Coburn was protected for the expansion draft due to his well-rounded play. He was mediocre at everything he did last season: five points, seven assists, minus-1 rating, 102 shots on goal, 109 hits. Don't expect much more out of the 32-year-old blueliner.
Coburn is uniquely valuable, but just not in fantasy. From an advanced analytics perspective, he takes on the toughest opponents and has the most defensive zone starts. And that means that Victor Hedman can be free to use his talents for fantasy good. He might deliver you 100 hits, but he’s not really that snarly. And very few formats count blocked shots. Admire what he brings to the game and how he improves the potential of the other Bolts on your roster. But don’t add him to yours.
Coburn's talents are not in the offensive end of the rink; his role on the ice -- first and foremost -- is to keep pucks out of his own net and provide a physical presence. As his partner will likely be one of the more offensive-minded defensemen like Michael Del Zotto or Mark Streit , Coburn will receive a number assists simply by passing them the puck. Last year, he recorded five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 82 games, which has been about par for the course for him in the last few years. While he puts up respectable PIM numbers and hits, fantasy general managers have numerous other options that will provide better overall production in later rounds of the draft.
Coburn posted a minus-10 rating in the shortened 2012-13 campaign. His production has declined steadily since the 2007-08 season when he collected 36 points in 78 games. Trade rumors have swirled in the offseason, but regardless of where he plays, expect a limited fantasy impact.
Coburn is a consistent defenseman who posted a three-season-high of 24 points in the Flyers’ 2011-12 campaign. Coburn also completed his fourth straight 80-plus game season. His consistency and his knack for staying healthy give him fantasy value in deeper leagues, but don’t bank on Coburn for a 30-plus point season.
Cobrun sees plenty of time on the ice for the Flyers, but doesn't produce much for fantasy owners, especially with declining PIM numbers and a less-accurate shot compared to years past. However, Coburn does provide durability as he's played in at least 78 games in each of the past four seasons. Overall, he's best viewed as a low-end fantasy defenseman.
Despite playing in 81 games and the expectations for a breakout year, Coburn was largely disappointing in his 2009-10 campaign. He managed just 19 points and sported a minus-6 rating after raising eyebrows with back-to-back seasons of 25-plus points the previous two years. Even his penalty minutes took a fantasy hit, down to 54 from a career-high 97 in 2008-09. One of the main reasons for his decline was his lack of production on the power play. After averaging 13 points per season with the man advantage over the previous two seasons, Coburn managed just three points last year. The key for a turnaround year will likely hinge on his ability to contribute on the power play.
Coburn is a very talented defensive player who bolsters the Flyers blue line. He won't score many points, averaging about 30 points and eight goals in his two full NHL seasons. Coburn will be relied upon heavily to play against other teams' top talent and shut them down.
In his first full season with the Flyers, Coburn recorded 36 points while paired with Kimmo Timonen for most of the season. At 23 years old, Coburn is one of the best up and coming defensemen in the league. Another 40-point campaign seems to be in order, assuming that there are no lingering issues with his vision after he took a puck to the face during Game 2 of the Conference Finals and miss the remainder of the series. We don't consider him an injury risk at this time; however he was experiencing depth perception problems and it's something to watch through preseason.
Coburn, the eighth overall pick in 2003, has spent most of the last two seasons with the Thrashers' AHL affiliate in Chicago.
Not sure what the Flyers intend to do with Coburn this season, but he is still a player to think about.
The Thrashers were hoping their prize defensive prospect would make the team last season but he just wasn’t ready. D-men often take a few years to develop into their own and it looks like that’s what going to be happening with the 21 year old Coburn. He’s probably 7th or 8th on the depth charts right now so he’s only an injury or a cold streak away from getting the big call. He’s more of a defensively minded defenseman but he should still be useful to fantasy leagues in a few years…just not this year
Coburn was Atlanta’s first round pick in 2003, a member of Team Canada at two World Junior Championships, and is Atlanta’s top defensive prospect. He has a shot at making it to the show this year but he could easily struggle -- another trip to the AHL is a definite possibility. Atlanta’s defense has improved this year but the Thrashers still don’t have a lot of good options at the position, so he should get a long look. He is just 20 years old and defensemen normally take a little longer to develop so temper your expectation but remember his name for the future.
