No two trade deadlines are the same. Some are busy, some are quiet. Others are loaded with high-end talent on the move, whereas others are defined more by depth moves.
This year? Four days out, it's too early to tell. There's been buzz of a lot of players being in play, but few teams made their moves weeks in advance, leaving a lot of activity to happen in a short time.
As promised, I'll recap the trades from the last week here. There were three of them, but fair warning: none of them make much more than a ripple in the pond that is fantasy hockey.
The big move of the week was the Stars' trade for Chris Tanev, with prospect defenseman Artyom Grushnikov going back to Calgary. Tanev plays the type of game that makes his team situation irrelevant -- he blocks a ton of shots and takes top-four minutes with ease. That won't change once he makes his Dallas debut. For Calgary, they get a prospect in Grushnikov who could be a very Tanev-like player when he gets to the NHL.
The Maple Leafs made a deal to help shore up their defense as well, acquiring Ilya Lyubushkin for the second time in three years. Lyubushkin is a defensive liability, though that's probably been amplified by playing for the Sabres and Ducks over the last two seasons. In an ideal world, Lyubushkin gets slotted onto the third pairing and stays there, but the Maple Leafs' lengthy injury list, especially on defense, is a concern. The 29-year-old also sustained a head injury in his first game back with the Leafs, leaving him questionable going forward. Fantasy managers don't need to pay much mind to this situation unless they have another Toronto depth defenseman who could lose time when the team is fully healthy.
Finally, Kurtis MacDermid was moved from the Avalanche to the Devils. Arguably, the bigger news is that the Devils plan to use the 29-year-old as a full-time forward. MacDermid is a tough guy who can pile up hits and PIM, but he will rarely see more than 5-to-10 minutes per game. Again, he's not a fantasy-friendly player. The Avalanche received 23-year-old forward Zakhar Bardakov in return -- he has 12 points in 51 contests for the KHL's SKA St. Petersburg. His NHL prospects are likely slim at best.
With no earth-shaking moves in the NHL's trade market, the fantasy world is status quo for a while longer. There are still players to discover that can help you shore up your position with the fantasy playoffs rapidly approaching.
I'm still not seeing enough movement on Shane Pinto yet. He's at 25 percent rostered in Yahoo formats, despite being a point-per-game player since the All-Star break (four goals, eight assists in 12 games). He's stepped right into a top-six role, and with Josh Norris (shoulder) out again, Pinto's at no risk of losing his spot. His season-long numbers are poor because he was suspended for half the season after violating the NHL's gambling policy, but Pinto has done everything right since he returned.
Alexis Lafreniere has not had a true breakout season, but after his three-point effort Saturday, he's matched his career high with 39 points in just 61 games. Barring disaster, he'll top 20 goals and 50 points by the end of 2023-24, all while showing chemistry with Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin on the second line. The depth of the Rangers' offense has been tested a little bit this season, but Lafreniere has shown he can at least be a solid top-six winger, even if his power-play time remains low.
I didn't think Ryan McDonagh would be a recommended player in the year 2024, but he's earned it. The 34-year-old defenseman has two goals and eight assists over his last 11 games, and he's added 21 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating in that span. Defensively, he's as sound as ever, and his scoring contributions have helped the Predators get a leg up in the wild-card race. I've got McDonagh in a couple of my deepest leagues, and he's quickly becoming an option in 10-to-12-team formats as well. If he can stay on the second power-play unit, that's even better.
If you need a bit more of straight defensive production, Ryan Pulock is again in the mix. The Islanders' rearguard has five points, 30 blocked shots and 23 hits over 11 games since he returned from a lower-body injury that cost him two months of the season. Pulock's physicality is a constant, and I've always found his offense a little under-the-radar. He's getting time on the Islanders' second power-play unit, so he's worth picking up in deeper formats.
Tyson Foerster is not getting enough attention as one of the better rookies in the league this year. With 28 points in 57 outings, he's ranked eighth in the league for rookie scoring -- and just two points out of the top five. Foerster has been especially good since he missed four games with a foot injury, racking up six goals and one assist over his last five outings. He's been decent with physical and defensive play while seeing steady top-six minutes (17:05 average ice time). Most rookies take a trip to head coach John Tortorella's doghouse, but Foerster has avoided that and appears set to boost fantasy squads down the stretch.
The Bennaissance was last season, and Jamie Benn predictably couldn't stretch it into 2023-24, but it looks like a short-term encore is on the way. He has six assists over his last eight games, which is one of his best stretches this season. Benn has meshed with Wyatt Johnston this season, and adding top prospect Logan Stankoven to the mix bodes well for all three players as well as the Stars' scoring depth. Benn's offense has gotten to the level recently that he can help out with multi-category production (hits and PIM), making him a solid depth option in shallower formats. Benn's status as a reliable veteran likely has him rostered in most standard and deep leagues. While you're looking at the waiver wire, scoop Stankoven -- it doesn't seem like he's going back to the AHL permanently any time soon, even if the Stars continue to juggle him for cap purposes.
Jack Roslovic had very little to write home about this season, until he joined the top line Feb. 13. Since then, he has 10 points over nine contests while playing alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. That stretch represents half of Roslovic's offense in a quarter of his games this season. He's been hyped before, so I understand any hesitancy, but he's worth a short-term look if nothing else.
I've always got a soft spot for playmakers on my teams, and Matias Maccelli is one that I've kept a close eye on these last two seasons. He doesn't always do enough to help in fantasy -- there's no physicality in his game, and he still has modest shot totals despite noticeable improvements this season. Over the last eight games, he's racked up 10 points, including four power-play assists, and 15 shots on net. Maccelli has picked up some of the slack in Clayton Keller's absence due to an upper-body injury. Maccelli can get streaky, but the offense is there right now, which is all the more impressive given how poorly the Coyotes played in February.
I've got one goalie to keep an eye on this week. Carter Brooks of The Hockey News reports head coach Rick Bowness has faith in Laurent Brossoit to take on more starts down the stretch. This will keep Connor Hellebuyck fresh for the playoffs, but it's also something Brossoit has earned. The backup is 10-4-2 with a 2.24 GAA and a .921 save percentage over 16 outings this season. Hellebuyck is a genuine Vezina candidate, but Brossoit's work in limited time is impressive enough to be trusted on a streaming basis in fantasy.
As quiet as the pre-deadline part of trading season has been, I'd be prepared to see a lot more movement this week. It's time for teams to decide if their playoff pushes are worth an investment, or if they'll stay the long-term course and sell off expiring contracts for futures.
As I've done in previous years, I'll have a trade analysis for each deal with an NHL impact in next week's column. If there's a lot of deals, this will likely be at the expense of waiver-wire plays, though I'll highlight players that could get an upgrade as a result of the trades, some of whom will likely be available to add.
Finally, I'd like to express my gratitude to the RotoWire community at large. This past week, I was named the 2023 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year. It was my first nomination, and obviously by extension, my first time winning the award. To do that in just my third year with this column is remarkable, and a bit unexpected. I want to extend my appreciation to those of you who have read my work, whether just once or on a weekly basis. I know you come to this site for the best analysis and writing available, and I'm proud that I can say I am someone who can contribute to that. We have a lot of good writers here -- just being recognized as one of the best here, let alone in the whole industry, is impressive. I look forward to pushing toward another FSWA win, all while bringing this column, with all of its gems, wit and the occasional hot take, to the public each Monday. Enjoy the trade deadline and we'll see where the pieces fall next Monday.
