Drafting Players in Their Contract Years

If you’re looking to adopt a unique strategy before you draft your fantasy hockey teams this year, consider taking a look at players who are in a contract season. We tend to see players perform a little better in years where their future with a team is up in the air. Players becoming UFAs and RFAs at the end of this season could potentially be looking for a new home come summer, so what they do this season could impact their pay and location for the 2011-2012 season.

Let’s take a look back in the past to see how certain players upped their performances in a contract year and also take a look at who is worth keeping an eye on this season.

2006-2007 NHL Season

• Danny Briere puts in a 95 point performance in Buffalo (career high) before making bank with the Flyers the following season.
• Defenseman Sheldon Souray posts 64 points and 135 penalty minutes with Montreal before receiving a handsome contract from the Oilers (to which they are currently still regretting).
• Jason Blake records 69 points with the Islanders before grabbing a contract with Leafs.
• Injury prone center Michael Nylander pulled it together for 2 seasons in New York posting a career high 83 points with the Rangers before being scooped up by the Caps.

2007-2008 NHL Season

• In true Buffalo Sabres fashion, the organization groomed Brian Campbell into an All-Star defender and then traded him in during the best year of his career (for Steve Bernier and a pick – swing and a miss) and Campbell cashed in with the ‘Hawks at the end of the season.
• Late bloomer Mark Streit emerged out of nowhere in Montreal to post 62 points in a contract season and has been sitting pretty ever since in Long Island.
• Niklas Hagman had a solid season with Dallas and was rewarded (I think) with a nice contract with the Leafs for 2008-2009.
• NHL journeyman Radim Vrbata scored a career high 56 points with the ‘Yotes and nabbed himself a nice contract with the Lightning for the following season.
• Mike Green exploded on the offensive scene in a contract year with a56 point performance.

2008-2009 NHL Season

• Tuomo Ruutu finally pans out for the ‘Canes, and wouldn’t you know it, he has his career year in a contract season.
• Backup netminder Craig Anderson contested the starting job in Florida and became a fantasy savior for Vokoun owners.
• David Booth emerged as a nice source of offense for Florida in his contract year posting 60 points and 5 game-winning goals.
• Injury-prone-wanna-be-superstar-potential-laced wingerMartin Havlat pulled it together and had a career year with the Blackhawks amassing 77 points and a +29 rating.
• Inconsistent winger Michael Cammalleri tore it up with the Flames posting career highs in goals and points and was rewarded with a nice contract from the Habs in the off-season.

2009-2010 NHL Season

• Inconsistent center Tomas Plekanec decided to show up in a contract year and posted 70 points and 50 penalty minutes.
• James Wisniewski had 30 points with the Ducks last season; his most productive season in his career.
• Lee Stempniak re-proved himself as a goal scorer in the NHL with the ‘Yotes last season posting a career high 28 goals in a 48 point effort.
• Center Matthew Lombardi dazzled Coyote fans last season posting a career high 53 points in his contract year. Should be a number one center in Nashville this season.

Looking ahead to this year, let’s take a look at some players that may be worth going after in fantasy drafts as these players will be expecting contracts this season and may try to step it up to ensure a decent payday in 2011-2012:

Standard League Options

Player: Brad Richards
Team: Dallas Stars

Player: Joe Thornton
Team: San Jose Sharks

Player: Patrice Bergeron
Team: Boston Bruins

Player: Tim Connolly
Team: Buffalo Sabres

Player: Alexander Semin
Team: Washington Capitals

Player: Simon Gagne
Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

Player: Jamie Langenbrunner
Team: New Jersey Devils

Player: Milan Hejduk
Team: Colorado Avalanche

Player: Zdeno Chara
Team: Boston Bruins

Player: Andrei Markov
Team: Montreal Canadiens

Player: Tomas Kaberle
Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Player: Craig Anderson
Team: Colorado Avalanche

Player: Ilya Bryzgalov
Team: Phoenix Coyotes

Player: Tomas Vokoun
Team: Florida Panthers

Moderately-Deep League Options

Player: Tomas Fleischmann
Team: Washington Capitals

Player: Brooks Laich
Team: Washington Capitals

Player: David Backes
Team: St. Louis Blues

Player: Erik Cole
Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Player: Matt Moulson
Team: New York Islanders

Player: Antti Miettinen
Team: Minnesota Wild

Player: Alex Tanguay
Team: Calgary Flames

Player: Justin Williams
Team: Los Angeles Kings

Player: Radim Vrbata
Team: Phoenix Coyotes

Player: Bryan McCabe
Team: Florida Panthers

Player: Joni Pitkanen
Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Player: Christian Ehrhoff
Team: Vancouver Canucks

Player: Mike Smith
Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

Deep League Options

Player: Jussi Jokinen
Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Player: Ville Leino
Team: Philadelphia Flyers

Player: Scottie Upshall
Team: Phoenix Coyotes

Player: Mark Giordano
Team: Calgary Flames

Player: Chuck Kobasew
Team: Minnesota Wild

Player: Josh Harding
Team: Minnesota Wild