Bang for the buck, Avery's antics and more from the mailbag

The Rangers have overpaid for Chris Drury (left), but Brandon Dubinsky is proving to be a huge bargain. Getty Images (2) Allan Muir's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Allan. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

Well, it's time once again to open the good old NHL mailbag and respond to some of your more thought-provoking missives.

I'd like your thoughts on a barroom discussion we were having the other day: Who is the most over- and underpaid player in the league? If you run this in your column, I'd like to say hello to the guys back at the plant.
-- Rick Fuller, stuck at your neighborhood Applebee's

Since it's hard to qualify anyone who makes more than half a million clams as underpaid, how about we tackle this based on who provides the best (or worst) value for the money?

There are dozens of players who should have trouble hiding their shame when it comes time to cash their checks, but in terms of impact, I'd rank Chris Drury and Mathieu Schneider as the worst values. Drury is a great leader who provides a strong defensive presence. He'll even bang in one here and there -- and yes, I realize he potted a hat trick against Tampa Bay on Thursday night -- but he doesn't create enough chances, and he's failed to find lasting chemistry with anyone since joining the Rangers. When you're clearing a touch over $7 million, you need to make a consistent offensive impact to justify the cap hit.

Schneider, who's taking home nearly $6 million, has been brutal in Atlanta. His league-worst minus-11 rating is a pretty accurate reflection of his poor decision- making both with and without the puck. At 39, he's finally looking his age.

It's nearly as tough to narrow down the best values from a pretty sizable field, but I'll put my money on Mike Komisarek and Brandon Dubinsky. For $1.7 million, the Canadiens have a top pairing defender in Komisarek, who leads league in blocks, is seventh in hits and is a solid presence in his own zone. The Rangers almost compensate for the Drury deal with Dubinsky, the $633,000 center who is tied for the team scoring lead despite getting just 15 minutes of ice per night.

Fun debate topic, with plenty of good arguments to be made. Might be fuel for a future column, eh?

I don't have a degree in math, but I'm perfectly capable of putting two and two together. When I saw that the Stars had signed Sean Avery, I knew they were going to regret it. Looks like it's happening sooner than I thought. Is that guy a cancer, or what?
-- Lee Zigulski, Manitoba

I wouldn't be so sure about those math skills of yours, Lee. It's obvious the Stars are in tatters right now, but it's unfair to suggest that Avery is responsible for their early struggles.

From what I can see, and I live near Dallas, it's unfair to call him a cancer, but it's pretty clear that's he's not the typical team-first guy. It's not unusual to see him hanging out alone in the hallways pre-game, listening to his iPod or watching an out-of-town game on TV rather than talking strategy with his mates. But chemistry isn't the issue with Dallas. Talent and experience are.

Remember: No. 1 defenseman Sergei Zubov and first line winger Jere Lehtinen have been sidelined all season. Their ability to power an attack or calm the seas when things aren't going well is invaluable. Both were scheduled to return for Friday night's game (Nov. 7), but will need a couple of weeks to get back into top form. They've also had to rely too heavily on too many rookies and sophomores, especially on the blueline, and Marty Turco's been brutal.

Meanwhile, Avery's been playing fairly well. He still needs some time to adjust to the system, but the effort's definitely there in all three zones. And hey, outside of the debacle in Boston (video of the festivities here), he's done a good job of being Sean Avery. You know, the guy who's the best in the league at getting under the skin of the opposition and knocking key players off their game.

The one obvious issue is that instead of enhancing the game of Steve Ott, Avery has made his fellow agitator redundant. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Stars ship Ott out of town and leave the shift disturbing to Avery.