Pius Suter

Suter's offense took a step back in his second year with Detroit, as he logged 24 points, 106 shots on goal and a minus-3 rating in 79 games, down from 36 points in 82 contests in 2021-22. The forward took a steep pay cut once he signed with the Canucks in August, where he figures to have a further reduced role in a top-heavy offense. Suter can fill in for top-six duties if necessary, but he's likely a third-liner at best in Vancouver. That makes it unlikely that the Swiss forward gets back above the 30-point threshold in 2023-24. He's got enough salary and defensive chops to stick in the lineup, but his fantasy appeal will be limited to deep formats only.

Suter surprised many with his 14-goal, 27-point rookie season in 2020-21, so of course the Blackhawks, who have made countless questionable personnel decisions of late, let him leave for Detroit. Suter played in all 82 regular-season games in his first year with the Red Wings, posting 15 goals and 36 points. Suter doesn't offer much in terms of power-play production and that limits his ceiling from a scoring perspective, but he's an excellent depth player who can also kill penalties. He'll be of much more use to Detroit than fantasy managers in this upcoming season.

Suter made his NHL debut last season, notching 14 goals (fifth most among all rookies) and 27 points in 55 appearances. He averaged 16:20 of ice time per game and spent most of his time in Chicago's top six alongside Patrick Kane. The 25-year-old forward landed a two-year deal with the Red Wings this offseason and he should maintain a top-six role there as well. While he may not have someone like Kane on his line, he should see a boosted power-play role after scoring just three points with the man advantage in his rookie campaign. With a fairly secure role in a full season, Suter could cross the 20-goal milestone in his second year.

Suter was the best player in Switzerland's NLB league in 2019-20, racking up 30 goals and 53 points in 50 games en route to being named the league's MVP. He's projected to start the season on Chicago's third line, but he should also see time with the team's second power-play unit, bolstering his offensive potential. He won't be drafted in standard formats, but Suter will be a name to keep an eye on as a potential free agent addition as the season progresses.