RADIO
On fantasy hockey draft day, forwards are generally the belle of the ball. While getting top-end forward talent is always a good plan to start the draft, a solid stable of blueliners is integral to championship aspirations. Last season, Vladimir Tarasenko was a top 15 pick in a majority of fantasy drafts. Likewise, John Carlson was almost always available after the first ten rounds. Carlson had a magnificent season and ended up with more points than the talented sniper at a much lesser cost.
This piece will be going over five breakout defensemen that are poised to out-perform expectations in 2018-19. Two common trends for all of these players are youth and opportunity. Fantasy managers will be able to grab these players in the later rounds of a fantasy draft and reap the rewards all season long. Without further ado, here are five breakout blueliners.
Shea Theodore - Vegas Golden Knights
After a lengthy delay, Shea Theodore and the Vegas Golden Knights came to terms on a seven-year contract ($5.2 million annual value) early on Tuesday morning. This deal is fantastic news for fantasy players, as Theodore is the crown jewel of the Golden Knights blueline. The 23-year-old showed impressive offensive upside with six goals, 23 assists, and nine powerplay points in 61 games last season. He was on track for a 40 point pace had he played in all 82 games. Theodore has massive potential to go along with a blossoming offensive skill set. Nate Schmidt was the only Golden Knights player to average more ice time than Theodore last season, and he's suspended for the first 20 games of the year. Theodore will battle with Colin Miller for time on the first power play unit which means constant exposure to a plethora of talented players. With the contract situation now resolved, Theodore will be the most valuable blueliner on the Golden Knights and set career-highs across the board. He is currently ranked as the 211th skater on Yahoo Fantasy which is amazing value for somebody that has a sky-high ceiling.
Ryan Pulock - New York Islanders
As the 2017-18 season came to a close, Ryan Pulock had earned the faith of the Islanders' brass. The 23-year-old started the season on a bit of cold spell but ended with 17 points in his final 30 games. Pulock finished the campaign with 10 goals (good enough to lead all rookie defensemen), 22 assists, 86 blocks, 113 hits, and 184 shots despite only playing in 68 games. The 15th overall pick from the 2013 draft possesses an absolute bomb of a shot which makes him a valuable asset in the offensive zone. Nick Leddy was the Islanders' power play QB last year tallying 14 points on the man advantage while seeing 3:16 of power play time on ice per game. With that in mind, Pulock managed to record 11 points with the extra man last season despite only getting 1:40 of power play time on ice per game. Pulock will unquestionably see an increase in his playing time and has a chance to supplant Leddy as the man advantage maestro. He is a safe bet to reach north of 12 goals and 40 points while offering multi-category coverage to those in banger leagues. Pulock is someone fantasy owners have to grab in the later rounds.
Morgan Rielly - Toronto Maple Leafs
Okay, I understand that Morgan Rielly technically broke out last season. He registered a career-high 52 points (16 more than his previous best) and came into his own as an offensive option from the backend. The thing is, Rielly can reach even greater heights this season and be one of the best point producing defensemen in the entire league. Obviously, the Maple Leafs have an elite offense due to a plethora of high-skill, quick-skating players. They play a style that correlates perfectly with Rielly's ability to push the puck up ice. Rielly also has an enviable position on the top power play unit with John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri, and Mitch Marner. In all reality, that is one of the most talented groupings hockey fans have seen in the past decade. Rielly is coming into the season with more confidence than he has ever had with an average draft position of 106th in Yahoo leagues. All signs point to him surpassing his 2017-18 output and rising to the upper echelon of offensive defensemen.
Fresh off of signing a shiny six-year, $29.7 million dollar contract with his new team, Noah Hanifin is ready to erupt in his fourth year as a pro. Hanifin was the leading scorer among Hurricanes' defenseman last season. He tallied 10 goals, 22 assists, six PPP, 69 blocks, and 81 hits in 79 games. His coach from last season, Bill Peters, has joined him in Calgary. He confirmed that Hanifin will be utilized on the power play to start the regular season. Mark Giordano is Hanifin's biggest competition for the PP1 role, but the Flames' captain was ineffective with the man advantage last season. Giordano only recorded 10 points despite seeing over three minutes per game on the power play. Hanifin has seen steady progression throughout the first few years of his career. He has fantastic mobility for a blueliner and is just starting to uncover his full offensive potential. At 21-years-old, Hanifin will be the top offensive option on the Flames' back end and see boatloads of ice-time every game. Lock him in for double-digit goal totals with at least 45 points. He could be a D2 in fantasy purposes by season's end.
Thomas Chabot - Ottawa Senators
It has been an offseason of turmoil in the nation's capital, but Thomas Chabot is one of the lone bright spots. The talented rearguard was already en route to a breakout this season, but now he will be relied upon to fill a Karlsson-sized hole on the Senators' blueline. The 18th overall pick from 2015 is arguably the best defensemen on the team at just 21-years-old. Chabot will unquestionably quarterback the first power play unit which means extensive exposure to Matt Duchene and Mark Stone. He will also be the main minuter-muncher as Guy Boucher will attempt to unleash the youngster's offensive prowess. The Senators are going to be bad this season, so Chabot will struggle in the +/- department, but his upside is tantalizing enough to be taken as a depth defensemen in deeper leagues. He should approach 40 points.
