Frozen Pucks

July 3, 2008 5:00pm CDT

Over the past couple of days, it only seems like every other NHL player has switched teams. As for those who actually switched zip codes, we have taken the top handful of fantasy relevant moves and offered some thoughts.

MARIAN HOSSA: 1 year, $7.4 million, Detroit Red Wings

Marian Hossa was the target of about 20 teams at the start of the free agent period, and despite multiple huge dollar offers, including one from the Oilers for $60 million over seven years, Hossa did the unthinkable…he left mega millions on the table to sign with a winner. Now, if he goes and blows a tire this year, he may well miss the chance at the huge money that was being thrown around. But really, isn't it refreshing to see a player sign with a team so he can win a Cup with little regard to salary (unlike the next guy on this list)? "Without Marian wanting to be a Red Wing, this day never happens," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said.

So what type of player is Hossa and how does this move affect his fantasy value? In the words of Stuart Scott from ESPN, "booyah!" Since 1999-2000, Hossa has scored at least 29 goals in every season with an average of 36 tallies a year. He has also averaged 84 points a season the past five years, and though his numbers last year were his worst in this century (29-37-66), he dealt with injury concerns for the first time. Hossa is one of the top-20 fantasy forwards, and one of the top-10 all-around forwards, in the league. While he's almost a sure bet to return to his 30-goal, 80-point ways in Detroit, his +/- should also receive a massive boost, especially if he ends up on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. If he does, that would be the best overall line hockey has seen in a decade. Hossa is likely to be a top-10 pick in many drafts, and he would well be worth that price.

BRIAN CAMPBELL: 8 years, $56.8 million, Chicago Blackhawks

Campbell spurned the Sharks, a team known to be a Stanley Cup favorite, to join the Blackhawks, an up and coming team that has only one .500 win season in the last five years. The Sharks now have nothing to show for their late-season trade deadline addition, and they will obviously need to fill the hole that Campbell left on their blueline. Pure and simply, this was a total money grab. But honestly, would you be able to turn down nearly $60 million?

Campbell scored 62 points last season, including 33 power-play points, and he can clearly be a difference maker with the man advantage due to his vision and superlative skating. In the previous two seasons, he scored 44 and 48 points, and he has clearly established himself as one of the top scoring blue liners in the fantasy game. It should be noted, though, that last season was his first campaign with more than 48 points, and he has scored more than eight goals only once (12 in 2005-06). Being able to team with Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews on the power-play should allow him to keep his point total high, but he could lose a bit off his +/- with the younger 'Hawks.

EVGENI MALKIN: 5 years, $43.5 million, Pittsburgh Penguins

Not a free agent signing, but his star is so huge that he deserves a mention. Malkin signed an identical deal to that of superstar teammate Sidney Crosby. All this kid has done is average 40 goals and 96 points in his first two seasons. If he isn't a top-5 selection in all fantasy drafts in the coming season, it would be a complete shock.

BRIAN ROLSTON: 4 years, $20 million, New Jersey Devils

Brian Rolston decided to return to the organization that he began his career with by signing with the Devils. He provides some much-needed offense for the club (Bobby Holik also returned to the Devils on a one-year, $2.5 million deal).

Though entering his twilight years at 35, Rolston still is a force on the ice. In truth, he has been a more offensively minded force the past three years (34 goals, 31 goals, 31 goals) than he has been at any point of his career, and he still possesses the tremendous wheels that have long been his trademark. He has also been a power-play monster the past three years in Minnesota, where he scored a total of 39 power-play goals, thanks to a big shot from the point. Also a clutch performer with at least five game-winning goals in five of the past six seasons, Rolston immediately boosts the value of the Devils forward lines. Lou Lamoriello mentioned that Rolston will be used at center, which could mean a bountiful point total if he were to skate with Patrick Elias of Brian Gionta, two wingers in need of some help to return to their former point-scoring glory.

WADE REDDEN: 6 years, $39 million, New York Rangers

The 31-year-old cashed in on a career of steady excellence with the Senators by signing with the Rangers. 'The time has definitely come for me to move on. A fresh start is going to be exactly what I need to rejuvenate myself,' Redden told The Canadian Press. The organization also signed Michal Rozsival to a four-year, $20 million deal to give the club an extremely strong duo on the blueline.

Redden is coming off a couple of down scoring seasons (36 and 38 points), though he has dealt with injury on ice and family concerns off. From 1997-2005, Redden scored at least eight goals each season, and from 2000-2005 he averaged 44 points a season from the blueline. Always defensively responsible, Redden owns a career plus/minus of +159, and only once in his 11 seasons has he finished with a minus number (-1 in 1999-2000). Redden also does his thing on the power-play with at least four power-play goals every season since 2000. And over the past five years he has averaged 22 points with the man-advantage. Redden isn't a top-flight fantasy option, but he is certainly a safe pick who would be a tremendous third defenseman with the potential to sneak into second D territory.

JOSE THEODORE: 2 years, $9 million, Washington Capitals

This keeper wasted little time in bolting from the Avs to take a better financial offer from the Caps, who let go late-season trade deadline acquisition Cristobal Huet (see below). To replace Theodore on the roster, the Avalanche signed Andrew Raycroft to a one-year, $800,000 deal.

Theodore started the year slowly last season as the backup to Peter Budaj, but eventually he was given a shot at the No. 1 position, and he took the puck and ran with it on his way to a 28-21-3 record with a 2.44 GAA. This marked Theodore's first fantasy relevant season since 2003-04 after two rather unflattering seasons in Montreal and Colorado in 2005-06 that produced a record of 31-32-7 with an awful GAA of 3.35. Theodore is still only 32 years old, and he was the Hart and Vezina winner in 2001-02 (30-24-10, 2/11 GAA, .931 SV%, seven shutouts), but the short length of this deal would seem to show that the Caps aren't completely sold on him being the long-term answer. Playing in front of an up and coming squad in Washington should allow Theodore a good shot to attain his first 30-win season since 2003-04, making him a solid No. 2 fantasy goalie in the upcoming season.

CRISTOBAL HUET: 4 years, $22.5 million Chicago Blackhawks

Huet was traded to the Caps, and all he did was go 11-2-0 with a 1.63 GAA and .936 SV% to spearhead their mad late season dash for the playoffs. He then struggled somewhat in the playoffs (3-4, 2.93 GAA, .909 SV%) rendering his stay in Washington as brief, as he signed with the Blackhawks earlier this week..

Last season Huet posted the best overall numbers of his career with a 32-14-6 record, 2.32 GAA and .920 save percentage. However, in truth, the ratios are basically a dead-on match for his career numbers in 183 games (2.43 GAA, .918 SV%). There is no disputing his talents, but there is a question over how he will be used in the coming season given that the 'Hawks already have a No. 1 goalie in Nikolai Khabibulin, whose three-year stay in Chicago has been far from what the team hoped for when they signed him to a four-year deal (65-72-17 with a terrible .899 GAA). Unless the club plans on dealing Khabibulin before the year starts, it appears that Huet will battle with the Bulin Wall for the No. 1 spot in the Windy City, though one would have to think that the team hopes he will eventually win out since they just gave him more than $20 million. Monitor this situation closely, as both netminders appear to be worthy of being named the team's starter. However, at the moment the pendulum is swinging in Huet's favor.