Teemu Selanne
The 20 year veteran Teemu Selanne may have finally found a permanent home in Anaheim. For years he’s been bouncing around between various NHL teams. However he always seems to find his way back to Anaheim and the Ducks. This time he may be there for good. Teemu has been in Anaheim since 2005 and he doesn’t have too many years left in him anymore. For fantasy hockey fans he presents a unique opportunity. He has name recognition for anyone that’s followed the NHL at any point in the last 15 years or so but he’s also widely recognized as over the hill. It takes a deft eye to properly evaluate players like Teemu in fantasy hockey but we’re going to try anyway.
He’s hardly been the most consistent player over the past five seasons which makes this even harder. Last year’s 66 points was the second highest points total for Teemu in the last five years. However it was lower than his total from the year before last. It’s highly unlikely that he’ll hit the 70 point mark ever again in his career but somewhere between 55 and 65 seems reasonable. He’s got the talent to do it but he’s not the driving force in Anaheim anymore. He’ll need to ride on the coattails of the younger players in order to get anywhere this next season. That’s not necessarily bad for his fantasy hockey prospects but it’s hardly encouraging. Teemu’s probably the best of the aging wings in fantasy hockey right now and that should put him somewhere in the fifth or sixth round range. He’s capable of playing like a fifth rounder if everything turns up roses in Anaheim but that’s his ceiling. Take caution with him in your fantasy hockey draft for next year and try not to get too caught up in the illustrious name.