Samuel Girard

Girard is locked in as a top-pairing defenseman for the Avalanche. Last season, the Quebec native converted four goals on 116 shots, and he supplied 23 assists -- including nine on the power play. An upper-body injury limited Girard in the playoffs, but he found his way once he had the chance to partner with rookie sensation Cale Makar in the conference semifinal series against the Sharks. Since Tyson Barrie has taken his talents to Toronto, this figures to be the year that Girard averages more than 20 minutes of ice time. There should be a lot of attention on the 21-year-old since he procured a seven-year, $35 million contract, but consider taking the bait if it looks like he'll slip to the late rounds of fantasy drafts.

Part of a blockbuster deal that sent Matt Duchene to the Senators last season, Girard immediately stepped into a contributing role for the Avalanche in 2017-18. The rookie dished out 17 assists in his first NHL campaign, adding three goals of his own to finish the campaign with 20 points. His minus-8 rating suggests Girard has some work to do on the defensive end of the ice, but the 20-year-old should continue to round out the edges as he develops. He remains a key contributor on the power play, where he notched 12 of his points last season. That will likely remain central to his production in 2018-19.