Alexander Volkov

Volkov had to wait deep into the offseason for a contract, but he got one in December, with the added bonus of it being a one-way deal. That all but assures Volkov will get a look in a bottom-six role to start the season. The Russian winger got into nine games with the Lightning last year and recorded his first NHL point, an assist. A future middle-six talent in the making, Volkov's time to pay his dues on the fourth line will probably come in 2020-21, as Nikita Kucherov's absence due to hip surgery leaves an opening on the right wing. Don't expect much more than 10 points from Volkov if he can stay in the lineup regularly throughout the year, but he's posted 123 points over the last three seasons with AHL Syracuse.

The Bolts shocked scouting circles when they used a second-round pick on Volkov in 2017, but then he delivered a 23-goal, 45-point rookie AHL season in 2017-18 and almost made the Bolts out of camp last year. It might be easy to say his game stagnated in 2018-19 back in the AHL, but that's the furthest from the truth. Volkov delivered his second-straight 23-goal season in 2018-19, and while he only put up 48 total points, his two-way game grew tremendously. Volkov is a better player now than he was a year ago when he almost made the Bolts. He could end up sticking on Tampa's bottom line this season, but he won't reach his middle-six ceiling for a few more years.

Volkov is one of the top forward prospects in the Lightning system, and early signs point to the 21-year-old Russian having an outside chance of cracking the Opening Night roster with the parent club having amassed 23 goals, 22 assists and a plus-19 rating for AHL Syracuse -- not including six points in seven playoff games -- last season. He's known for penchant for weaving through the attacking zone and putting a ton of rubber on net. It would be prudent for forward-thinking fantasy owners to at least keep tabs on him.