Nick Boynton

Boynton will have a chance to replace the departed Francois Beauchemin on the second defensive pairing for Anaheim. Boynton only has 32 goals in over 500 NHL games so offensive production can't be expected of him, but he is a solid blueliner who excels at keeping the puck out of his own net.

Boynton tallied 12 points last season, but eclipsed the century mark in PIMs for the second straight year. While he should prove to have great worth to a Panthers defense trying to crawl out of doldrums, that value doesn't really translate to fantasy.

Nick Boynton fought some injuries during the 2006-2007 season, but overall has been a steady defenseman for the Phoenix Coyotes. In the off-season, Boynton was placed on waivers due to his age and the hit his salary takes against the salary cap. However, he is a physical defenseman and the only knock against him is his tendancy to take penalties. Look for Boynton to add to his value on the Coyotes blue line as a quality 3rd or 4th defenseman.

A hard-nosed, stay at home defenseman, Boynton is not expected to add too much offensively from the blue line. He is successful at doing the little things that fantasy leagues do not often reward.

The former first-rounder is starting to mature into a reliable two-way defenseman, and his ability to skate and pass will become even more valuable in the new-age NHL. He remains a stalwart in his own zone, too, and will be his netminder's best friend this season. Expect another jump in offensive production this season, perhaps to near the 40-point level.