The 6-7 Gill brought experience and size to Nashville's blue line after being acquired from Montreal last season, but sadly, he does not deliver much from a fantasy perspective. Last season, split between the Canadiens and Predators, he produced just one goal and 12 assists over 76 games, while collecting 37 penalty minutes. With a new two-year, $4 million contract under his belt, he should continue to play a top-four role for the Preds for the foreseeable future.
The Canadiens re-signed Gill to a one-year deal in the offseason, bringing him back for a third year in a Montreal uniform. He�s pretty limited in most fantasy formats, scoring just 20 points in his two seasons with the Habs, while dropping to a minus-19 over that time. He�s the definition of a stay-at-home defenseman and has blocked at least 150 shots each of the past two seasons.
Gill had his worst season offensively since 2005-06, recording just 10 points with two goals and eight assists in 62 games. His low goal production was certainly due to the fact that he took the fewest amount of shots in his career (just 40). Despite his struggles on offense, he managed a plus-11 rating with Pittsburgh, which was his best total since 2006-07 when he was also plus-11. He did not record a point in four preseason games, while firing five shots on goal. While he should get more shots this season, since he won’t be playing with the likes of Crosby and Malkin, don’t expect his offensive numbers to be much better than last season.
Gill "broke out" with a career-high 24 points in 2007-08. The 6-foot-7 stay-at-home defenseman has now played in 10 NHL seasons, never scoring more than six goals or 18 assists. After a slow start in Pittsburgh, Gill picked up his game and provided a strong presence on the blue line, especially in short-handed situations. Expect him to finish with about 25 points in 2008-09.
Big Gill became an outstanding penalty killer last season, particularly on five-on-three deficits. But his fantasy value is limited. He could serve as a last-round filler on the blue line IF your league counts PIMs -- he'll probably come close to 100 of those.
The towering (6'7") Gill is a classic slow, physical, stay-at-home defenseman. Recorded three straight seasons of +16 or better with Boston before the lockout, but he'll be hard-pressed to duplicate that.
Big Hal plays a simple game -- he just hammers you if you're in front of his net. He hits hard and he hits often, and 6'7" and 240 lbs, Hal makes an impression. However, trouble may be brewing for Hal this season as the rule changes mean his slow and lumbering skating will be exposed. If he doesn't keep it simple, he's about to get burned (and so will his goalie). Expect no fantasy production at all from his guy, but enjoy the hits he puts on opposing forwards particularly those guys who skate with their heads down (think Eric Lindros, who suffered a devastating concussion at the hands of Gill).
