Playing the Waiver Wire: Leaking Oil

Fantasy owners will most likely be in a frenzy over the next couple of days trying to find a replacement for Sheldon Souray, who aggravated a pre-existing shoulder injury in a fight over the weekend against Byron Ritchie of the Canucks. He has been listed as out indefinitely, which is terrible news considering the fact it was announced well after the lineup lock deadline for the current week.

That zero is going to make Fantasy owners say a few words that you would not necessarily be able to say on television.

Anyway, Souray wasn't doing all that much in the early going for the Oilers, posting a goal, assist and minus-3 rating through the first six games. That's the same type of production fellow offseason acquisition Joni Pitkanen has shown. That's not really great considering the Oilers were hanging their hopes on the talented rearguard duo.

Now, Souray will be doing nothing at least into early November, while Pitkanen will scoot up to the team's top defensive pairing, likely skating with Matt Greene. While Greene is someone far more valuable to his team than to Fantasy owners, Pitkanen might see a resurgence in Fantasy appeal.

If you want to look outside of the Edmonton roster for a Fantasy replacement, which is likely a good idea if you are in a league that penalizes plus/minus rating, you might want to take a look at Philadelphia's Randy Jones, Cory Murphy of the Panthers or Tampa Bay's Paul Ranger. We also have some players to watch listed below.

Add of the week ... Tim Thomas, G, Boston: The Bruins have to be kicking themselves, as the offseason acquisition of Manny Fernandez has been a disaster so far. The player that they had come out of nowhere a couple of seasons ago, Tim Thomas, quietly accepted the challenge and has played better than Fernandez. An impressive win last Saturday at San Jose, stunning former Bruins center Joe Thornton, should buy Thomas more time as the starter, at least in the interim. While the Bruins will give Fernandez every chance to become the starter they’ve been looking for since the days of Jim Carey and Blaine Lacher, perhaps he has always been right there under their collective noses in Thomas.

Each Thursday we will highlight players who might be available in your league and whether you should consider picking them up off waivers based on their recent performances. The players chosen are based on the percentage of ownership in CBSSports.com leagues.

Add 'em

Niklas Hagman, W, Dallas
Owned: 57 percent
Analysis: Hagman has been the hottest Fantasy free agent, as ownership has risen from a mere 15 percent to 57 percent in just a few days. That tends to happen when a player picks up at least one point in five of six games, posting five goals and seven points. Who would have thought two weeks into the season that the goal total would be: Niklas Hagman 5, Sidney Crosby 2.

Mike Richards, C, Philadelphia
Owned: 30 percent
Analysis: Richards has rolled up some serious offensive totals in the Flyers amazing start. Richards is good for three goals, six points and a plus-4 rating through the first five games. He came into the league with high expecations, along with Jeff Carter, but he has averaged just 33 points in his first two years. He appears on pace to blow those totals away in his third full NHL season. Why not get in on the ground floor and enjoy the ride?

Brent Seabrook, D, Chicago
Owned: 57 percent
Analysis: Seabrook is good for second place on the Blackhawks in scoring with four points, while collecting a more than respectable plus-4 rating so far through five games. He is also second in ice time in Chicago, behind only fellow defenseman Duncan Keith. Seabrook always seems to go unnoticed on Draft Day, only to emerge as a tremendous selection off of the waiver wire midseason.

Avoid 'em

Sean Avery, W, N.Y. Rangers
Owned: 35 percent
Analysis: There is no sense in keeping Avery around if you need the roster space right now. While the pest is expected to begin skating on Monday, New York Newsday reported he had trouble putting on his sweater for a team photo due to his Grade II shoulder separation. That doesn't sound like a player who is ready to return soon, especially for the physical player like Avery. He is a player who racks up a lot of penalty minutes and is above-average from an offensive perspective for a tough guy, but if you need the roster spot, you can likely get him back when he nears a return.

Rob Blake, D, Los Angeles
Owned: 92 percent
Analysis: Blake is starting in 92 percent of CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues, which makes for an awful lot of disappointed owners. He has posted just one assist over the past six games with an abysmal minus-9 rating since lighting the lamp in the season opener in London against Anaheim. Blake was once of the most feared offensive defensemen in the game, but after a couple of disappointing seasons, he is starting to look as if he is in the twilight of his career.

Martin Havlat, W, Chicago
Owned: 65 percent
Analysis: It was recently announced that Havlat will not have corrective surgery for the shoulder injury he suffered in the team's regular-season opener. He is expected to rehab the injury, which will keep him out anywhere from four to six weeks. That's simply too long to play wait-and-see with Havlat, especially since it will likely be towards the long end of that timetable with his history. This might be the most disappointing player in Fantasy, as he has so much potential, but can never stay healthy.

Others to monitor ...

Jeff Carter, C, Philadelphia
Owned: 40 percent
Analysis: The Flyers have won four of their five games, which is due to the solid play of their resurgent offense. Carter is tied with big offseason acquisition Daniel Briere for the team-lead in goals with four. While most owners obviously have Briere, Carter is still available in more than half of CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues. As we said with Richards, hop on the bandwagon now before its too late. Philadelphia looks like the real deal again.

Phil Kessel, C/W, Boston
Owned: 47 percent
Analysis: Kessel struggled in his first NHL season. However, he had to battle testicular cancer and was playing on a poor Bruins club. While the B's aren't that much better this season, he appears to be healthy and more comfortable. He posted a hat trick on Oct. 12 at Los Angeles and has five points in five games overall, all while playing the wing. The Bruins are taking advantage of his speed, playing him on the wing, instead of center where he has spent his entire career.

Craig Rivet, D, San Jose
Owned: 39 percent
Analysis: Rivet has been in a foul mood most of the season, which of course has been to the delight of his growing legion of Fantasy owners. Rivet has a nice mix of offense, with five assists, together with 15 penalty minutes. If you're in a league that heavily rewards PIMs, then it is time to get Rivet on your team and dump that less productive defenseman you've been hoping would get going soon.

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