Frozen Fantasy: Trade Week Ahead

I never thought I'd be stoked by a Seth Jones (69 percent Yahoo!) trade. But I was genuinely surprised when Elliotte Friedman broke into the second intermission of Saturday's Oilers-Canes game with the news.

The Panthers are loading up. The Hawks made out like a bandit. How was that even possible?

Jones is now THE man on the Kitties' power play and could return to his 50-plus point ways. Spencer Knight (15 percent Yahoo!) has the talent to be a top-15 NHL starter once the Hawks start to soar. Plus they got a first-round pick while only retaining $2.5 million of Jones' deal. That's huge - I thought they'd have to keep 50 percent. 

There are so many possible moves with so many teams in contention, especially in the East. And there are some oddities. Like Mikko Rantanen (100 percent Yahoo!), who may potentially be back in play. 

He was stunned by the first deal, got sick, went to the 4 Nations, and then hit the road. How could he even know enough about the town before making an eight-year commitment? Cut him some slack. 

Rumors are all over the place. Saturday night, CBC's Hockey Night in Canada cut to live shots of Friedman sitting alone at a board table, suit jacket off, taking calls. The panel joked the door was locked and no one could get their stuff out. It was a bit cringe, but at least he was wearing a decent suit Saturday. That's a real issue. Seriously. 

I'm not going to be glued to X or BlueSky or anything else this week. I have notifications set up for a couple teams, but I'm not consumed this year. I'm not sure why. Admittedly, I say that now. But Friday is a long way away. 

What will be will be. Although I am curious to see who'll lose their minds. 

I absolutely loved Scott Laughton's sarcastic Last Supper jab on Friday night. I rarely laugh out loud, though I did with that post. I'd love to sit down for a beer with him. He clearly doesn't take himself too seriously, and he knows it's a business. 

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. 

Leo Carlsson, C, Anaheim (7 percent Yahoo!) - Carlsson has shown his future star potential over the last six games with seven points - including four goals - on a meager nine shots. I'd like to see him sling more pucks on net, especially when he doesn't deliver many hits or blocks. But that should come. Last month, Carlsson's nine points (four goals, five assists) in eight helped the Ducks to a 5-3-0 run. The team will be prepping for next year, and Carlsson's confidence is high after the 4 Nations Face-Off. I like that combination. 

Chris Driedger, G, Florida (0 percent Yahoo!) - Driedger is the Panthers' new No. 2 after Spencer Knight (15 percent Yahoo!) left for Chicago on Saturday. I scooped him immediately. He hasn't played NHL games in a while, but will see plenty of action in South Florida as the team preps - and rests - Sergei Bobrovsky (98 percent Yahoo!) for a long Cup run. The team is even deeper now with Seth Jones (69 percent Yahoo!) in the house, so Driedger is in an ideal spot to ring up some wins and deliver a strong GAA. 

Adam Fantilli, C, Columbus (30 percent Yahoo!) - The next step is happening for the pride of Nobleton, Ontario. Fantilli is riding a five-game, six-point scoring streak that includes three goals, 12 shots and 10 hits. And since the calendar flipped to 2025, the pivot has put up 11 goals and 11 assists along with 63 shots, 25 hits and 18 blocks. Fantilli is still getting schooled at the dot as he's 146-for-345 (42.3 percent) during that stretch, but remains a boy amongst men right now. He could get you another 10 goals and 10 assists with about three shots every time out. Better still, some of you can roll him at F and not C. The only drawback? Fantilli doesn't offer much on special-teams (yet), though that may not be what you need. 

Boone Jenner, LW/C, Columbus (27 percent Yahoo!) - Jenner has taken off like a rocket in four games since returning from his season-long absence. He's on a four-game, seven-assist run while firing nine shots and leveling seven hits. Jenner won't keep this up, but he's motivated to help keep the Blue Jackets in a Wild Card spot. He'll struggle a bit with conditioning, though he knows how to play. And his LW qualification is a massive bonus. 

Connor Murphy, D, Chicago (3 percent Yahoo!) - Murphy heads into the post-Seth Jones (69 percent Yahoo!) era on the back of a top-15 fantasy performance for the week ending Sunday with three assists, six PIM, 16 blocks, seven shots and six blocks. His responsibilities will take a jump with Jones' departure, and that means more ice time, more potential secondary assists and a lot more bruises from blocked shots and hits. Murphy's a decent bottom-of-the-lineup defender if you're targeting those physical categories. 

Kyle Palmieri, RW, NY Islanders (15 percent Yahoo!) - Palmieri heads into Monday with five goals from his last six matchups and seven in his last 10 (27 shots). He's a grizzled veteran, and they're often overlooked now that the NHL has become a young man's game. But Palmieri is on a 55-point pace and is the league's 22nd-highest scoring right winger. That means he should be relevant in two-RW leagues. Palmieri is the kind of steady who can lift your fantasy floor. 

