Thursday, July 03, 2008

Islanders Add Weight

Another player falling off the fantasy map a bit has signed in Long Island, arguably, where fantasy players disappear into obscurity. Doug Weight signed a 1-year deal, worth $1.75 million with the Islanders on Wednesday night and he'll join an underachieving group of scorers for a season. His salary could increase with bonuses, up to $4.3 million, which are all likely performance based.

Weight, 37, played in only 67 games last season, as he missed 8 with a shoulder injury and the other 7 were missed as a healthy scratch between St. Louis and Anaheim. During the year, he scored 10 goals and added 15 assists, which had really taken a toll on his fantasy value. His on-and-off ice leadership is one of the better qualities for a player like Weight, but it doesn't necessarily translate in the fantasy world. If he can manage 75 games this season, he might be able to salvage some of his previous value, but Long Island doesn't tend to bring the best out in players.

ForwardsDefenseGoaltenders
Mike ComrieMark StreitRick DiPietro
Bill GuerinChris Campoli
Trent HunterRadek Martinek
Richard ParkFreddie Meyer
Mike SillingerAndy Sutton
Doug WeightBrendan Witt
Andy Hilbert
Blake Comeau
Kyle Okposo
Jon Sim

For cap purposes, Weight's full salary (including bonuses) will be taken into account, as it's easier to take it away then add it on midway through the season. This brings the Islanders up to the $38.9 million mark against the cap for 17 players. There isn't a gluttony of high-ranked free agents on the market anymore, so it may be a little more difficult to fill out the roster to a desired level against the cap. Signing or adding six players should get the team over the floor level, no problem.

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