Bobrovsky is heading into the final year of his contract, which carries a cap hit of $7.425 million. He will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2019.
It's widely assumed the two-time Vezina Trophy winner is seeking "Carey Price money," Portzline notes. Price signed an eight-year, $84-million extension last summer.
Bobrovsky, who will be 30 years old in September, posted a .921 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against-average in 65 games last season.
A fantasy manager's view of certain players can become distorted if their opinion is based primarily on real-life performances. Players can be overhyped because of what they do on the ice, and little attention is paid to how that translates to the fantasy box score.
Here's a look at eight players who played well in reality during the 2017-18 season, but they weren't as valuable for fantasy purposes.
Jason Spezza, C, Stars
Jason Spezza's production dropped significantly in 2017-18. He posted 26 points after finishing with 50 points the previous season. He played 78 games in 2017-18 - 10 more than he played in 2016-17 - but averaged just 13 minutes of ice time per game, the lowest average since Spezza's rookie campaign 15 years ago.
Of Spezza's 26 points, 21 were primary, and 13 of those were assists, showing that he needs more help from his linemates. His shot total dropped for a fifth consecutive full campaign, and he had a career-low shooting percentage of just 5.8. Spezza also finished with a poor plus-minus rating of minus-12 while producing few penalty minutes or hits, and only 11 power-play points.
Cam Atkinson, RW, Blue Jackets
Cam Atkinson took a step back after his breakout 2016-17 season while being limited to just 65 games last year. He averaged 2.14 primary points per 60 minutes in all game situations two seasons ago, but that number dipped to 1.95 in his most recent campaign, when 40 of his 46 points were primary.
Atkinson took more shots per game last season, but he still has little to offer in penalty minutes and saw a significant dip in his special-teams production. The 29-year-old has never finished a season with more assists than goals.
Without above-average outputs in multiple categories, fantasy managers will need Atkinson to return to his elite 2016-17 form when he scored 35 goals.
Anthony Mantha, RW, Red Wings
The Red Wings have eased Anthony Mantha, their 20th overall pick of the 2013 draft, into NHL action thus far. He played his first 80-game season last year and averaged a career-high 17:18 of ice time. That resulted in a 24-goal, 24-assist campaign.
He's been a reliable source of modest penalty-minute totals, recording 50-plus minutes in each of the past two seasons. But Mantha's plus-minus rating is significantly limited while playing in front of Detroit's weak defense.
Mantha averaged 1.85 points per 60 minutes of full-strength play last season. Now, fantasy managers need to hope the Red Wings increase his ice time, allowing him to capitalize on that stellar rate of production.
Kyle Turris, C, Predators
Kyle Turris isn't selfish enough for fantasy hockey. He registered just 119 shots on goal over his 65 games with the Predators last season, scoring only 13 times. However, he did supply 29 assists, bringing his point total to an adequate 42. But he won't give you many penalty minutes and has limited power-play exposure.
Turris had an excellent possession rating of 55.3 percent Corsi For during the 2017-18 season, but Nashville's sudden wealth of young goal-scorers is limiting the forward's upside and taking away his need to shoot.
Kevin Labanc, RW, Sharks
Kevin Labanc stayed on the Sharks' NHL roster for 77 games last season after he played just 55 games in 2016-17. He was still kept to only 14:21 minutes of ice time per game. Limited opportunities meant he couldn't capitalize on his 1.27 points per 60 minutes at full strength.
The 22-year-old had a minus-6 rating while recording just over two shots on goal per game to go with 32 penalty minutes. Labanc had nearly three times as many assists as goals last season, but his ice time needs to increase for him to offer much in either category.
Micheal Ferland, LW, Hurricanes
Micheal Ferland recorded his first 40-plus-point season in 2017-18, scoring 21 goals with 20 assists. He finished with a modest plus-5, only 24 penalty minutes, and fewer than two shots per game.
He averaged a career-best 15:01 in ice time, but had limited power-play opportunities, scoring just six goals with no assists on the man advantage. A big part of Ferland's offensive success last season came from being alongside Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau for 15 percent of the Flames' even-strength shifts. He's likely to play on the Hurricanes' second line in 2018-19 and may experience a decline.
Ryan Suter, D, Wild
Ryan Suter is in an interesting position as a fantasy defenseman. He doesn't offer the elite point production of the top fantasy draft picks at the position, and he also doesn't provide enough in the secondary categories to make him a quality late-round option.
Suter has had two 51-point campaigns over the past three seasons, which sandwich a 40-point year in 2016-17. A year after leading the NHL at plus-34, Suter showed how volatile that category can be with his minus-1 rating in 2017-18.
