Riley Sheahan

Sheahan had a modestly productive season with the Oilers in 2019-20, amassing 15 points in 66 contests while filling a bottom-six role as a penalty-killing specialist. With a stagnant salary cap, Sheahan has had to settle for a tryout offer from the Sabres, but there's a decent chance that could turn into a contract at the end of training camp. The 29-year-old center excels in the defensive aspects of the game -- there's little appeal from a fantasy standpoint, but he's clearly an NHL-caliber player. If he sticks in Buffalo, look for him to generate 10 to 15 points with little else to show for outside of a shorthanded point here and there.

Sheahan managed to secure a one-year, $900,000 contract from the Oilers, which makes sense following a tepid 19-point season spread between Pittsburgh and Florida. He's topped the 30-point mark twice and should be right around his prime at age 27, but chances are he'll be in a bottom-six role with little to no power-play time, so don't hold your breath in terms of fantasy production. Still, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could spend some time on the wing, which could open the door for Sheahan to get the occasional top-six look.

Following two trying seasons in Detroit, Sheahan appears to have revived his career in Pittsburgh, as he's since amassed 11 goals and 21 helpers through 73 outings with the Penguins. By moving Derick Brassard to the wing, the coaching staff figures to leave the defensively-minded forward in a third-line role. Using his physicality and size, Sheahan will definitely find himself matched up against opposing teams' top lines -- a responsibility he won't shy away from. A lack of power-play opportunities will cap his fantasy value, but he should be an intriguing mid-range option in most formats.

For Sheahan, completing his third straight NHL-only season with two goals and 13 points was a major setback after he dropped from 25 points the year before (itself a drop from 36 points in 2014-15). He produced an eyesore of a rating at minus-29 in addition to a 1.8 shooting percentage that showed he couldn't buy a goal until he surprisingly lit the lamp twice in the final game played at Joe Louis Arena. Sheahan was exposed in the Vegas expansion draft, but the Golden Knights opted for 2017 Calder Cup champion Tomas Nosek instead. Still, Sheahan set the bar so low last year that it's safe to bet on a rebound. Opportunists in the fantasy realm can look for him in the late rounds or even as a flier off the waiver wire.

Sheahan put pen to paper on a new contract following the conclusion of the 2015-16 season – he’ll cost the Red Wings $4.15 million over the next two years, which is relatively cheap considering his two-way talents. The 24-year-old has steadily increased his goal-scoring totals since his NHL career began in 2011-12, having found the back of the net 14 times in the most recent campaign. His power-play ice time dropped substantially following the coaching change from Mike Babcock to Jeff Blashill, though it was simply a matter of tweaking his role for the sake of having a stable presence on the penalty kill. Role players like Sheahan tend to get slighted in the fantasy realm, but he’ll be used in all situations and warrants a pick in the middle to late rounds.

Sheahan, a 2010 first-round draft pick, was a reliable, if unspectacular contributor in his first full NHL season in 2014-15, netting 13 goals and 36 points in 79 games. Though he's just 23 years old, it's unlikely Sheahan ever develops into a true fantasy star at the center position, but he should enjoy a long, productive career as the Wings' second-line pivot and as a viable member of the secondary power-play unit. With Pavel Datsyuk (ankle) expected to miss the first month of the season, Sheahan should stick in a top-six role initially, but Datsyuk's eventual return figures to push the young center to the third line now that offseason acquisition Brad Richards is in the fold. That could be enough to prevent Sheahan from noticing a pronounced spike in production, but it shouldn't be interpreted as a disappointment if it happens.

Sheahan was part of the youth revolution in Detroit in 2013-14, registering 24 points in 42 games with the Red Wings. The line of Sheahan, Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar was dynamite during the regular season, but the former has a little more competition at center than either of the latter have on the wing. Sheahan will have to fight for a roster spot in the fall, but certainly has the talent to make the team and the chemistry to persist with his linemates from the spring.

Sheahan briefly saw time with the Red Wings in 2012-13, but was sent back down to get more experience. He is likely to stay in Grand Rapids for that very reason in 2013-14.