Tomas Kaberle

Kaberle is like a magician. He has the ability to please crowds with a number of tricks up his sleeve, but seems to disappear at the end of the show. Plenty of hockey fans witnessed this in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, when he registered just three points in seven games before hoisting Lord Stanley with the Bruins. However, his total of 11 assists in the postseason was anything but an illusion. You see, Kaberle uses his slick passing skills to set up an abundance of scores from the blue line; he has 445 assists in 902 career games, with all but eight helpers taking place as a member of the Maple Leafs between 1998-2011. Now, Kaberle is a member of the Hurricanes’ organization after signing a three-year deal with the club in the offseason. He should be able to help a power play that ranked 24th in the league last season, while being a good fit for fantasy owners that can stomach his inconsistent play.

Kaberle may be many things on the ice but he's elite in the fantasy arena. Despite wearing blue and white, he managed to finish last season tied for 10th in offensive production from the blue line. But his tenure in Hogtown has seen a slow and steady decline in production with this past season even more precipitous after the arrival of Dion Phaneuf. Coach Ron Wilson doesn't like the guy so draft with caution. Wilson may not be around for long if the team starts poorly and Kaberle's output will climb if he's gone. But if Wilson is around, Kaberle will suffer. Expect mid-40s this year unless a better opportunity -- either through trade or change in coaching -- occurs.

Kaberle is the only gem in a pan of fool’s gold in Toronto. Last season, his production dropped like a stone when a broken hand kept him out of 25 of the last 33 games. The biggest rap on Kabs has always been his softness – he puts lady back in the Byng. But this season, Kaberle will surrounded by the newfound toughness in Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek, Garnet Exelby, Jeff Finger and Luke Schenn. Not even Wayne Gretzky had that kind of protection. Kaberle will rebound to the 50-55 point range. And that squarely puts him in the top-15 defenders in the NHL.

Kaberle is a sweet skater with silky-smooth hands. But he’ll be hard-pressed to replicate last year’s top-10 finish on the scoring list for NHL defenders this time around. He’s still a top-20 fantasy defender but buyer-beware, particularly in leagues that count plus-minus. Want to know how bad the Leafs will be? Kaberle’s 55-60 points will lead the team this season.

Kaberle is a sweet skater with silky-smooth hands. But he’ll be hard-pressed to replicate last year’s top-10 finish on the scoring list for NHL defenders this time around. He’s still a top-20 fantasy defender but buyer-beware, particularly in leagues that count plus-minus. Want to know how bad the Leafs will be? Kaberle’s 55-60 points will lead the team this season.

Like Bryan McCabe Kaberle benefited immensely from all the penalties called last season, matching the higher-profile defenseman point for point in ’05-’06 and setting his own career highs (67 points, 51 on the power play). He doesn’t have McCabe’s goal-scoring touch or PIM upside, but if he comes off the board a couple of rounds later he might represent a better value.

Kaberle is a guy you either love or hate. But in either case, you end up pulling out your hair over his on-again, off-again flashes of hockey excellence. He has the brains, hands, size and wheels to excel as a puck-moving, point-scoring defender but is way too passive in his own zone. He's more like a finesse winger in a defenseman's jersey. He'll provide you with lots of points, including many on the power play, but his owners will indeed be sporting a lot less hair by season's end.