Five players whose recent contract extensions change their cap league value…

Recently, the completion of the World Junior tournament and the announcements of the Olympic rosters have dominated headlines. During this time the signing of contract extensions has taken a back seat, in most cases. Nevertheless, these signings are significant in the world of fantasy hockey regardless of which position on the depth chart the player occupies.

Today we look at five recent contract extensions along with their impact in cap leagues. We will look at their ranking in four league setups with each player’s rank at his position based on this year’s stats according to Fantasy Hockey Geek:

1) Points-only
2) Yahoo standard (G, A, +/-, PIM, GWG, PPP)
3) Experts League (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, Hits)
4) United Hockey League (G, A, +/-, PIM, SOG, GWG, PPP, SHP, Hits, Blocks, FOW)

Andrew Cogliano (ANH)
Cap hit: $3 million until 2018

Cogliano is a good role player that has been rewarded by the Ducks with a four-year contract. He has never been a great offensive player but is underrated in peripherals. He is currently scoring at a better pace than he ever has which makes him a viable option in a number of formats. Despite the career year, his new extension is just a small raise from his previous $2.39 million cap hit.

In points-only leagues he will have value if he can maintain his current pace. However, his career numbers suggest that this will not be the case.  His career-high of 45 points was achieved in his rookie campaign and since then he has only cleared the 30-point mark twice. In multi-category leagues he will not be as much of a liability most years but considering the amount of agitators under the million-dollar mark available it is probably best to look away from Cogliano.

Nate Guenin (COL)
Cap hit: $0.8 million until 2016

On the surface, Guenin’s numbers are not very impressive as he fails to crack the top-100 among defensemen in all for formats. The real value is his cap hit which sits at $800,000 for the next two years. If you need to cut costs in order to keep your roster legal, Guenin could be a decent compromise if the league counts hits and blocked shots.

Looking back at Guenin’s numbers in the AHL, scoring is clearly not his strong point. But he did put up 24 points in 66 games last year. While he will never be much of a factor at the NHL level, he is certainly capable of more than the four points that he has so far this year. A few extra points would go a long way in boosting his overall value in multi-category leagues.

Dion Phaneuf (TOR)
Cap hit: $7 million until 2021

The Maple Leafs’ captain signed a massive new contract that will run for seven years. Opinions on him are divided but the numbers speak for themselves. In multi-category leagues he is a star. If you own him at his current $6.5-million cap hit there is no reason to abandon ship. The fact is that his combination of solid points along with great peripheral categories, especially PIM, hits, blocks, power play points and shots, make him a very balanced player.

Points-only leagues are where Phaneuf’s value takes a hit. We can usually depend on him for 40 points but at $7 million this is an expensive investment. Instead, focus on more one-dimensional offensive blueliners that carry a lower cap hit but produce in the same neighborhood as Phaneuf. The extra money is better served elsewhere on your roster.

Alexander Steen (STL)
Cap hit: $5.8 million until 2017

Steen is having a dream season where he ranks among the league leaders in goals. The Blues rewarded him with a three-year extension that carries a heavy cap hit. Steen earned the contract due to his scoring surge but also because of his high level of play in all three zones and his versatility. Unfortunately, only the numbers count in fantasy hockey.

Historically, Steen has been a disappointing offensive player due to the amount of games that he misses to injury. In fact, he has already lost seven games this year due to a concussion. The health factor plus the fact that he has never produced at the rate that he has during his contract year makes him unappealing to own moving forward. There are many more stable options in that price range.

Jeff Zatkoff (PIT)

Cap hit: $0.6 million until 2016

Zatkoff’s value is not measurable in present-day stats. Rather, his value lies as a handcuff to Penguins’ starter Marc-Andre Fleury. Poolies that own established starters tend to target that goaltender’s backup in case of an injury and also for spot starts if the team is strong and offers a good chance for victory. Those who own Zatkoff presently will be pleased with his two-year contract extension with a cap hit of just $600,000.

This is especially newsworthy in cap leagues because Fleury carries a cap hit of $5 million. When the Penguins signed Thomas Vokoun the cost of owning both goaltenders was $7 million. Now with Zatkoff locked up that cost is now down to $5.6 million.

Closing thoughts

With the salary cap set to increase by more than 10%, the impact players with expiring contracts stand to benefit. Some of these new deals will be inflated due to the extra space that will be available this summer. While the teams may be able to afford these deals within their existing structure, the large contracts can negatively affect the fantasy value of those players.

Those of you with key players that have contracts set to expire this summer should be careful. Do not spend your cap dollars needlessly just because the cap is going up. Give yourself a buffer in case your player is the next one to get paid more than you are expecting.

Previously in Capped:

Keeper Leagues and the Rising Salary Cap Ceiling

Finding the next Radko Gudas – Part II