A list of five goalies and defensemen whose fantasy hockey value increased significantly during the off-season after they switched teams.

July 1 sizzled, even when it was deemed a poorer-than-usual class of free agents. There were over 150 players who signed new contracts, totalling over $600 million in total dollars. Some of the signings and a few trades certainly moved the needle from a betting standpoint, but the fantasy impact is more about the individual than the team.

Here are five defensemen and goalies whose fantasy value increased significantly with their new teams.

Sean Durzi, D, Coyotes

Currently, Durzi is the Coyotes’ highest paid defender with a base salary of $2 million. Make all the jokes about the Coyotes’ payroll, but when Bill Armstrong pays a good draft pick (a second rounder in 2024) to acquire a player when their modus operandi has been to hoard draft picks, it's an indication the Coyotes think highly of Durzi.

After being stuck behind Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson in L.A., Durzi will get top pairing minutes in the desert. He is undersized, but size is not a big concern in today’s game. He’ll quarterback a power play that features one of the league’s most underrated duos in Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, and it's a safe bet Durzi will play more than 20 minutes per game.

Durzi’s 15 power-play helpers with the Kings trailed only Doughty, who quarterbacked their top unit. Along with 142 blocks, Durzi is an excellent under-the-radar option for multi-category leagues. The Coyotes will get overlooked in fantasy, as they always do, but that doesn’t mean they are bereft of options. Take advantage of the inherent bias against the Coyotes; Durzi’s worth drafting in the middle rounds, and if he goes undrafted, he’s the type of player who will be rostered in all leagues by the end of the season once fantasy managers realize how good he is.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Panthers

The Panthers’ run to the Cup was exciting but costly; multiple key players will be unavailable to start the season, including Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad, both of whom are undergoing shoulder surgery. That’s paved the way for players such as Gustav Forsling to play a lot of minutes, but also for OEL.

Ekman-Larsson was a surprising buyout by the Canucks, if only because the cap penalty was so punitive and their blueline so thin. But this is a chance for OEL to rediscover his game in a low-pressure environment without an onerous cap hit hanging over his play. He can help on the power play that features elite scorers, and his passing ability is still quite good. It’s easy to envision OEL being a popular waiver-wire pickup when he gets regular minutes and finds his groove.

John Klingberg, D, Maple Leafs

Thankfully, fantasy hockey doesn’t really care if you can play defense or not. The Leafs signed Klingberg to generate more offense from their blueline and, with all due respect to Kirill Kaprizov, the Leafs’ power play is far more talented and far more dangerous. Assuming Klingberg runs the top unit, we’re looking at least 20 assists with the man advantage; only 13 defensemen hit that milestone last season.

The downside is Klingberg may not displace Morgan Rielly on the top power play, which will be negatively impacted by assistant coach Spencer Carbery’s absence. Klingberg’s defensive play may also be so poor that Sheldon Keefe refuses to play him. Klingberg’s low floor makes him a risky pick, but he’s a fine mid- to late-round pick if you’re looking for points at a fairly thin position and don’t mind a horrendous plus-minus. It can’t be worse than playing with the Ducks, that’s for sure.

Joonas Korpisalo, G, Senators

Never mind the massive financial commitment – it's massive with a high probability of regret – there’s at least some stability in the Sens’ net. Korpisalo is the de facto starter since Anton Forsberg has not proven to be particularly reliable and recovering from a season-ending injury to both knees in April, though he’s expected to make a full recovery.

Korpisalo ended up not being the answer to the Kings’ woes in net last season, but he was also thrust in a very difficult position facing Connor McDavid’s Oilers. He started the first four games of their playoff series particularly strong, facing at least 40 shots in three of those games and earning a .918 SP with two overtime wins. There was a point where it looked like the Oilers were facing another early exit, and that it was the Kings' turn to take the next step. Though the Kings limited their opponents to just 27.9 shots per game during the season, the fourth-lowest in the league, without quality depth their defense cratered late in the series.

The Sens’ inexperience works against them, and their defensive structure isn’t stellar, but they have a ton of talent on their blueline with a top four that could rival any other team in the league. Korpisalo should get the requisite defensive help to solidify himself as a potential top-15 fantasy goalie. It's not a high bar these days, but quality is scarce in goal. 

Cam Talbot, G, Kings

Inevitably, there’s always a manager who forgets to draft a goalie until the middle rounds and ends up drafting Talbot out of necessity and desperation. (Raises hand). Truth be told, though Talbot’s overall numbers last season were ghastly – .898 SP and 2.93 GAA – there were stretches where he was very serviceable. He went 7-3-1 in December and on two separate occasions won four games in a row.

The Kings are a better team than the Sens and that should only help Talbot. Note the Kings will be operating a timeshare with last season’s folk hero, Pheonix Copley, and David ‘Big Save’ Rittich (the most ironic nickname ever), but Talbot should have the upper hand with his experience. Unless Talbot has a firm hold on the starting job, expect at least 35-40 starts with an outside chance of reaching 20 wins. Last season, 26 goalies won at least 20 games, giving Talbot some value as a No. 2 goalie in most standard formats. 

All positions courtesy Yahoo! Sports. All advanced stats courtesy naturalstattrick.com.