Many experts and analysts pegged the following players as prime breakout candidates heading into last season. Instead, these players regressed, and are now flying under the fantasy radar. Those breakout predictions, however, could have been just one year off. Now that the hype around them has died down, these three are sleeper candidates whose disappointing recent performance could translate into great value.

Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs

A 21-year-old Morgan Rielly set career highs in goals (nine) and assists (27) during Toronto's last-place finish in 2015-16. With another year of experience under his belt, and expectations that the Maple Leafs would improve offensively (though not as much as they actually did), he was an obvious choice to break out last season.

Things didn't go as planned. Rielly recorded 27 points despite playing 22:10 a night on a team with one of the league's most prolific offenses. Heading into 2017-18, Rielly isn't garnering much hype anymore, even though he's a 23-year-old defenseman who can skate like the wind and still oozes upside.

But there are encouraging signs despite the poor point total. Rielly led all Leafs blue-liners (and set a career high) with 171 shots, resulting in a low 3.5 shooting percentage. Moreover, 14 of his 21 assists were primary helpers. A 2-to-1 ratio of primary to secondary assists is very unlucky for a defenseman, suggesting he should get more secondary assists in 2017-18.

Offseason acquisition Ron Hainsey is Rielly's projected D partner. The veteran's stable presence should allow Rielly to join the rush more frequently than last season, when he was usually paired with rookie Nikita Zaitsev or the shaky Connor Carrick.

Rielly's biggest obstacle could be finding power-play time, since Jake Gardiner and Zaitsev are the lone D-men on Toronto's two units. If he can get some time with the man advantage, he could very well record 50 points.

Mikkel Boedker, Sharks

Boedker registered 51 points in 2015-16 between the Coyotes and the Avalanche. Many expected his production to spike in San Jose, where the Sharks offered the chance to skate alongside either Joe Thornton or Logan Couture - both better than any of the centers he played with in Arizona.

Instead, he tallied 26 points, played just 14:21 per night (his lowest average time on ice since 2011-12), and didn't see much time alongside Thornton at five-on-five or on the power play.

That could change this year. After Patrick Marleau's departure via free agency, there's a gaping hole on Thornton's left wing. Boedker and Tomas Hertl are the most logical candidates to fill the void, and it's very possible the latter will play his natural position of center on the club's third line.

Interestingly, Boedker had more individual high-danger scoring chances in 2016-17 than he did in any previous season, including either of his 51-point campaigns. This could indicate he was gripping his stick a little too tightly during his first year in San Jose after signing a four-year, $16-million contract.

With his role projected to expand, Boedker could get even more high-danger scoring chances, and if he can snag the spot Marleau previously occupied on the club's top power-play unit, he could theoretically record 50-60 points.

Connor Hellebuyck, Jets

Hellebuyck was sharp in his 26-game rookie season, posting a .918 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average. It all came crashing down in 2016-17: His save percentage plummeted to .907 and his GAA skyrocketed to 2.89 in 56 games.

The Jets' inability to keep their defense corps intact was partially to blame. Jacob Trouba and Toby Enstrom each missed 20 games and Tyler Myers only suited up for 11. If those three stay healthy, Winnipeg could have one of the best blue lines in the NHL, considering the club also added Dmitry Kulikov and expects a more mature Josh Morrissey in his second season.

Improved play in front of the crease and internal competition from free-agent acquisition Steve Mason could make Hellebuyck's third year in the league the year he comes into his own.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
(Stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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Contracts can sometimes cause tension between teammates in NHL dressing rooms, but Brad Marchand says any deal David Pastrnak signs won't create any ill will.

“We all want to see each other be successful,” Marchand told the Boston Herald's Matt Kalman on Monday. “He had a great year last year so we’ll be very happy for him with whatever he ends up getting. The contract that he signs, (Pastrnak is) going to make a lot of money, he’s a phenomenal player, he’s 21 years old, he’s going to have a long career. We all like to see each other be successful and do well and that’s the way the game goes."

Pastrnak's agent, J.P. Barry, confirmed last week that the two sides are negotiating an eight-year contract, which would give his client the maximum amount of term under the NHL's CBA.

The talented young winger's camp is reportedly using Leon Draisaitl's extension as a comparable in his own contract talks. The Edmonton Oilers forward agreed to an eight-year, $68-million deal last month.

Draisaitl's teammate, Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid, inked an eight-year, $100-million extension in July.

“The league’s trending upwards and the contracts are getting higher and higher," Marchand said. "You look around and some of the deals that were thrown out this summer for young guys. It wasn’t like that three or four years ago and that’s the way it is now. So again, we’re all very happy for one another, and whatever (Pastrnak) gets is going to help other guys get more too. So that’s just the way it is.”

Pastrnak ranked second on the Bruins behind Marchand last season with 34 goals and 70 points in 75 games.

Marchand signed an eight-year deal himself last September, but for a much more team-friendly $49 million. He then went out and had a career season, racking up 39 goals and 85 points, the former of which was exceeded by only three NHL players and the latter of which was surpassed by only four.

Still, the veteran doesn't seem to have any regrets.

