Frozen Pucks

July 15, 2008 10:06am CDT

Jason Williams Signs with Thrashers
Jason Williams' stay in a Blackhawks uniform was short. After only two seasons in Chicago, he signed a one-year, $2.2 million deal to join the Atlanta Thrashers.

Williams was able to skate in only 43 games last season as he suffered from a sports hernia that eventually required surgery. He should be at 100% by the start of the 2007-08 season. Williams scored 17 goals and 42 points over 63 games with the 'Hawks and has never been anything more than a secondary scoring option. However, he did show some upside in 2005-06, scoring 21 times with 37 assists, and he does bring a nice offensive touch to the ice. His true value will be dependent on what line he skates on with the Thrashers. If he is on the second line, a 20-goal, 50-point season would seem to be his ceiling. However, if he can wiggle his way on to the top line to skate with Ilya Kovalchuk, then he could certainly blow past those figures by simply doing nothing more than passing the puck to the dynamic Russian winger. He could also offer some solid production with the man advantage, so keep that in mind when selecting forwards late in your draft.


Havlat Said to be Doing Well
Martin Havlat is one of the most sublimely talented offensive weapons in the NHL, one who has scored an average of 67 points per 82 games skated in his career, including an average of 76 points per 82 games since joining the Blackhawks two years ago. Unfortunately for Havlat and those who select him every year, Havlat has never skated in 82 games in a season. He has never skated in 80 games. Heck, he has never even been healthy enough to drag his body out on to the ice for 75 games. The last time he even managed to skate in 70 games was 2001-02. Over the past five seasons he has averaged just 49 games per season.

Most recently, Havlat has been dealing with an injured shoulder, one that ended his season last year after 35 contests and required surgery. However, recent medical reports are once again positive, and he should be fully capable of skating with the team, at full-speed, at the start of training camp. The question is, as it always is with Havlat, when do you spend a selection on the guy in your draft? As alluded to above, per 82 games skated, Havlat has been a wonderful performer with an average of 30 goals and 67 points. Of course, he hasn't matched either of those numbers in a single season since 2003-04 (31g-37a-68pts). However, with the young talent the Blackhawks have up front, Havlat will likely be skating on a line with either Patrick Kane of Jonathan Toews, and either of those pairings could lead Havlat to a breakout performance. Havlat is a huge risk, but with his upside, at a certain point you'll just have to pull the trigger and hope for health.


Radulov to Russia?
Alexander Radulov had a nice rookie season in 2006-07 with 18 goals and 37 points in just 64 games. Radulov followed up that effort with an even better second season that saw him skate in 81 games on his way to producing 26 goals and 32 assists. The former first-round draft pick was being counted on to continue his ascent up the scoring charts this coming season, and even conservative estimates had him poised to enter the 30-goal club. While he still may end up scoring 30 goals this season, he may not do so in North America, as he has signed a three-year deal for $13 million to return home to Russia to skate in the newly formed Continental Hockey League for Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

The 22-year-old Radulov currently has one year remaining on a contract that he signed with the Predators, which would make it illegal for him to sign a new deal with a Russian club. It is also extremely odd timing considering that the NHL and the KHL (the Russian initials for the Continental Hockey League), according to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), agreed just last week not to poach players from the other league if they were under contract. IIHF President Ren Fasel had this to say about the matter. "[It is a] blatant contradiction to the agreement and a violation of what all involved parties agreed to..."

Apparently Radulov longs to return home to play, but his teammates, including captain Jason Arnott for one, aren't very happy with his decision. "When you back out on your deal and you let your teammates and the whole organization down like that, it's hard to swallow — no question,' Arnott said in the Tennessean. "I can't sugarcoat it any better. It's disappointing." The team still fully expects Radulov to honor the final year of his contract, as does the NHL, but even if he does, will he sulk through the year and give his all while on the ice?

Even if he does play out his contract, it is clear that he really has no desire to play in the NHL at this point of his career, so his value in keeper leagues has taken a huge hit since he will likely return to Russia once his contract expires. The team thinks he was influenced by outside sources to make this decision, but even if that is true, Radulov's value takes a substantial hit with this news.


Bergeron Practices Without Issue
Patrice Bergeron, limited to just 10 regular season games last year after suffering a severe concussion, skated at the Bruins developmental camp and reported no setbacks, according to the Boston Herald. "There's no question in my mind that this was a good thing to come here and do this camp," said Bergeron, who is coming back from a severe concussion. "I feel great. There's no question in my mind that I'm ready and that I can go through the next months of workouts and feel great for September."

Bergeron is going to be drafted late in most leagues this season, but after back-to-back 70-point seasons in 2005-06, he is clearly a skater capable of returning a nice value for a late-round investment. Keep an eye on his work in camp. If he doesn't suffer any further setbacks, he should be good to go as a third line center in most fantasy leagues, especially in leagues that place a value on power-play production (an average of 13 goals and 34 points in his last two healthy seasons).


Peter Forsberg Update
Peter Forsberg, one of the greatest players every to lace up a boot, might finally be at the end of a Hall of Fame career. His body has been worn down to the point that he may no longer be capable of playing at a world class level. Most recently, Forsberg has been dogged by foot and ankle problems, and a recent report in the Rocky Mountain News stated that the 35-year-old will need several months of rehab work on his right foot before it can be determined if he will be able to stand up to the rigors of the NHL game.

Last season Forsberg skated in only nine regular season games and scored 14 points before registering another five points in seven playoff games. There is no doubting that he still possesses the skills to produce points at a point-per-game rate, but his body just isn't healthy enough to allow him to find the ice often enough to be worthy of being selected in anything but the deepest of fantasy leagues in the upcoming season, if at all.