2012 NHL Free Agents: 3 Veterans Guaranteed to Be Overpaid

Don't overpay for something you saw in the past.

NHL teams often overpay for veteran players in hopes of seeing what they saw years ago. The same can be said about any sport, actually.

Here are three players who will be overpaid due to their past successes.

Jason Arnott

Jason Arnott is still a formidable center capable of scoring near 20 goals per season. Last year, for the St. Louis Blues, Arnott scored 17 goals and recorded 17 assists. He finished with a plus-13 on the season.

At 6'5", 220 pounds, Arnott has always been an intimidating physical specimen. Teams will look at his size, remember the past and look at what he did this past season to determine what he will do in the next two or three years.

Bad idea. In 2010-11, Arnott recorded 24 points in 62 games and was a minus-nine.

Which Arnott will you receive?

That's the question some general manager will have to answer when he overpays this summer.

Mike Commodore

Teams will always overpay for defense. Even though people pay to see offensive production, defense wins championships.

It starts with goaltending and moves to guys like Mike Commodore.

If teams decide to give Commodore, an 11-year NHL veteran, the opportunity to play on a roster, they better not overpay for his services.

Commodore has had injury issues, only playing in 107 games since the 2008-09 season. In those three seasons, he is a minus-10 combined. 

There is no doubting Commodore's talents and ability when he's healthy, but we haven't seen him at his peak since his days in Carolina from 2005-07.

Brian Rolston

Sometimes teams will overpay for what they saw in the past, especially for teams looking to splash in free agency. Brian Rolston will be one of those players who benefits from a team reaching out to him. 

The 39-year-old left winger played 70 games in 2011-12 for the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. 

Obviously, at age 39, Rolston is well past his prime, but he could still help contending teams with his grit and experience. However, how much money is a guy like that worth?

Given his age, diminishing playing time, plus/minus and lack of offensive production, Rolston wouldn't be worth too much money in free agency.

He's definitely worth a look, but I wouldn't pay too much.