Desharnais or Pouliot
 

both guys are available on waivers right now. I'm already over the cap, and they wpuld likely only cost me 0.5M. If I have to cut one later, it would still cost 0.5M. Each 1M over costs an extra $5 real hard cash. Which would you choose? Or either?

Well, unless your league configures cap hit apart from the NHL, Pouliot's cap hit is $1.8 and he's on a one year. Desharnais' is $.85, and is set to expire this year too. My guess is latter will be receiving a significant bump in pay.

I don't know much about Pouliot other than he was a third liner w/Boston last year. He's been performing well, of late, w/second line duty sometimes being paired with St Louis and Stamkos. He might have the better short term upside, but I think Desharnais will offer reliable production as well. And better long term stability - assuming you can absorb his new contract.

Again not knowing much about Pouliot's skill set per se, I'd lean towards Desharnais.

Thanks for the input... our league bids on players: If i 'scout' him, everyone else has the chance to bid on him starting at 0.5M. I doubt either guy would get many bids.

Anyway, I'm leaning Desharnais.... any other info guys?

I'd keep Desharnais. Pouliot has shown he can easily disappear for stretches. Desharnais is there to stay and he's been playing great, you'll see his point totals start to climb now, 5 SOG last night and could have had 2 or 3 points was it not for Bishop's heroics.

I'm not too familiar with leagues like you've described, so I'll leave it to you to apply the necessary context around my feedback.

I owned Desharnais for most of last year, and his production was fantastic, even though he was primarily only putting up assists. Pouliot produces in more categories, when he does produce. He was a highly touted talent on draft day that has been slow in developing, but as long as he is where he is in the lineup, the production will be there. He's always at risk of getting shuffled out of the top 6 though, and it will be interesting to see what the lineup looks like when Malone returns from injury. I feel like Desharnais is a safer pick, but Pouliot is a better very short term pick up. Just don't be shy about releasing him if he gets cold again.

Chalk me up for DD. I just feel like his spot is safer.

I mean when you have Stamkos, St.Louis, Lecavalier, and Purcell in your top 4, you really only need guys that complement those players to fill those remaining two slots. With the way some of the younger guys have been playing, plus Malone being out, it's hard to say how long Pouliot will have value.

Pouliot has delivered well on a line with MSL and Lecavalier as of late, but that's only to the degree that he's kept on such a line, given Conacher-Stamkos-Purcell being relatively new as a trio. Desharnais is almost always paired with Pacioretty, albeit both have been inconsistent this year, with DD being pushed down the depth chart in my opinion, given the strong play of Plekanec, Galchenyuk and Eller down the middle. Tbay plays higher octane offense, and i'd say the quality of the linemates, for a flyer, would put Pouliot above Desharnais.