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The following is a list of the impact UFAs centers for 2002. We also give you our analysis, from a fantasy perspective, of where these guys may go and how they may do.
Bill Guerin (Group III): Guerin is a player who will go for top dollar, but
the question is whether he's worth it. He has limited leadership capabilities,
he's a very good, but not great, goal-scorer, and most importantly he's not a
proven winner. Sure he played on a Stanley Cup winning Devils squad in 94/95,
but that was a team led by the likes of
Claude Lemieux,
Stephane Richer, and
John Maclean. In fact, Guerin was only tied for 7th in team playoff scoring.
Are we being overly hard on Billy? Maybe. But the point is that just because a
one-time (yes you heard me right) 40 goal scorer is available on the open
market, does not mean he's worth it. So after all this, where is he going to go?
The usual suspects the Rangers and Stars are near the top of the list with the
Bruins still in it. People are talking about the Stars with the upper hand but
I'm just not sure that he's the talented winger they're looking for (that honor
would go to
Teemu Selanne or
Tony Amonte).
Fantasy Impact: Guerin isn't going to play with a center who's much more
talented than
Joe Thornton. As a result, consider last season's numbers the peak - it's
all downhill from here.
Tony Amonte (Group III): Amonte, a 3-time 40 goal man, picked the wrong time
to have a bad season. When the frenzy begins you may see Guerin make as much as
$1.5 million per season more than Tony and that just doesn't make a lot of
sense. Amonte is a proven goal scorer, he's the current NHL ironman, AND he has
speed to burn. To me any team that can afford him will be instantly better. The
Islanders are rumored to be tops on the list, but in our opinion this is the
player the Stars should be after. If Guerin signs quickly with another team,
look for the Bruins to dip their toes in the Amonte free agent pool.
Fantasy Impact: Last year was an aberration. Amonte was surrounded by the
distraction of contract and trade rumors and it did affect his play. Look for a
return to the 35-40 goal range no matter where he's playing next season.
Teemu Selanne (Group III): Want to see a player take a dramatic pay cut
AFTER he becomes an unrestricted free agent? Look no further than Selanne. It's
hard to believe that any team will pay him anywhere close to the $10 million he
made last season. There are two things that Teemu needs: 1) a talented center
and 2) a coach with a wide open style. Based on these two criteria it's possible
that a trip to Long Island could be in the works for Teemu. Playing alongside
Alexei Yashin, with a decent 2nd line behind him, could be just what the
doctor ordered for his career.
Fantasy Impact: Unlike most players, Teemu's performance is directly
related to the team he's with. If he resigns with San Jose look for a 65-75
point season at best. However moving to an offensively oriented club could add
15 to 20 points to his total. Watch carefully.
Theoren Fleury (Group III): If there was ever a "wild card" in a free agent
pool, Theo is it. His personal problems have dominated his life for the last
couple of years and as a result his excellent play has been overshadowed. It's
unknown whether he'll play in the NHL this season. He had threatened to play in
Europe if he didn't play for the Rangers, but the money in North America may be
too appealing. His rights were acquired by the San Jose Sharks, but it's unknown
whether this was an attempt to sign the once feisty winger or a way to pick up a
compensation pick if he signs somewhere else. There are few teams that need the
headache, but there are some that will endure it - Boston, LA, Chicago, Dallas,
Toronto and maybe even the Avs may get into the action.
Fantasy Impact: Theo will never be a top scorer again unless he learns to
control his emotions. We wouldn't be surprised to see him end up back in
Colorado. His price tag would be relatively low, and he could add some grit to
the team.
Scott Young (Group III): Young is very much like Guerin. He is a player that
will be remember for one great season and not for the plethora of average ones.
The
Scott Young we saw last season is the
Scott Young that any team that signs him will probably get. He'll be a
hardworking two-way player who'll pick up 20-25 goals, play the point on the
powerplay and kill penalties. So the question is what does a guy who can do all
that go for on the open market? The answer is most likely - TOO MUCH! There are
probably 15 teams who will go into July 1st thinking they have a shot at him.
They'll be using logic to try and determine his worth. Once his demands go out,
expect 12 of those 15 teams to go away. The Rangers, Stars and Blues will be the
only ones left and even then the Blues will only be in it long enough to tell
their fans they tried.
Fantasy Impact: Young will continue to have fantasy value, but he will
never have 2000/01 fantasy value again...EVER!
Donald Brashear (Group III): Who have thought that we'd be mentioning
Donald Brashear in a breath with all these great players. Well, if you use
PIMs in your fantasy league then Donald could end up being a very valuable
commodity come October. How many 32 point scorers are there who can also rack up
almost 200 PIMs? Not many. In the right situation Brashear could hit 35-40
points. At this point it's too early to tell who'll be interested, but he is the
kind of player that most teams could afford - the question is - will they? The
Flyers are still interested, a team like Washington or Colorado could be very
interested. Also the Kings, Coyotes, Devils, Islanders and Blackhawks could all
be in the market.
Fantasy Impact: In a regular league his value is limited, however throw
PIMs into the mix and Brashear could be a Top 100 guy.
Ulf Dahlen (Group III): At 35 Dahlen is as good a player, or better, than he
was 10 years ago. His 52 points in 69 games made him one of the top sleepers of
the 01/02 season. Can he repeat? While he might not hit those heights again, a
return to his 00/01 stats would still be great. He's definitely a second tier
free agent and unless the Caps step up and sign him before July 1, he'll
probably sit for a week or so and wait for the best offer. Any team with a hope
of making the playoffs will make him an offer. Don't be surprised if he signs
with a team like Toronto, who desperately need a short term fix on the wing as
Gary Roberts could be out for half the 2002/03 campaign.
Fantasy Impact: A solid mid-to-late round pick. That really won't change
no matter where he goes.
Goalies | Centers |
Defensemen
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