Dmitrij Jaskin

Understanding your role is half the battle, and the 2011 second-round pick has realized he's meant for the bottom six. Jaskin generated six goals and 11 helpers in 76 games for the Blues while averaging 12:27 of ice time last year. The 25-year-old tormented opponents with a team-high 207 hits, which led to another year under contract in St. Louis. However, so much talent was brought into the top-nine this offseason and the Blues have NHL-ready prospects waiting for a chance, so Jaskin was waived before the season started and will likely land in a bottom-six role elsewhere.

Jaskin was the sparkplug that helped force a Game 6 against Nashville in the playoffs with an out-of-nowhere eight-shot performance, but he wasn't much of a fantasy contributor before that. The Russian winger managed just one goal and 10 assists in 51 regular-season games, spending most of the season on the fourth line. he'll be on a short leash this year with plenty of competition for minutes in the Blues’ bottom-six ranks, and while Jaskin’s average of nearly two hits per game grants him a small degree of value in certain fantasy formats, most owners will find it easy to pass him by.

Jaskin finally completed his ascent to the NHL for good in 2014-15, after an early-season deployment at AHL Chicago resulted in his promotion to the Blues in late October. Though the winger often found himself outside of a top-six role, he posted serviceable totals of 18 points (13 goals) and 146 hits in 54 games. The Blues signed him to a one-way contract in the summer to lock him into a regular role for the coming season, but it remains to be seen where he'll slot in on one of the league's strongest offensive attacks. Coach Ken Hitchcock has even gone as far as suggesting that Jaskin could be a candidate for a second-line role, something that could put him in a position to have a breakout year if that materializes. Keep an eye on the Blues' training camp to see how Jaskin's role takes shape.

Considered by many to be the Blues’ top prospect, Jaskin turned in a fabulous first season with AHL Chicago, supplying 15 goals and 14 assists in 42 games. However, he didn’t do much to indicate he was ready for the rigors of the NHL, as the 21-year-old collected only two points in 18 games with the Blues. It didn’t help matters that Jaskin only averaged 10:37 of ice time in those contests, but there’s still plenty of reasons for the Blues to be optimistic about his future. Jaskin has optimal size at 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds, a steady track record of production at all of his previous stops, and perhaps most importantly, he’s young enough to show dramatic improvement. The Blues will give him every opportunity to win a roster spot in training camp, and even if he only comes away with a third-line role, he’d still offer significantly more upside in that capacity than most.

There was a lot of hype surrounding Jaskin when he was called up in April. The 20-year-old Russian winger had posted huge numbers (46 goals, 53 assists) in 51 games in the QMJHL. The Blues struggled offensively last season which provides some hope that Jaskin could make the team based on potential alone. Keep an eye on him in the preseason-- he's worth a late sleeper pick if he starts the season with St. Louis.