Erne recently completed his fourth year in Detroit, again serving in a depth role for the club. He had eight goals and 18 points in 61 games, adding 160 hits while serving as a key penalty-killer for the club. Still just 28 years old, Erne found a surprisingly cold market in unrestricted free agency, as the Connecticut native remained unsigned as of late August. Erne's phone figures to be ringing as training camp approaches and teams seek to add depth to either their lineup or AHL club, though he may need to ink a professional tryout first.
Erne enjoyed a career year in 2020-21, matching his career-best 20 points but doing so in just 45 games. The 26-year-old seemed to have the right confluence of events, as he shot 15.5 percent and skated 13:55 of ice time per game, both career-best marks. Prior to last season's outburst, the Connecticut native was a quintessential fourth-liner -- he pushed for three hits per game while chipping in minimal offense. With a lack of better options up front for the Red Wings, Erne could see at least as much ice time as he did last year in 2021-22, which could bode well for his scoring potential. While some regression can be expected, the winger could challenge for 25 points and 180 hits if he can play a full season.
Erne's first year in Detroit represented a significant step back, as he only had five points in 56 contests one year after registering 20 points in 65 games with the Lightning. The 25-year-old Erne added a strong physical edge to the Red Wings' bottom six last year, racking up 142 hits, but he also had a minus-24 rating. To make matters worse, Filip Zadina and Riley Barber will push Erne for playing time in 2020-21. Even if he gets an everyday role, Erne won't do any better than a fourth-line role with little hope for more than 10-to-15 points. The physicality alone isn't worth the drag in the scoring categories for fantasy managers.
Erne never quite lived up to his promise with the Lightning, and at 24, time is running out for him to show he can be a steady NHLer. Erne played in 64 games in 2018-19, averaging just 10:33 in ice time and finishing with 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists). With the Red Wings, the Connecticut native figures to start on the third line, but could find himself jumping into a top-six role. Erne's abrasiveness could be the perfect fit in the Motor City, but he'll need to avoid the long droughts he suffered through last season or he could find himself dropped to the fourth line.
Erne is a prototypical power forward with third-line upside. He can use his body to protect the puck and create space. However, he has been passed by a number of other young players in a poor Tampa feeder system. At 23 years old, Erne has played in parts of the last two NHL seasons. While he's excellent defensively, there are plenty of guys who can play good defense and deliver more than six goals and an assist in 49 games. Erne will vie for a fourth-line gig with Tampa in 2018-19. But even if he makes the team, he won't have any fantasy value.
Erne is ready for primetime, but Chris Kunitz's arrival might mean the prototypical power forward spends another year in the AHL. He skates well and is hard to handle in front of the net. Erne scored three goals in 26 games with the Bolts in 2016-17, but don't let those numbers fool you, as he didn't look out of place. He's in tough to break camp with the team, but could be an in-season call up who'll skate in the bottom six. Don't bet a keeper leaguer spot on him yet, though -- Erne's upside is on a checking line and there are plenty of those guys to go around.
Erne is lightning fast and tough, but he's best known for pile-driving fellow Bolts' prospect Jonathan Drouin head-first into the boards in a QMJHL game last December. Some scouts have come to question his decision-making skills, and there are whispers of the word "dirty" when Erne's name comes up. He probably tops out as a top-nine skater who will play close to the edge and be loved by his teammates and fans. There's fantasy value in being an elite super-pest -- just ask Dallas' Antoine Roussel. We think he's a "show me" guy -- don't draft him until he shows you what he can do.
Erne was once considered a potential top-10 pick for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, perhaps based on his skating alone. The guy is fast with great edge work and is strong like a bull. His 2012-13 season wasn’t as great as some would have liked, but he put in an impressive showing at the NHL Scouting Combine, opening a few eyes along the way. He doesn’t have the high-end offensive skill of some of the earlier picks, but he has good net drive and a solid defensive awareness. He’s probably the ideal third-line physical forward who’ll inevitably see time on the second line because of his doggedness. Watch for him in Tampa Bay in three years.
