Haydn Fleury

The No. 7 overall pick by Carolina in 2014, Fleury has been unable to claim a full-time role at the NHL level despite spending time with four different organizations. He appeared in just 29 games in his first season with the Lightning in 2022-23, failing to score and managing just one assist. Tampa Bay would probably be better off dressing Fleury as opposed to an aging veteran like Zach Bogosian, but the truth of the matter is the decision is highly unlikely to impact the team's chances of winning a hockey game on any given night. Expect Fleury to again play a minor role for the Bolts in 2023-24.

Fleury doesn't get a lot of playing time on the Hurricanes' third pairing, and that led to the 24-year-old defenseman posting only 14 points, 48 hits and 45 blocked shots in 45 games last year. Joel Edmundson is now with the Canadiens, which should open up some minutes for younger players like Fleury, but he'll need to perform to earn the job. The seventh overall pick from 2014, Fleury has yet to solidify his role in the NHL. He also could face a challenge from Jake Bean in training camp. There are plenty of defensemen around the league with much more upside than Fleury.

In his rookie year with the Hurricanes last season, Fleury registered eight assists in 67 games, playing a shutdown role on the third defensive pairing. He averaged 16:48 per game, playing predominantly with Trevor van Riemsdyk. In 2018-19, Fleury will enter the final year of the entry-level contract he signed back in 2014, so he will need to prove to the team that he is worth keeping around, especially with younger guys like Jake Bean and Roland McKeown gradually working their way up through the system. Since he plays primarily a stay-at-home role on the blue line, Fleury's fantasy value remains confined to very deep leagues at the present time.

Fleury will open the 2017-18 season in the minors with the AHL Charlotte Checkers, where he contributed a decent 26 points in 69 games last year. The 21-year-old defender has been knocking on the door for a couple of seasons now, and if he puts up similar numbers this season, he could be in line for a call-up to the big club. He's a pretty safe bet to crack the Canes' lineup either this season or next. Keep an eye on him.

After being selected seventh overall by the Hurricanes in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, the 18-year-old Fleury was invited to the Canes’ training camp in September. Despite a solid showing, he was returned to his junior team, WHL Red Deer, where he finished the season fourth in team scoring with 46 points in 70 games, and first in plus/minus with a plus-15 rating. Talent-wise, Fleury is a big body (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) who can play big minutes and control the game from his own end. He may never be an elite, puck-rushing defenseman who puts up big points, but Fleury is a very consistent defender who has all the skills to be a top shutdown defenseman at the NHL level. It’s just a matter of when -- not if -- he becomes a regular member of the Canes’ lineup. It’s likely he will need at least one year of seasoning at AHL Charlotte before he makes the jump to the big leagues.

Fleury, selected by the Hurricanes with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, is a big, strong, fast and smart defender who will likely become a top-four rudder on the Carolina blue line. Currently, his greatest asset is his world-class skating ability, and that’s why you may have heard comparisons to the likes of Jay Bouwmeester. He’s that good. But unlike JayBo, Fleury isn’t afraid to make hits and use his body, too. It’s actually hard to predict his fantasy upside because he’s still developing his offensive game and his confidence. But it’s safe to say he’ll be at least become a second-pairing, second power play-unit minute-muncher for a decade or more. And if he capitalizes on his extraordinary hockey sense, he could be a No. 2 guy. There’s long-term fantasy value in that.