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Yip, who re-signed a one-year deal with the Predators in June, played mostly a fourth line role last season after arriving from Colorado via waivers in January. With just three goals and four assists in 25 regular-season games, Yip does not amount to much more than a depth player at this stage in his career.
Yip really struggled defensively last season, posting a minus-22 rating which was second-worst on the team. As a result, he was frequently benched by coach Joe Sacco and found himself as a healthy scratch on several occasions. Yip managed 22 points on the season, three more than he tallied the year before, but it took him more than twice as many games to accomplish that feat (71 games versus 32 in 2009-10). This season, Yip is entering the final year of a two-year contract and will need to turn things around in a big way in order to make himself a part of the Avs' long-term plans.
Yip, who re-signed with the Avs for two more years in July, was a pleasant surprise last season, scoring 19 points (11 G, 8 A) in 32 games. The team considers Yip part of their core group of young players they would like to build around going forward. He is expected to slot in as the No. 3 left wing for the Avs next year, alongside Ryan O'Reilly and David Jones. Yip does have some fantasy upside, but should really only be targeted in deeper leagues until he gets promoted to more of a full-time scoring role on one of the team's top two lines.
Yip is expected to be part of the emerging youth movement in Denver this season and will compete for a roster spot in training camp. However, the Avs remain well-stocked on the right side, with the likes of Milan Hejduk, David Jones, Chris Stewart and Marek Svatos. Yip would have to have a lights-out training camp in order to unseat one of these guys as a regular in the lineup.
