Joel Edmundson

Edmundson's first year as a Canadien saw him produce 13 points and a career-best plus-28 rating in 55 contests in 2020-21. The Canadian blueliner added his usual toughness with 98 hits and 75 blocked shots, although his overall playing style typically isn't enough to interest many fantasy managers. With Shea Weber out long term and potentially for the rest of his career, Edmundson will likely have to take on a more defensive role on the Habs' second pairing while Jeff Petry ascends to top-pairing status this season. Edmundson and David Savard figure to form the Canadiens' shutdown unit in 2021-22, but it remains to be seen if the former can repeat the 20-point effort he produced in 2019-20 with the Hurricanes. Edmundson's physicality should remain a constant, which gives him a bit more appeal in deeper fantasy formats.

Edmundson's first and only year as a Hurricane was the best of his career, as he produced 20 points, 118 hits and 91 blocked shots in 68 outings in 2019-20. Despite those steady numbers for a depth defenseman, he packed his bags for Montreal on a four-year contract this offseason. Edmundson will be a key veteran on the Canadiens' blue line, but it'll be tough for him to come anywhere near the 20-point mark again in a shortened season. He's a defensive presence first and foremost -- fantasy managers should only roster him if they need a boost in non-scoring metrics.

Edmundson has always struggled to stay healthy, and this was his fourth straight season of less than 70 games (64) because of it. While the 26-year-old is solid in the defensive zone and is willing to stick up for his teammates, Edmundson lacks an offensive spark and has never topped 17 points in a campaign. There was uncertainty about his contract status with the Blues, but the two parties agreed on another one-year deal worth $3.1 million, which is a reasonable bridge to take Edmundson into unrestricted free agency.

Edmundson has impressed as a complement to captain Alex Pietrangelo on the team's top pairing, but his stat line hasn't followed. The brawny blueliner generated six goals and two helpers in the first 21 games of 2017-18, but his pace slowed as the season extended and he finished with under 20 points (17) for the third third straight season. He also upped his shot count to 124 and battled defensively with 116 hits and 150 blocked shots in 69 games. However, for three years running, Edmundson's physical play has cost him at least 13 games due to injury. With respect to cap concerns, Edmundson was given a one-year, $3 million bridge deal and will need to produce at a high level all season to get a coveted, high-dollar contract after the 2018-19 campaign.

Edmundson was relatively quiet during the 2016-17 regular season, scoring just three goals coupled with 12 assists and a plus-11 rating while averaging less than 18 minutes of ice time. Then April rolled around, and things seemed to change. He scored a goal in each of the first two playoff games, ultimately ending tied with Vladimir Tarasenko for third on the club in playoff points with six. That performance was obviously unprecedented for Edmundson at the pro level, but it makes the 24-year-old a player worth monitoring this season. Edmundson should enjoy a steady top-four role in 2017-18, and if he can carry over that playoff outburst, he might win some power-play time and thus some fantasy value in deeper formats.

Edmundson is a big, tough mutha (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) who plays with an ugly snarl. His goalies love his workman-line crease clearing; opposing forwards shudder at the thought of coming down his wing. The Blues drafted him in 2011 with an eye to him one day filling Barret Jackman's boots and his time has come. You can count on him for hits and PIM, but not much else.

Edmundson really began to emerge over the course of the 2010-11 season, becoming a top-four defender for Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League. He can play a two-way game and the Blues are anxious to see how he develops now that he's committed to hockey and begins to see what's out there for him as a hockey player.