Kase has been a solid middle-six contributor throughout the course of his career, but he's rarely been healthy, and last year was no exception. He played in 50 of 82 regular-season games in his only year with the Leafs, managing 14 goals and 27 points. Dealing with salary cap concerns, Toronto chose not to qualify Kase a contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. He ended up signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Carolina. Kase should have a golden opportunity with his new team given the departure of Vincent Trocheck and Max Pacioretty's Achilles injury, but it won't mean anything if he's unable to suit up on a consistent basis. Kase has never played more than 66 games in any one year.
Kase started the 2019-20 campaign with the Ducks, notching seven goals, 16 helpers and 135 shots in 49 games. The 2014 seventh-round pick was then dealt to the Bruins at the trade deadline, where he added one assist in six regular-season contests and four apples in 11 playoff games. The 25-year-old winger may get a shot in Boston's top six to start the 2020-21 season, as David Pastrnak is expected to be sidelined until mid-February while recovering from offseason hip surgery, but he'll almost certainly be demoted to the bottom six as soon as Pasta is ready to rock. Kase has shown potential in the past, so he'll be worth a waiver claim if he has a hot start to the year, but there's no reason to drop a pick on him during this year's fantasy drafts.
Kase lost time at both ends of the 2018-19 campaign, beginning the year with a concussion and ending it with surgery for a torn labrum in his shoulder. When healthy, he contributed 20 points in 30 games, building on the 38 points he registered in 66 games the year before. He was expected to be a major contributor for the Ducks last year, but his injuries ultimately derailed those plans. The seventh-round pick from 2014 should be good to go for training camp, and if he can stay healthy, could realistically put up 25-plus goals and 50-plus points while skating in a top-six role. Fantasy owners willing to gamble on Kase's ability to avoid the injury bug could score big in the later rounds of drafts this season.
Despite a knack for making room for himself and deceiving goaltenders with his wicked hands, Kase flew mostly under the radar last season. It was a breakout campaign for the 22-year-old, however, as he racked up 20 goals and 18 apples in 66 games on the Ducks' third line. The Czech winger fired 146 shots on goal as well, providing a 13.7 percent conversion rate. An uptick in ice time should also vault him into 50-point territory now that he's fully settled into NHL play, so fantasy owners should be confident selecting Kase in the middle to late rounds.
Anaheim's 2014 seventh-round draft choice, Kase produced 15 points in 53 regular-season games as a rookie last season, and he was even unleashed during the postseason, netting a pair of goals over nine contests. Those numbers are undeniably boring from a fantasy hockey point of view, but one must consider that he only averaged 11:47 of ice time; once he matures and earns more playing time, the offensive numbers should spike significantly, and it's always better to buy low on these types of prospects.
