Torey Krug

Krug's struggles were among the worst on the Blues' roster last year. The defenseman was limited to 32 points with an ugly minus-26 rating in 63 contests. He at least managed 14 power-play points and 87 blocked shots, but three of his four lowest-scoring campaigns have been in the last three years with St. Louis. There's room for him to bounce back, especially if he can avoid injuries, but Krug's main appeal in fantasy is his place as the quarterback on the first power-play unit. Beyond that, the 32-year-old blueliner is likely more risk than reward at this stage of his career. He's not one to overpay for on draft day.

It was another excellent season for Krug when he wasn't sidelined with injuries. The diminutive rearguard missed 18 regular season games in addition to St. Louis' final nine postseason contests. On a more positive note, Krug cracked the 40-point plateau (43) for the sixth time in seven years, while adding 19 points with the man advantage. Krug offers very little in terms of hits and blocks compared to the average defender, but Krug is a legitimate No. 1 power-play quarterback on a solid team and those guys are difficult to find. Don't let him slip in fantasy drafts this fall.

Krug's first season with the Blues didn't go all that well, as he had a career-low 32 points in 51 games. The shortened season played a part in his struggles, but he also only earned 13 of his points on the power play after making a name in that role during his nine-year Bruins career. The 30-year-old enters 2021-22 poised for a bounce-back campaign after shooting only 1.8 percent last year -- he's a three-time double-digit goal scorer, so there's room for positive regression. He'll likely be available at a discount in fantasy drafts, but he's capable of returning solid value with a middle-to-late round selection. He should be expected to at least get close to the 50-point mark while making an impact with the man advantage and adding modest totals in the physical categories.

Krug's an elite power-play quarterback who will have full control of the reins in St. Louis. Since entering the league, he has never finished below 39 points, and over the past two seasons he's amassed 54 assists with the man advantage. He will adequately replace, and perhaps exceed, Alex Pietrangelo's contributions on the power play, but probably not at even strength. Krug will be tasked with playing more minutes for the Blues, which is generally a good thing, but he'll also be facing tougher opponents than he did while being sheltered in Boston. There are few puck-moving defensemen like Krug, and despite the change in scenery, he'll remain a top-tier power-play quarterback who should be one of the first defenseman drafted in most fantasy formats.

Krug is coming off a strong 2018-19 campaign in which he notched six goals and 53 points in 64 regular-season games. Where Krug really excelled was on the power play, helping the Bruins to a 25.9 percent success rate in the regular season (third best in the league) and a spiffy 32.4 percent success rate in the playoffs. The 28-year-old has the ability to either lug the puck out of his team's defensive zone or drive the play with his strong first-pass skills. On the man advantage, Krug has a dangerous shot, but it's his excellence at dishing the puck to his teammates on a silver platter that sets him apart. At 5-foot-9, 186-pounds, Krug does have some defensive limitations, but he's improved his all-around game over the years thanks to his solid positioning, strong hockey IQ and fiercely competitive nature.

A fractured left ankle cut Krug's 2017-18 postseason run short, but he should be healed up well in advance of training camp. Under contract with the Bruins through the 2019-20 campaign, Krug is coming off a regular season in which he logged a fantasy-friendly 14 goals and 59 points in 76 games. The 27-year-old is now an established offensive sparkplug for the Bruins, thanks to his wheels and ability to lug the puck out of the team's defensive zone. Given his 5-foot-9, 186-pound frame, Krug does have some defensive limitations, but that's somewhat offset by his quickness, smarts and solid positioning. Assuming he's not traded due to the Bruins' (on paper) surplus of left-shot blueliners, Krug will reprise his key power-play role for Boston next season, an assignment that ensures he'll remain one of the more bankable fantasy options at his position.

