Hutch's Hockey: Go Big Or Go Home

If you were waiting for the start of trade season, the bell rang loud and clear Friday night. For the second year in a row, the Hurricanes took a big swing, this time finding ways to get Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall on their roster. It cost a trio of picks -- one to the Blackhawks for their salary retention on Rantanen, and two to the Avalanche. Martin Necas and Jack Drury are also now with the Avalanche, showing just how much it takes to acquire one of the best players in the league. 

I saw the news trickle in over time Friday. My initial impression was that there was no way the Avalanche would come out of this trade a better team. Overcoming losing Rantanen is going to be tough, and that's with Necas being a strong player in his own right. Drury is still young and could push to be a middle-six center, which at least partially addresses an issue with the Avalanche's roster as it was before the trade. For a team that's as top-heavy as the Avalanche, getting two NHL players for one is good, even if the one going the other way had the potential to be a franchise icon if he had stayed. 

On the flip side, the Hurricanes continue to be aggressive. Rantanen gives them a level of star power they typically just don't have. Unlike their trading partner, the Hurricanes have relied on balance and a strong system rather than a top-10 talent. If Rantanen can buy in -- and if there's chemistry with Sebastian Aho right away -- having both the system and the talent can only be a good thing. The Hurricanes also have 10 unrestricted free agents on their NHL roster. There's flexibility here for the future, and if Rantanen signs an extension, that could attract other free agents. Take a look at this roster, which experienced plenty of turnover from 2023-24. The Hurricanes have gotten the best out of players like Eric Robinson and Jordan Martinook, and they didn't dip into the prospect pool to make the trade, so Bradly Nadeau and Scott Morrow could be NHL options next season. For now, it's a slight win for the Hurricanes, but this could be a mutually beneficial deal. 

The less said about the Blackhawks, the better. Hall wanted to stay but it makes sense for a rebuilding team to let a player like him go. Getting just one pick out of the deal -- one they had already dealt away, mind you -- is not great business. I would have expected two picks or one pick and a prospect for their role in this deal. They also used up a retention slot, so they'll only be able to broker one deal at the deadline. 

The lesson here is that big trades are not bad. Fantasy trade deadlines will be approaching soon too, so make a deal. Don't be afraid to swing big -- I've been dangling Auston Matthews for a top-tier defenseman lately, and I flipped Elias Pettersson for Jack Eichel (among other pieces) in a keeper league. Small deals are fine if you're happy with the state of your team, but a big trade can put other managers on notice, especially if it works out. 

Looking to the waiver wire, it's stop-everything-and-get-him time for Jake Allen. Is he the best goalie available? Probably not, but he's got an open door for the No. 1 job for at least two weeks while Jacob Markstrom (knee) is out. He's won his last two outings (one start) since Markstrom got hurt. Depending on the length of the recovery, Markstrom could still be out after the 4 Nations Face-Off, so Allen may have a bit more mileage. Nico Daws figures to fill the backup role once he's called up -- Allen will have to be sharp to keep his workload. The Devils have a stingy defense, allowing just 25.7 shots per game, which is third-best in the league, and should make for fairly easy work. 

I'm also willing to speculate on Justus Annunen. He's won all four of his outings in January (three starts), allowing 10 goals on 105 shots. Sure, there's nothing spectacular in those numbers. There's also the Juuse Saros thing -- the Predators committed to their main man in net for an eight-year deal that begins next season. The future is set, but right now, Saros isn't right. Since the start of December, Saros has a 3.24 GAA and a .881 save percentage. His overall marks (2.88/.899) are the worst of his career, and he's struggled against the Sharks and Ducks in his last two games. If ever the door was open for Annunen to push for a 50-50 split, it's now. That's not to say it will happen, but the Predators are out of a playoff spot by 12 points. If this is truly a lost season, and it sure looks like it, why not build in some rest for Saros and see if Annunen could be a long-term backup or 1B option? Nashville's got way too much committed to 2025-26 and beyond to risk Saros' health or confidence behind an underwhelming team for four of every five games the rest of this season. 

One more for the crease -- John Gibson (upper body) left Saturday's game versus the Predators, which could mean a heavy dose of Lukas Dostal is on the way. Dostal's play has been mediocre since the start of December, but he's 7-6-2 despite a 3.13 GAA and a .895 save percentage over his last 15 games. The Ducks are still bleeding shots, but Dostal has proven himself capable of handling heavy workloads. He's 8-6-3 with a .928 save percentage over 17 games this season when he's faced 30-plus shots. The bottom line is he won't hurt you as much as you might think if you just look at what team he's on. 

I've avoided recommending Pavel Dorofeyev in recent weeks out of uncertainty. It's just a gut feeling, and even though he's in his second full season rather than his rookie year, I think a wall is coming. Still, he's at 21 goals and 31 points through 50 games, and a 14.0 shooting percentage isn't absurd. Dorofeyev has 11 points over 13 outings in January -- it's enough production to get me to take the plunge in some formats, but keep in mind he's more of a points-and-shots guy. 

It's a 2-for-1 special on Pavels this week, as Pavel Zacha is also generating attention again. Zacha has done his playmaking part in the Bruins' top six with two goals and nine assists over 12 contests so far in January. As of Sunday afternoon, he's available in 81 percent of Yahoo formats despite his plum gig alongside David Pastrnak. Zacha's got some heavy lifting to do to get back into the upper 50s in points as he had in his first two years with the Bruins, but he's in the right spot to do so. The one downside is a dip in physicality this season, but that's a secondary issue -- it won't matter if he keeps up his January pace the rest of the way. 

