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Sustr joins Anaheim after five seasons in Tampa Bay. At 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, he's definitely the Ducks' type. But he's in tough to earn a job on the bottom pairing. Why? Slow feet. Really, really slow feet. The faster the league gets, the slower he looks (and is). Sustr might be a 20-point defender if he makes the team, but they'll be empty points. He's not a tough guy and won't deliver on special teams. Few fantasy formats fit his game.
The 6-foot-8 defender is barely holding down a spot on the Bolts' bottom pairing and he has this season to prove he deserves another contract with the Bolts. Slater Koekkoek is knocking on the door and is paid a fraction of Sustr's nearly $2 million. At best, Sustr is a 15-point defender who struggles with fast forwards, so he becomes a liability at the wrong time. His only saving grace? He's a right-hand shot, so he might be attractive to another team, but he shouldn't be attractive to your fantasy squad.
Sustr's game grew in gangly steps in 2015-16 – he almost doubled his point production, but got exposed a bit more by speedy forwards while in his own zone. He's going to suit up for Team Czech Republic at the World Cup of Hockey in September and that should help grow his confidence. Back on the ice in Tampa, Sustr will see 16-18 minutes of protected ice time in 2016-17 and will be counted on more for blocked shots than point production. Some day, Sustr could hit the 30-35 point plateau if he's deployed as a rocket on the power play. But for now, he's a 20-to-25 point man who won't help you on the power-play or in the sin bin.
While it seems every player over 6-foot-7 gets labelled as the next Zdeno Chara, Sustr is a 6-foot-8 behemoth who relies more on smarts than snarl. He averaged more than 15 minutes a night in 43 games with the Bolts last season, only contributing a meager 8 points. He came close to blocking one shot a game, but he only laid a hit every second night. He might someday peak at 25-30 points, but his fantasy value will be sorely limited if he doesn't amp up some toughness.
Sustr is an absolute monster -- 6-8 and almost 230 -- who was signed by the Bolts last year as an college free agent. His tools are still a bit raw, but he's wonderfully aggressive. So, of course, the Lightning see shades of Zdeno Chara in his game. That comp is a bit much, but it's one that every gigantic NHL defender gets. He had a two-game stint with the Bolts at the end of the season and logged more than 20 minutes a game. He needs a year of maturation in the minors, but will be on speed dial in the event of injury. In his prime, he'll probably be a consistent 25-30 point, 150 PIM guy. And that means he'll be fantasy relevant in leagues that count sin bin points.