Signed with Boston through the 2019-20 campaign, Krug is set to reprise his prominent role on the team’s back line this year. In 81 regular-season tilts last season, the 5-foot-9, 186-pounder recorded eight goals and a fantasy-friendly (and career-high) 51 points to go along with 37 PIM and a minus-10 rating (a career low). The fleet-footed Krug is now an established offensive sparkplug for the Bruins, though given his stature, he does have some defensive limitations. They're somewhat offset by Krug’s quickness, smarts and solid positioning, however. Krug’s free-wheeling game in the attacking zone seems to be a good fit for coach Bruce Cassidy’s system, and continued fantasy relevance is in store for the 26-year-old Michigan State product, who remains entrenched as a key member of the Boston power play.

Krug, who underwent right shoulder surgery on April 21, is coming off a 2015-16 campaign in which he recorded 44 points in 81 games. His recovery will need to be monitored in training camp, but when healthy, Krug is a key cog on the B’s power play and thus maintains fantasy utility. Krug racked up 244 shots last season, a figure that placed him third on the team behind only Patrice Bergeron (282) and Brad Marchand (250) in that category. With a few more bounces in his favor, Krug could have easily hit double-digit goals for the third straight year, but he was nonetheless a capable sparkplug for the team’s attack. The mobile blueliner, who holds his own defensively, was rewarded for his efforts by the B’s this offseason, as he inked a four-year, $21 million extension at the ripe age of 25.

With the Bruins having parted ways with Johnny Boychuk and Dougie Hamilton, respectively, over the past two offseasons, the team will lean even more heavily on Krug, after a 2014-15 season in which he recorded 39 points (including 12 goals) in 78 games. In the wake of the team’s heavy personnel shake-up, Krug will remain a mainstay on the B’s blue line as well as a key power-play cog. It's an assignment that will keep him squarely on the fantasy radar, and presumably, with room for further ascension as he opens his third full season at the NHL level. When he is on his game, the 5-foot-9, 181-pound Krug can be offensive dynamo for the Bruins, though given his stature, he has some defensive limitations. Even so, those flaws are somewhat offset by his scrappy and fearless mindset, supplemented by quickness and solid positioning. On the attack, Krug is an excellent puck mover, who uses his fleet wheels, shiftiness, and inventive passing to create scoring opportunities for both himself and teammates. That package of offensive skills is further complemented by Krug’s deceptively dangerous shot, as well as his high compete/energy level. His star remains on the rise.

The 5-foot-9, 181-pound Krug emerged as an offensive dynamo for the Bruins in his first full NHL season, recording 14 goals and 40 points in 79 games. He is an excellent puck-mover, using his fleet wheels, shiftiness and clever passing touch to create scoring opportunities for himself and teammates. Moreover, the 23-year-old Krug owns a deceptively dangerous shot, with all of the above making him a key cog on the Bruins’ power play, a unit that he helped perk up last season. With his prowess on offense no longer flying under the radar, those looking to secure Krug in their fantasy drafts this season will need to be aggressive. From a defensive standpoint, Krug’s propensity for offensive advancement occasionally leads to some dicey defensive situations, but in general, he holds his own as a scrappy and fearless blueliner, relying on quickness, smarts and positioning to more than adequately fulfill duties on his own end.

When injuries hit the Bruins’ blue line in the playoffs, Krug was a revelation, holding his own defensively, while provided a spark to the B's attack. He finished up the playoffs with four goals and six points in 15 games and appears poised to spend the entire 2013-14 campaign with the big club. At 5-foot-9, 180 he relies on smarts, positioning and quickness to fulfill his defensive responsibilities. When he has the puck, he can be a dynamic puck mover, using his wheels and deft passing touch to create scoring opportunities. Krug owns a dangerous shot, too, and if he can secure a power player role in his first full season with the Bruins, Krug could emerge as a fantasy factor.

Krug played in two games with the Bruins this past season after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State, recording an assist. With the cycling out of Joe Corvo, Greg Zanon and Mike Mottau, there is an opportunity for Krug to make the B's roster out of camp, especially if injuries hit leading up to the regular season. If he ends up starting with AHL Providence, however, Krug would be a candidate for an in-season call-up. Though he's undersized at 5-9 and 180 pounds, Krug is mobile and has some upside as an offensive defenseman down the road, so he's definitely worth tracking.