Mathieu Schneider

Even at 38, Schneider is still a fantasy threat. Last season, he posted 52 points (11 goals and 41 assists) in 68 games. If he's able to get healthy by the start of November, Schneider could still turn out a 50-point campaign when all is said and done.

It’s not the worst thing in the world if he winds up being one of your blue line staples, but that said, there’s probably more downside than upside with the Schneider file. He’s always been a bit injury prone (one 80-game campaign in 17 NHL seasons), and that’s not going to get any better now that he’s 37. And at that age, betting on a repeat of his pretty 2005-06 numbers (21-38-59, all career bests) is probably a mistake. We’re also skeptical if he can get off another 188 shots, and even if that does happen, it’s unlikely he’ll score on 11 percent of them again (a very high shooting percentage for a defenseman). If Schneider falls to you, great, but it’s a mistake to target him aggressively.

The Red Wings will gladly live with the occasional defensive lapse from Schneider, since he's got such a wonderful offensive game (heavy shot, good passer). Schneider will probably score a little less than Lidstrom when it's all said and done, but he should be a better-draft day value based on our past draft experiences. He's come a long way since he was fixing leaks for the Romanos … wait a minute, that's a different Schneider.