Jake Middleton

Middleton skated in a bottom-four role in his first full season with Minnesota last year. He tallied three goals and 15 points in 79 contests. The 27-year-old blueliner was much more useful in non-scoring categories; he racked up 115 hits, 155 blocked shots and 72 PIM while averaging 19:02 of ice time per game. Middleton could see a slightly larger role after the Wild's defensive group was shaken up a bit this offseason. Even with additional minutes, he's not expected to see any power-play time and shouldn't be expected to record more than 15-20 points.

An up-and-down guy the prior three years, Middleton finally secured a full-time NHL job last season, playing in 45 games with San Jose before a trade to the Wild. He posted just four goals and 14 points in 66 games between the two stops, although Middleton did add 118 hits and 124 blocks. Clearly impressed with what they saw, Minnesota signed Middleton, a pending unrestricted free agent, to a three-year, $7.35 million extension in July. It should ensure a top-four role for the 26-year-old this coming season, although Middleton won't be of much use in fantasy circles.

Middleton has skated in just 13 NHL games over the past two seasons, racking up three helpers over that span. The 25-year-old blueliner, a seventh-round pick of the Kings in 2014, is exiting prospect status, but he has yet to make a name for himself at the NHL level. He'll get a chance to compete for a bottom-pairing job in 2020-21, but he'll have to fend off the likes of Nicolas Meloche and Ryan Merkley for the position. Middleton shouldn't be expected to have a sudden surge of offense, which makes him a non-factor in the fantasy game.

Middleton is in an interesting spot within the Sharks organization, as he's entering the final year of his entry-level contract and seemingly on the brink of seizing a substantial role in the NHL. The right-shot defenseman had just one cup of coffee with the parent club last year, adding an assist over three games, but his minor-league campaign went fairly well based on an output of five goals, 14 assists and a plus-16 rating through 57 contests. Long term, he projects to be a fixture on the bottom pair with additional utility in the traditional defensive categories such as hits and blocked shots. While there's no real need to stash Middleton in dynasty leagues, he has the potential to emerge as a viable fantasy option down the road.