Ryan Suter should consider himself one of the luckiest players in the NHL. Regardless of what his $90-plus million deal will be after it gets rolled back, Suter greatly benefitted from a weak free agent class as much as anyone this past summer.

While I will stop short of calling him overrated, Suter was the apple of many team’s eye for the blueline. A complimentary player in Nashville to the Predators stud defenseman Shea Weber, Suter was the finesse portion of the pairing. Blessed with a smooth skating stride and great on ice vision, he was a model of consistency in Nashville.

Suter’s offensive production was slightly above average among NHL defensemen during his stay in Music City, perhaps tempered by Nashville’s particular style of play. He’ll be asked to anchor a relatively weak defense and quarterback the special teams of a Minnesota team that opened their checkbook this summer.

Joining Suter in Minnesota this season will be Team USA teammate Zach Parise. The matching multiyear deals for the two stars show that Minnesota wants to win now, and the playoffs are certainly within reach. Joining Dany Heatley, Mikko Koivu, Devon Setoguchi and goaltender Niklas Backstrom, the two young Americans can help shift the balance of power in the Northwest Division.

From a fantasy hockey standpoint, Suter is a solid but not essential pickup. He may not be the most physical of defensemen, but Suter’s defensive stats are solid across the board.

One is left to wonder what could have been for Suter had he ended up on a more offensively talented roster. Not to say that Minnesota is completely lacking in firepower, but it is a fairly safe assumption that he will put up numbers consistent with his Nashville years. Not exactly a bargain for Minnesota’s salary cap for $90-million, but you can find him cheaper in your fantasy league.