Lance Bouma

A breakout producer for specialty formats with 34 points and 264 hits two years ago, Bouma backslid badly in an injury-hampered 2015-16 campaign, managing just seven points. He’ll presumably return healthy for the new year, but Bouma’s luck-influenced scoring spurt can’t be counted on to be repeated, while his hits and blocked shots don’t help the vast majority of fantasy owners. He’ll make the Flames’ opponents suffer with his physicality, assuming he’s able to cling to a consistent role in their bottom-six ranks.

Bouma brings much-needed sandpaper to the talented Flames’ roster. That’s not to say he can’t score -- he did deliver 34 points, including 16 goals (fourth on the team) in 2014-15. But he’s the kind of guy who would go through a wall for his teammates. Bouma blocks shots, lays hits and kills penalties with the tenacity of a terrier. He’s not good in possession, though -- he was among the worst on the team in that regard. So he’ll need to continue to deliver grit and growl to maintain a roster spot on an evolving team. But he’ll help you in specialty formats where stats like hits and blocked shots augment value. The possibility of 30 points, 60 PIM, 100 blocked shots and 250 hits are multi-categorical gold. Or at least sterling silver.

Bouma saw a decent amount of time with the Flames in 2011-12, staying with the club for the majority of the last three months of the season. He had only three points in 27 games, but is more of a grinder and provided Calgary with a burst of youth. However, with an abundance of competition at the center position, Bouma will likely spend much of his 2012-13 campaign in AHL Abbotsford barring injury.

Bouma played in 16 games for Calgary last season and posted 20 points in 61 AHL contests. Bouma will have a shot to make the big club out of camp, but he's probably a bit away from making an impact in the NHL. He turned 21 in March and will likely start the season in AHL.

Listed at 6-1, 210 pounds, Bouman is an agitator type with shutdown abilities on the penalty kill. If his numbers last year as a member of the Vancouver Giants of the WHL suggest anything, he's also likely to spend plenty of time in the penalty box in 2010-11. Luckily for Calgary's opponents this season, Bouma will instead frustrate other skaters in the minors to begin his first full season with the Abbotsford Heat.

Bouma notched 25 points in 48 game with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL last year. He also managed 116 penalty minutes, which should show you where his potential value lies. He will spend the 2009-10 campaign with the WHL as well. Keep tabs on him a few years down the road.

A third-round draft pick of the Flames in 2008, Bouma is still a ways away from making the team. He has spent the last three years in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants, and scored 35 points in 71 games. Revisit him in a couple seasons, but there's not much need to pay attention to him at the moment.