Fedor Tyutin

Tyutin had another solid season, leading the Blue Jackets in scoring from the blue line ahead of bigger names like Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski, and his plus-9 rating was impressive as well given the team around him. He's the glue that holds the team's defensive corps together, and while he doesn't have an exceptional fantasy ceiling he's the kind of high-floor pick you need to balance out the riskier players on your roster.

For the first time in four year with Columbus Tyutin fell prey to the injury bug, playing in 66 games but still managing his usual offensive output with five goals and 26 points. His plus-minus bottomed out though, to minus-21, as much due to deterioration in his play as it was to the collapse of the team as a whole. Assuming he returns to full health he should pick up the slack on the defensive end and provide a solid presence on the Blue Jackets' top two blue line pairs, while also mentoring the wave of young defensemen like John Moore and Ryan Murray coming up through the ranks.

Although his points and plus-minus rating dropped for a third straight season, Tyutin remains one of the Blue Jackets' steadier defensemen and a lock for a spot in one of the top two pairings. While he does have a bit of fantasy value his ceiling seems to be about 30-35 points, so he's only someone to worry about in deeper leagues.

If inconsistency out of your players makes you cringe, then it might be in your best interest to turn your back to Tyutin in fantasy leagues. However, Tyutin averaged 33 points over his past two seasons, suggesting that he's a player to consider picking up when he starts getting in a groove, perhaps with the intent to dump him when the fun is over. One thing is for sure, he'll get plenty of ice time on the Columbus blue line.

Tyutin was the Blue Jackets' top offensive defenseman last season, but he wound up there by default rather than through any exceptional effort on his part. Tyutin is very steady and has some skill, but last season's career-high of 34 points could be tough to repeat as Kris Russell continues to develop and the club looks to add a power play specialist to their blue-line corps.

Tyutin’s development seemed to have stalled with the Rangers, but in Columbus he has a chance to blossom. The Blue Jackets lack an established point man for their power play, and Tyutin (who scored better than a point a game back in his one OHL season) could finally get a chance to show what he can do offensively. He won’t turn into a superstar, but if he sticks on the first power play unit Tyutin could break into the 35-40 point range.

Tyutin is coming off an MCL injury, but should be ok for the start of training camp. He has the potential to be a good offensive blueliner, but the Rangers have sort of reinvented his game so that he's more accountable and risk-adverse on the ice. You shouldn't draft Tyutin, but he's someone we'd monitor during the season; one of these days, he'll produce a decent 30-40 point season in the best case scenario.

Tyutin made huge strides last season, completing his first full season as an NHLer. He was always an intriguing prospect, but the knock on him was his lack of concentration and durability issues. In 2006-07, Tyutin will look to build on his first solid full season and be more involved in the offense. Keep a close eye on Tyutin -- he could be a nice sleeper on draft day.

Prior to the lockout, Tyutin was already a known commodity with high-upside potential, exhibiting a solid defensive game, and a punishing finisher on his checks. The expectations for Fedor are still high this upcoming season, but whether or not the year layoff could have had a profound impact on his development is difficult to determine. If all goes well, he should be a top four defensemen by the end of the year.