Bourque played the typical bottom-six role for the Avalanche last season, providing some physical play (123 hits) along with some production (five goals and six assists) despite taking the ice for just 10:54 per game. It marked his largest output since 2014-15 with Nashville but also required an 11.4 shooting percentage to reach that point. The veteran winger re-signed with Colorado in late May to reprise that role with the club, but he remains unlikely to boost his total enough to burst onto the fantasy radar at this point in his career.
Bourque was a fixture on Nashville’s bottom-six, but injuries and ailments limited him to just 22 appearances this past season, and was not tendered a qualifying offer after he was deemed too cost prohibitive on a stacked roster. Bourque, 25, has not played an NHL game since Nov. 27, but can still be a serviceable role player, but his status is up in the air until he is given a clean bill of health.
Bourque finished last season with career-highs in goals (nine), assists (17) and points (26). He played most of the season in a checking-line role for the Preds and will likely fill a similar role this season. Bourque is one of those what-you-see-is-what-you-get type players. There's not a lot of upside there, but you can probably pencil him for a consistent 20-ish points year in and year out, provided he stays healthy. If there’s room for a guy like that on your fantasy roster, then draft away.
Bourque once again played the majority of last season in a checking-line role, yet still managed to deliver 16 points in 34 games, and his 11 goals were second-most on the team. Bourque could be in line for a spot on the team's second line given the departure of Sergei Kostitsyn and Martin Erat, but the addition of free agent Viktor Stalberg might mean he winds up on the team's third line once again. He's good value in deeper formats, though, so keep an eye on him in the later rounds of your fantasy draft.
Bourque played the majority of last season in a checking-line role, yet still managed to deliver 19 points in 43 games in his rookie campaign. He’s a versatile forward who should continue to see the majority of time on either the third or fourth line, so there’s not much to get excited about. However, he might be worth a flyer for those of you in very deep fantasy formats.
