Often times the best value to be found at the draft table is on players who recently suffered a downturn, but are poised to turn things around.  Sometimes you have to just forgive and forget. Last season is in the past and let's move on. Here are some guys who should see a significant rebound in their production this season.

Offense

Jeff Carter                     LOS         

It was a fascinating season for Carter, as he journeyed through highs and lows before ending the season with a Stanley Cup held over his head. He was traded twice, and injured multiple times, which prevented him from finding any kind of chemistry or rhythm. He ultimately was able to contribute for LA and should be ready for a fresh start in 2012. Expect a bounce back in goal and point totals this year, in the neighborhood of 35 / 70.

Matt Duchene                     COL         

Duchene set the bar pretty high with his first two seasons, which made last year's troubles so disappointing. If the Avs are going to improve, it will have to be on the shoulders of this man. 2012-13 was significantly interrupted by a sever knee injury in late December. He never found his form after that and finished with just 28 points in 58 games. He may fall off the map for most in your draft, so put the ole * next to his name and snag him in a late round. A fresh start should help him get back into fantasy relevance. Remember, he's just 21 years old and his best is still to come.

Alex Ovechkin                     WAS         

The last two seasons have been disappointments for fans of #8, who had grown accustomed to seeing him dominate the league for first five years of his career. So, can he get back to that level again? Perhaps only Adam Oates knows. Last season, Ovechkin ranked 30th in total fantasy value. It's hard to imagine him finishing that low again. Look for a big correction in 2012-13.

Derek Roy                     DAL         

Roy has average a mere 40 points over the last two seasons. 2011 can be explained, since he only played 35 contests and scored 35 points. What happened last year is a mystery. 80 games, 44 points, and a ticket to Dallas. I'm not ready to write off this talented center, particularly since he has a new start and will be feeding Jagr early in the year. Expect a comeback.

Chris Stewart                     STL         

2011-12 was a complete write-off for Stewart, who all but disappeared from the fantasy picture. This followed a couple of seasons where he projected as a top notch power forward. The adjustment to St. Louis has not been easy. He still provides plenty of PIMs, but will need to regain the goal-scoring touch that netted back-to-back 28 goal seasons. You can target him late on the hopes of a comeback season.

Defense

Drew Doughty                     LOS         

Doughty was a colossal disappointment through the first half of last season. By the end of the season, and certainly after lifting the Cup, memories of the big-contract hangover were long gone. Through January 2011, he had managed just 2 goals. He closed the season with 10 goals and 36 points. With a Cup ring on his finger, he is poised to challenge for some personal hardware this time around.

Mike Green                     WAS         

Has there ever been such a dramatic fall from grace for a fantasy hockey superstar? After consecutive seasons with 70+ points, the last two years for Green have been horrific. He hasn't been healthy for a long time, which obviously limited his chances. When he did play, he struggled to understand his role in the new-look controlled Capitals systems. He was the heart of the run and gun Capitals and found himself wondering what his role is. Assuming he's healthy, he still has the raw talent to be a huge fantasy factor. It may come down to Adam Oates and how much of a green light he gives Green. Green claims to be healthy and optimistic about the 2012 coaching situation, so this could be the steal of the draft if you catch him with a mid-round selection.

Tyler Myers                     BUF         

Myers has now recorded 3 season in the NHL and has seen his stats drop each year, following his Calder Trophy year. Last season was largely interrupted by a broken wrist that held him out for all of December. The Sabres came on strong down the stretch last season, as did Myers. Expect a big time bounce back for his fantasy value in 2012-13.

As we hold out hope that sanity may prevail and we actually do end up having a fantasy hockey season in 2012, it's time to start putting together your draft list.  Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down the field by various categories.  To kick things off, we will start with the group that has the best chance to win your season: breakout players.

Look for these guys to potentially have a major jump in performance in the upcoming season. You may get some strange looks from the guys who draft strictly off last year's stats. But those guys never win anyway. 

