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Injury
The guys on this list tend to frequent the E.R. and in turn, will hurt your fantasy roster. Some of these guys have known injuries
going into the season, while others have a history that should not be ignored. If you drafted Peter Forsberg in the last 5 years,
you should pay close attention here.
Offense
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Martin Havlat
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SAN
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After 3 years of decent health, Havlat slid back to a regular spot on the IR. Despite ranking as the #2 RW option in San Jose, he doesn't see much playing time. At age 31, he still has the potential to come out with a solid fantasy season, particularly given the talent surrounding him. It's a late round risk worth considering.
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Mikko Koivu
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MIN
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For the first time since Gaborik left town, Koivu has some legitimate help in Minnesota. He will open the season with newly acquired Zach Parise on his left wing, which should help Koivu rack up the assists. This, of course, assuming he can stay healthy. Koivu missed significant time due to 3 separate injuries last season. His 7 years in the NHL have consistently been defined by injuries, which is the key that holds him back from being a serious fantasy threat. Look for a ton of assists when he is in the lineup.
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Defense
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Kevin Bieksa
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VAN
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At age 31, Bieksa turned in his career best performance last season, landing at 12th in terms of total fantasy value for defenseman. Bieksa has a long history of injury problems and was considering offseason surgery for some muscle problems suffered late last season. The Canucks acquired Garrison this summer to help contribute to the offense, and perhaps to mitigate the next injury to Bieksa. If health were guaranteed, he's rank much higher. I'm not willing to roll the dice on a full season here.
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Ryan Whitney
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EDM
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Injuries have always been (and may always be) a major concern for Whitney. He has managed just two "full" seasons out of 7 thus far in his career. When moderately healthy, he's a solid fantasy option. He finished the season healthy, logging top minutes for the Oilers. Edmonton should score goals early 80's style this season, so Whitney should pile up the assists. Worth a late pick for the extreme up side if you can stomach the risk.
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James Wisniewski
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COB
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The storyline around Jimmy Wiz continues to be his health. Through 7 NHL seasons, the best he has managed is 75 games, which helps explain why he's played for 5 different NHL teams already. When he does play, he is highly effective, making him worth the risk. If he ever put together a full season, you could expect him to land around 15 goals and 50 points. Big if. But one worth taking a chance on.
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Goalies
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