Raphael Diaz: News, Stats, Game Logs

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Tuesday Daily Puck: Perry, Perry Good

May 4, 2015

Corey Perry has exploded into super-megastar mode over the first six games of the playoffs, and he's back in action for Game 3 in Calgary on Tuesday.

Sunday Daily Puck: In Need of a Lightning Strike

May 3, 2015

With three series on tap Sunday, will Lightning star Steven Stamkos break out of his slump? That and a preview of all the action in the Sunday Daily Puck.

Thursday Daily Puck: Feel The Coburn

April 30, 2015

Round two gets underway Thursday night with two games getting us going following last night's Game 7 win by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Saturday Daily Puck: King of New York, King of Your Team

April 25, 2015

With the Rangers clinching their series against the Penguins, we take a look at how teams that are winning big in their series might deceive fantasy players.

Thursday Daily Puck: For Whom the Bell Tolls

April 23, 2015

The bell has tolled for the Winnipeg Jets, the first casualty of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. A failure to maintain leads and get contributions from key players doomed them.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2015

2013

2012

2011

The Rangers signed Diaz on a cheap, one-year commitment to help stabilize the depth on the blue line, but the 29-year-old's days of fantasy relevance are probably over at this point. With just four points in 56 games with Calgary last season, Diaz offers little offensive upside at this point and is best utilized as a seventh defenseman to plug in when injuries surface. The Rangers already boast six NHL-tested defensemen, leaving Diaz in a training-camp battle with Chris Summers and Dylan McIlrath for the right to sit in the press box most nights.

Diaz has produced more offense than was originally expected of him when he came to North America from Switzerland for the 2011-12 season. There's something to be said for making the smart, simple plays. He had a sterling start to the 2012-13 season, posting eight assists in the first six games and seeing time on the power play while filling in for P.K. Subban (contract holdout). Diaz took less of an offensive profile when Subban's holdout ended, and then a concussion caused him to miss two months, but he finished with an efficient 14 points in 23 games (third among Habs' blueliners). A bit player in his first go-round with Montreal, Diaz averaged two more minutes per game in his second season. He's expected to be among the top two defensive pairings, especially with Alexei Emelin (knee) out for the start of the season.

Since signing a Swiss defenseman worked out with Mark Streit several years ago, the Canadiens rolled the dice again with Diaz. Montreal was pleased with Diaz's first North American season as the organization inked the Swiss blue liner to a two-year contract in July. He had 16 points in 57 games to go with a minus-7 rating, missing the season's last month due to a groin injury. A veteran of the Swiss League with Zug, Diaz has put up solid offensive seasons in Europe, including a 12-goal, 39-point effort in 45 games during 2010-11. It's worth noting that Mark Streit's second season in the NHL was his breakout year, although that could have little correlation with Diaz, it's interesting nonetheless. Diaz is worth a look late in deep leagues.

The Canadiens beat a few interested teams to this Swiss free-agent defenseman, who accumulated 39 points and a plus-14 in 45 games with EV Zug of the Swiss National League A in 2010. He wasn’t known for his offensive game prior to his breakout last season, but shows good vision and an ability to work the point. He doesn’t have great size, but is pretty steady in his own end and is said to have proper work ethic. It’s a two-way deal for Diaz, who may open the season at AHL Hamilton, but is expected to be working the blue line in Montreal eventually as the team looks to add youth to its defense.