Nicholas Robertson, LW/RW, Toronto (5 percent Yahoo!) - Robertson needs a change of scenery, and he might get it this week. The kid has talent, yet he's never really shown it in Toronto. Robertson has picked up five points (three goals, two assists) and produced 10 shots from his last four. Watch for a deadline deal that gets him out of Toronto's jail. Robertson isn't a potential star, yet could flourish offensively in another system. 

Brayden Schenn, LW/C, St. Louis (28 percent Yahoo!) - Schenn skated into Sunday on a four-game, five-point scoring streak that included four assists. He also has a modest seven hits during that span and a typically underwhelming four shots (he's burned me before in SOG leagues when he sets his cruise control, so excuse my editorialization). Schenn is likely on the move over the next few days. And depending on where he lands, he'll slot into a 2C or 3C role. There's nothing sigma about Schenn. Lots of teams would love his steady play, and so will you. 

Ryan Shea, D, Pittsburgh (0 percent Yahoo!) - Shea has had one heck of a week. The journeyman, 28-year-old AHLer rocked this week with two goals, two assists, eight hits and a whopping 33 blocks in five games. And his ice time peaked Sunday at 23:48. Shea had been a healthy scratch for almost a month before this, so he's clearly trying to prove he belongs. And he is. Players with that kind of mindset can succeed on will alone, at least for a bit. 

Juraj Slafkovsky, LW/RW, Montreal (53 percent Yahoo!) - This is a watch-and-file recommendation for 2025-26 redrafts. Why? Since the 4 Nations, Slafkovsky has seriously upped his physical game with 23 hits - that's the same number he registered from the previous 12 appearances. Last week, he waxed poetic about Brady Tkachuk (100 percent Yahoo!) and sees himself as the NHL's next one. And Slafkovsky isn't wrong offering the physical attributes while being able to score. His fantasy value will skyrocket if he can elevate the balanced belligerence in his game. Next year could be big.

Reilly Smith, RW, NY Rangers (3 percent Yahoo!) - Smith was held out of Sunday's game for trade-related reasons. He's recorded three assists - one of those a PPA - in his last three and will be a strong, middle-six scorer with PP2 upside on a contender. Smith is someone who can slide into any lineup almost seamlessly, so I like him for the next 20-plus games. 

Ryan Strome, RW/C, Anaheim (4 percent Yahoo!) - The elder Strome enjoyed a strong week with a goal, two assists, seven PIM and eight shots over a three-game span. He even won 26 faceoffs (56.5 percent), which is a distinct improvement from his typical weak play at the dot. But short-term, Strome might provide you a daily scoring bump if you're streaming. The Ducks don't exactly have an easy schedule in March, but at some point they'll be playing for pride. And teams out of the running often look better than they actually are…

Jayden Struble, D, Montreal (0 percent Yahoo!) - Struble has made the most of Kaiden Guhle's (5 percent Yahoo!) unfortunate quad injury as he put up three assists last week while more importantly pounded out 16 hits, nine PIM and seven blocks. I repeat - 16 hits. That's platinum in roto formats as Struble could catapult you up several spots in a single category with another couple heavy weeks. And he's got a shot with Guhle out at least this month. 

Teuvo Teravainen, LW/RW, Chicago (16 percent Yahoo!) - Teravainen takes a four-game, six-point streak (two goals, four assists) into Monday with points from seven of his last eight (three goals, nine assists). His 46 points put him 15th on the LW scoring list, respecting of course that his shot total and lack of hits and blocks do slightly lessen his fantasy value. But still. Teravainen should be rostered in a lot more than just under one-in-seven leagues, even with Seth Jones (69 percent Yahoo!) long gone. 

Alex Vlasic, D, Chicago (5 percent Yahoo!) - Vlasic stepped into Seth Jones' (69 percent Yahoo!) spot on the power play Saturday night and notched a PPA. The responsibility is a big one for the young defender. And yes, there will be growing pains. Yet he has six assists - including two PPA - and 11 blocks across seven appearances. Little Pickles was a late bloomer in his draft year, and he's slowly grown his two-way game ever since. Ultimately, he's likely a second-pairing defender with a bit more upside than his cousin, Pickles Marc-Edouard Vlasic (0 percent Yahoo!). Right now, Vlasic has an opportunity that could produce both points and blocks. 

Back to Laughton's Last Supper.

That's the kind of mindset that will instantly adapt to any situation. He's a leader on and off the ice. And Laughton will immediately elevate a third line and penalty kill to an elite level. That's the kind of player who takes a decent team to great.

And therein lies the rub. Some players really struggle when they get traded. Hit YouTube and check out old footage of Wayne Gretzky the day he was sold - I mean traded - to the Kings. They're only human, and they shouldn't be criticized. 

Like Rantanen. Or even someone like Mitch Marner (100 percent Yahoo!), who might also struggle with a deal. And who knows - the Leafs could pull a Rantanen-like move this week as Marner's contract is also ending this season.  

This will be an interesting week. It remains to be seen what impact, if any, this week's deals will have. Maybe we'll talk about it after it's over. Or maybe we won't even look back. 

Until next week.