Sean Avery's fantasy swan song

Wednesday, 10.05.2011 / 4:23 PM / Fantasy Hockey Draft Rankings, Advice and Analysis

By Eric Lipschutz - NHL.com Staff Writer

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Sean Avery's fantasy swan song
With news that Sean Avery cleared waivers and is unlikely to be on an NHL roster any time soon, fantasy owners would be wise to follow the Rangers' lead.
The Rangers decision to waive Sean Avery on Tuesday didn't exactly send seismic waves across the fantasy hockey world. The 31-year old left winger only mustered 24 points last season and was expected to play limited minutes on the fourth line if he did crack New York's lineup this season. 
 
Sean Avery has cleared waivers after going unclaimed. (Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
With Wednesday afternoon's deadline come and gone, Avery has now officially cleared waivers. Options for him at this point appear to include being assigned to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League or exploring playing possibilities in Europe should the Rangers permit him to do so.
 
Despite Avery's lackluster offensive output, the agitating winger may have registered on some fantasy owners' radars in leagues which count PIMS and hits as categories. Last season, Avery compiled an impressive 174 PIMs while adding 115 hits.  When you consider that he is a bigger name with a greater ability to put the puck on net than your average fourth-liner, Avery could have generated some moderate interest in the later rounds of fantasy drafts, but now, with his NHL career very much in limbo, Avery has become irrelevant in all fantasy formats. If you drafted Avery to add some sandpaper to your lineup it is time to follow the Rangers lead and send him to the waiver wire.
 
There is little doubt that wherever Avery goes next fanfare will be sure to follow. Never one to go quietly, there is a chance that if Avery were to land a gig with another NHL team he could be rejuvenated. However even in a best case scenario, Avery's ceiling would be quite low and he would not be a viable contributor in most fantasy categories. We may not have heard the last from him but in terms of fantasy hockey relevancy this is the end.
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