Mike Ribeiro often finds himself at the top of many “most hated” lists. His antics in the past – mostly when he was a member of the Canadiens – have not endeared himself to many fans around the league, but you should not let your personal bias of him affect his fantasy value. Since coming to Dallas, Ribeiro has been extremely consistent and productive.
He posted 59 points last season, and is currently on pace for 35 goals and over 70 points. He is by far the most talented forward on the Stars squad, although that does not mean much. The Stars really like how he and captain Brenden Morrow play together, and with Jere Lehtinen on the shelf for the next few months, look for them to try and bring in a winger. In the meantime, make a move for Ribeiro. He is not a sell high candidate, because we are finally seeing what he can do when he is put in the right environment. He plays consistent minutes on the powerplay, and is given a lot of opportunity to make plays with the puck.
Mike Modano has been decent this season, but is way past his offensive prime. Ribeiro is easily the best offensive center on the squad, so barring any unforeseen circumstances; he will continue to see enough ice time to produce. This obviously increases his value in keeper leagues, as there are no immediate challengers waiting in the Wings in Big D to take minutes away from him. He may very well be the quietest 30-goal scorer this season, if he can continue his pace.
There have been some rumors floating around that Dallas is dangling Marty Turco for a star winger, and Marty St. Louis’ name has popped up. That would be a beneficial trade for both sides, but Tampa may have trouble justifying the deal unless they believe Turco can put up Vezina numbers. Obviously if that trade would go down, the dividends for both Ribeiro and Morrow would be huge. Keep an eye on the situation; if Dallas can land a star winger, Ribeiro immediately becomes an 80-90 point player.
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