Frozen Fantasy: Hanging On?

Hanging on or hanging 'em up? Martin Brodeur would tell you it's the former, but I'm not so sure.

Retire already. Would you?

Why do so many premier athletes hang on a little too long? Father Time caught up to Brodeur a while ago. He recorded identical .901 save percentages in his last two full seasons and he absolutely hamstrung the Devils last year with his stubbornness. The playoffs were a pipe dream for that team and it was his fault. Even Devils fans would agree with that.

You can't stay great forever.

Sure, there's something to be said about longevity. He's already the NHL's all-time leader in wins (688), shutouts (124) and games played (1,259). But some things are just cringe-worthy and that includes his myopic focus on 700 wins.

His legacy has a stain. And it's about to get worse.

Brett Favre padded his Hall of Fame stats with all those comebacks. But those comebacks made him the poster boy for indecision and they cost him football immortality in Green Bay. Now people laugh when they say his name.

Brodeur has three Cups, four Vezinas and four Jennings trophies. The NHL introduced the trapezoid because he was too damn good. He has absolutely nothing left to prove. But bodies change and games fall apart. He's 42, after all, and his style is tough to keep well honed.

Sure, it has to be tough to ignore that competitive itch that has gotten him to the top of the goaltending fraternity. But he's going to be a liability in St. Louis and on your fantasy roster, too. He's no longer elite. In fact, he's not even good enough to be "just another guy."

Please, Marty -- do go gently into that good night. It's going to be difficult to shake your uninspiring final impression.

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Casey Cizikas, C, NY Islanders (0 percent Yahoo! owned): Cizikas is a relentless forechecker who uses his body as a battering ram. But lately, he's been scoring, too. Go figure. Greek Lightning is on a three-game, four-point streak and he has seven points, including three goals, in his last 10 games. Toss in 22 hits in those 10 games and you have a decent, multi-category contributor, at least short term. Opa!

Blake Comeau, LW, Pittsburgh (15 percent Yahoo! owned): There's nothing like playing the Laffs to bring out the best in a man, eh? Comeau's hattie on Wednesday was a thing of beauty. He now has both 14 points in 22 games AND an enhanced role, what with Pascal Dupuis all clotted up. Check your wire and pick him up. He's been rolling with Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz, and he'll get points. Lots of points. Who cares if they bank in off his butt? They still count.

Shawn Matthias, C, Vancouver (0 percent Yahoo! owned): Plucking Matthias off the wire is a little like eating KFC -- it smells great, but it becomes regrettable a few bites in. He's speedy and his three-game, four-point streak (including a goal a game) looks tasty. But his career best in points is just 24 and he's never had a season with a positive plus/minus. He's showing real chemistry with Linden Vey (see below), but make sure you have some Gravol handy, just in case he starts to repeat on you. Use him for a one- or two-game stand -- be safe and then drop his butt.

Kyle Palmieri, LW, Anaheim (2 percent Yahoo! owned): Speed? Check. Sniping? You betcha. Consistency? Not so much. Maybe this is Palmieri's year. Maybe it's not. But he's riding shotgun with Ryan Kesler and has three goals and 19 PIM in seven games so far. Not bad. I sure wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers. Just saying.

Calvin Pickard, G, Colorado (9 percent Yahoo! owned): Need a back-to-work-or-school boost? Pickard has already been tapped for Monday's game against a Habs squad that has lost three straight. He's allowed just five goals in a four-game span this week and his record is a snappy 3-1 in those games. The Habs are struggling and they hit Mile High at the start of a four-game midwest road trip. Sounds like a match made in heaven for Pickard and the Avs. To top it off, there's a real chance that the Avs will keep him -- and not Reto Berra -- as their backup when Semyon Varlamov returns this week. The Avs' underachieving is likely done, and that means Pickard will remain a solid play going forward, even in matchups. Check your wire.

Alex Tanguay, LW/RW, Colorado (9 percent Yahoo! owned): Tangs is past his prime. But he has nine points in his last nine games and he's on a 50-plus point pace, including some on the power play. He ain't sexy. But I'd put him on my team any day. You should, too. It's crazy his type of production is owned in fewer than one in 10 leagues.

Linden Vey, RW, Vancouver (2 percent Yahoo! owned): This guy is your classic high-scoring junior sniper whose pro fit is better as a top-nine guy. But those glorious skills of years past will erupt given the right circumstance. And that's exactly what happened Sunday in the Orcas' game against the Wings. He looked unstoppable with a two-goal, one-assist effort in a 5-3 loss, and seems to be clicking with Shawn Matthias (above). He might actually deliver a 35-point season to your squad, so those in deep leagues should take note.

Stephen Weiss, C, Detroit (6 percent Yahoo! owned): Weiss has been a flop in Detroit. That is, until his recent return from his most recent groin ouchie. He's been on fire while playing primarily with Pavel Datsyuk and Darren Helm, and that has resulted in three goals and five points in four games. He could be poised for a bounce-back season. Or at the least, he could deliver like he is…until that groin cramps up again. I'm willing to roll the dice for a few weeks of fun. You?

Tom Wilson, RW, Washington (1 percent Yahoo! owned): Tom Wilson has the chance to be what Eric Fehr promised to be in Washington -- a hulking power forward with great hands and good wheels who can consistently deliver 65 points and 100-plus PIM a season. He might even out-Lucic Milan Lucic, if you get my drift -- there's that much potential in his massive frame. Sure, that type of production is probably still a few years away, but he was flashing all the bits this past week. And that delivered a goal, assist, plus-one rating, seven SOG and a whopping 27 PIM in just three games. He can deliver short-term goon-ness without hurting you in other categories. And keeper leagues need to get him stashed.

Back to Brodeur.

Go ahead and pick him up if you must. His ownership jumped 10 percent this past weekend on the mere thought of him donning a Blues uni.

Yikes. What the heck has happened to the era of dominating goalies?

That's a whole different discussion. Maybe I'll bite that off at some point this season. That aside, I actually fear for Jake Allen and his development. His future is bright, but is he strong enough to withstand the media circus that will now descend on the Blues? Or the weight of Brodeur's ego? He's not exactly the mentor type.

I digress. I actually like Brodeur's game. A lot. I actually regret never owning him in all the years I've played fantasy hockey. I'm not sure how that happened, but it did.

But like every other hockey fan, I just don't want to see him wearing any other jersey. Most of all, I don't want to see his save percentage slip below .900.

Marty, your best-before-date has passed. Stop hanging on. Hang 'em up. Denial is just plain ugly.

Until next week.