(Another in a series of player profiles prior to training camp.)

Xavier Ouellet

Position: Defense

Age: 24

Height/Weight: 6-1/208

2016-17 stats: 66 games, three goals, nine assists, 12 points, plus-2 rating, 51 penalty minutes.

Career stats: 96 games, five goals, 11 assists, 16 points, plus-4 rating, 57 penalty minutes.

Contract status: Starting a two-year contract with a cap hit of $1.25 million. He'll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights when the deal expires in 2019.

2016-17 in review: First career multi-point game Dec. 17 vs. Anaheim (goal, assist). ... First career multi-assist game Feb. 12 at Minnesota. ... Career-high average ice time (17:58). ... Logged season-high 24:32 Dec. 23 at Florida. ... Averaged 1:55 on penalty kill. ... Third on team in blocked shots (87). ... Was plus-8 at home and minus-6 on road. ... Had three fighting majors. ... Played first four games before being a healthy scratch in 15-of-17. Then played in 60 of the final 61 games.

2017-18 outlook: Ouellet moves the puck well and plays with some grit, willing to stand up for teammates. He's probably not going to provide a lot of offense but can remain in this league by moving the puck quick and efficiently, limiting mistakes and just playing a simple game.

Some early struggles led to him being a healthy scratch for most of the first quarter of the season. He played regularly from late November until the end. Injuries helped him gain a foothold.

Now, he must battle to get back into the lineup. Barring an injury, Ouellet likely will start the season as the seventh defenseman, behind the anticipated pairings of Trevor Daley-Danny DeKeyser, Niklas Kronwall-Mike Green and Jonathan Ericsson-Nick Jensen. But Kronwall's health issues and Ericsson's effectiveness could provide more opportunity for Ouellet.

Key question: Can Ouellet develop into a top-four defenseman?