Dainius Zubrus

Zubrus missed much of the 2013 season with a wrist injury, limiting him to just 22 games. He avoided free agency by signing a three-year contract in July, which kept the versatile veteran in Newark. Zubrus can play center or wing and he's used by the Devils in all game situations, even seeing minutes with the team's scoring lines on occasion. However, he doesn't contribute enough offensively to make a large impact. Zubrus has more value to the Devils than most fantasy rosters.

Zubrus posted his best offensive season with New Jersey, clocking in at 44 points with a plus-7 rating last year. The versatile forward is used in all situations and plays center and wing on the team’s top three lines. Zubrus is more valuable to New Jersey than to fantasy leaguers as he plays in checking roles as often as he receives top-6 minutes. Expecting anything more than 40-45 points from Zubrus at this point in his career is asking too much.

Zubrus will once again fill a variety of roles for New Jersey during the upcoming season and is coming off a campaign that saw him post 13 goals and 30 points in 79 games. The centerman will see time on the team's top lines and will also kill penalties, but he's not consistent enough offensively to warrant consideration in most standard fantasy leagues.

Zubrus missed over 30 games last season mostly due to a cracked kneecap he suffered while blocking a shot. Zubrus sees some top-6 minutes as well as power play time, but he also fills a variety of roles for the Devils including a checking forward. He was one of the team's top players during their brief playoff run but 40-45 points is probably his ceiling.

A perennial underachiever since being a first-round pick of Philadelphia’s in 1996, Zubrus will turn 32 next June and has been a bust offensively since his arrival in New Jersey two summers ago. Despite playing in all 82 games and centering a line of Elias and Gionta, Zubrus, posted a disappointing 40 points. It remains to be seen how much second-line ice time the giant will see, but he can’t be relied upon for consistent production.

Zubrus scored 13 times last year, but with the more than $3 million per season the Devils brought him in for, they were hoping for more. The truth is that Zubrus couldn't find his offensive stride without being flanked by Alex Ovechkin, leading him to see plenty of time on the Devils' checking line. Unless you're in a ridiculously deep league, we suggest you go for younger players with more upside instead.

Zubrus scored 13 times last year, but with the more than $3 million per season the Devils brought him in for, they were hoping for more. The truth is that Zubrus couldn't find his offensive stride when not being flanked by Alex Ovechkin and even saw plenty of time on the Devils' checking line. Unless you're in a ridiculously deep league, we suggest you go for younger players with more upside instead of this first-round bust.

While the drop-off in fantasy-worthy forwards on the Capitals is steep after Alexander Ovechkin, Zubrus certainly merits consideration in most formats. The long, sturdy 28-year-old complemented Ovechkin well by providing solid two-way play while his counterpart took more chances in the offensive zone. While the Capitals talked about bringing in more offense at the center position, they didn't acquire anyone who fits the bill as a top-line center, so it looks like Zubrus will be paired up with the reigning NHL Rookie of the Year once again. With increased chemistry between the two and good health -- the injury-prone centerman hasn't topped 71 games since the 1999-00 season -- Zubrus should easily surpass the 57 points he put up in 2005-06.

Still relatively young at 27, Zubrus has shown flashes of brilliance but always has seen his season cut short to injuries -- he's played over 70 games in a season only three out of eight years in his career. Zubrus' point per game production dipped as well to one out of every other game, and he struggled with only 19 points in 42 games with Lada of the Russian Super League last season, but that should improve in a full season in a top role in the NHL. Zubrus could play center or the wing in 2005, but will definitely play on a top two line in 2005, and his fantasy value would be greatly enhanced if he plays on a line with Ovechkin.