $5 million dollar per year contract. He had a strong postseason as well, posting 12 points (6G / 6A) in the Rangers Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Expect Brassard to take another step forward as he looks to land a top-6 role and post his first 50-plus point season.

Reimer, 26, had a tough season in his first year of a timeshare with Jonathan Bernier. He finished the season 12-16-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .911 SV% which included a stretch of five straight losses when Bernier was injured--a time the Leafs really needed Reimer to step-up. Toronto does not look like the place for Reimer long-term so this deal gives the Maple Leafs a high-end back-up to start the season and the ability to trade him if the right offer comes along.

Poulin, 24, was 11-16-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .891 SV% in 26 starts and 28 appearances with the Islanders last year. He will start this season in the AHL and will not see playing time on Long Island unless Jaroslav Halak or Chad Johnson fall victim to injury.

Ortio, 23, appeared in nine games for the Flames last season. He went 4-4- with a 2.52 GAA and .891 SV% in those contests. He will likely start the year in the AHL, but could be the goalie of the future for the Flames. If Jonas Hiller or Karri Ramo are to get hurt this season, Ortio will be the first netminder recalled from Abbotsford.

Eller, 25, scored 12 goals and added 14 assists (26 points) with a minus-15 rating in 77 games with the Habs last season. It was a less than stellar season when you consider the fact he put up four more points in the shortened season. At $3.5 million per season, the Canadiens will be expecting better production out of the Denmark native over the next four seasons.

Colborne, 24, had 28 points (10G / 18A) in 80 games with the Flames last season. The 6-foot-5 forward had a minus-17 rating while he averaged 14 minutes a night. He will continue to see bottom-6 minutes with a little bit of power-play time, but probably won't be enough to make him fantasy relevant.

The Avalanche and O'Reilly have been working on a deal for awhile, and while it wasn't the long-term deal that O'Reilly was seeking, but the $6 million per year, is a huge raise for the 23-year-old. He had a great 2013-14 season, posting 28 goals and 36 assists (54 points) in 80 games. The most impressive thing for O'Reilly was he only took one minor penalty in the entire season. He will play a big role in the Avs' top-6 this season, where he will shoot for his first 30-goal season.

Benoit, 30, had seven goals and 21 assists (28 points) in 79 games in his first full NHL season with the Avalanche last season. He joins a crowded, young D corp in Buffalo where he will serve as their sixth or seventh defenseman.

With John Tortorella out, Kreider, 23 got a real shot to make an impact last season. The speedy winger registered 17 goals and 20 assists (37 points) and a plus-14 rating in 66 games in his first full NHL season. He will likely play on the top line with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash again this season, which makes him a 25-goal candidate this season.

Despres, 22, split his time between the NHL and AHL in 2013-14. He had five assists in 34 games with the Penguins and 23 points (6G / 17A) in 36 contests with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Despres will battle Robert Bortuzzo for the Penguins sixth D slot in 2014-15.

Zuccarello, 26, showed that he is more than just a shootout specialist in 2013-14. He recorded 19 goals and 40 assists (59 points) in 77 games--which led the Rangers. He was a part of New York's best line last season, playing most of the year with Derick Brassard and Benoit Pouliot, but now Pouliot wears Blue and Orange, so Zuccarello will have to get acclimated with at least one new linemate this season.

Booth, 29, recorded nine goals and 10 assists (19 points) in 66 games with the Canucks last season. Booth has had a difficult time staying healthy in recent years. Over the last three season Booth has missed 72 of 212 games (34%). At $1.1 million for one season, Booth is a low-risk signing for the Maple Leafs.

Roussel, 24, had 14 goals and 15 assists while averaging 13:20 TOI in 81 games for the Stars last season. Roussel is an interesting fantasy asset because he has skill but an in your face attitude which helped him compile 209 penalty minutes last year. He is worth a late-round flier (in PIMS leagues) because of his 20-goal, 200 PIMS potential.

Stempniak, 31, had 12 goals and 22 assists (34 points) in 73 games between the Flames and Penguins last season. He provides the Rangers with depth at right wing, but likely won't play a big enough role to have a fantasy impact in 2014-15.

Franson, 26, played 79 games for the Maple Leafs in 2013-14, collecting 33 points (five goals, 28 assists) with 30 penalty minutes. The 6-5, 213-pound defenceman ranked second in NHL hits (282) and was third on the Leafs in blocked shots (111). He established single-season career highs in assists and points last season.

Kulikov, 23, had a career-high eight goals (19 points) but a career-worst minus-26 rating in 81 games with the Panthers in 2013-14. Kulikov did have solid possession numbers (51.2 CF%) for the second straight year and he'll be just 24-years-old in October so he should continue to improve his NHL game this season.

Curry, 30, played in the ECHL, AHL and NHL in 2013-14. After going 10-2-0 with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), Curry went 7-9-2 with a 2.62 GAA and .920 SV% in Iowa (AHL). He only played two games with the Wild and will be back in the AHL again this season.