Conor Sheary

Sheary emerged as a much-needed source of secondary offense for Washington a season ago, posting 19 goals and 43 points in 71 games, his highest totals since the 2016-17 campaign with the Penguins. Sheary's 14.7 percent shooting percentage was high, but not outrageously so, and actually down from the 15.9 percent mark he finished with in 2020-21. Sheary isn't going to produce enough to be an option in anything other than the deepest of fantasy formats, but what we saw a season ago may actually be sustainable moving forward.

Signed just before the start of the season, Sheary turned out to be a bargain for the Capitals during the 2020-21 campaign. The speedy winger acquitted himself well in his new surroundings, posting 14 goals and 22 points in 53 games despite averaging just 13:43 of ice time per contest. Re-signed to a two-year, $3 million extension in April, the 29-year-old is expected to reprise his role as a versatile top-nine forward who can slot comfortably on either wing and who uses his speed and soft hands to make the most of his opportunities. Sheary may struggle to duplicate last season's 15.9 percent shooting rate, but he's quickly become a reliable depth forward for the Capitals. There are certainly safer options in standard formats, but Sheary's versatility provides enough fantasy appeal for managers in deeper leagues.

Sheary has yet to repeat his 53-point effort from 2016-17 when he was a member of the Penguins. Last year, he had only 23 points in 63 games split between the Penguins and the Sabres, and the former let him walk in free agency. Sheary is now likely to fill a bottom-six role for the Capitals, whose top-heavy offense will make it unlikely that he'll get a chance to regain his scoring form. Sheary also adds next to nothing in hits or PIM, and with a ceiling of 20 to 25 points in 2020-21, fantasy managers can likely do better for their depth forwards.

Sheary's first season in Buffalo wasn't much different than his last one in Pittsburgh, aside from the expected drop in rating that comes with playing for a worse team. He scored 34 points with a minus-18 rating in 2018-19 after posting 30 points and a plus-2 mark in 2017-18. The 5-foot-8, 176-pound winger should continue to fill a middle-six role for the Sabres, and owners hoping for a return to his 53-point production from 2016-17 are likely to be left disappointed.

Despite being just 25 years old, Sheary will bring invaluable experience to the Sabres having lifted the Stanley Cup at the end of two of his three professional campaigns. The high-energy winger was set to play on a line with Jack Eichel -- a role that would have fit him well since he previously played on the left side of Sidney Crosby -- however, the acquisition of Jeff Skinner has muddied the waters it terms of where Sheary might play. The move by Pittsburgh to trade the 26-year-old had more to do with his $3 million cap hit and less about his performance on the ice -- although Penguins coach Mike Sullivan did occasionally scratch him when his game would start to slip. At any rate, the Sabres can say they found a real bargain if Sheary can get back to being the 53-point producer he was during the 2016-17 campaign.

Since turning pro on the heels of a four-year collegiate career with UMass-Amherst, Sheary has earned a spot on the Penguins’ top line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel (a trio cleverly named “Sid and the Kids”), won back-to-back Stanley Cups, and secured a three-year, $9 million contract extension. Last year, the energetic winger racked up an impressive 23 goals and 30 helpers despite appearing in a mere 61 outings. When it comes to the man advantage, though, the diminutive forward’s action will mostly come with the second unit. The biggest knock on the 25-year-old is his erratic play -- a postseason benching serves as Exhibit A, and bouts of inconsistency could result in him getting bumped down to the third line periodically. Still, as long as he mostly sticks with Crosby, there’s reason to believe Sheary can clear 50 points again.

Sheary was emblematic of the style of play and pace demanded from new coach Mike Sullivan after the Penguins fired Mike Johnston in December. In fact, he pretty much followed Sullivan from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, debuting Dec. 18. The UMass-Amhert product didn’t produce much offense in a fourth-line role – 10 points in 44 games – but he scored two goals in the Stanley Cup Finals, including the overtime winner in Game 2. Sheary plays bigger and protects the puck better than his 5-foot-8 frame would imply. That diminutive stature lends itself to injury and he seems to get worn down relatively easily, but he has the potential to improve upon his offensive production – especially if he continues to see even-strength time with Sidney Crosby. In 88 AHL tilts, Sheary has potted 27 goals and 81 points, so there’s fantasy intrigue here.