On August 8, Selanne told a Finnish newspaper that he is yet to make the "biggest decision" of his career. And we both know what that decision is. Yes, he is skating and he may still return to the Ducks for one more season. And honestly, we think he will. He is very interested in the 2014 Olympics, so he will need to play somewhere and Anaheim is like a second home to this future Hall-of-Fame winger. Sure, he turned 43 this offseason, but this is a guy who has scored 69 goals since turning 40, second only all-time to the great Gordie Howe. His 2012-13 wasn't nearly as productive as his previous two seasons, so there is a risk of drop off. But 20 goals and 45 points are possible -- just trade him at the deadline if you take a chance on him. The Olympics will be a drain on everyone given the time difference and the travel, and the old man may be slower to recover than someone half his age.
The first-ballot Hall-of-Famer is back for one last season. And the 42-year-old still has value -- lots, in fact -- in fantasy arenas. Consider this -- he has potted at least 26 goals in each of his last four seasons and has averaged almost a point-per-game since the lockout. Yes, he "only" tallied 66 points in 82 games last year, but everyone on the Ducks had a down year. He remains potent on the power-play and even strength, andcould score another 26 goals, with 60+ points this year.
Selanne once again proved all that doubted him wrong when he tallied 80 points (31 G, 49 A) in 73 games played for the Ducks this past season. The 41-year-old Selanne had offseason knee surgery and will likely wait until September before making a decision on his status for next season. If he returns, Selanne remains a viable fantasy option across all formats. If he decides to retire, expect the newly acquired Andrew Cogliano to center the second line in Anaheim.
Selanne inked a new deal with the Anaheim in August of 2010. From the looks of it, the Ducks needed Selanne to stick around as an established veteran who can still pot his fare share of goals, even at the age of 40. Of course, injuries might get in the way from time to time, but you could do worse than snagging Selanne as a late round selection - especially if it's in a deeper player pool.
The Ducks received the good news they were hoping for when Selanne announced that he would indeed return for the 2009-10 season, and possibly longer. Selanne may no longer be the 50 goal threat of years past, but he still potted 27 goals in 65 games last season, including 16 on the power play. The addition of Sakou Koivu and Joffrey Lupul to play with Selanne should only enhance his offensive output.
Selanne reported to training camp with the Ducks without a regular season contract, while general manager Brian Burke is busy at work trying to shop veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider and clear space under the salary cap to re-sign Selanne. It appears that Selanne is unwilling to play anywhere else, but he'll remain a top-six forward in Anaheim and yield plenty of value for fantasy owners after tallying 12 goals and 11 assists in 26 regular season games last season.
Selanne's return to the Ducks in 2005-06 revived his career, getting him 90 points in 80 games and 14 points in 16 playoff games. Expect much of the same from him in 2006-07, as he will get you 90-100 points.
There's a reason the Ducks gave Selanne just a one-year deal: injury concerns. And it's hard to put his awful 2003-04 season out of memory, since it was the first time the Finnish Flyer finished with fewer than 50 points since 1994-95. And in that season, Selanne had 45 points in just 48 games. At 35, there's no doubt Selanne has lost a step or two. And when you rely on your speed, it's only a matter of time before you're no longer considered the scoring threat you once were. While he'll be on one of the top two lines, don't expect much more than 40-45 points. We'd love to be wrong, but we just don't see Selanne being the scoring machine he once was – even with the more helpful rules.