“Every situation is different," Marchand said. "I wasn’t negotiating for what (Pastrnak) is negotiating for. It’s completely up to him. Hopefully it gets done. (He's) a great player, he will be for a long time and (he'll be) a big part of this team, (so) obviously we want to see him around. We don’t want to see this hang over his head and over the team’s head, and we’d just love to see him back. I’m sure something will get done soon.”

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A key contributor could be noticeably absent when Columbus Blue Jackets training camp begins later this week.

Josh Anderson will not take part if he doesn't have a new contract signed by then, his agent, Darren Ferris, told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic on Monday.

"The (club) hasn’t really moved much, so there isn’t much to add," Ferris said. "It’s all status quo. There’s no point in attending a camp without having a contract. I spoke with (Blue Jackets assistant general manager) Billy Zito last week. On their part, there’s no urgency to sign him right now. If it takes a little longer, it takes a little longer.”

Anderson is a restricted free agent who ranked sixth on Columbus with 17 goals in his first full NHL campaign last season.

The 23-year-old did so despite logging only 12:01 per game in all situations and only 11:28 per contest at even strength.

Anderson ranked second on the club in goals per 60 minutes (1.07) and placed third among qualified Blue Jackets with a 4.49 individual high-danger Corsi For per 60, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Columbus will conduct physicals Thursday, then do a couple of days of skating drills, according to Portzline. The Blue Jackets open their preseason schedule Sept. 19 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Geoff Molson said something he may come to regret.

The Montreal Canadiens owner admitted Monday that he and general manager Marc Bergevin hold discussions about star players, "including (John) Tavares," according to Richard Labbe of La Presse.

While the Canadiens' executives are certainly permitted to talk about the New York Islanders captain and other stars in private, making it public is another matter.

The Vancouver Canucks were fined $50,000 in June 2016 after general manager Jim Benning publicly expressed an interest in acquiring then-Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban and Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos.

Related - Bergevin: Benning 'crossed the line' with Subban comments

Tavares has one year left on the six-year, $33-million extension he signed in the fall of 2011, and he'll become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2018 if he doesn't agree to a new pact beforehand.

Last month, Tavares said he was in no rush to sign an extension, and a couple of weeks later, TSN's Darren Dreger reported Tavares and the Islanders had not yet discussed the financial particulars of a potential new deal.

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Summer is behind us, and all 31 rosters are beginning to take shape with training camps set to open later this week.

Oddsmakers have surveyed the lay of the land, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins remain the favorites to win in 2018, followed by the up-and-coming Edmonton Oilers.

Next up are two Central Division teams that underwent serious changes this summer in the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars.

Here's a look at how teams stacked up Monday in comparison to the beginning of the offseason, courtesy of Bodog.

If you're looking for value down the board, the Carolina Hurricanes could be a sneaky pick at 66-1.

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The Montreal Canadiens' most important offseason acquisition will fill one of its most pressing positions this season.

Jonathan Drouin, the Quebec native who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for 2016 first-round pick Mikhail Sergachev, will get a shot at center when he suits up for his hometown club.

While Drouin spent little time up the middle with the Lightning, he's familiar with the position from his junior days with the Halifax Mooseheads. Canadiens head coach Claude Julien hopes to tap into that experience.

"He's played there before, I don't care when it was. It wasn't that long ago," Julien said Monday, according to TSN. "He's got the attributes to be a good centerman. He likes the space, he likes to use all of the ice, and that gives him an opportunity to express himself offensively as we'd all like to see him do."

There has been much summer discussion about who will center the Canadiens' top line in 2017-18 - Drouin or fellow young forward Alex Galchenyuk, who split last season between center and wing.

Julien's comments echo Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, who also envisions Galchenyuk playing on the wall.

"For his own good, and for our own team's good, we see him more as a winger, and there's nothing wrong with that," Julien said.

The Canadiens coach will soon have the chance to put his line combinations into action, as the team's training camp opens Friday and its first preseason game comes three days later against the Boston Bruins.

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It's looking less and less likely that Erik Karlsson will be ready to play opening night.

The Ottawa Senators' all-world defenseman continues to recover from offfseason surgery to repair torn tendons in his foot, an injury he played through during the postseason. And at a team golf tournament Monday, he reiterated he won't rush a return to the ice.

"I'm going to come back when I'm 100 percent - whether that's in October or November," Karlsson said, per Ian Mendes of TSN 1200.

Still, he doesn't appear too concerned about the process.

The Senators are scheduled to open their season Oct. 5, with 11 additional games over the course of the month.

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Alex Galchenyuk will not line up at center for the Montreal Canadiens any time soon.

General manager Marc Bergevin confirmed this Monday at the team's annual golf tournament. According to The Athletic's Arpon Basu, Bergevin said, "Until further notice, Alex (Galchenyuk) is playing on the wing."

The need for Galchenyuk to play down the middle was tempered by the offseason acquisition of Jonathan Drouin, who projects to play on the top line with Max Pacioretty.

Galchenyuk could potentially be deployed on the right side of this unit, forming a potential powerhouse line atop the team's depth chart.

For his part, Galchenyuk said his goal is to be the best player he can be to help the team, according to Jared Book of Eyes On The Prize.

In 61 games last season, Galchenyuk - a left-hand shot - recorded 17 goals and 27 assists, with the latter amounting to a single-season career high.

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