He also registered just 149 shots on goal and a disciplined 34 penalty minutes in 2017-18, leaving fantasy managers in both head-to-head and rotisserie formats wanting more.
Mike Smith, G, Flames
A veteran of 529 regular-season games, Mike Smith owns a .913 career save percentage. The veteran topped that number with a .916 save percentage last season, but he earned just 25 wins while playing for a Flames team that fell well short of expectations. He also finished with a goals-against average of 2.65.
As fantasy managers experienced when Smith played with the Coyotes over the previous six seasons, his quality save percentage isn't enough to compensate for a low win total and a GAA inflated by the volume of shots he'll face.
Youth hockey participation in Arizona increased by 17 percent over the last year, growing from 3,874 participants in 2016-17 to 4,519 in 2017-18, according to statistics released by USA Hockey. The rise of Toronto Maple Leafs superstar and Scottsdale, Ariz. native Auston Matthews was surely a factor.
It's more than just youths who want to be like Matthews, though. There are now 8,617 overall hockey participants in Arizona, up 11 percent from last year, and 109 percent in the last five years.
The first three years of that five-year span can't be credited to Matthews since he wasn't selected first overall until the 2016 NHL Draft.
Shane Doan, who spent 21 years playing hockey in the desert, has also left his impact on the state.
"It seems that wherever an NHL team goes, the minor hockey does better and it has done that since we have been here," Doan told Arizona Sports' Craig Morgan. "For me as a parent, I have seen the Junior Coyotes program go from being somewhat obscure to being capable of being competitive; one of the top 20, 25 programs in the country. That is exciting."
Doan's son, a ninth-round selection of the WHL's Kamloops Blazers in 2017, was a member of the Junior Coyotes program.
The Arizona Coyotes organization is playing a big part in the rapid growth of hockey in the area, donating more than $300,000 to local rinks, $450,000 to high schools over the next two years, and 2,100 sets of equipment to youth programs.
There are now 10 rinks and 15 sheets of ice in Arizona, compared to just three sheets of ice in 1996, when the Coyotes first arrived from Winnipeg.
The city of Tucson, where the Coyotes' AHL affiliate plays, has seen the largest growth. Hockey participation has increased by 433 percent in the eight-and-under age category over the past year, and 296 percent among all ages.
In 10 to 20 years, it's possible Arizona could become a hockey-talent producing factory, rather than just where the occasional diamond in the rough is found like Matthews.
However, Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet is prepared to give Galchenyuk the opportunity to play up the middle this season.
"I've communicated with Alex and he said he'd like to play center," Tocchet said, according to ArizonaCoyotes.com's Dave Vest. "I have no problem with a player who'd like to try something if he backs it up. So, I want to give him a chance at center if he wants to play it, and our coaching staff will try to give him the best possible help to play that center position. We'll see how that goes."
Galchenyuk noted that he's been preparing this offseason for such an opportunity.
"That's where my head is and what my goal is," Galchenyuk said. "I'm training really hard and preparing myself for it. I can't wait to get it started."
Despite the Canadiens' down 2017-18 campaign, Galchenyuk put up admirable numbers with 19 goals and 51 points in 82 games. The question now is: will a move to center help get him back to putting up 30 goals a season?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are making a legendary addition to their front office.
Hayley Wickenheiser has been hired as the team's new assistant director of player development, the club announced along with several other moves Thursday morning.
Wickenheiser won four Olympic gold medals for Canada and seven World Championship golds. She is the all-time points leader for the nation's women's hockey program with 379 in 276 games and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011.
The 40-year-old former forward was a trailblazer in the sport, becoming the first woman to play full-time professional hockey in a position other than goaltender.
She represented Canada from 1994 until her retirement last year, and now serves on the IOC's Athletes' Commission.
Wickenheiser served as a guest coach for the Maple Leafs at the club's development camp back in June.
Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning made a couple things quite clear on Wednesday.
"That's a non-starter. I'm not trading next year's draft picks," Benning said, according to TSN's Jeff Paterson.
It's worth noting that the 2019 NHL Draft will take place in Vancouver.
Benning's statement came hours after a report that Erik Karlsson trade talks are heating up. Connecting the dots, the Canucks are seemingly out of the running, assuming draft picks are on the Ottawa Senators' wish list in a return package for their superstar defenseman.
While speaking to Sportsnet's John Shannon, Benning said there's no truth to the Canucks being in on the Karlsson trade talks.
Karlsson is heading into the final year of a contract that has a 10-team no-trade list.
