Jakub Voracek

Voracek has always been more of a playmaker than a finisher, but his goal scoring has dried up completely over the last two seasons. He has just 21 goals in his last 122 games, although he has managed 78 assists over that span. Voracek became less and less of a factor for the Flyers as the 2020-21 campaign progressed, ultimately finishing with 16:55 worth of ice time per night, including 2:36 with the man advantage, both of which were his lowest totals since the 2011-12 season, his first in Philadelphia. The Flyers dealt Voracek this past July to the team that originally drafted him seventh overall in 2007, Columbus, in a one-for-one deal for winger Cam Atkinson. Voracek should see his role increase on a rebuilding Blue Jackets team, but the guy who posted 85 points in 2017-18 isn't walking through that door. Voracek is a mid-to-late round fantasy option this year.

Voracek had a bit of a down year in 2019-20, failing to crack the 20-goal and 60-point thresholds for the first time in three seasons, . Part of that decline can be attributed to the NHL's shortened regular season, but he only put up 12 goals in 69 contests prior to the league's stoppage, so he wouldn't have come close to the 20-goal mark even if he had played a full 82-game schedule. The 31-year-old winger did, however, still put up a respectable 56 points, so although his performance was a bit of a letdown for his virtual managers, it wasn't a complete disaster, either. It's important to note that Voracek's ice time has decreased steadily and somewhat dramatically over the past three campaigns. If that trend continues in 2020-21, it's safe to assume his offensive production will continue to decline, too. Voracek should still hold on to a top-six role and a spot on one of Philadelphia's power-play units during the upcoming campaign, but anything more than double-digit goals and 50-plus points over the course of a full season should be considered gravy at this point in his career.

Unsurprisingly, Voracek wasn't able to put up 65 assists for a second straight season in 2018-19, and thus wasn't able to replicate the point-per-game pace he enjoyed in 2017-18. He did, however, score exactly 20 goals for a third straight campaign, and finished the year with a highly respectable 66 points in 78 contests. Perhaps even more disappointing than the decline in assists, though, was the fact that Voracek recorded a sub-par minus-16 rating and just 25 PIM last season. In comparison, during the previous campaign, the 29-year-old posted a plus-10 rating and 50 PIM. Voracek has scored at least 20 goals in six of the last seven seasons, so reaching that total is almost a given, but his assists totals, along with his plus-minus rating, have been far more inconsistent over the years. Owners should draft Voracek with the expectation that he'll produce at least 20 goals and 60 points in 2019-20, but should also factor in the winger's propensity for ending up in the negatives in the plus-minus category.

Similar to his captain, Voracek bounced back last season and began living up to his $8.25 million cap hit. Voracek has scored 20 goals in back-to-back seasons and averaged more than a point per game with 85 in 2017-18. Perhaps most importantly, the 28-year-old displayed the ability to play well with both center Sean Couturier and youngster Nolan Patrick. So much of his success also comes on the power play, where Voracek finished second in the NHL with 30 assists. It may be unreasonable to expect Voracek to again average a point per game, but 20 goals and 70 points, including 25 power-play points, is certainly realistic.

Voracek was one of relatively few Flyers who didn't see his scoring fall off last year, as he managed to clear 20 goals for the fourth time in his career and 60 points for the third time, and he even set a new personal best with 253 shots on net. However, he still suffered from his team’s struggles, seeing his rating fall to minus-24 -- easily a career low. Still relatively youthful at 28 years of age, the Czech winger has plenty of high-level hockey ahead of him and seven years left on his lengthy contract with the Flyers, but he's going to need more help, which means either further development on the part of Sean Couturier or an instant impact by No. 2 overall pick Nolan Patrick -- not to mention better play behind him by the club’s blueliners and goaltenders.

Although his 55 points last year ranked as Voracek’s third-highest season total and he cleared 20 power-play points for the third straight year, it was still a trying campaign. Typically a consistent 20-goal scorer, the Czech winger took five weeks to score his first goal, then another month until his second; he ended up with only 11. But after struggling to just 15 points in his first 29 games, Voracek turned on the jets for the remainder of the season – 40 points in 44 games, though he was mostly silenced in the Flyers’ first-round playoff loss to Washington. All things equal, the down year can be chalked up to rough luck and the Flyers’ collective early-season struggles; a rebound in Voracek’s shooting percentage to career norms should bring with it a return of ‘Scoracek.’

