Patric Hornqvist

Hornqvist missed large chunks of the 2019-20 campaign with a pair of lower-body injuries, but he was his usual productive self when in the lineup, finishing the shortened season with 17 goals, 15 assists, seven power-play points, 168 shots and 107 hits in 52 games. The 33-year-old Swede embraces a gritty, net-front playing style, but that approach essentially guarantees he'll miss a handful of games year in and year out. After six years with the Penguins, during which he helped Pittsburgh hoist the Stanley Cup in back-to-back campaigns, Hornqvist was traded to the Panthers in September, where he's expected to take on a top-six role and a spot on Florida's first power-play unit. Hornqvist hasn't skated in a true top-six role for several seasons, so if he's able to stay relative healthy, he could return to a 20-plus goal, 40-plus point pace in his first year in the Sunshine State. He should also offer around three shots per game and healthy hit totals, making Hornqvist a solid mid-round pickup in fantasy drafts this year.

Hornqvist had a down year in 2018-19, missing the 20-goal mark for the first time since the lockout shortened 2012-13 campaign while recording an underwhelming 37 points in 69 games. The net-front pest was demoted to the second power-play unit, which resulted in him averaging less than three minutes of ice time per game with the man advantage for the first time since he joined the Penguins in 2014-15. The Swedish winger's role for the upcoming campaign likely won't be cemented until Pittsburgh's training camp gets underway in September, and it may be in flux throughout the year. For now, a third-line role seems most likely, which won't improve his chances of getting back to being a 20-goal, 45-point scorer in 2019-20.

Hornqvist came just one point shy of reaching the 50-point threshold for the fifth time in his career last season, as well as being one goal short of his career best (30). It doesn't matter all that much if the versatile net-front pest plays with Sidney Crosby on the first line or anywhere else in the top-six for that matter; he's a virtual lock to terrorize goalies on the No.1 power-play unit regardless of where he slots in at even strength. That role -- which helped him rack up 15 goals and seven helpers on the man advantage in 2017-18 -- renders the Swede a top-end fantasy option.

With the exception of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Hornqvist has reached the 20-goal and 40-point thresholds every year since breaking into the league in 2009-10. It was more of the same from the net-front pest last year, as he finished six points shy of a fourth consecutive 50-point campaign. The gritty winger spent less time in 2016-17 playing alongside Sidney Crosby due to the emergence of Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary, but it barely seemed to faze him. Although his ice time fell by nearly a full minute from the prior campaign, he still managed to average 15:57 despite perpetually shuffling around all four lines. One area where his role didn't change, though, was his usage on the power play -- Hornqvist again cleared three minutes of average ice time with the man advantage, much of which he spent bugging and screening goalies in the blue paint. Nearly half of his goals -- 10 of 21 -- came on power plays, and while they might not be the fancy dangles that land on highlight reels, they all count the same on the scoresheet. Whether he’s on the first line or the third, Hornqvist has proven to be a dependable option, so another season of 20-plus goals appears likely in his age-30 campaign.

Hornqvist suffered on offense perhaps more than any other Penguin under old coach Mike Johnston’s system last year. In his first 28 games, the perennial 20-goal scorer amassed only five goals and five assists. But soon after Johnston was fired and Mike Sullivan took over, Hornqvist’s season took off. He collected 17 goals (nine on the power play) and 41 points in the final 55 regular-season games. The Swedish winger is signed for another two seasons with a $4.25 million annual cap hit, so he’ll continue serving as Pittsburgh’s primary dirty-goal scorer. As a result, he figures to see plenty of power-play time once again in 2016-17. Hornqvist will likely again be good for 20 goals, a number he’s reached in each of his six full NHL campaigns, and he boosted his hits production significantly last year, racking up 160 – nearly double his previous career high of 87.

As expected, Hornqvist saw an uptick in his scoring rate upon landing in Pittsburgh last year, but the winger -- a bit prone to being banged up in the first place -- caught the team's injury bug, missing 18 games to a small variety of ailments and playing through a broken rib in the playoffs. The Penguins also acquired fellow right wing Phil Kessel over the offseason, which will likely push Hornqvist into a collaborative role with Evgeni Malkin rather than Sidney Crosby, but those configurations can change as the season goes on. Hornqvist can safely be penciled in for 20-odd goals and 50 points, with room for growth if he can play close to 80 games.

