When I'm making up my draft list I always separate the players into tiers. The first tier will be top players at each position, those that are going to come off the draft board real quick. The second tier is the next group of players that I like, ones that may last a couple of rounds and maybe a sleeper or two. The third tier is the best of the rest, along with some super sleepers that I believe I can get late in drafts that could win the league for me. The last tier is of players that I'm going to do my best to avoid. The reasons for this could be that I have a gut feeling they aren't going to perform well, the players' injury histories, a new team or coaching staff, or maybe it's personal and I believe that player cost me a championship at some point in his past. Here are a few players at each position that I would rather see someone else draft.

Centers

Olli Jokinen, Calgary: Jokinen was traded from the Flames to the Rangers for Ales Kotalik last February in what seemed to be an admission of mistakes by both teams. So why on Earth would the Flames then sign Jokinen this offseason?  The Rangers didn't want him as he was a bust on Broadway. Jokinen never clicked with Jarome Iginla the first time, what makes Calgary think an encore will work out better?  It's even worse for fantasy owners if Jokinen becomes the second line center.

Tim Connolly, Buffalo: Connolly has the puck-handling skills that scouts salivate about. When healthy he will put solid points up on the board, but health is the key word with Connolly. Over the last five seasons he has played in more than 50 games only twice. He is just too much of an injury risk to spend a high draft pick on. Couple that with the Sabres employing a defensive system and there is just not all that much upside to Connolly's game.

Henrik Sedin, Vancouver: I know what you're thinking, how can I advise you not to take last season's Hart Trophy winner? Before you decide to barbecue me, let me explain my reasoning. Sedin was fantastic last season, and a big reason for that seemed to be that once his brother Daniel went down with an injury, Henrik shot the puck more rather than pass it to Daniel. Therefore his goal totals went up, possibly along with his confidence. Daniel will be back for a full season now and one has to wonder if Henrik goes back to passing rather than shooting. Another reason is that he will probably be a first-round pick in leagues now and I'm not gambling that high a pick on someone who may not light the lamp all that much.

Joe Thornton, San Jose: If Sedin's presence on this list didn't shock you, I'll give it another shot by including Thornton. The reasons are similar to Henrik Sedin. He just doesn't score enough goals to warrant where he is going to be drafted. Thornton hasn't scored more than 29 goals since the 2002-03 season. Sure, he will pile up the assists and that's all fine and good, but in a fantasy hockey league you need goals, and power play goals at that. If you're looking for a point a game, go with Thornton, but with Dany Heatley and possibly Patrick Marleau on his line, I don't see him looking to shoot first.

Wingers

Marian Gaborik, LW, N.Y. Rangers: Full disclosure, Gaborik has burned me a time or two in fantasy leagues, so I'm going to abide by the saying "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." He's played in 65, 48, 77, 17, and 76 games respectively since the 2005-06 season, and it seems that every other season he suffers an injury that caused him to miss a huge allotment of games. There is no doubt that he is a premier goal scorer when healthy, but I'm not banking a top pick that his good health from last year will continue.

Kris Versteeg, RW, Toronto: Versteeg can be looked at two different ways in fantasy drafts this season. On one hand, he will finally get more ice time as he is now a member of the Maple Leafs and not the Blackhawks. On the other hand, he won't have Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews or Patrick Sharp as his linemates. I'm wondering if Versteeg will feel the pressure from the Toronto faithful and start to grip that stick a little tighter.

Ryan Smyth, LW, Los Angeles: Smyth will be 35 years old in February and Father Time may be starting to catch up with him. Injuries last season limited Smyth to only 67 games and he suffered a fractured ankle while practicing for Team Canada in May. Smyth can still be a useful forward for a fantasy team, but you can no longer expect him to play 70+ games.

Teemu Selanne, RW, Anaheim: Selanne announced about 10 days ago that he will come back and play for the Ducks this season. This is all fine and good, but Selanne is another player that has been battling injuries over the past few seasons, having only played 145 games in three years. Don't pay for his name value and remember he plays on the second line in Anaheim, as Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry make up the top line.

Dustin Byfuglien, LW, Calgary: I put Byfuglien on this list because there will be fantasy players out there that will remember what a tremendous postseason run he had with the Blackhawks last season and expect that sort of production this year. He has never been a big force during the regular season and Atlanta has nowhere near the talent of the Hawks. Byfuglien will end up with more ice time but it's hard to see his results making him at top three or four wing for your fantasy team.

Matt Moulson, LW, N.Y. Islanders: Islanders general manager Garth Snow receives a lot of criticism, some deserved, for some of his decisions, but no one can complain about Moulson's 2008-09 season. Everything went right for Moulson last season as he potted 30 goals. Can that happen again? I think not. The Islanders don't have much offensive firepower outside of John Tavares and Moulson and teams will look to clamp down on this duo.

Defensemen

Brent Burns, Minnesota: Burns has only played 106 games the last two seasons as he has had to deal with multiple injuries, the latest being a concussion. I'm always wary of players with a concussion history as they tend to recur. Burns has the offensive talent to be a solid second defenseman for your team, but hockey is a contact sport, especially on defense, and the over/under on games played for Burns this season is around 60.

John-Michael Liles, Colorado: Liles was in coach Joe Sacco's chateau bow-wow for a good portion of last season, so much so that the Avalanche seeming spent months trying to trade him. His salary made that impossible so Liles found himself constantly parked on the Avalanche bench. Expect more of the same this year.

Sheldon Souray, Edmonton: Souray and the Oilers have been at odds since Sheldon publicly complained about how the organization is run. Souray also had an injury filled 2008-09 campaign (concussion, hand) and his value seems to be at an all-time low as the Oilers not only couldn't trade Souray, but no team claimed him when he was put on waivers. The Oilers are still looking to move Souray so perhaps his fantasy value could improve depending on where he ends up.

Ryan Whitney, Edmonton: It seems like I'm picking on the Oilers but I'm just trying to point out a bad situation. If Whitney couldn't get it done offensively in Pittsburgh with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and in Anaheim with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, then it's hard to see how he's going to help fantasy owners out in offensively challenged Edmonton.

Goaltenders

Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota: Backstrom did not play up to his usual standards last season, posting a 2.72 GAA and 90.2 SV%. These are not terrible numbers, but not what we have come to expect from Backstrom either. Add in the lack of offensive support that he gets from his Wild teammates and it's unlikely he'll help you much in the win column either.

Tim Thomas, Boston: Former Yankee third baseman Graig Nettles once said of CY Young winner Sparky Lyle after the Yankees acquired Rich Gossage, "… he went from CY Young to sayonara." It seems the same may be said of Thomas after Tuukka Rask took over the starting job, one season after Thomas won the Vezina Trophy. A trade would certainly boost his value back up again.

Michael Leighton, Philadelphia: Leighton came out of nowhere to help lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals. Leighton was released by the Hurricanes during the season, the Flyers fished him out of the scrap heap once Ray Emery went down and Leighton rewarded their faith in him by playing spectacularly. I have an easier time seeing Leighton regress to his Hurricanes days rather than be a true number-one netminder.

Nikolai Khabibulin, Edmonton: Khabibulin's first season in Edmonton was nothing short of a disaster. He only played 18 games before injuring his back and missing the remainder of the season. He was then arrested for drunk driving in Arizona, a case that has crawled through the legal system at a snail's pace. As it stands now the trial could last into training camp or even the regular season. It's not like big things are expected of Khabibulin or the Oilers this season anyway, so stay far away.