Best Under $1 Million
In this day of multi-million dollar NHL contracts and players being singed to outrageous deals they will never be able to earn (see: Pavol Kubina), there are still a number of rising talented players who command less than $1,000,000 per season. Of course, most of these guys are rookies or are in their second year, but I feel I should still commend them.One of my favorite hockey pools is one I play with one of my best friends – we draft the equivalent of an NHL team (14 forwards, 6 defensemen, no goalies) and the only stat that matters is total points at the end of the year. The catch is we use the NHL’s current salary cap – making a quality 20 player fantasy team with $44 million to spend is pretty tough with just the two of us, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be in a similar league with 6-10 other managers. Anyways, this got me thinking of writing an article about great fantasy players with salaries under $1 million this season, I hope you enjoy it.
Sidney Crosby – $850,000
This is an easy one, so I don’t have to spend much time explaining it. He will soon be earning (much) more than $1 million per year, but until that point, he is one of the best bargains in the NHL. Nevermind the guy makes millions in endorsements, 102 points in a rookie season is an amazing feat, and he should only get better from here.
Alexander Ovechkin – $984,200
At this point, I’m sure you are all thinking: the guy who writes these articles must be a genius! Well you are correct, although I can hardly take any credit for Alex the Great. Another superstar who will get a massive raise in the relative near future – until that happens sit back and enjoy another great season from one of the best players in the game, regardless of salary.
Petr Prucha – $550,000
He put up 30 goals in only 68 games last year and Prucha will only improve on those numbers this coming campaign. Whether he plays with Jagr or Shanahan (or a combination of both) I am expecting a 40 goal season from this young Czech centre. Note that more than half of his goals (16) came on the powerplay, some may call him lucky, but I call him an exceptional talent who will prove to everyone last year was most certainly not a fluke. $550,000 can get you either a Ferrari or Petr Prucha and while when presented with that choice I will always pick the car, Prucha is certainly worth every penny of his current contract.
Jussi Jokinen – $500,000
The penalty shot king also managed to put up 55 points in his rookie season with Dallas and is quickly becoming one of their top offensive weapons. I dont see him turning into Teemu Selanne anytime soon, but I think 65 points is certainly in reach this season. If you go on a point/dollar basis, this makes him one of the best deals in the entire league.
Evgeni Malkin – $984,200
Another easy pick for this list, Malkin will get every opportunity to live up to the immense hype surrounding him. He is the sexy choice for a preseason pick as Rookie of the Year (getting more than 50% of the votes in a poll on that topic on this website a week ago) and in all honesty I expect him to obtain this award. He wont get as many minutes as Ovechkin or Crosby, but he should easily see enough opportunity to net 30-35 goals and add 50 or so helpers.
Thomas Vanek – $942,200
In what was considered a slight disapointment, Vanek “only” scored 25 goals and added 23 assists in his rookie season with the Sabres. The year before, he put up 42 goals in 74 games in the AHL and managed an incredible +62 rating (no, that’s not a typo). I’m looking for 60-70 points in a breakout season for Vanek in 2006/07.
Alexander Steen – $770,180
I decided the only way to keep the Leaf fans happy was to add Steen into this article. In all seriousness, Steen is actually a great young player with a salary that makes him look very attractive in leagues with a cap. He scored 45 points in 75 games last campaign and is another talented European youngster who should easily surpass 50 points this year.
Dion Phaneuf – $471,200
In terms of bargain players in today’s NHL, you simply can’t beat Dion. A defenseman who scores 49 points (in his rookie season) and has a salary under $500,000. I am expection him to have another great season for the Flames and is an obvious top choice in salary cap leagues.
Matt Carle – $942,400
I already mentioned him in one of my sleeper articles and I got some grief because some elite hockey people thought he wasn’t much of a sleeper. I guess the don’t realize some people actually didn’t know much about him coming into this season? Anyways, this guy will be a quality NHL player for a long time; he scored 6 points in 12 games last year and I see him reaching 50 in his first full season.
Honorable Mentions (Salaries Just Under $1 Million):
Colby Armstrong: $816,953
Jason Pominville: $800,000
Jeff Carter: $942,400
Honorable Mentions (Salaries Just Over $1 Million):
Marek Svatos: $1,050,000
RJ Umberger: $1,050,000
Nathan Horton: $1,100,000
John-Michael Liles: $1,250,000
Stars Who Made Less Than $1 Million Last Season:
Eric Staal
Jason Spezza
Jonathan Cheechoo
Andy McDonald
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