Hornqvist turned a slow start (28 points in 51 games) in 2013-14 into a respectable overall showing, on the strength of his 12 goals and 25 points in his last 25 games. The 27-year-old Swedish native arrived Pittsburgh in the offseason as part of the James Neal trade in June. He is expected to skate on the Pens' second line with Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz. If Hornqvist finds chemistry with those two and goes hard to the net, he could put up career numbers. The Pens don't have much depth among their top six forwards, creating a big opportunity for the winger. The team will look for him to contribute somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 points.

The 26-year-old Hornqvist is clearly part of the Predators’ plan for the future, thus they decided to lock him up for the long run by signing him to a five-year, $21 million contract in April. That's a big gamble on a guy who has seen his offensive output decline every year after he scored 30 goals and 51 points for the Preds three seasons ago. Last year, Hornqvist only played in 24 of 48 games, but managed four goals and 10 assists in the process. He will open the season as the Preds' top right winger alongside Mike Fisher and either Colin Wilson or Viktor Stalberg. But just like with Fisher, you shouldn't count on him for typical first-line production.

Hornqvist’s offensive totals have been in steady – if not alarming – decline the past two seasons, ever since he scored a career-high 30 goals and 51 points back in 2009-10. Last year, he scored a respectable 27 goals, but he suffered in the playmaking category with just 16 helpers, leaving Preds fans – and fantasy owners – wanting more. Looking ahead, the team will continue to lean on him as their second-line right winger, but he needs to step up and deliver.

Coming into last season, the expectations on Hornqvist could not have been any greater. The year before, he exploded for 30 goals and led the team in total points (51), shots (275), game-winners (8) and plus-minus (+18). That offseason, Hornqvist was awarded a new three-year, $9.25 million contract by a team that was starved for offense and who saw him as a possible franchise cornerstone along with Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne. However, in 2010-11, Hornqvist proceeded to take a minor step backwards, falling short of his previous year's totals with 21 goals and 48 points. The good news is, after saying goodbye to guys like Steve Sullivan, J-P Dumont, Marcel Goc and Joel Ward this summer, the Preds have few other offensive weapons who can supplant Hornqvist as one of the team's top six forwards this season. In 2011-12, he should be given plenty of opportunities to take a shot at building on his career totals. Expect somewhere in the vicinity of 50-55 points for Hornqvist as he continues his development as one of the NHL's second-tier forwards.

After scoring just two goals the previous season, Hornqvist busted out big-time last season, leading the Predators with 30 goals. He also tied with Steve Sullivan for first in team points with 51. As of early August, the 23-year-old Swede was technically still a restricted free agent, but was expected to re-sign with the Preds in time for the 2010-11 season. He will challenge Martin Erat for the role of #1 right winger on the team, but may wind up being better off on the team's second line with fellow up-and-comer Colin Wilson as his center. From a fantasy perspective, after such a huge jump in production last season, it's not uncommon to see a player like Hornqvist take a step back the following year. Don't expect another huge spike in his point totals.

With the Predators needing to fill forward slots from within the organization, this will be one of the more interesting preseason camps in some time for Nashville. A number of prospects will be competing for roster spots in 2008-09. The one name to remember is Hornqvist. Without a doubt, he will make the biggest impression in camp and will most likely nail down a roster spot to start the season. The seventh-round, 2005 Entry Draft selection for the Preds has spent the last three seasons in the Swedish Elite League sharpening his skills. Steady improvement has led to Hornqvist scoring 41 goals in his last two seasons with Djurgardens IF Stockholm. He was one of the more impressive prospects at the World Championships during the summer. Hornqvist posted six goals in his nine tournament games and garnered heavy praise from the hockey media for his performance. You could say that this young prospect is riding a wave of momentum into this year's camp, and the situation is ideal at Nashville for him to break into the lineup right away. If he can make the roster and contribute as expected, a 20-goal, 50-point rookie campaign is not out of the question.

The prospect forward spent all of last season playing in the Swedish Elite League. He racked up 23 goals and 11 assists in 49 games last year. Hornqvist is great offensive prospect and he should continue to develop those skills either in Europe or the minors this season. He's a player to keep an eye on for the future.

Drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft (selection #230). He is currently playing in the Swedish Elite League and may make the jump to Milwaukee of the AHL in 2008-09.