Last season, Peter Forsberg waited until February to return to the NHL.
Don't expect Mats Sundin or Brendan Shanahan to wait that long this season.
The two future Hall-of-Famers have been mulling things over for a couple of months now and Fantasy owners everywhere are eagerly awaiting their decisions.
While it's clear the NHL team they end up with will clearly benefit from their presence -- at least for this season -- what can these two guys do for Fantasy owners when they get back?
The fact Sundin is owned in 69 percent of leagues compared to Shanahan's 37 percent should tell you exactly how Fantasy owners feel about the pair right now, but the fact is that Sundin is asking for a ton of money ($10 million) and he is probably less likely to end up somewhere than Shanny, who is reportedly only asking for about a tenth of that.
Sundin is two years younger than Shanahan and has racked up more assists over the last years, but their goal totals are very similar over the same span (92 for Shanahan, 90 for Sundin), which was a surprising stat to me. However, Shanahan's numbers have suffered over the past two seasons, while Sundin's have remained strong.
In summary, I think Sundin's ownership is just about right, but I think Shanahan could be a bargain waiver wire addition right now if you're in a deeper league, as if he ends up on a team with a nice offensive core intact, he could certainly put up serviceable numbers.
And don't forget that other veteran forward who could find his way to the NHL very soon -- Claude Lemieux! Only kidding ... leave him well alone!
Add 'Em
Justin Williams, RW, Carolina
Owned: 15 percent
of leagues
Analysis: Williams injured his Achilles' tendon
back in mid-September and was expected to be out 4-6 months. Well, the
former first-round pick from 2000 is apparently a super-fast healer as
he has been cleared for contact and could be back in the Hurricanes
lineup within the next week or two. OK, so he has been a bit
injury-prone lately, but he didn't miss a game in 2005-06 or 2006-7 and
averaged 71 points over those campaigns. That is a number worthy of a
No. 2 or No. 3 Fantasy forward in all formats, so grab him now before
someone else does.
Curtis Sanford, G, Vancouver
Owned: 41 percent of
leagues
Analysis: This might seem like a bit of an obvious
pick, but when Vancouver called up super-prospect Cory Schneider this week, many Fantasy owners must have wondered if
the youngster would steal some starts from Sanford. Well, Sanford has
now won three times in the last week and it doesn't look like he intends
to give up that starting spot other than maybe once every other week. As
long as the Canucks can continue to put the puck in the net, Sanford
looks like a great No. 3 option in leagues that start two goalies.
Doug Weight, C, N.Y. Islanders
Owned: 39 percent
of leagues
Analysis: Many people thought Weight might have
been a little washed-up coming into this year after his 25-point
performance last season in 67 games, but the veteran has been a great
addition to the Islanders so far. He is averaging a point a game through
21 contests, yet is still owned in less than 40 percent of leagues.
While he's unlikely to continue this pace, there's no reason why Weight
can't finish with somewhere around 60 points.
Drop 'Em
Sam Gagner, C, Edmonton
Owned: 34 percent of
leagues
Analysis: How long do you give Gagner to prove this
lengthy drought to start his season (1G, 4A in 19 games) isn't a massive
sophomore slump? We're over a third of the way through most Fantasy
seasons right now and Gagner has simply shown no signs of life
whatsoever. Outside of keeper formats, you're better off dumping him
back to the wire as he's just a waste of space right now on your bench.
Avoid 'Em
Cory Stillman, C, Florida
Owned: 47 percent of
leagues
Analysis: Stillman's ownership percentage has dropped
30 percent this season, which shows how little faith Fantasy owners have
in the Panthers offense and Stillman's ability to bounce back from a
concussion. Obviously head injuries are very serious problems in the NHL
and Stillman is out indefinitely, so you're better off just leaving him
on the wire for the time being.
Ty Conklin, G, Detroit
Owned: 45 percent of
leagues
Analysis: Conklin is playing very well this season,
but I can see Fantasy owners getting a little too excited over him due
to his 6-1 start and the fact he plays for one of the best teams in the
league. His start percentage has gone up 15 percent over the last couple
of weeks, which seems a little ridiculous for a guy who is clearly a
backup. Unless you're in a deep league that starts two goalies every
week, you're better off avoiding Conklin for now, as he's only going to
split starts with Chris Osgood at best.
Watch 'Em
Karl Alzner, D, Washington
Owned: 6 percent of
leagues
Analysis: A rash of injuries in the nation's capital
forced the Capitals to call on Alzner, the fifth overall pick in last
year's draft, this week. He will get thrust right into the thick of the
action and we'll get to see exactly what the highly-touted rookie has to
offer. He wasn't a superb scorer during his AHL career, so don't pick
him up in seasonal formats just yet, but instead just keep tabs on his
ice time and progress.
Matthew Lombardi, C, Calgary
Owned: 8 percent of
leagues
Analysis: Lombardi got off to a slow start this season
thanks to the flu and injuries, but he's now on the top line with Jarome Iginla and picked up two assists Tuesday in a win over the
Kings. This guy has shown flashes of offensive potential in the past
(130-point season in juniors), and this is a great chance for him to
play alongside one of the best players in the league. Watch him like a
hawk.
You can e-mail us your Fantasy Hockey questions to DMFantasyPucks@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Waiver Wire in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.