The veteran defenseman played only 18 games for the Wild last season before hitting the waiver wire in November, and after going unclaimed his NHL future is in serious doubt. Quincey's never been exceptional in any one area, whether on offense, defense or as a physical player, and at 32 years old his skills appear to have eroded from merely useful to marginal at best. Still unsigned with the summer winding down, he could get a training-camp invite from a club, but it would likely take a rash of injuries to put him back on a game-day roster.
Picked up from the Devils at the trade deadline to help bolster an injury-depleted blue line, Quincey played limited minutes down the stretch for the Blue Jackets and scored just three points in 20 games. The 31-year-old’s game isn't ideally suited for the modern NHL due to a lack of foot speed, but he’s learned to play a decent positional game over the years to make up for it. He signed a one-year deal with Minnesota in the offseason, where he'll fill a bottom-pairing role.
After recording 11 points in 47 games last season, Quincey was not retained by the Red Wings. The two-way defender has been given ample chances by Detroit, but could never nail down a roster spot and found himself getting leapfrogged by younger players in the team’s system. At best, he’s a third-pairing defenseman on a good team, and at age 30, still has some good years left in him, but certainly not a player that really tips the scales in either direction. You can safely pass over him in fantasy pools.
It was thought the Red Wings might let Quincey walk in the off-season, but after they struck out in the free agent market, they signed Quincey to a two-year deal. He doesn't provide much in the way of fantasy production, with only 13 points in 82 games, but he's a reliable defender. Unless you're in a very deep pool, there are likely much better options available for you out there.
Quincey has had some productive offensive seasons in the NHL, but those days seemed long gone after he tallied only three points in 36 games in 2012-13. His defensive prowess, however, did improve as the season went on and he will have a spot on the second or third line defensive corps this season.
The Wings forked over a first-round pick to Tampa Bay to acquire Quincey in February and the immediate returns left plenty to be desired as he picked up just three points in 18 games down the stretch and struggled to adapt to head coach Mike Babcock's system. But any concern about Quincey being unable to make the necessary adjustments were likely erased this July when he was given a two-year, $7.55 million deal to solidify the Detroit blue line. With a top-pairing spot available, Quincey could make a run at an expanded role, which may open the door to another 35-40 point campaign (his last one came in 2008-09 with Los Angeles). Keep an eye on how things are shaking out for him during training camp and be ready to pounce if he's in position to see more ice time.
Once seen as an emerging offensive blueliner after posting a breakout season in Los Angeles in 2008-09 (38 points in 72 games), Quincey has not done a lot to distinguish himself since being acquired by the Avs the following season. Last year, he had just a single assist in 21 games before suffering a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. Quincey should be ready to go by the time training camp arrives, but his fantasy value is very much in question at this point. Assuming he's healthy, he should be given a shot to resume his top-four role for the Avs this season, though he will need to establish himself quickly.
Offensively, Quincey took a step backward last season, posting just 29 points in 79 games, compared to 38 points in 72 games the year before. He started the season like gangbusters, with nine points in his first 10 games but tailed off considerably the rest of the way. This resulted in coach Joe Sacco reducing his ice time from roughly 26-27 minutes a game in October-November to 20-21 minutes in March-April. He also saw less time on the power play as the year wore on. Quincey has all the tools to be a top-producing NHL defenseman but he has trouble putting it all together on a nightly basis. He still possesses some upside, but wait until the later rounds of your fantasy drafts before taking a chance on him.
Everybody's favorite waiver-wire pickup for a while there last season, Quincey came out of nowhere to score 38 points in 72 games for the Kings. He still has some offensive upside, and could line up across from John-Michael Liles on the Avs' power play this season. A good late-round pickup in most formats.
Quincey is out of minor league options and is unlikely to clear waivers, so he'll either make the roster in Detroit right out of training camp, or end up getting shipped to another club via trade. Even if he sticks, Quincey won't skate any higher than the No. 3 blue-line pairing in Detroit, where he'll be a stay-at-home defenseman with very limited fantasy potential.
A depth defenseman who needs a bunch of injuries before we start taking him seriously for fantasy purposes. We're already said too much. Quincey shouldn't be drafted in your pool, the competition here is too tough.
Quincey played all of one game in 2005-06, and might have trouble reaching that number this season as Detroit's lineup is pretty solid.
