This year's free agency period has not disappointed, and with many great players still out there, there's still a long way to go. But, when considering drafting some of the players who have switched locations, it's important for fantasy owners to consider how much a new team will affect a player's production. Here is a look at five players whose fantasy value will drop next season.
Matt Moulson
Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville and Mikael Granlund are just a few of the names that Moulson could've played with if he had stayed in the Twin Cities. Now, he will return to Buffalo where he didn't perform as well for fantasy owners. If +/- is an important stat, than Moulson won't help much. In 44 games with Buffalo last season, Moulson was a -8, compared to a +7 rating in 20 games with the Wild. He is still going to score a good number of goals, but a full season with the Wild would've made him much more productive.
Jonas Hiller
The former number one guy in Anaheim will get a much needed change of scenery, but don't expect his numbers to resemble his time with the Ducks. The Flames are not close to being in the same tier of success the Ducks are in and this will show in Hiller's stats. Also add a possible battle with Karri Ramo for the number one job in Calgary and Hiller becomes a very high risk goaltending selection. Even with a strong Ducks team, Hiller managed to reach the 30 wins plateau only once. His numbers in the goals against and save percentage categories will certainly not turn heads as he joins a team that ranked 23rd in goals against last season.
Mike Cammalleri
From a goaltender joining the Flames, we go to a player on his way out of Calgary. Cammalleri has reached the 30-goal mark and has eclipsed 80 points twice, although in the last four seasons, he hasn't gotten to 50 points. Do not expect to see that kind of production with New Jersey. The Devils are not typically a go to team for offensive help. Last season, only Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias notched more than 50 points with 67 and 53 respectively. As for Cammalleri, he will most likely get top-line minutes with the Devils but it will be a surprise if he is able to score around 55 points. Next season will continue the trend of decreasing fantasy value for the 32-year-old Ontario native.
Ryan Miller
It's easy to say that Miller's short stint in St. Louis didn't work out, but in 19 regular season games, he wasn't poor. Like all players, a goaltender needs a time to adjust and learn to a new system. If St. Louis had decided to keep the Michigan State grad for the upcoming season, his numbers would have been much better. Instead, he goes from a Stanley Cup contender to a team that has gotten a complete reboot in the Vancouver Canucks. He doesn't have a solid group of defensemen in front of him in Vancouver which will not help boost his fantasy value. His stats might be enough for him to be worth drafting in the Eastern Conference, but in an extremely tough Western Conference, Miller's fantasy value is not as high as it would've been if he had stayed in St. Louis.
Jussi Jokinen
Anybody on a team with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be attractive to fantasy managers. Jussi Jokinen fit that bill with the Penguins, but now that he is a member of a radically different Florida Panthers team, he will not be as helpful. He notched 57 points last season for the Penguins, which was his highest point output in recent years. He also helped out in +/- and in powerplay points. With the Panthers, it is going to take him a while to find his niche, and with a supporting cast that is not as talented as Pittsburgh's, Jokinen will not help a fantasy team as much as he did last season. Later in the year, he may be a person to keep an eye on, but overall his value has gone down.