William Carrier

A pair of upper-body injuries that included multiple stints on long-term injured reserve meant Carrier was only able to suit up in 39 regular-season games last year. Even when he was on the ice, the 29-year-old winger wasn't particularly productive with six goals, two assists and 65 shots while averaging 11:10 of ice time. That didn't discourage the Hurricanes from handing out a six-year deal for the Quebec native, though it is fairly cost-controlled at just a $2 million cap hit. If he can stay healthy - which is far from guaranteed considering her has only reached the 70-game mark once in his eight-year NHL career, Carrier could challenge for the 30-point threshold, but 20 seems more likely given his injury woes.

For the second straight season, Carrier logged a career high in points, racking up 16 goals and nine assists in just 56 games in 2022-23. While it's encouraging to see him continue to improve in his prime years, no one's going to mistake Carrier for a Rocket Richard candidate. He's an intensely physical winger that plays into the identity the Golden Knights like to establish with their bottom-six forwards. The 28-year-old should continue to hover around 20 points while averaging over two hits per game, but his shooting percentage will almost certainly tumble from the 13.6 mark he posted in 2022-23. Keep that in mind when considering Carrier as a potential option in the final rounds of formats that reward hits.

Carrier has struggled to score over the course of his six NHL seasons, never posting more than nine goals and 20 points in any one year, but he's been a consistent physical presence for the Golden Knights on the team's fourth line. Carrier played 63 games a year ago, finishing with 159 hits. He's had as many as 277 in a single season back in 2018-19, and should be able to top the 200 mark assuming he plays upwards of 80 games in 2022-23. Just keep in mind there won't be much, if any, help in other categories.

A gritty veteran winger, Carrier contributed six goals, nine assists and 131 hits in 52 games last year. He's been a consistent presence on the Golden Knights' fourth line over the last four seasons, and he's shown the potential to be a little more than just a hit machine. While the Quebec native has virtually no promise for a move up the lineup barring injury, he could be in line for his first 20-point campaign in 2021-22. A full season should also allow him to exceed 200 hits, although he's not a big PIM producer like former teammate Ryan Reaves. Carrier's likely to be inconsistent in scoring, while the physicality should be there on a nightly basis, making him a safer option in daily fantasy contests as opposed to season-long formats.

Carrier enjoyed his best scoring year with 19 points in 71 games in 2019-20, but fantasy managers also appreciated the fourth-liner's impressive 213 hits. While Ryan Reaves is the obvious tough guy in Vegas, Carrier throws his weight around almost as well. It's unlikely the 26-year-old Carrier has reinvented the wheel when it comes to scoring, so a return to single-digits in the points column is likely for 2020-21. He should also be good for roughly 180 hits and ample penalty minutes -- there's potential for value in deeper formats as well as daily fantasy contests that reward tough play.

Having been left exposed by the Sabres for the expansion draft, Carrier was selected by the Golden Knights prior to their inaugural season. The 23-year-old appeared in 37 games for Vegas where he managed three points (one goal) and 19 PIM. Carrier was a great goal-scorer in junior, but it's yet to translate to the NHL level. Even if he managed to earn himself a bottom-six role in training camp, Carrier hasn't shown anything that would make him worth targeting in 2018-19 fantasy leagues.

Plucked from the Sabres by Vegas in the expansion draft, Carrier is a speedy, tenacious checking winger who has plied his trade in the AHL for two seasons and is ready for a regular NHL role. He scored just eight points in 43 games with the Sabres last year, but his playing time was limited and he’s seemingly just scratching the surface of his ability. The 2013 second-round pick will play a bottom-six role to begin with, perhaps with some time on the penalty kill, but he'll have opportunities to move up the Golden Knights’ thin depth chart as he continues to develop.

The former second-round pick acclimated himself well in his rookie season at AHL Rochester, appearing in 63 games and scoring seven goals and 21 points. A slew of injuries stalled his development, but the two-way scoring winger seems to be back on track. It's unlikely he’ll see action with Buffalo at all this season, instead serving as a second or third-line winger with Rochester.