Prospects Report; Gourde Extension; Fantasy MVPs Amongst Defencemen, Together with Hutson, Werenski, Weegar, Walman, and Extra �

The 2025 Dobber Prospects Report is now out there within the Dobber Retailer! With the Entry Draft just some weeks away and the Memorial Cup behind us, now could be the time to brush up on the names fantasy house owners will hear known as later this month. It additionally covers a bevy of prospects at present within the pipeline from every group, so whether or not in search of an replace on present prospects or a preview of the names but to come back, the Prospects Report has all of it. Assist assist what we do and click on the hyperlink above to get your copy at the moment!

The Tampa Bay Lightning introduced an extension for centre Yanni Gourde, signing him for six extra years with a cap hit of $2.33M yearly. Gourde turns 34 years outdated in December and had 14 factors in 21 video games with the Bolts following his commerce from Seattle on the deadline. He seems to be pencilled right into a third-line function, however he was used within the top-6 throughout that run on the finish of the common season.

In yesterday’s Ramblings, we went over the MVP candidates of the common season amongst forwards. At the moment, we’re transferring onto defencemen.

These two articles are the capstone of Ramblings during the last month that checked out preseason projections for forwards and defencemen, the altering NHL atmosphere, and what all of it means for fantasy house owners. These Ramblings could be discovered right here:

After these comparisons have been completed, we moved to how the NHL modified within the 2024-25 season. That is what we checked out:

Lastly, we completed with how these adjustments affected my projections:

With all that recapping out of the best way, we’re transferring to the blue line to see which have been essentially the most worthwhile defencemen.

For this, we’re going to give attention to worth – the 15^th total decide performing because the 8^th total decide is nice, however having guys which are 10^th or 15^th-round picks carry out as third- or fifth-round picks is what we take into consideration. We’re additionally going to restrict it to gamers who performed at the least 60 video games, or about three-quarters of the season. That offers us 164 defencemen to work with.

To do the worth calculations, we’re going to attempt to get the whole lot to 1 quantity. That is how we will do this:

There have been 958 targets from the 164 defencemen on this pattern, or a mean of 5.8 targets per defenceman. We’re going to award or subtract 0.17 factors for each aim above or beneath 6 targets scored (1/6).
There have been 3484 assists from the 164 defencemen, or a mean of 21.2 assists per defenceman. We’re going to award or subtract 0.05 factors for every help above or beneath 21 helpers (1/21).
This course of will probably be repeated for photographs (0.01), hits (0.013), blocks (0.01), and power-play factors (0.2).
We’re going to add the fantasy factors from every class to get us to 1 quantity. Then we will multiply their common ADP throughout CBS, Yahoo, and ESPN (per FantasyPros) by that variety of fantasy factors to get to an total worth.

This isn’t an ideal measurement, after all, as a result of ADPs will range wildly between leagues with completely different settings, and worth will differ relying on whether or not they’re roto, head-to-head, or factors leagues. It additionally does not totally account for positional shortage, which is one thing to remember. There are additionally lots of gamers with out a mean ADP, and we’ll focus on them later.

Listed here are essentially the most worthwhile defencemen, primarily based off across-the-board manufacturing and their common ADP, from the 2024-25 season.

To start out with, of the defencemen who registered an ADP (across the top-300 picks together with forwards and goalies), one stood above the remainder however there have been three on the prime:

Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens)

We mentioned Hutson within the Ramblings overlaying Defencemen Who Overperformed, so we cannot go lengthy right here. He did not carry rather a lot in photographs or hits, however the blocks and targets have been advantageous, and each the assists (tied for second amongst blue liners with 60) and power-play factors (tied for fifth amongst blue liners with 26) made up for lots. Contemplating the place he was drafted, there’s good motive to imagine Hutson was essentially the most worthwhile fantasy defenceman, even in some multi-category codecs.

Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Setting apart my private projections, earlier than the season, my thought course of on Werenski was like this: from 2021-2024, he was tied for seventh amongst defencemen by even-strength factors per 60 minutes, was ninth amongst defencemen in total ice time per sport, however averaged simply 15 power-play factors each 82 contests. What if A) he stayed wholesome, and B) Columbus had a reasonably respectful energy play? Nicely, he stayed wholesome, and the group scored extra PP targets per minute in Werenski’s ice time than any season since his rookie 12 months. Add a little bit of luck, and we get this 2024-25 season.

Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators)

Sanderson reached 30 power-play factors, simply certainly one of two defencemen to succeed in that mark (Cale Makar, 35, although Quinn Hughes had 29 in 68 video games). He was additionally 1 of seven defencemen to succeed in at the least 10 targets, 40 assists, and 190 photographs. Sanderson totaled 57 factors in 80 video games, and he did it with 17 factors at 5-on-5, or as many as Emil Lilleberg and Joel Edmundson. Ottawa actually struggled to attain at 5-on-5 (solely Nashville had fewer targets at that energy), so if the group can flip that round considerably in 2025-26, there’s a 60-point season on the menu for Sanderson.

Jakob Chychrun completed fourth by our price rankings amongst defencemen, after which there was a gaggle of seven who have been all shut collectively:

We’ve got already mentioned Seth Jones (right here) in an earlier Ramblings, so let’s discuss a number of of the others.

MacKenzie Weegar (Calgary Flames)

Weegar wasn’t going to copy the 20 targets scored from the 12 months earlier than, however he was nonetheless a peripheral monster and was in line for prime power-play minutes. That labored out as he had a career-high in assists (39) on the again of a career-high in power-play factors (21 with 17 helpers). The peripherals have been additionally there as he had essentially the most mixed photographs, hits, and blocks (597) of any defenceman in our pattern. He may have an identical season subsequent 12 months, except Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz have something to say about it.

Jake Walman (San Jose Sharks/Edmonton Oilers)

Going to San Jose was, predictably, nice for Walman’s fantasy worth as he noticed an enormous soar in total ice time because of the rebuilding nature of the group and was their most-used power-play defenceman. He had as many power-play factors in 50 video games with the Sharks (7) as he had in his 202 profession video games earlier than that. Nevertheless, he missed a while as a consequence of harm after which was traded to Edmonton. He will not be a prime power-play man with the Oilers, so even when they seem to be a high-scoring group at 5-on-5, it places a 50-point season in severe doubt for 2025-26.

Mikhail Sergachev (Utah Mammoth)

There could have been a little bit of concern about Sergachev splitting or dropping power-play duties to Sean Durzi, however an harm to the latter early within the season quelled all that. The consequence was Sergachev posting the second-best fantasy season of his profession. He additionally had simply 29 factors at even energy, which was tied for 25^th amongst defencemen. If Utah is healthier at even-strength scoring subsequent 12 months (they have been 22^nd this season), Sergachev is one other rearguard who may crack the 60-point plateau.

Of the defencemen with out an ADP, Jackson LaCombe was far forward of everybody else by whole fantasy factors. After him, there was a really fascinating trio:

Alex Vlasic was reviewed in an earlier Ramblings (right here), so let’s go over the opposite two.

Mason Lohrei (Boston Bruins)

With Charlie McAvoy lacking a lot time, Lohrei had the reigns of the highest PP unit, particularly after the 4 Nations break. That resulted in him placing up six power-play factors over the ultimate 25 video games of the common season. Assuming McAvoy will get a crack on the prime PP unit once more, it may very well be robust sledding for Lohrei. He can be no increased than the number-3 blue liner total behind McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, and Boston was brutal offensively in 2024-25 at any time when David Pastrnak was off the ice. Lohrei confirmed nicely on the assault this season, however he hasn’t proven a lot for peripherals but. If he is no increased than the number-3 defenceman, will not have the primary go on the prime power-play unit, Boston has one good scoring line, and the peripherals do not decide up, it is arduous to see Lohrei having vital fantasy worth in 2025-26.

Matt Grzelcyk (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Fingers up everybody that thought Grzelcyk and Erik Karlsson would each play a full 82-game season, and so they’d find yourself tied for power-play factors with 15 every? That is what I believed.

It’s arduous to make heads or tails of this, and we in all probability want to attend and see what the offseason brings. There have been rumours about Pittsburgh doubtlessly transferring Karlsson, and even when they do not, they’re certain so as to add to the blue line anyway. Remember that Grzelcyk reached 40 factors, the primary time in his profession, at 31 years outdated, and had 94 photographs and 43 hits. With out that power-play manufacturing, there is not rather a lot right here, however kudos to anybody that grabbed him off the waiver wire a month or two into the season.

Dobber has been performing some participant opinions over on YouTube so try the one he did lately on Andrei Kuzmenko: