Ryan O'Byrne

From an offensive point of view, O’Byrne has never provided much output, and last year was no exception (1G, 6A in 74 games). However, the 6-5 defenseman led the Avs in blocked shots (141) and was second in hits (180) to Gabriel Landeskog, so he definitely has an impact away from the scoresheet. In 2012-13, O’Byrne will enter the final year of a two-year contract and is scheduled to make $1.8 million. He should return to his role as a top-four defenseman for the Avs.

O'Byrne signed a two-year, $3.6 million deal with Colorado in July. There's not a lot about O'Byrne for fantasy owners to get excited about given his lack of power-play time, but O'Byrne is just 26 and should provide a steady option in the Avs' third pairing for the next couple of seasons.

Don't expect too much scoring from O'Byrne, but he will provide excellent defense and toughness to a blue line who currently doesn't need scoring with Roman Hamrlik, Andrei Markov and the young phenom P.K. Subban.

O'Byrne, at 6-6 and 240, is huge yet he can skate well. The big Irishman from Victoria, B.C., will start the season on the Habs' second defensive pairing with veteran Roman Hamrlik. O'Byrne could have some roto upside and it's not likely to be realized in his sophomore season.

O'Byrne, who played three seasons at Cornell, played his first year as a pro last season for Hamilton of the AHL. The young man is both huge (6-5, 238lbs) and a gifted skater. It seems only a matter of time until he becomes a mainstay and likely fan favorite in Montreal.