Jed Ortmeyer

Ortmeyer will lobby for a roster spot with the Sharks, but even if he beats out a number of top rookie prospects, this energy player won’t have much value outside of organizational depth at the forward spot. In July 2009, he signed a one-year deal with the team.

This will be a pivotal season for Ortmeyer. With his second career reconstructive knee surgery now behind him, he will focus on getting back to 100 percent health in 2008-09. Now 30-years-old, Ortmeyer is past his prime and may not likely live up to the expectations that came earlier in his career. Expect a 15-point campaign, assuming he can stay healthy and play a full season.

Ortmeyer came to Nashville during the off season as a free agent from the New York Rangers. In 177 career games with the Rangers he only scored nine goals and 15 assists. Coach Barry Trotz feels like Ortmeyer has been under utilized thus far in his NHL career. He will be given an opportunity to play full-time in Nashville this season, but his role is unclear. Ortmeyer will likely end up being a utility player with little possibility for a big offensive role on the team.

Jed is one of those high-energy guys you just got to appreciate if you follow the team on a regular basis; he blocks shots, he hustles, he creates turnovers. Now, If only he could develop any sort of offensive game, he'd be unstoppable. Ok maybe not, but he's still a valuable member of this team. In 78 games with the Rangers in 2005-06, Ortmeyer registered five goals and two assists, along with 38 penalty minutes.

A future-captain in the making, Ortmeyer is already showing alot of leadership skills on the ice and off. Jed won't impress you with stats at the end of any given game, but he offers non-stop hustle, energy and determination; qualities that were lacking on Ranger teams of the past years. Look for Jed to make an impact on the Rangers penalty-kill and occassionally, some power-play time.