After breaking out for 62 points in 2013-14, Voracek set the NHL ablaze this past season, finishing fourth in the NHL scoring race with 81 points. The 25-year-old was a consistent fantasy force, notching 59 assists, 11 power-play goals, and 78 PIM -- all career highs. Though it may be difficult to imagine Voracek topping himself again in 2015-16, it's not inconceivable by any means. Along with having youth on his side and a spot on a top power-play unit flush with playmakers, Voracek hasn't missed a game in the last three years and also shot a rather sustainable 10 percent last season, right in line with his career mark. Those things combine to give the winger an extremely high floor. If your leaguemates are skeptical that last season's 81-point showing is the new normal for Voracek, take advantage of the reduced price tag and make him a cornerstone of your fantasy roster.

After a number of successively better seasons, Voracek appears to be finally ready to take the leap into the league’s elite group of wingers. Following a phenomenal strike-shortened season where he scored at almost a point-per-game pace, his 2013-2014 season started with a whimper, just like most of his Flyer mates. Once the team was back on track, Voracek's game also took off. Barring a similar collapse this season, it seems natural that he will eclipse his career records in most offensive categories this year. Plan on a 70-point season and draft him accordingly.

Voracek had impressive numbers in the shortened season, netting 22 goals and collecting 24 assists. The 23-year-old winger was the Flyers' leading scorer and MVP. He's missed very little time due to injury, and given last season's maturation, he could post similar or better numbers this year. He's worth a look in the early-rounds of most drafts.

Voracek has consistently posted between 45 and 50 points for the last three years. After arriving in Philadelphia via the Jeff Carter trade, Voracek also managed a career high plus-11 and ten points in 11 playoff games. Voracek is a solid, healthy winger with potential that ne never quite seems to reach. He recently signed a contract extension with Philadelphia and he could crack 20 goals and 50 points this season. It feels like he's been in the league for years, but Voracek turned 23 in August and will be entering his fifth NHL season.

Voracek, a former Blue Jacket who was part of the Jeff Carter trade, arrives in Philadelphia with plenty of upside. He's joining one of the NHL's top-scoring teams and will be skating on the first line, presumably with Scott Hartnell and Daniel Briere. Eclipsing his career-high of 50 points should be an attainable feat for the 21-year-old in 2011-12.

Voracek took another step forward as a sophomore, scoring 16 goals and 50 points and establishing himself as an essential top-six forward in Columbus. He's got pretty much the entire package going for him: good size, strength, speed and skill, and he leaves everything he's got on the ice. He roared out of the Olympic break last season with seven goals and 15 points in 13 games. While he'll be hard-pressed to maintain that pace on the Blue Jackets' second line, 25+ goals and 60+ points should be well within his grasp, and the possibility for a much bigger breakout is there, especially if new coach Scott Arniel takes Ken Hitchcock's shackles off the offense.

Lost in the noise of Derick's Brassard's hot start and Steve Mason's season for the ages, Voracek quietly went out and had a solid rookie season of his own. Without ever getting much of a look on a scoring line he still managed 38 points in 80 games, and his nine goals provide just a hint of what he's capable of going forward. Voracek has an enviable combination of skill, smarts and heart that peg him as a future force at both ends of the rink, and if he spends a good part of the season on the Blue Jackets's second line with Antoine Vermette and R.J. Umberger he should be able to reach the 15-goal, 50-point plateau as a sophomore.

Name a skill you’d want in an NHL forward, and Voracek has it in his arsenal. He’s fast, skilled and physical, plays both ways, and showed this offseason that even at 19 he understands what it’ll take for him to succeed, putting on over 20 pounds of muscle to better withstand the rigors of an NHL campaign. With Derick Brassard likely to be given some sort of chance to center the Rick Nash line coach Hitchcock may not want to saddle his captain with two rookies, but Voracek’s skill set would seem to make him an ideal complement on the opposite wing from Nash. Opportunity alone is all that’s standing between Voracek and a Calder Trophy-caliber season.

The club’s first round pick (seventh overall) in the 2007 draft, Voracek has an enviable blend of skill and strength that allowed him to lead Halifax, his QMJHL squad, in scoring with 86 points in 59 games in his first season of exposure to North American hockey. Voracek then took his game to another level in the QMJHL playoffs, ringing up 24 points in just 12 games. Although he just turned 18 and will likely spend one more year honing his abilities in the junior ranks, a good showing in training camp could encourage the Blue Jackets to give him an NHL trial.

Voracek is pro ready despite his tender age. This tough winger impressed scouts by making the move from the Czech Republic to the QMJHL for 2006-2007 and once on North American soil, he never looked back. He started the season with a flourish and ended with 86 points in 59 games and the Q's top offensive rookie award. He has a take-no-prisoners attitude when driving the net and his shot could knock down a wall. Mr Clutch will make it to the NHL a lot sooner than the other top guys in his draft class and will have a solid future as a go-to leader before long. His offensive ceiling isn't quite as high as a Patrick Kane, Kyle Turris or Alexei Cherepanov, but he's going to deliver none-the-less.