Shawn Matthias

Matthias shared time with Colorado and Toronto last season, notching a total of 12 goals and 16 assists to go along with an ugly minus-17 rating. In his defense, the Maple Leafs struggled while figuring out their rebuild, and the versatile forward just never clicked with either team. Now with Winnipeg, the 28-year-old will spend most of his time in the bottom six during what should make for a relatively unproductive campaign. With his upside capped around 25 points, Matthias remains usable strictly in deep formats.

Matthias, who was one of the players Florida dealt to Vancouver in exchange for Roberto Luongo at the 2014 trade deadline, put together a decent 2013-2014 campaign, netting 12 goals and 23 points in 77 games split between the two teams. Not known as a huge point producer, the speedy 26-year-old center tallied only three goals in 18 games with the Canucks after the trade, seeing his shooting percentage drop to 7.7 percent on the season. At 6-4 and 223 lbs, Matthias is a big body who provides value that's not necessarily seen on the scoresheet. The former 30-goal junior scorer still has offensive upside, but don’t expect anything spectacular. Fifteen goals are a realistic expectation for the former Panther.

Matthias will likely play alongside wingers Kris Versteeg and Tomas Fleischmann this season on the Panther's top line, and should benefit from having a couple talented scorers to dish the puck to. That being said, his 2013 numbers would indicate that he's more of a shoot-first center, having recorded 14 goals and only seven assists last year. It seems reasonable to expect about a 40-point season out of him and he'll probably be available later than he should be in many drafts since he's not very well known. He's just 25 right now and has really increased his offensive output in the past couple years. If his development continues, he could be a fantasy steal with a very high ceiling playing in his new role.

Matthias took a step forward last season, registering 10 goals and 14 helpers in 79 games. The one-time top Panther prospect needs to continue progressing in order to live up to his potential. Matthais has the size and the ability to make an impact and needs to take advantage of the youth movement about to take over the Panthers during the 2012-2013 season. Matthias is a solid sleeper option and should see his point production continue to increase, potentially placing him in the 30-40 point range.

Matthias chipped in with 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in 51 games played for the Panthers this past season. An injured ankle and constant line shuffling did not allow Matthias to take the leap that most fantasy owners had been anticipating. The one-time top prospect for the Panthers is still a year or two away from making a true fantasy impact. Matthias has the size to be a decent two-way center, but needs to work on the little things in order to make the leap from the AHL to the NHL. Matthias is best reserved as a sleeper/keeper pick based on his overall talent and breakout potential.

If you've never heard of Matthias, chances are you will soon enough. Billed as one of the Panthers' top prospects, Matthias' ice time increased in each successive month in 2009-10 - his rookie season. In fact, his average ice time peaked as high as 17:53, which occurred last April. Even though he could stand to be more physical, the 23-year-old has time to fill out his slender frame, but time is not of the essence for fantasy owners who wish to buy low on him in keeper leagues and leagues with deep player pools.

Once crowned a top prospect in an NHL debut a couple years ago, Matthias sputtered to the tune of 10-10—20 and a comically bad minus-34 in Rochester in his first full season as a pro. Still, he could make the Panthers’ squad with a strong camp and will likely garner fantasy attention in another year or two.

He had two goals in four NHL games last season before being deemed too green for the bright shiny lights of The Show. But any talented centerman in the Panthers’ organization will have a chance to make the roster this year — Matthias included.

Matthias was the prospect acquired in the Todd Bertuzzi trade to Detroit at the deadline last season. His game hit a new level with OHL Belleville last season when he scored 38 goals. While the brass will certainly be paying attention to his performance at camp, it's unlikely Matthias will play professional hockey until 08-09.

The Red Wings certainly don't need any more help at center right now, so Mattias will take his time developing in the minors.

Mattias is best-described as a project and frankly, may never make the NHL. He should be nowhere near your fantasy radar.