Prime Waiver Wire Pickup: Lubo

As Kevin mentioned in his Gonchar injury post, Lubomir Visnovsky is only owned in 37% of Yahoo leagues, making him the 50^th most owned defenceman in hockey.  This is absolutely preposterous.  The man has 4 points and is +7 thus far in eight games while playing reduced minutes as the Oilers break him in slowly thanks to last year’s shoulder injury.  That ice time is sure to pick up as the season progresses, and he will be a fixture on the point with Sheldon Souray on the powerplay.

Last year, he scored 8 goals and 23 assists in 50 games (17 on the PP) before succumbing to a season ending shoulder injury.  Before the injury he was a top notch fantasy hockey defenceman.  While it is unrealistic to expect the 50 PIM pace he was putting up last year, he should still be good for between 30-40 PIMS, making him a solid across the board contributor.

This year should be an even better performance for Visnovsky.  The Oilers are a better team with the addition of Comrie, Brule, Khabibulin and a rejuvenated Dustin Penner.  They are scoring almost a goal per game more than last year (I know the season is still young), and could be 7-1 if not for two incredibly fluky losses to Calgary.

If you are in a league with savvy managers, it is unlikely that he is available, but it is definitely worth a shot.  He is a much better option than many other more highly owned defenceman like Fedor Tyutin (49%), Mattias Ohlund (49%), Paul Martin (45%), and Steve Montador (40%).  Do yourself a favour and show Lubo some love.