The Canucks finished second-last in the Pacific Division during the 2017-18 season with 73 points. Though the front office made some minor ripples on July 1, Vancouver didn't make any significant splashes this offseason to catapult the team from rebuilders to playoff contenders. Which is why hanging on to their prospect- and draft-pick capital seems logical.
Teams interested in the Senators' captain have "stepped up of late and talks are moving," according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
Rumors regarding a potential trade involving Karlsson had gone quiet ever since reports in early July that the Dallas Stars were front-runners to land the two-time Norris Trophy winner. Among the other teams linked to Karlsson at the time were the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights.
It also appears as though another club has since entered the running for Karlsson, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet alluded to the Vancouver Canucks having interest.
There is a sense today that Erik Karlsson trade talks have picked up in the last few days. Most likely destinations appear to be Western Conference. There is also a belief VAN has stepped in to see if it is a match.
Karlsson is heading into the final year of a seven-year, $45.5-million contract, and while the Senators reportedly offered him a contract extension worth $10 million annually, there's been no indication he intends to stay in Ottawa.
NHLers dealing with or coming back from significant injuries can get lost in the shuffle in fantasy draft preparation, but identifying those players is an important annual exercise that can give you an edge over your competition on draft night.
They can be overlooked, either because they get buried in default pre-draft rankings by virtue of having missed significant time, or because fantasy owners are wary of drafting someone coming off, or dealing with, an injury. Particularly in deeper leagues, keeping tabs on them can make the difference between making the playoffs and missing out.
Here's a handful of players returning from injury at some point this season to keep an eye on as fantasy drafts approach:
Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues
Fabbri's had some terrible misfortune, tearing the ACL in his left knee in February 2017 and then tearing it again in training camp seven months later. He didn't play a single game last season, but he got medical clearance to return to action last month and thus warrants fantasy consideration.
It remains to be seen both where the 22-year-old will fit in on the Blues' newly stacked lines - with Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Bozak entering the fold up the middle and David Perron and Patrick Maroon giving St. Louis depth on the wings - as well as how effective Fabbri will be coming off the two serious knee injuries.
He's probably going to begin the season in St. Louis' bottom six, but if he can crack one of the top two lines, his fantasy value would skyrocket. He's worth a late look given the opportunities he may receive among what is now - at least on paper - one of the NHL's deepest groups of forwards.
Kevin Shattenkirk, New York Rangers
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Shattenkirk had a disappointing first campaign with the Rangers, as he played through a knee injury before opting for season-ending surgery in January. However, he's expected to be ready to go when training camp rolls around next month.
He won't be high on draft boards after being limited to 46 games in 2017-18, but it's worth noting that he still managed to chip in 12 power-play points, and 23 points overall, while dealing with the injury.
It's also worth remembering how effective Shattenkirk has been in his career as a point producer and power-play quarterback. He'll be on the Rangers' top defensive pairing and first unit with the man advantage, and as such, could be a late-round steal for fantasy owners.
Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
A knee injury limited Jumbo Joe to 47 games last season, but like Shattenkirk, Thornton was still productive, chipping in 36 points, half of which came on the power play.
The 39-year-old is on track to be in the Sharks' lineup when the season begins in October, and he told NBC Sports Bay Area's Marcus White last month that his two surgically repaired knees feel great.
Thornton should center San Jose's top line between Evander Kane and Joe Pavelski, and he'll get plenty of power-play time, too, assuming he stays healthy. He's not what he once was, but don't forget about him or his potential impact.
When he does return, the veteran blue-liner will log heavy minutes, produce points, and rack up high shots on goal totals, giving him value in most fantasy leagues. Yes, Weber just turned 33, but he should come close to replicating his past production in the aforementioned categories when he steps back on the ice, making him worthy of late-round consideration for injured reserve-stashing purposes.
Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Relying on Crawford as a No. 1 fantasy goaltender this season would be a mistake. Owners should avoid drafting Crawford where they normally would given his uncertain status for the upcoming season, but he's at the very least worth keeping on the radar as fantasy drafts draw near.
The veteran goaltender was having one of the best campaigns of his career when he was forced out of the lineup for what turned out to be the rest of the season back in December with what were later reported as symptoms of vertigo.
Injuries aren't the only thing working against Crawford; he's 33, he could be rusty when he returns, and he has a pair of aging defensive anchors in front of him in Duncan Keith (35) and Brent Seabrook (33).
However, he posted a .929 save percentage and a 2.27 goals against average in 28 games last season before his absence, and as such shouldn't be dismissed entirely, whether it be on draft night or once the season begins.
