Nick Jensen

Entering his fourth season with the Capitals, Jensen appears to have found his stride. Paired with Zdeno Chara for the balance of the 2020-21 season, Jensen posted two goals and 14 points in 53 games - a career-high scoring pace in a normal 82-game season. With two years remaining on a four-year, $10 million deal signed in February of 2019, Jensen is poised to reprise his role on Washington's third defensive pairing, although he's likely to have a less experienced partner and will face competition from Trevor van Riemsdyk for playing time. The 30-year-old is a very capable depth defender, but the lack of offensive opportunities and contributions in peripheral metrics translates into very limited fantasy value.

Jensen suffered some brutal regression last season, producing only eight assists a year after he had 20 points in 80 games. The 30-year-old blueliner has never stood out for his scoring prowess -- he's simply a solid third-pairing defenseman for the Capitals. Jensen added 59 hits and 71 blocked shots in 68 games last year. Assuming he can bounce back on offense, he should produce roughly 10 points with about a hit and a blocked shot per game in 2020-21. Nonetheless, he's probably not going to do enough to earn the attention of fantasy managers.

The Capitals went into the the trade deadline looking for "Michal Kempny 2.0". Though it didn't result in another Stanley Cup, they got what they were looking for in Nick Jensen. The 28-year-old defender was a workhorse for a badly beat up Red Wings team, posting two goals and 13 points in 60 games while averaging 20:48 of ice time prior to being traded to Washington. Signed to a four-year extension, the Minnesotan figures to inherit Matt Niskanen's minutes on the second defense pairing with Dmitry Orlov, and the late-bloomer has an excellent chance to post career highs for the Capitals in 2019-20. However, a lack of power-play opportunity and tough defensive assignments will likely limit his fantasy appeal.

Jensen and Mike Green were the lone right-shooting regulars at work on Detroit's blue line last season. For the former, this paved his way to a full-time role at hockey's highest level. Even though Jensen is typically given bottom-four minutes, he registered 15 helpers over 81 games to complement 71 hits and 88 blocked shots in 2017-18. Still, the Minnesota native has a slippery grip on the starting role with a handful of defensive prospects -- including Joe Hicketts, Libor Sulak and Filip Hronek -- waiting for opportunities in Detroit. This is Jensen's job to lose.

An industrious blueliner who began his playing career with the Green Bay Gamblers and later St. Cloud State in his home state of Minnesota, Jensen didn't make his NHL debut until this past season, when Alexey Marchenko -- who was ultimately waived and picked up by the rival Maple Leafs -- sustained a shoulder injury. The net result for Jensen was an output of 13 points (four goals, nine assists), 12 PIM and a minus-7 rating in 49 games with the Red Wings, and he managed to avoid another stint with AHL Grand Rapids. Wings GM Ken Holland was so impressed by the smooth-skating rearguard that he got him under contract for two more years with a midseason extension. Jensen is far from flashy, and there are hundreds of more potent offensive weapons for the taking, but he should continue to thrive as a well-rounded, bottom-four defenseman with a role in shorthanded situations. He's a perfect example of a player whose real-life value transcends his fantasy contributions.