Greg Pateryn

Pateryn made his presence felt by dishing out 144 hits and blocking 118 shots last year. A physical player with decent mobility, he has shown occasional flashes of offensive potential in the AHL and back in his college days, but those skills haven't really had a chance to flourish in stops with Montreal, Dallas and Minnesota. The 28-year-old is heading into the second year of a three-year deal with the Wild, but he hasn't gotten much of a chance to produce offense buried on the third-pairing. He's produced just four goals and 32 assists in 247 career NHL games to this point, so fantasy owners can safely skip him for their virtual squads.

The 28-year-old had a career year on the Stars blue line last season, although in Pateryn's case that translated into strong totals in hits (155) and blocked shots (148) rather than points. A physical player with decent mobility, he has shown occasional flashes of offensive potential in the AHL and back in his college days, but those skills weren't going to get a chance to flourish in Dallas behind John Klingberg, Julius Honka and Esa Lindell. Pateryn signed a three-year deal with the Wild in the offseason, but playing behind Ryan Suter and Mathew Dumba won't exactly improve his opportunities to supply offense. With a regular shift, look for Pateryn to again make a splash in secondary categories, however.

In five years with Montreal, Pateryn never played more than 38 games in a season. The 27-year-old could secure a consistent spot on the Dallas blue line, but with a career-high of one goal and seven points in a single season, Pateryn's value is limited even if he gets the minutes.

Pateryn showed an improved offensive touch with Hamilton last season, potting 15 goals with 19 asssists in 68 games for the Bulldogs. He was called up to Montreal for a few games and was on the roster for the playoffs, but did not see action in the post-season. There's some churn on the blue line at the NHL level, but Pateryn is behind Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi. We expect Pateryn to repeat at Hamilton this season, but we're very impressed with his offensive development. It's something he wanted to work when he came out of college and we're astonished to see it happen so quickly.

Pateryn spent much of his first professional season in the AHL for the Hamilton Bulldogs, but also had a brief callup to the NHL. Not known for his offensive contributions, Pateryn scored seven goals in 39 games for Hamilton. That's more than he scored in four years at the University of Michigan. He's a big body on the blueline and uses that body well against opponents, something the organization needs more of at the NHL level. He'll return to Hamilton this season, but he's part of the next wave of defenseman in Montreal.

Pateryn will return to the University of Michigan for his senior season. He showed some offensive touch in 2010-11, but his calling card is his 6-3, 214-pound frame. He plays physical and uses his body well when matching up against forwards and delivering checks.