Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring JT Brown
See More
The Minnesota native was decent in the limited role he was given, collecting three goals and eight points in 56 games last season. Brown has been making his presence felt in other ways than scoring, however, dishing out an average of 94 hits each year over the past four seasons. The speedy and gritty winger's stock took a significant blow this offseason when the team elected to sign fellow winger Ryan Hartman to fulfill a checking role for 2019-20. Brown was also arrested the night before the team's last game in 2018-19, and could still face discipline leading up to next season. For now, Brown holds significance to his own club, but barely moves the needle fantasy-wise.
After spending six seasons between the Lightning and the Ducks, Brown is headed back to Minnesota -- his home state. Just in time too, as the Wild need a physical presence that has enough speed to make plays. Brown is just that, accruing 35 points and 276 hits over the last three seasons. Expect the 28-year-old to carve out a fourth-line role and wreak havoc on opponents, but he likely won't be contributing to fantasy championships.
Brown is a hard-working, fast-skating checker who creates chaos on the forecheck. He's not afraid to throw his slim frame around, but his rate-limiting factor is his skill set. Brown gets points by opportunity, rather than creating them himself. And that was clearly evident in 2016-17 when his point total dropped to just six (three goals, three assists) in 64 games. Brown has just a single year left on a deal that pays $1.25 million, and at 27, his days in the NHL are limited.
Brown is a speedy, fourth-line penalty killer who doesn't mind rubbing opponents the wrong way with his tiny torpedo ways. He'll never put up many points – his 22 in 78 games last season was the best output of his career. But Brown will bounce his undersized frame off opponents like a ping pong ball. And he forces turnovers, which he turns into shots because of his speed. Unfortunately, there are plenty of 20-point, 100-hit, 150-shot guys just like him on the wire. Brown should be there, too, not on your fantasy lineup.
Brown is the kind of bottom-six, energy forward that every team desires. He skates with high intensity on every shift and plays a whole lot bigger than his 5-foot-10, 172-pound frame. His offensive upside is ultimately limited, but he does have enough of a playmaker's mentality to fill in on the second-line for short spurts. The Bolts and coach Jon Cooper will count on him for important minutes, but don't count on him to make a fantasy impact for your squad.
Brown is a former NCAA free agent signed by the Bolts. He struggled in the AHL last season, in large part because of a slow recovery from a broken collarbone. The playmaker will need more time in the minors to grow his game, but he'll likely be a regular in a year. He won't ever be an offensive wizard, but he will one day bounce between the second and third lines. And maybe even top the 55-point mark.
Maybe Brown will buck the odds -- there just aren't that many college free agents who turn into consistent offensive performers in the NHL. He's probably better suited, though, as a third-line sparkplug who can pound the opposition and possibly chip in 10-12 goals. The Bolts' wings are thin among the bottom six so he has a shot at a big-league job this fall. But his fantasy impact will be slim.
