POTENTIAL STUDS

Aleksander Barkov: A rising star. He’ll be heavily relied upon to put up big numbers this season in light of the Panthers early injury woes. Projection: 25g 46a 71pts

Jonathan Huberdeau: Huberdeau’s low projection is based on the fact that he’ll only be seeing a maximum of 30-40 games. An unfortunate injury for a player who has yet to reach his ceiling. Projection: 9g 17a 26pts

Aaron Ekblad: Only 20-years-old and has 27 goals under his belt. It’s scary how good he is already, and his fantasy value will reflect that sooner rather than later. Projection: 15g 32a 47pts

Keith Yandle: Signed 7 years with the Panthers and is slated to get a ton of PP time alongside Aaron Ekblad. He’ll put up big numbers in the Sunshine State. Projection: 12g 40a 52pts

Vincent Trocheck: Enjoyed breakout performance last season. The Huberdeau/Bjugstad injuries will help him improve on those numbers. Projection: 27g 32a 59pts

Jussi Jokinen: Huberdeau’s injury makes Jokinen the Panthers top LW, which bodes well for fantasy owners. Last years 60 point total was the 2nd highest of his 11 year career, but he might not regress much if Huberdeau’s spot on the top PP unit is his. Projection: 16g 40a 56pts

Jaromir Jagr: He’ll be 45-years-old before the season ends and is still a key member of his team. He’ll have fantasy relevance as long as he’s in the league. Projection: 22g 32a 54pts

Reilly Smith: Started shooting more last year, which helped him become a 25 goal scorer. Look for it to continue. Projection: 27g 29a 56pts

Nick Bjugstad: Scoring production slowed last year, but he’s big, young, and full of potential. Missing the first month doesn’t help. Projection: 19g 19a 38pts

IS THIS THE YEAR FOR…

Jared McCann: With the Panthers thin at LW without Huberdeau, McCann (24th overall in 2014) will get an opportunity to break out. Deep sleeper worth monitoring. Projection: 15g 23a 38pts

CONTRIBUTORS

Jason Demers: Signed with the Panthers for 5 years to join a revamped defence core. Has some value in deep leagues as he’s slated to play on the 2nd powerplay unit. Projection: 7g 26a 33pts

Jonathan Marchessault: Another player who could gain some value due to his ability to play LW. May be starting the year alongside Barkov and Jagr. Projection: 13g 18a 31pts

Derek MacKenzie: MacKenzie was named the Panthers captain on Sunday. This is a PSA for any fantasy newbies who might mistaken ‘captain’ for ‘value’. He has none – do not draft. Projection: 7g 8a 15pts

GOALTENDING

Roberto Luongo and James Reimer: Luongo was fantastic last year and is the Panthers outright starter, but GM Tom Rowe has stated that the team will look to keep him fresh by giving newcomer James Reimer 35 to 40 starts. This makes Reimer a must-own if you have Luongo.