Buys and Sells: Predicting the Future of the NHL's Aging Stars

Each Friday throughout the season, I'll provide you with my predictions on whose stock is on the rise and whose is failing miserably like an American bank pretty much everything these days. It's a neat little segment entitled Buys and Sells. There are a few teams/players/issues to buy and a few to sell.

Last summer, we were all annoyed to no end captivated by the will he/won't he back and forth of one Mats Sundin. We also didn't care if desperately hoped that Brendan Shanahan would find an NHL team to suit up for. Four months into the season, both of last year's marquee veteran free agents have found a home in the NHL. Now, we have to ask the obligatory question: will they be back next year?

I'm sure that your feelings may be similar to mine -- you couldn't give a rodent's behind.

Today, we're going to forget about the waffling Mats Sundin will surely do this summer. We're going to politely bypass talking about Brendan Shanahan's future. Instead, we'll take a look at other veterans around the NHL -- ones who are usually much more decisive than Sundin -- and whether or not they will be back in an NHL uniform next year.

Buy: Chris Chelios. Chelly is the league's elder statesman at 47 years of age and has only played nine games this season. A fractured tibia sidelined him for most of the first half of '08-'09. His contract is up after this season, and it will be interesting to see what the Red Wings will do about that. He is only costing them $750,000 this year and I would imagine that if he wants to be back (likely) that there would be a team out there willing to take him.

Buy: Peter Forsberg.This morning Foppa announced that he would not be returning to the NHL this year. He has been plagued by injuries his whole career and, at 35 years old, he is probably nearing the end. However, Forsberg ruling out a return to the league somewhere down the line would be like saying winter won't be a season anymore. Sure there's all that global warming stuff, but it seems to kick in every November anyway.

Sell: Claude Lemieux. I still have trouble believing it, but Claude Lemieux is in the NHL again. Now, how long will that last? You can't doubt his commitment and determination, but at 43 this is almost certainly the last go around. In three games so far with the Sharks, he has zero points and averages 8:15 of ice time per game. I've doubted Lemieux before, but the deeper the Sharks go into the playoffs, the more unlikely it may be that we see another year out of him. Of course, I've been wrong before.

Hold: Jeremy Roenick. Roenick has been out of action for the Sharks since December 12th due to a shoulder injury. Roenick has been a nice surprise for the Sharks the last couple years. At 39, I could imagine him having at least another year in him, but it will be interesting to see how effective he is when he returns to the ice.

Buy: Teemu Selanne. This season at age 38, Selanne missed 17 games with a quadricep injury. Prior to the injury he had 27 points in 34 games this season. He returned to the lineup two nights ago for the Ducks and has another year left on his contract. I think he'll be around for a while longer.

Buys and Sells: Predicting the Future of the NHL's Aging Stars originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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