I haven't ragged on the Predators enough yet, so here's a little more. Look at some of the players they've let go in recent years. Eeli Tolvanen's not having a great 2024-25, but he impressed for a year and a half after the Kraken snagged him off waivers. That story has repeated itself with Dante Fabbro, who went from a part-timer in Nashville to a first-pairing stalwart in Columbus following his placement on waivers this season. To make it a hat trick, take a look at how much better Alexandre Carrier has been with the Canadiens. He's got 10 points in 18 games since he was flipped for Justin Barron, who has... not that much offense since the trade, plus glaring defensive deficiencies. Carrier's also plus-8 for Montreal after going minus-14 over 28 contests with Nashville to begin the season. All of this is the long way of saying go get Carrier on your fantasy team, and maybe keep an eye on whichever player the Predators part with next. It's not magic though -- you wouldn't want to end up with the next Juuso Parssinen or Philip Tomasino. 

Sticking with Montreal, Juraj Slafkovsky is back on the top line and performing again. He's got seven points over his last 10 contests, and he's added 17 shots on net and 26 hits. Slafkovsky has all the tools to be a future power winger, a multi-category fantasy superstar, but consistency has been an issue early in his career. He's not shooting enough in 2024-25, with just 62 shots over 46 appearances, leading to him recording seven goals and 21 helpers so far. Three of those goals are in the aforementioned 10-game sample. I liked him as a sleeper in drafts this year, and I'm not afraid to circle back to Slafkovsky in leagues where I let him go during quieter stretches. 

Trevor Zegras has been back from a knee injury for three games, and Mason McTavish has five goals in that span. They're not playing on the same line currently, but I don't think that's a coincidence. For one, Zegras is a dynamic and creative forward, one that has enough talent for an opposing team to game-plan against. That leaves McTavish with a little less focus on him, especially since he's been on the third line. This could all be smoke and mirrors, especially with Anaheim's notable inconsistency on offense, but McTavish has at least one point in each of the last five games where the Ducks didn't get shut out. I doubt he'll keep up a high pace in the long run, but he's in the mix for streaming purposes, especially with the Ducks' next three games being against the Kraken, Flames and Canadiens. 

Remember when Pierre-Luc Dubois couldn't buy a goal? He had three goals and 16 points over 24 contests by the end of November -- not poor production, but certainly nothing to write home about for a center. The floodgates have since opened. He's up to 10 goals overall, five of which he's scored over his last nine games. Dubois has 12 points over his last 13 outings, and while there's been tinkering with the Capitals' top six, he's still there and still producing regardless of who he lines up with. Oh, and he's already just one point shy of matching his total from his doomed 2023-24 with the Kings. If you ever needed a clear example of a win-win, the Dubois-for-Darcy Kuemper trade is just that, as both teams have gotten just what they needed out of the deal. 

If you're in a deeper league, hopefully, you've noticed Marco Kasper recently. Ahead of the Red Wings' Jan. 10 game versus the Blackhawks, Kasper was thrown a life preserver with a promotion to the top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Since that game, Kasper has five goals, three assists, 15 shots on net and 14 hits over nine contests. Kasper's 20 years old, the eighth overall pick from 2022, and he's starting to live up to the draft spot. He'll chip in points, shots and hits, and there's still room to grow if he ends up on the top power-play unit. Todd McLellan has unlocked a new level of offense for the Red Wings, and Kasper's growth under the new coach can't be ignored. 

With trade season heating up, it's also a good idea to briefly refresh some etiquette for negotiations. Sometimes, it'll take a few volleys to get a deal that works for both sides. If you're really committed to making a trade, it's a good idea to say that up front. In my Eichel deal, I explained that I was curious, but if the price was too high, I didn't need to make it. For me, it's a move for the future -- I think Eichel's situation is better than Pettersson's, and while my team isn't competitive this season, getting a high-end forward without spending a high-end price made sense. I can build around Eichel next year. 

In other deals, especially in redraft formats, try to evaluate your fellow managers' points of weakness. If someone's thin at a position, they're not going to give up their best player there. You don't want to point out the weakness you observe but tailor your deals to the opposing manager. Give them something they need to get what you want. If it's obvious they like a certain NHL team, dangle a player from that team to move the talks along. 

Finally, and most importantly, keep offers reasonable. In shallow leagues, giving three players to get one isn't usually well received -- people don't want to drop their roster players for throw-ins just to make a trade. Trading should be mutually beneficial as often as possible. That said, if you're offered something that is heavily in your favor, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I was offered Sidney Crosby and Roman Josi for Nick Suzuki and Gustav Forsling three weeks ago, and it took me no time to accept that deal. I accepted on the basis the Predators would turn things around a bit, and while that hasn't really happened, I saw the deal as a lateral move at worst with plenty of upside. 

We're two weeks out from a lengthy break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Now's a good time to get your roster in order, make some moves with an eye on the post-break run and capitalize on any positive momentum your team has. The NHL hasn't taken a midseason break like this in years -- the bye weeks are different since they've been done on a rolling basis. This is more like an Olympic break, and that means things could change drastically once everyone restarts for the sprint from late February to the end of the season, especially in that first couple of weeks back before the trade deadline. That presents a different challenge for fantasy managers, but it's also an opportunity to really target some buy-low players just before the break. Go make some moves this week, and I'll be back with more next Monday.