Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The young guns weren’t the only players that impressed on opening day around the NHL. A few aging (and I mean aging) veterans absolutely flourished, proving that they are still more than capable of playing at a very high level in this league.
And yes, fantasy value is most certainly evident.
Jaromir Jagr, Dallas Stars: Jagr made his season debut with the Stars on Sunday night, and boy did he look good. The surefire hall of famer scored two goals, while also adding two helpers. He didn’t miss a single beat, skating hard and reminding people that he still has a rocket of a wrist shot. Jagr (667 career goals) is just one away from cracking the top ten in NHL history.
Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks: Wasn’t Selanne supposed to retire like three years ago? No, seriously. Year after year, fans believe that “this is his last year.” However, the 42-year old just keeps coming back. On Sunday night, Selanne also scored two goals and two assists, resulting in an impressive four-point evening. He clearly can still get the job done and has a handful of extremely skilled offensive weapons around him.
Alexei Kovalev, Florida Panthers: The Panthers took a shot on Kovalev this year, signing the 39-year old to a one-year deal just days before the season started. Kovalev was a key part of the Panthers 5-1 victory, scoring one goal and adding two assists. He still has tremendous playmaking abilities and can score when given the opportunity.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy football/hockey columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
