Souray suffered a wrist injury that caused him to miss this past year. Having had surgery in January, the 38-year-old Souray will be trying to come back to his old form in 2014-15.
This 37-year-old with the booming shot is past his expiry date, but that doesn't mean he can't be well insulated inside a strong set of six NHL defenders. That's exactly what the Ducks will do with Souray, who picked up seven goals and 10 assists in his 44 games in a similar situation during the 2012-2013 season. That led him to a higher points-per-game average last year than his previous two seasons. And that means he'll be valuable as your last blueliner ... if he can stay healthy, too. And we both know that hasn't exactly been easy for him. And with late-summer news that he underwent surgery on July 25 to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist, we're downgrading him to the official status of waiver fodder. He will be out until December and when he returns, that big slapper of his will likely be a lot less powerful than it once was.
Souray's game is in serious decline, but does that mean he's not worthy of a fantasy job this season? We're not prepared to go that far. He has really struggled since 2008-09 and at 36, his prime is behind him. But the Ducks' blue line is thin and Souray -- if deployed properly -- can continue to contribute. His greatest value lies in leagues that count power-play points. He should start the season on the first unit and will play with the likes of Teemu Selanne, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Cam Fowler. All he has to do is fire the puck near the net. And he can still do that. He's a huge injury risk, though, so draft him for 60 games and half that many points. Proper expectations are important.
Souray spent the year in limbo, often on waivers and in the minors, as he never surfaced at the NHL level. Bought out by the Oilers following the season, he was signed by Dallas in the offseason. He'll be just two years removed from a 23-30-53 season from the blue line, and figures to get a long look with the Stars this preseason to see if there's any magic left in his once-booming shot.
Souray had a terrible season in 2009-10. He was tripped into the boards by Jarome Iginla, and subsequently broke his hand getting into a fight with Iginla after he recovered. As if things couldn't get worse, Souray and management have been squabbling, causing Souray to demand a trade. That wasn't possible before the trade deadline last season as Souray wasn't healthy, but no team was willing to even claim Souray and his salary off of waivers for free, so it may seem unlikely that he is going anywhere. If Souray and the Oilers still want to part ways the best chance may be during camp when another team suffers an injury and gets desperate, or the Oilers could just put him on re-entry waivers where a claiming team would only be responsible for half of his remaining contract. Souray could still be a useful piece to a team's puzzle as he has a cannon for a shot and would be a bonus to any team's power play.
If there was one bright spot on the Oilers, it was Souray. Souray was coming off an injury shortened 2007-08 campaign with a shoulder injury, and there was some concern that his blistering slap shot wouldn’t be as hard or accurate when he came back. He put those fears to rest with 23 goals and 53 points. Fantasy owners had to love his 12 goals on the power play. There is no reason to believe he would do any worse this season.
Only played in 26 games during the 07-08 season with shoulder injuries. Only had three goals last season. Shoulder surgery was successful but the question will remain will it affect his big shot from the point. Souray could be a sleeper this season if your fellow owners are scared off by the surgery.
Souray led all defensemen in goals (26) and was third in points with 64 last season. His cannon-like shot enabled him to rack up 19 power-play goals, which was six more than the next highest total among defensemen and second in the league overall. While we expect a decline in his numbers, it shouldn't be too significant. The 31-year old should still be among the top scoring defensemen with anywhere from 15 to 20 goals and a point total in the neighborhood of 50 points.
There appears to be about a 50-50 chance that Souray gets traded some time during the season. Why worry about things you can't control? Souray plays on the first PP unit, he scores, he hits people, and he occasionally fights people. That's a lot to work with.
Souray is the most injury prone defenseman the Canadiens have. Yet, he also has the most upside. After a breakout first half of the last NHL season, injuries once again sidelined him. But, with a cannon-like shot, a mean streak and international experience now under his belt, Souray is Norris Trophy material when everything is right. He’s a gamble, but with a big payoff if successful.
