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Lebda, a depth defenseman who managed four points in 30 NHL games last year, he'll likely have to hold off the Blue Jackets' kiddie cavalry to maintain his spot on the blue line depth chart. He's a defensive player tasked more with preventing goals than creating them.
Lebda had just four points in 41 games for the Leafs last season after suffering an assortment of injuries (leg, shoulder). He will likely wind up on the Preds' third defensive pairing this season if he can stay healthy, but given his track record, that may be a tall order. Lebda's fantasy value remains limited to very deep leagues at this time.
Can Lebda pull a Kyle Quincey? It took getting out of Dodge for Quincey to blossom; maybe Lebda is in the same boat. Yes, he's older. And sure, his body type is completely different. But this mobile fire hydrant on blades can skate really well and comes with a shiny Stanley Cup ring. He's in tough to win a job in Toronto but should see regular time if Tomas Kaberle is moved. And who knows what comes then... Quincey redux, maybe?
Lebda will have to battle for his roster spot during camp despite a decent 2008-09 as a depth blueliner for Detroit. At best, he's a third-pairing guy for the Red Wings, but there would be more upside on squad with fewer big guns ahead of him in the pecking order for power-play time.
Lebda may be deemed expendable by the Wings during training camp, as they're stacked with blue-line depth both young and old. Since he can't be sent to Grand Rapids (AHL) without being exposed to waivers, he'll either be traded or be utilized as the seventh defenseman in Detroit.
On a different team he'd have a pretty good shot at 35 points or so; on the Red Wings, he has to keep waiting his turn. That's unlikely to come this year, unless a slew of dominoes fall Lebda's way. He's not a bad player, but he'll be a role guy in Detroit and not a power-play staple.
He's got a sneaky offensive game and may someday become a 30-point-a-year guy. The Red Wings are a less-than-ideal team for him, though, given all the talented blueline talent already in house. In most pools, you should let Lebda prove it to you before you make a move.
Born 1/15/82, rookie Lebda beat out Andy Delmore for the final defenseman spot on the Red Wings roster. We'll see if he can run with the starting role. No fantasy value for now, but see if his name starts showing up on the scoresheet.