Offense

Defense

Goalies

So here it is.  The top 150 forward rankings for the 2012-13 fantasy hockey season have arrived.  Before we get to the "Who's number 1?" debate, here are some highlights worth mentioning:

• Zach Kassian (VAN) made the list (#150)
• Mike Ribeiro (WAS) did not
• Pittsburgh and Edmonton both placed 3 players in the top 15.
• 5 teams had no players in the top 50 (Buffalo, Phoenix, Calgary, Florida, Columbus)
• Columbus had 0 players make the list.  Zero.

• Note: Rookies have not yet been added to the list.  Expect Yakupov to crack the top 80.

• Biggest dropoff from last year's final standings: Franzen, Burrows, Cole
• Biggest increases from last year's final standings: Crosby, Backstrom, Nugent-Hopkins
• Most shocking pick: Eberle at #7

Who's #1?

The debate involved four names.  Looking any deeper is a waste of time.  Cutting any out would be an oversight.  In reality, it comes down to three factors:

1. Your league's point system.  (goals versus assists in worth)

2. Your tolerance for injury risk.

3. Gut feel.

You really can't go wrong choosing any one of these guys, so if you have the option, draft 4th and settle on whatever is left so you can cash earlier in round 2.  Ultimately, I chose the guy who has most consistently delivered the goals, and points, without injury concern for the last three seasons.  That would be Steven Stamkos.   If health were a guarantee, Crosby would be my #1.  Since it's not and since Malkin comes with similar injury concerns, I'll settle for those two with the 2nd or 3rd selection.  As for Giroux, I actually have no trouble picking him to win the scoring title.  The problem is that his points are heavily weighted on assists.  So far total fantasy production, I place him a close fourth.

Enough banter, here's the top:

1. Steven Stamkos (TAM)

If you're adverse to risk and just want a superstar you can count on (who can stay on the ice), then Stamkos is your guy. Three straight seasons of 90+ points. He was far and away the leading goal scorer in the league last season and will likely repeat that accomplishment this time around. Look for his first 100 point season. He has earned the right to go 1st overall in your draft.

2. Sidney Crosby (PIT)

The only question even worth considering at the top is "Can he stay healthy?" If you believe Crosby can make it through 65+ games this season, there is really no choice to be made. He is far and away the greatest player in the league. The ceiling is just too high to pass, even with the risk involved. No doubt, there is a huge risk here, as #87 has never played a complete 82 game season. Pick him first or second, 'cause he won't be around after that.

3. Evgeni Malkin (PIT)

Malkin was clearly The Man last season. He did everything right and earned every bit of the hardware he was handed. So can he repeat as the best player in the league? Much like his fellow center Crosby, it will come down to health. The last time he put up 100 points (113, actually) in '08-09, he followed it up with seasons of 77 and 37 points, due to various injuries. Still, the upside is far too high to pass on. Good enough to go first, shouldn't go beyond 3rd.

4. Claude Giroux (PHI)

There can be no doubt, Giroux has earned his spot among the elite. Through his first four NHL seasons, his point totals have steadily increased. The only factor holding him back from going first overeall is his meager goal production. He should have no problem finishing in the top 5 again this season, and should push for a career high 30 goals this time around.

The complete list of 150 can be found in our Draft Guru section.  From there, you can break it down by category (breakout players, sleepers, risers, fallers, etc.).  You can also customize your own draft list. 

While the goaltending rankings continue to vary wildly from season to season, defense is one position that remains relatively stable.  It's far easier to predict from year to year who the top fantasy prospects will be.  Today, we reveal our top 75 fantasy hockey defensemen rankings for 2012-13.  Let's start at the top:

THE ELITE

Tier 1 features the usual candidates, along with the long overdue arrival of Kris Letang (assuming he can stay healthy for a full season).  Try and nab one of the guys in this tier and your defense will be in great shape:

1. Shea Weber (NAS)

In the five full, healthy seasons logged to date, Weber has fired home 16 or more goals each time. Since contract issues will not be distracting him for the next 14 years, he's free to focus on remaining one of the top fantasy hockey defensemen in the world. The loss of Suter shouldn't affect him much, as the Preds have a stable of young puck-movers to complement Weber. He'll get his 28-30 minutes a game and should crack the 20 goal level in 2012-13. Pencil him in for a Norris this time around.

