The Highlanders - Offseason Review

The Highlanders

L: Blake-NYI RFA, Brunette-Col RFA, Olesz-Fla P2

Rating: 2

Blake is a third liner who can get streaky and play like a first liner. The downside is prolonged droughts as he isn't a natural finisher. Brunette is an average scoring winger on a good team and with a great centre, but his slow feet will doom him from realizing high levels of production. He will also be streaky in the extreme. Olesz is a skill winger with speed who has struggled to crack a lineup in Florida where mistakes get you lengthy pine time. If he can develop a thick skin he could flourish on a scoring line. Still best remembered as the victim of Dion Phaneuf's series ending concussion-causing shoulderblast. Given the weakness of the two ahead of him, could well end up dressing.

C: Thornton-SJ FP, Bell-SJ RFA, Crosby-Pit P3

Rating: 5

Even if Bell is a washout when your top pair is the guy who just won a scoring title, and the other is a guy who could already be better, the third member of the trio is almost irrelevant. Bell, if only because he might actually wingman for Thornton, is better than irrelevant, and may end up with enough telepathy to dress comfortably as the teams #3.

R: Cole-Car RFA, Zherdev-Cbs P4, Kostitsyn-Mtl P3

Rating: 2

Cole is rapidly turning into Gary Roberts, a middle-weight power winger with 30 goal hands, a non-stop motor, and a propensity for sitting at the front of the injury bus. Zherdev has been all tease so far, one day he'll let someone get to 3rd base, but so far, he's no better than a third liner. Kostitsyn is Zherdev only a year behind in development. Both are in the mold of Afinogenov, fast, skill forwards who aren't yet adept in the trenches.

D: Jovanovski-Phx FP, Souray-Mtl RFA, Klesla-Cbs RFA, Hamhuis-Nsh RFA, Campoli-NYI RFA, Pitkanen-Pha P4

Rating: 4

Jovo-cop is marking time as the teams long term partner to Thornton. As soon as Crosby loses prospect status he'll be replacing the lumbering blue-liner. Till then, all he has to do is stay a top 10 defender to merit his status as the teams top dog. Pitkanen however, is closing fast, giving the team a legit top 2 defense pairing equal just about anyone elses. Souray's wrist is a crapshoot, so he could be dressable in the top 4, or merely filler. Klesla, Hamhuis and Campoli are the coulda-mighta-could yet be trio. Any of them could hit for 30+ or vanish completely.

G: Dipietro-NYI P3, Niittymaki-Pha P2

Rating: 2.5

Dipietro has been waiting for his turn as the next big thing in netminding only a year less than Luongo has, but he has a far less stellar trackrecord. Niittymaki is the legit starter of the two, as he'll be the next in line for the Flyer goalie carousel. Historically this should give him close to top 5 numbers. With only his playoff performance to gauge his ability to field a full season of work, he's a high risk high reward player to be counting on.

Overall: 15.5