Anthony Cirelli

Mr. Reliable is finally healthy and ready to show the Eastern Conference that he's the next Patrice Bergeron. Or better put, Bergeron-lite. Cirelli might not get to the offensive heights that the Bruins' great did, but he's a two-way talent with elite forechecking and possession skills. His off-puck skills are among the best in the league. Cirelli forechecks and backchecks, pops pucks loose or steals them and gets into the O-zone immediately. Those skills are better suited on the ice than in the fantasy arena. There are many 45-50-point pivots in the NHL, even if they ride shotgun at even strength with a sniper like Steven Stamkos and hop the boards on the second power-play unit with puck maestro, Victor Hedman. Cirelli's fantasy relevance will go up significantly when he flirts with the 60-point plateau, but that may take another couple years.

A 2015 third-round pick for the Lightning in 2015, Cirelli has developed into a jack-of-all-trades player for the Tampa Bay. In an ideal world, Cirelli is probably best served as a middle-six, penalty killer, but he's shown the ability to move up in the lineup and produce when necessary. He managed 17 goals and 43 points through 76 games in 2021-22 in addition to his typical stellar defensive play. Tampa Bay was so impressed they handed the 25-year-old pivot a new eight-year, $50 million contract. Cirelli should once again be good for 40-50 points, making him a solid option in deeper fantasy formats.

Cirelli had a strange season in 2020-21. His role on the Tampa Bay power play increased (1:56 of ice time per game) considerably with both Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos sidelined for most or all of the regular season, but Cirelli's overall production (9 goals, 22 points in 50 games) was way down compared to the prior year (16 goals, 44 points in 68 games). Cirelli is excellent defensively and that alone will earn him consistent ice time for arguably the league's best team in the Lightning, but his 15-goal, 36-point pace from last season isn't going to cut it for fantasy managers. It will, however, be interesting to see how much Cirelli's role changes with teammates Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Yanne Gourde and Tyler Johnson all leaving this offseason. Consider him a late-round pick with some upside until further notice.

Despite being limited to a mere 68 games last season, Cirelli still managed to set new personal bests in assists (28), points (44) and ice time per game (18:28). The two-way center still hasn't signed a new contract with the Lightning, no doubt partially due to the organization's tight cap situation. Assuming everything gets worked out, the 23-year-old Ontario native projects to fill the second-line center role for Tampa Bay this campaign, which would create plenty of opportunities for him to continue producing at a high level. In redraft formats, Cirelli will be a solid mid-round selection this year.

Cirelli is an extraordinary young player who oozes character and skill. He not only earned Calder votes for his 39-point year in 2018-19, but he also got votes for the Selke. That's almost unheard of for a rookie. Cirelli has speed, smarts and skill, and he's already developing into an elite shutdown center after just one season. He has the potential to play up in the lineup, but he'll likely spend most of 2019-20 on the third line with speedster Mathieu Joseph. Cirelli's dynasty value is higher than single-year formats, but his game is developing quickly and it might only take a couple seasons for him to push Steven Stamkos to wing. Just file that away for future reference.

Cirelli has been underrated everywhere he's played. Nicknamed “Captain Clutch,” the slender pivot was the surprise hero of the Oshawa Generals' Memorial Cup win in 2015. The following season, he delivered 31 points in 22 playoff games for the Erie Otters during their run to the OHL Final. Then, Cirelli stepped right into the AHL postseason in 2017, impressing Bolts brass with his poise and confidence. Last season, he entered the parent-club lineup late but never left, playing 18 regular-season games (11 points) and 17 in the postseason (five points). Cirelli is a smart grinder who surprises with his skill. He's already trending toward an elite shutdown role and reserved a third-line center spot for 2018-19. Think pre-2017 Sean Couturier. Cirelli will get some love in the Calder Trophy race, but who knows what a few years might do for his game.