Kale Clague

Clague hasn't been unable to establish himself as a regular at the NHL level, and that's unlikely to change in 2023-24. He finished the 2022-23 campaign with four assists, 24 PIM, 24 shots, 24 hits and 24 blocks in 33 outings with Buffalo. That wasn't good enough to get a qualifying offer from the Sabres, but he re-signed with them anyway, inking a one-year, two-way contract. The 25-year-old defenseman will compete for a roster spot during training camp, but even if he gets one, it will likely be as the team's seventh or eighth blueliner. It would probably take a series of injuries for him to find himself playing routinely, and even in that scenario, Clague wouldn't contribute enough offensively to make him a worthwhile option for most fantasy managers.

Clague got into four games for the Kings in 2019-20, but he wasn't able to earn his first NHL point. The 22-year-old defenseman had a minus-3 rating in that audition -- he still needs to work on his defense a bit more, but with a lack of depth on the blue line, the Kings may let him figure it out on the fly in 2020-21. Clague had a respectable 25 points in 49 contests with AHL Ontario last year, so there's no question his offense would be good enough for a bottom-pairing role. A second-round pick from 2016, Clague would need to outplay Kurtis MacDermid to get regular playing time this season, but there's little chance either player makes enough of an impact on the scoresheet to be a factor in the fantasy game.

A swift-skating blueliner with loads of offensive upside due to his vision and passing skills, Clague scored seven goals and 29 points in 52 AHL games last season during his pro debut before a broken foot ended his campaign prematurely. The 21-year-old is still learning how to best use his wheels in his own end to improve his positioning, which will limit his chances of making a splash in the NHL this season, but Clague has the talent to be a key piece on the back end for Los Angeles once he's gotten stronger and more confident in the defensive zone.