Cammalleri latched on with the Kings on a one-year deal after posting 31 points in 61 games with the Devils last season. The 35-year-old forward has topped a half-point-per-game pace every year since 2005-06, so the concerns surrounding him have more to do with durability than ability. Cammalleri should slot into a top-six role with power-play time in his new home as he enters the season uninhibited by injury. Given Los Angeles’ strong defense and goaltending, the veteran’s defensive deficiencies are less likely to show up in the box score now that he’s out of New Jersey.
Cammalleri pleasantly surprised Devils fans and fantasy owners alike with 38 points in 42 games before succumbing to a season-ending hand injury in 2015-16. While the now-healthy veteran sniper is likely to experience a drop-off from that pace, he should still light the lamp plenty, considering his pace of 0.39 goals per game over the past three seasons. That number would amount to 32 goals over a full 82-game slate, making Cammalleri a tempting option on draft day despite his high injury risk.
Cammalleri was hit hard by injuries again in 2014-15, missing 14 games due to a variety of maladies. The 33-year-old hasn't played in more than 70 games in a season since 2008-09, but the frequent setbacks didn't seem to harm his overall production too badly. Despite the missed time, Cammalleri led all Devils with 27 goals, including nine power-play tallies and eight game-winners. The Devils lack elite offensive firepower for him to play with, but Cammalleri is a deadly sniper and could still be a 30-goal guy if he were ever able to stay upright over the course of a full season. If you can deal with the injury risk and have a ready-made replacement on hand to slot in when he inevitably goes down, Cammalleri's per-game scoring production plays in just about any format.
The Devils were rumored to be close to acquiring Cammalleri at last season’s trade deadline, but ended up balking at Calgary’s rather high asking price. Instead, the Devils made the veteran sniper their prized free-agent acquisition this summer, inking him to a five-year, $25 million contract. What the Devils have ended up with is still up for debate -- is it the player who was a consistent scoring threat several seasons ago, or the enigmatic veteran who missed multiple stretches of games last season, scattering 26 goals over 65 games? Regardless, Cammalleri will get a chance to score on the Devils, but how often he contributes is the question. He could be worth a look in the later rounds of your draft, given he has the potential to hit 30 goals if he stays healthy.
Cammalleri tied for the team lead in points with 32 in 44 games last season. Cammy seems to have been in the NHL forever, but he is actually only 31 and should still have quite a few good years left in him. He has found a nice fit in Calgary and has averaged a little under a point a game in his two tenures there. He will be the frontrunner to center the top line and since somebody has to score for the Flames, Cammalleri is certainly a quality candidate to lead the team in points again. He's not among the top echelon of centers fantasy-wise, but should be good value in the middle rounds.
Rejoining the Flames midseason seemed to revitalize Cammalleri in 2011-12, as he picked up 11 goals and 19 points in 28 games. The center was one of the reasons Calgary stayed in the playoff hunt late, with a four-game and a five-game point streak. He finished the season between Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla, certainly a good place to be from a fantasy standpoint. If he stays there, or even drops between Jiri Hudler and Curtis Glencross, Cammalleri should put together another stellar campaign. While it’s unlikely he will get back to his days of scoring 80 points, 60-70 isn’t out of the question, and he should get at least 50, especially if he can play at 70-plus games, which he hasn’t since 2008-09.
Cammalleri had a second consecutive season shortened by injury, playing just 67 games in 2010-11. It was also another season where he didn’t produce the type of scoring punch (19 goals) the Canadiens expected of him when they gave him a five-year deal in 2009. Despite the missed time, he finished second on the team in scoring (47 points), which should tell us a little something about Montreal’s offense. He remains one of Montreal’s top forwards and will see time on the power play. With improvements offensively – the addition of Erik Cole being one of them – and a full season of health, Cammalleri will increase his point total.
Cammalleri had a disappointing season last year, playing in 65 games after damaging his MCL in late January. He was fortunate the injury happened right around the same time as the Olympic break -- otherwise he would have missed nearly two months of the regular season. The overall numbers for the season were decent for the number of games he played and for dealing with lingering pain in the knee once he returned. For the season, Cammalleri had 26 goals and 24 assists, both well below his anticipated season outlook of 37 goals and 42 assists. However, Cammy is one of the main men in a lineup that surprised last season, and if he can stay healthy he should put up the most points on the team as a first-line winger.
Cammalleri had a breakout season last year, netting a career-high 39 goals in 81 games for the Flames. He added 43 assists for a career-best 82 points. Both his goal and point totals would easily have led the Canadiens last season (Kovalev paced the Habs with 26 goals and 65 points last season). Cammy should be the main scoring threat for Montreal this season, and he should help make up for the losses of Kovalev, Tanguay and Koivu.
Nobody was happier this offseason to be traded, as Cammalleri was in the black hole that was the Los Angeles Kings last season. The Kings were awful in 2007-08, and Cammalleri's production suffered as he only scored 47 points in 63 games. He scored 80 points the year before, and should return to that form, especially as he will be playing on a line with Iginla. Expect big things out of him, and he is even more valuable as he may play center this year yet might retain winger status in some leagues.
Cammalleri led the team in scoring with 34 goals and 46 assists. He might have an incentive to top that this season as a messy arbitration found him losing out in his request for $6 million year, instead getting $3.1 million this year and $3.6 million next season. The key will be how Cammalleri fits in with the new free agents and if the other promising young players continue to improve for the Kings, but he should be able to approach his point-per-game pace once again this season.
He lead the team in power play goals last season with 15, and will look to do the same this season. Cammalleri found a role for himself by manning the point on the Kings power play. Which at one point, early in the season, was among the best in the league, but struggled for a majority of the season. His defense wasn’t the greatest, as proven by his minus 14 plus/minus rating. With a new coaching staff in place, he may have to reprove that he belongs on the roster, but his numbers last season will help him show that he does. Draft him only for his potential power play points, as a majority of his points were scored with the extra-man.
He ended up second in points last season in the AHL, and by doing so has earned the right to skate on the top line at the beginning of training camp. Look for him to make the team and be shuffled between the top two lines during the season.
