Decision - #1 waiver priority - Cheech available

[Shoeless]

I have been sitting on the #1 waiver priority for a while and today a guy did some wholesale changing - he dumped Cheechoo, Nylander and Aucoin.

My team is my signature. The big question is: Can I use Cheechoo? Or should I grab him even if it isn\'t obvious I need him?

Thanks folks, look forward to your thoughts on this.

[cat87]

hmm thats rough

if you have the time, i\'d wait to see how he pans out tonight

it may or may not make a difference...maybe you can use him instead of afinogenov

[Shoeless]

Yeah there is time Cat almost 48 hours - but I thought I would start early to get a read on Cheechoo for the rest of the year.

I have the ability to dump Foster and Budaj if necessary - I think Afino is going to start soon enough and while I will be heavy on RW for a bit - I think if guys get going I will have lots of trade bait. Cheechoo is such an uncertainty for me though.

[Chicleteur]

I don\'t know if I would use my #1 priority on him. However why keeping it if you\'re not going to use it. I think the main question here is do you think he\'s an updrade to Gionto or Afi? If so I would take him.

I really don\'t know if he\'ll start going on. He did that last year, but I think I saw somewhere that he\'s worst this year.

[Shoeless]

Oh I think a guy who has scored nearly 100 goals in the last two years will get it going - that is too much to be flukey. I do think your point about using it is valid - last year I held the number 2 priority in this league from about now until the end of the season - nothing even close to Cheechoo ever fell to waivers.

[boarderex]

I think you should take Cheechoo. He definitely has more upside than Afinogenov just due to the team he is playing on. The sharks are starting to put up some big numbers on the score board and as you said, 100 goals in the last too seasons is too good to be a fluke...... I am almost certain that he is the best player that will hit waivers this year and at the very least you can probably use him as trade bait once he starts scoring a few.

[Shoeless]

Thanks Boardex - I think you are right and I will put in a claim for him. The salient factor is the likelihood of nothing much coming down the road - so I don\'t think I lose much by taking him. He might pan out and he might not - I can live with not and would love it if he comes on.

[shook81]

I like Cheechoo over Sykora...not Afinogenov. The Pens seem futile offensively outside of their big three right now (Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar), and I believe the Sabres\' offense will return before Valentines Day.

I also believe each of those players is worthy of a grab, as I\'d take Nylander over Elias and Aucoin over Foster as well. You\'re not likely to see an option as good as these three for the rest of the year...so I\'d use that waiver priority (I bet other teams will make a claim on the other two guys as well, so you\'ll likely end up with the 9th overall waiver priority in two days...which doesn\'t sound great, but is crucial if you\'re still ahead of an owner that you\'re in direct competition with.)

[Torture]

I agree with Shook, if Cheechoo gets going he\'s definitely better than Afinogenov and Sykora, but he\'s got way more on Sykora than Afinogenov.

[Shoeless]

Thanks Shook - I agree that I need to use the priority on Cheechoo - I also agree that Afinogenov needs to stay for now. I have pretty much decided to let Berard and Foster go to make the pick-up happen. Not really happy about that but my other assets have just a little too much value or potential to let go at the moment. At the end of the day I think I will move at least one forward and Budaj to get a D guy and free up another spot for a D pickup. Then I will wait out these guys to see who emerges as further trade bait.

Sykora is a tease and does enough to warrant a spot - Elias is picking it up as well as Gionta.

What I really need to happen is all this potential turning into production and then I am away to the races.