2. Erik Karlsson (OTT)

If Karlsson continues to improve at the pace he's gone for his first three seasons, he'll be looking at somewhere around 25 goals and 100 points. While that's not likely to happen, there is no reason to think he can't continue to be the most prolific defensive weapon in the league.

3. Dustin Byfuglien (WPG)

Despite sitting out 16 games with a knee injury in 2011-12, he still settled into 5th place in total fantasy points on defense last year. The big man has entered into double-digits in goals for five straight seasons. He's the showcase event in Winnepeg and is allowed more freedom than most at his position to roam as the 4th attacker. Another solid fantasy season should be a given.

4. Kris Letang (PIT)

Letang is on the verge of superstardom. His progress was hampered last season by concussion issues. Despite fighting the head problems, he still piled up 10 goals and 32 assists in just 51 games. He's also a consistent contributor in the PIMs column, making him an all-around must have fantasy prospect in 2012-13. Look for a career high of 60+ points.

5. Zdeno Chara (BOS)

Few hockey players have been as consistent in fantasy production as Big Z. Goals. Assists. +/-. Penalties. All Star slap shot records. He does it all. Through 11 NHL seasons, the most games he's missed in a year is 11. Can't go wrong here.

TIER 2

While there is a noticeable dropoff going from level 1 to level 2 in terms of reliability, any one of the guys in this group has the potential to rise into the top Tier.  All five are young and still getting better. 

6. P.K. Subban (MON)

Subban took a slight step backwards in his sophomore season, but not enough to label it a slump. As he rolls into his 3rd NHL season, expectations ought to be high. He is far and away the most dynamic and offensively gifted player on the team, at any position. He could easily creep into the 15 goal / 50 point territory to complement his annual 100+ PIMs.

7. Drew Doughty (LA)

Doughty was a colossal disappointment through the first half of last season. By the end of the season, and certainly after lifting the Cup, memories of the big-contract hangover were long gone. Through January 2011, he had managed just 2 goals. He closed the season with 10 goals and 36 points. With a Cup ring on his finger, he is poised to challenge for some personal hardware this time around.

8. Alex Pietrangelo (STL)

Alex Pietrangelo has met all expectations that come with being the 4th overall draft pick. In his 2nd full campaign, he ranked 4th in total fantasy points among defensemen. As the Blues continue to progress as a franchise, Pietrangelo will get more recognition, particularly in fantasy circles. For now, you can probably snatch him up a round or two later than he should go.

9. Keith Yandle (PHO)

Playing in the desert has kept Yandle one of the best fantasy secrets going. His production, at least in terms of assists, dipped slightly last season, but he remains a model fantasy defenseman. Three straight seasons of 82 games and 11 or more goals to his credit. There remain rumors of Yandle on the trade market. For now, he's the man in Phoenix and will fit in nicely as your #1 defenseman.

10. John Carlson (WAS)

It seems that the hand-off from Mike Green to Carlson is complete. Caps fans will be anxious to see what new Coach Oates brings to the table, but from a fantasy perspective, it has to get better than 2011-12. Carlson's production was limited last year by the system. Assuming he gets the green light to fly, this should be a big breakout year. Think 50 point season.

Take a few minutes and dissect the full 75-man list on our Draft Guru page.  Stop by Friday when we complete the job and unveil the top 150 forwards for the 2012-13 fantasy hockey season.

To kick off the 2012-13 fantasy hockey draft season, Landsharkhockey.com is publishing our annual free player rankings this week.  And what better place to start than in net.  Today we reveal our Top 50 goalie rankings, along with player notes.  If you're looking for cookie-cutter predictions, you've come to the wrong place.  We've analyzed the situations for each goalie and we're predicting a major shake up in the standings for 2012-13. As always, our rankings are divided into tiers, so you can quickly spot where there is a significant drop off in talent.  This helps when you have a tough choice between positions come draft time. 

THE ELITE

OK, so it's not so shocking at the top.  Perhaps the biggest point of note is that the elite contains just 2 goalies.  After that, there is a significant drop in reliability.  So if you can't land one of these guys early in the draft, I advise waiting on this position and claiming one of the Tier 2 options.

