In 2016-17, his sophomore season in the NHL, Pesce improved his offensive totals by four points, hitting the 20-point mark (two goals, 18 assists) while playing a full 82-game slate. Perhaps more impressively, he came to be relied upon more heavily by the coaching staff, recording an average ice time of 21:12 per game, over two minutes more than his rookie season (18:46). From a fantasy perspective, aside from being a relatively modest scorer, Pesce doesn't rank particularly well in any of the peripheral stat categories (hits, shots, PIM). Although, he did rank second on the team last year in blocked shots with 148. Looking ahead, we see Pesce occupying a similar stay-at-home role in Carolina this season.

With 16 points in his first full season with the Hurricanes, the 21-year-old Pesce had a decent campaign offensively, but more importantly, he cemented himself as a top-four defensive option, averaging almost 19 minutes per game. Unfortunately, Pesce suffered a lower-body injury that landed him on IR at the start of February and failed to put much together offensively after he returned, notching just four assists over his last 28 games. The 21-year-old will be back in a similar role with the Canes this upcoming season; however, his fantasy value remains limited to deeper formats for now.