Dominik Kubalik

A 30-goal scorer in his rookie season with the Blackhawks in 2019-20, Kubalik's production has steadily decreased each of the past two years. In what would be his final season in Chicago this past year, Kubalik posted 15 goals, 32 points, and a minus-16 rating in 78 games. Looking to lengthen their lineup, the Red Wings inked Kubalik to a two-year, $5 million contract this past July. Kubalik has always been an asset with the man advantage and will play this entire season at age 27, so he should provide solid value for Detroit even if the days of him threatening 30 goals and being a reliable fantasy asset have come and gone.

After an outstanding rookie campaign where he tallied 30 goals and 46 points, Kubalik took a step back in his second NHL season in 2020-21. He scored just 17 goals and 38 points through 56 contests despite seeing his average time on ice rise from 14:22 to 15:31. On the bright side, the Czech winger scored 14 of those points while on the man advantage with a slightly increased power-play role. Kubalik will retain his role in Chicago's middle-six while still being a key power-play contributor in 2021-22. He should get back over the 20-goal mark in a full season.

Kubalik finished third in the Calder Trophy voting after scoring 46 points in his first NHL season in 2019-20. He became just the 14th rookie to score 30 goals in the past 20 seasons and was one of the few bright spots for a Blackhawks team in flux. The 25-year-old Czech winger was already a top player in Switzerland before transitioning to the NHL, so his success wasn't all that surprising, but history isn't really on his side. His age suggests he may not significantly improve in year two, and the only other rookies who scored 30 goals on a shooting percentage above 19 percent, Marek Svatos and Petr Prucha, both washed out of the NHL within five seasons. It raises questions about Kubalik's future upside, and if he is unable to replicate his shooting efficiency, there's little else about his offense that makes him a worthwhile fantasy asset. Nonetheless, the upside is still there, so he'll be worth a roll of the dice in the middle rounds of this year's drafts.

Kubalik, who was originally selected by the Kings in the seventh round of the 2013 draft, spent the 2018-19 season with HC Ambri-Piotta of the NLA, totaling 25 goals and 57 points in 50 contests. The 23-year-old went onto represent Team Czech Republic at the IIHF World Championship tournament, racking up an impressive six goals and 12 points in 10 appearances against some of the NHL's best players. It isn't clear how well Kubalik's skills wills translate to the smaller North American ice in 2019-20, but if he's able to acclimate quickly and earn top-six minutes, he'll definitely be worth a waiver claim in most fantasy settings.