Dennis Cholowski

Cholowski's NHL usage finally bottomed out, as he didn't receive a call-up from AHL Bridgeport during the 2023-24 campaign. With the farm team, he produced 31 points in 68 contests, which is still decent production for a defenseman. The 26-year-old represents solid organizational depth on the blue line, which the Islanders rewarded with a two-way contract for 2024-25. Unless injuries stack up with the big club, it's unlikely he'll see NHL playing time.

Cholowski was limited to eight points and a minus-26 rating in 36 games before the Red Wings banished him to AHL Grand Rapids last year. He got a few call-ups during the season, but he didn't impress like he did with 16 points in 52 contests as a rookie. An overhaul on the blue line likely leaves Cholowski lost in the shuffle heading into the 2020-21 season -- it'll take an impressive training camp to recapture the attention of Detroit's coaching staff. The 22-year-old's offense is NHL-caliber for a bottom-four defender, but he'll need to make progress in his own zone before he'll be trusted with regular playing time, which makes Cholowski too risky to select in fantasy drafts.

A significant malady to veteran defenseman Mike Green opened the door for Cholowski, whom the Red Wings nabbed with the 20th overall draft pick in 2016. Despite cracking the Opening Night roster and piling on seven points through the season's first month, Cholowski's confidence level wavered, and the left-shot defenseman was back in the AHL with Grand Rapids by mid-February. A waiver-exempt prospect bound by an entry-level contract typically faces long odds of logging a full season in the NHL, and Cholowski is probably not the exception, particularly with the Wings courting rugged blueliner Patrik Nemeth in free agency. However, the silver lining is that Detroit's largely been devoid of quality puck-moving defenseman in recent years and Cholowski did enough scoring as a rookie, banking seven goals, nine assists and nine power-play points, to qualify as an intriguing dynasty option.

The Red Wings took two forwards in the first round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. As surprising as that was given the team's need to fill crater-like holes on the blue line, there's reason to believe that Cholowski is on the verge of reaching hockey's highest level. The crisp-passing defenseman had the chance to at least check out the AHL scene with the Calder Cup-winning Griffins in 2016-17, and he'd end up with 66 points (14 goals, 52 assists) over 69 games between WHL Portland and the Prince George Cougars last season. Various scouts expressed concern about Cholowski scrawny figure upon seeing him drafted 20th overall in 2016, though he's been hard at work bulking up and now stands at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. At this rate, it shouldn't be long before he's a familiar name across the fantasy hockey landscape.