Joel Kiviranta

Kiviranta burst onto the scene with an impressive performance in the 2019-20 postseason, racking up five goals and one assist in 14 contests. Since then, the 28-year-old winger has underwhelmed, reaching the 10-point threshold just once in the last four campaigns. Heading into the 2024-25 season, Kiviranta will face competition for minutes from Jean-Luc Foudy and Chase Bradley - a situation that will be further complicated once Valeri Nichushkin is eligible to return from suspension. All that to say, fantasy managers probably shouldn't be banking on Kiviranta being an offensive force in the NHL.

Kiviranta was the breakout star of the 2019-20 NHL playoff bubble, but he was unable to maintain that positive momentum due to the fact injuries limited him to just 26 games in 2020-21. The Finn managed six goals and 11 points over that period despite posting just one point with the man advantage. Kiviranta figures to be behind at least six or seven forwards on the Dallas depth chart, but several of those names are either aging or constantly banged up (Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, Alex Radulov), leaving Kiviranta's 2021-22 role in flux. Wait to see how this plays out before investing.

Kiviranta was mostly a non-factor with the big club during the 2019-20 regular season, notching just one goal in 11 appearances. He did, however, produce 12 goals and 11 assists in 48 games with AHL Texas. When given a chance, he performed far better in the playoffs, posting six points in 14 games for the eventual Western Conference champions. That said, the undrafted 24-year-old Kiviranta doesn't have a long track record as a prospect. He produced moderate scoring numbers in his native Finland, but he projects more as a hard-nosed, bottom-six winger for the 2020-21 campaign. Don't expect Kiviranta to rack up more than 20 points, although he could find some usefulness in deeper fantasy formats that count hits.