Fantasy Faceoffs: Not wild about Gaborik

Editor's note: Our Ross Devonport and Michael Hurcomb read, write and analyze everything Fantasy Hockey on a daily basis for CBSSports.com. They agree and disagree on a variety of subjects on a weekly basis and will share their opinions on Fantasy-relevant topics each week.

What kind of value does Marian Gaborik have the rest of the season?
Ross Devonport	Michael Hurcomb
It's clear Gaborik is going to be dealt very soon, but I think his Fantasy value the rest of the way really depends on where he ends up and if, of course, he can stay healthy, which he hasn't done very often recently (he's only played more than 65 games once since playing in 81 contests in 2002-03). If he can squeeze on to the top line of an offensive-minded team somewhere, then he's definitely worth owning in all formats as a top-three Fantasy forward, but he could also find himself somewhere like Florida. I like Gaborik's upside, but the Wild could stiff him and you really need to wait and see with this whole thing. He's definitely worth stashing in deeper leagues, though.	The way Gaborik has been sidelined through a mysterious "lower-body" injury suggests the 40-goal scorer is going to be traded sooner than later. Minnesota desperately tried to work out an extension with the oft-injured forward in the offseason, but it appeared Gaborik wanted no more of coach Jacques Lemaire after this season. A trade will be good news for Fantasy owners since Gaborik will be in a situation that should make him happy and he is also still playing for his next contract. There is always risk because of his injury past, but Gaborik is a player I would start seeking out in trades since he is a gifted scorer when healthy.

Which Chicago goaltender would you rather have in the long run: Nikolai Khabibulin or Cristobal Huet?
Ross Devonport	Michael Hurcomb
This is a tough one because you know the Blackhawks want to hand one of these two guys the No. 1 job, but neither of them is really stepping up to grab it right now. I'm going to side with the Russian though, because no one wanted the Bulin Wall and his high salary off waivers, so I think the Blackhawks are stuck with him for the time being. Huet is on his fourth team in six seasons and the Capitals obviously didn't think he was the man for them after last season despite his nice record, so Chicago wouldn't be the first team to give up on Huet. Of course, he could end up starting for a better team, but I don't think any of the higher-end organizations are that desperate just yet.	Statistics might point to Khabibulin being the stronger choice over Huet, but might I remind you that Khabibulin was put on waivers before the season and Chicago has been desperately trying to trade him since signing Huet over the summer. They didn't pay Huet a bundle of money to be a backup or rotational goalie. It still seems like Khabibulin is dealt before the trade deadline and Chicago will put its Stanley Cup fate in Huet's hand. I'm buying Huet here.

Which player do you see rebounding from an early-season slump?
Ross Devonport	Michael Hurcomb
Sam Gagner can't be this bad, can he? The youngster is only two seasons removed from a 118-point campaign in the OHL, so I don't think he's exactly forgotten how to score. After finishing his rookie year with 49 points in 79 games, Gagner only has five points in 2008-09, and that includes the two assists he picked up on Tuesday night. Craig MacTavish is now trying Dustin Penner on Gagner's line, and the experiment got off to a good start, so hopefully Gagner is ready to turn things around. Plus, Shawn Horcoff isn't lighting it up on the top line, so maybe Gagner will get a shot up there at some point, too.	Sabres center Derek Roy had a disappointing October with just five points (one goal) in 10 games. His November didn't get off to a much better start as he had just five points and a minus-5 rating in seven games. Not exactly a great beginning for a player that totaled 81 points last season. But Roy had a slow start to 2007-08 before taking off in December and posting 64 points in his final 55 games. Roy is much like Jonathan Cheechoo. Both players are slow starters, but once they get rolling, watch out.

Can the trade to Pittsburgh make Philippe Boucher a reliable high-end Fantasy option again?
Ross Devonport	Michael Hurcomb
Boucher proved in Dallas that he can be a 45-50 point guy from the blue line, but we'll just have to see how he jells with new partner Alex Goligoski off the bat. Of course, he could switch partners once Ryan Whitney comes back, but I don't think it will really matter as long as Boucher gets plenty of power play time. The Penguins are so gifted offensively that you have to think Boucher has a chance to get into the 40s once again, which would make him a must-start Fantasy defenseman in all formats.	As long as Boucher can stay healthy, it's a definite possibility he can showcase 30-40 point potential. The Penguins have been sorely lacking capable blue-liner passers since Ryan Whitney (foot) and Sergei Gonchar (shoulder) went down with injury. Whitney is due back in December, but Gonchar might be out most of the season. Therefore, Boucher should get plenty of even-strength and power-play time to showcase his skills. Boucher did his best work playing alongside one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL -- Sergei Zubov -- and Pittsburgh has some comparable players like Whitney that should help Boucher get back on track.

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