1. Jonathan Quick (LA)

Topping last season is a bit too much to ask, after all, what else could he add to the dream that culminated with a Conn Smythe and a Stanley? You can draft him this year with full confidence that even if he just comes close to last year's performance, you'll have a top 3 goalie on your hands. Remember, the Kings struggled mightily through the middle half of the season. Assuming they pick up where they leaft off in June, Quick could be looking at 40+ wins this time around.

2. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)

There are very few sure things from year to year when it comes to fantasy goalies. The King was finally rewarded for his steadiness with his first Vezina. Probably a season or two late in coming. Whether it's wins, saves, or any other goaltending stat that you covet, you can't miss with Lundqvist again this season. He may finally reach 40 wins for the first time in his career this season.

TIER 2

This is where things get interesting.  If you base you decision purely off of last year's results, you would naturally gravitate towards names like Mike Smith, Mikka Kiprusoff, and Jimmy Howard.  If you do this, you'll end up spending a high pick on yesterday's news.  Make room for some new names to challenge the big dogs:

3. Jaroslav Halak (STL)

You may find it shocking to see Halak so high on the draft list, but here are three reasons to believe he's due for a Vezina challenge: 1. He's that good. Think back to the Olympics when he carried Slovakia. Think back to his spectacular run with the Habs. He can be a wall. 2. Hitchcock. This man has a history of making goalies stats silly good. 3. I'm not sold on Elliot repeating his magic. Halak should emerge as the horse and get his 60 starts. Enough to make this a gamble worth taking. Feel free to wait on him, as others won't have him in the top 10. By the end of the season, he'll be a top-5 goalie. So don't wait too long. Don't forget, St. Louis piled up the wins last season. They just split 'em up between Halak and Elliot. More will fall this way in 2012-13. The one concern to keep an eye on up to draft time is how well he has recovered from last season's ankle injury. Initial word is that he will be good to go.

4. Tuukka Rask (BOS)

Perhaps it's a shocker to see last season's 35th ranked fantasy goalie cracking the top 5 on the draft list. But this is all about opportunity. When Thomas pulled himself out for the year, he handed Rask his finest gift, the chance to shine. The Bruins are a solid defensive team that will win games. Rask was solid last season with a 2.05 GAA. Now with nobody to challenge him for the spotlight, he could make a run at 35-40 wins.

5. Marc-Andre Fleury

Forget about the playoffs. I said, forget about it... Let's get back to that regular season when Fleury piled up 42 wins to go with a 2.36 GAA for the Pens. He was just outside the ranks of the Vezina candidates. (Hey, forget about the playoffs, ok?). What happened in April against the Flyers is hard to explain, and with Fleury, it's always hard to explain. But the bottom line here is that he's a great goalie who will start the bulk of the games for a great team. The addition of Vokoun can only help, as Bylsma won't feel obligated to hang the Flower out to dry when he has a bad game or two. Look for a fine bounce back in 2012-13. That said, we'll still classify this pick as a gamble. (It's hard to forget about the playoffs.)

6. Pekka Rinne (NAS)

Rinne put together another fine season as the Predator's workhorse, amassing a whopping 43 wins in 73 attempts. That would be good enough for 1st in the NHL last season. On the positive side, Rinne has seen his wins increase every season and he's really just entering his prime. On the downside, he's going to feel somewhat abandoned when camp opens and on of his two prime protectors is MIA. The loss of Suter will be felt. The Nashville defense goes from being one of the best in the business to somewhat undefined, as they're forced to promote some of their younger talent. It may be unreasonable to expect Rinne to compete for the Vezina again this season, and a repeat of the 43 wins is a long shot. That said, as far as Rinne himself is concerned, he's done nothing to this point in his career that would suggest he's not worthy of remaining among the elite at this position from a fantasy perspective.

Also in this tier:

• Mike Smith (PHO) - great season last year will be next to impossible to repeat
• Ryan Miller (BUF) - big rebound in store here

Jump on over to the Draft Guru and view the entire top 50 list.  You can customize your own draft list there, either starting from scratch, or manipulating our list to meet your needs.

Next up… Defense.