The NHL has quickly become a league full of young stars. Sidney Crosby, at the age of 19, leads the league in points. Alexander Ovechkin is skating around defenders in Washington at the age of 21 while Alexander Semin is the geezer of the bunch at 22 years old. Even with the influx of young talent, veterans still command as much attention in fantasy hockey. After all, these young guys need someone to give or receive the puck.
Jaromir Jagr still commands his team at 34 years. If he can stay healthy, he is as good, if not better, than any young stud in the game. Teemu Selanne is currently the number one ranked player in Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey. He is still going strong at 36 years old. Even Brendan Shanahan is going strong at the ripe age of 38. It leaves something to be said for the staying power of the veteran players in the NHL.
Many fantasy managers overlooked veteran players when drafting their team this year. Do not get caught up in the hype of the next young star (see Marek Svatos and Petr Prucha). Players like Glen Murray and Chris Drury were taken with last picks in my public league.
Veteran players have been there before and proven that they can contribute to a fantasy squad. I would much rather draft a player who has been around than gamble a top five pick on a player who hasn't played in the NHL. You still have guys like Chris Chelios, who started in the NHL before Crosby was even born, for a reason. They can still produce.
Top Players Over 30
• Teemu Selanne (36)
• Jaromir Jagr (34)
• Martin Straka (34)
• Chris Drury (30)
• Ray Whitney (34)
• Martin Brodeur (34)
• Dominik Hasek (42)
