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Do Not Forget
These guys suffered for one reason or another last season, and won't be found high on last year's scoring leaders. Don't forget about these
guys when formulating your list, as many of can be significant factors in their comeback season.
Offense
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Tyler Ennis
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BUF
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When you get down to your 6th offensive spot or later in the draft, what you're looking for is potential. Ennis definitely provides that, and he'll be way off the radar for most GMs at your draft table. He managed to play just 48 games last season, but still provided decent scoring on the third line. The center position is up for grabs in Buffalo and Ennis could work his way up to the top line by the end of the season.
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Nathan Horton
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BOS
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Another player that has dropped out of fantasy conversation over the past year, due to concussion issues, Horton will look to rebound this fall. He will have to steal time from Peverley to make an impact, as he'll enter camp as the Bruin's #3 right wing option. He has the potential to get back to the 30 goal level if he can stay healthy and find enough playing time in Boston.
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Andy McDonald
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STL
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The majority of the season was played without McDonald once again, as he recovered from a head injury. When he did return, he quietly played near a point-a-game (until he was hurt again). If he could ever put together a healthy season, he could put up some good totals, particularly with the talent around him in St. Louis. At age 34, he may be running out of chances. It's a long shot to expect him to get near his career high of 85 points ever again, but given a little luck, he could return to 60 point territory.
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David Perron
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STL
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If he could just stay healthy, Perron has the potential to emerge as a serious fantasy threat. The last two seasons have been dismal from a health perspective. By the end of last season, he seemed to have shaken off the cobwebs from the concussion issues and really started to click. He pounded in 7 goals over the last 10 games of the season. This could be a major breakout season for the top LW in St. Louis.
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Jonathan Toews
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CHI
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Just how good could have Toew's season been had it not been for the concussion? He was good enough in the first half to be a serious part of the early MVP discussions. While he would have fallen well short of Malkin's standard, he certainly would have been a top 10 overall fantasy finisher. He returned and made a solid effort in the playoffs, which bodes well for his prospects going into the new season. Look for a stellar season from one of the league's best all around players.
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Defense
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Christian Ehrhoff
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BUF
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Ehrhoff was steadily increasing his stats from year to year before signing his big FA contract in the move to Buffalo. He took a step back last season, but a good bit of that can be attributed to 16 games lost in 2 seperate injuries. He still managed a respectable 32 points in 66 games, but fell short of expectations. More importantly, he managed just 5 goals after back to back seasons of 14 goals. That said, his quiet season may cause him to fall off the radar for most GMs. Expect a bit of a bounceback from Ehrhoff in 2012-13. 8 goals and 40 points seem reasonable.
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Mark Giordano
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CGY
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Giordano has been the most consistent blueliner in Calgary for the last three years. He managed to top 8 goals again last season, despite missing half the winter with a leg injury. He doesn't have much offensive help with the forward in Calgary, so his upside is limited. Still, you can't argue with 28 goals over three season. Decent depth option.
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Joni Pitkanen
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CAR
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It's easy to forget about Pitkanen because it seems like he's hurt more than he's healthy. He managed just 30 games with the Hurricanes last year, but still put up 17 points. At that pace, he's pushing 45 to 50 points. When healthy, he's still the #1 defenseman in Carolina. He's just 28 years of age, so there is still hope for him to be a signficant fantasy player.
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Goalies
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Jose Theodore
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FLA
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Assuming Luongo doesn't make a late-summer return to Florida to assume the job, Jose Theodore should enter the 2012-13 as the #1 guy in Florida. The Panthers ended a decade-long playoff hiatus, and Theodore did his part to make that happen. Theodore has bounced around over the 2nd half of his career, but has seen his GAA drop for each of the last four seasons. Florida has become a strong team defensively, so if he can get the starts, he can give your team some good value. The perception is that he's old and forgotten. Reality he is that he's just 35 and still a fine fantasy option.
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