The 2019-20 fantasy hockey season is fast approaching, and after a summer filled with roster moves throughout the NHL, it's important to keep tabs on all the new faces in new places as you gear up for your draft.
With that in mind, here are four players set to excel on their new teams.
P.K. Subban, D, Devils
One of the more offensive-minded blue-liners in the league should be able to flex those tendencies even more with the burgeoning New Jersey Devils. Subban battled injuries during 2018-19 and finished with his lowest points per game total since 2011-12, a mark he'll surely be hungry to redeem.
The Devils' 21st-ranked power play last season wasn't disastrous for an offensively thin team already without its best player, Taylor Hall, for the majority of the season. In 2019-20, Subban will likely quarterback a man advantage that will feature a combination of talented options, including Hall, Jack Hughes, Wayne Simmonds, Nico Hischier, Kyle Palmieri, and Nikita Gusev.
Subban's always been confident with the puck on his stick, and his ability to move it efficiently is something the Devils' blue line has lacked. The 6-foot rearguard is in the 95th percentile among defensemen in possession zone exits per 60 minutes over the last three campaigns. Combined with the Devils' added speed and skill at forward and a healthy Hall, Subban's ability should help the team's attack off the rush.
Alex Galchenyuk, C/LW, Penguins
Galchenyuk recorded his poorest statistical output last season since his sophomore campaign. However, he still amassed 19 goals and 41 points for the Arizona Coyotes while playing predominantly with up-and-comer Clayton Keller and rookie winger Conor Garland.
A fresh start with the Pittsburgh Penguins offers the former third overall pick a new world of opportunity.
Nick Bjugstad will likely occupy the third-line center role, which means Galchenyuk should find himself alongside either Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby, two premier-level talents that the 25-year-old has never had the privilege of playing with. Galchenyuk - who's totaled nine power-play goals in three of the last four seasons - should also have an opportunity to play a valuable role on the Penguins' man advantage.
He may not have the ability to drive a line on his own, but when aligned with talented running mates, Galchenyuk possesses the raw talent to be very effective.
Kevin Shattenkirk, D, Lightning
Shattenkirk was on pace for 41 points in his first campaign with the New York Rangers in 2017-18 before sustaining a season-ending injury in January. The 31-year-old struggled to reinsert himself as a top-pair option the following season, but he also wasn't put in a great position to do so.
In 2018-19, he was most frequently paired with Frederick Claeson, who's at best a bottom-pair rearguard in the NHL. On the Tampa Bay Lightning, Shattenkirk is one of two regular right-shot options on the blue line, and thus could find himself playing alongside Victor Hedman. Veteran Ryan McDonagh, who's still a far stronger overall player than Claeson, could also be a potential partner.
Shattenkirk will also get the opportunity to do some damage on the power play. The 6-foot defenseman possesses a heavy shot and ranks fifth in power-play points and seventh in goals at his position since 2011-12.
The veteran also brings the banger stats. Shattenkirk ranked third on the Rangers last season in blocked shots and hovers right around one hit per game for his career. If you're concerned about plus/minus, no Lightning defenseman finished as a minus last season, and none of their top-four blue-liners finished lower than a plus-12.
James Neal, LW/RW, Oilers
Sometimes NHL fans and pundits can have an extremely short memory. Neal's been written off by many after a forgettable 2018-19 season with the Calgary Flames, but the 31-year-old hit the 20-goal mark in each of his previous 10 NHL campaigns.
Last season, Neal recorded the fourth-worst shooting percentage among forwards with a minimum of 100 shots on goal with a mark of 5% - less than half his career average of 11.6%. The Ontario native also logged the least amount of average ice time of his career and was limited in power-play opportunities.
The Edmonton Oilers offer Neal a chance at redemption. He'll likely find himself in the team's top-six forward group to start the year and should get a chance to prove himself as a scoring threat playing alongside the world's top talent in Connor McDavid or, at worst, a 69-point man in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Neal spent most of the 2018-19 season on the Flames' third line paired predominantly with center Mark Jankowski, whose below-average career assist rate of 0.79 per 60 minutes pales in comparison to McDavid's ridiculous mark of 2.37.
Advanced stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrick, A3Z tool by CJ Torturo
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