Jakob Chychrun

Despite a shortened schedule, Chychrun rewrote the book for his career highs last year. He produced 18 goals, 23 assists and 176 shots on goal as a breakout defenseman in his fifth NHL campaign. A first-round pick from 2016, it's no surprise that Chychrun eventually found success. There's still reason to pump the brakes on expectations for the blueliner in 2021-22. The Coyotes are expected to enter a rebuild, which will likely lead to fewer scoring chances throughout the lineup. Chychrun also shot an unsustainably high 10.2 percent last year -- regression would likely put him down in the 7-to-8 percent range. He's still got 40-point potential with a power-play role, and the Florida native will likely add nearly 100 each of hits and blocked shots to stabilize his fantasy value even if his scoring stagnates.

Chychrun enjoyed a step forward in his fourth NHL season, netting 12 goals, 14 assists and 149 shots on goal in 63 appearances in 2019-20. Bolstered by a shooting percentage of 8.1, Chychrun's success may not be fully repeatable. He did see more power-play time as the campaign went on -- he recorded eight of his 26 points with the man advantage. The 22-year-old rearguard plays with a physical edge, which adds to his fantasy value. Look for Chychrun to make another leap in his development as a consistent top-four blueliner in 2020-21. He should approach 30 points, 80 hits and 100 blocked shots in a full season, although playing for the low-scoring Coyotes may make him a slight drag in plus-minus.

Chychrun struggled through injuries once again in 2018-19 but managed 20 points and 117 shots on goal in 53 contests. He's experienced a number of knee issues in a three-year career so far but should enter the 2019-20 campaign in good health. The 16th overall pick from 2016 will look to take a step forward this season in an attempt to secure top-four minutes. Chychrun has shown he can produce solid offensive output in less than a full season, giving him 30-point potential if he can stay healthy. That comes with a well-defined power-play role -- he posted eight points while averaging 2:33 per game with the man advantage last season. Chychrun could make a good sleeper pick this year despite his lengthy injury history.

Chychrun is a toolsy competitor who could eventually mature into an elite NHL defenseman. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, the dual (American-Canadian) citizen exhibits supreme two-way awareness and appears cut from the same cloth as 2016 Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty of the Kings. Unfortunately, knee problems have impeded his development. Chychrun sustained a significant injury to the joint while preparing for the 2017-18 campaign -- he would then opt for knee surgery in April after providing four goals, 10 assists and a plus-2 rating over 50 contests. The lefty shooter -- a product of the OHL's Sarnia Sting -- has recorded 11 goals and 23 helpers for a 0.28 points-per-game pace heading into this third season. Early signs point to Chychrun making a full recovery before training camp rolls around, giving him sleeper appeal as a defender locked in at 20-plus minutes per game.

Offseason knee surgery clouds Chychrun's fantasy outlook heading into the 2017-18 campaign, but everything he did last year as a rookie was promising. His 1.09 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five ranked 14th among all defenseman with at least 750 minutes, and he posted 20 points despite averaging just 31 seconds of power-play time per game. Chychrun owns the size, skating ability and offensive acumen to be an excellent virtual asset down the road, and he's likely to develop into a go-to defender for the Coyotes even sooner. He's also unlikely to receive the minutes or power-play looks to show significant offensive improvement this season.