Trade Targets: Deadline Day Wishlist

Trade Targets: Deadline Day Wishlist

Follow along in our NHL Trade Deadline tracker.

It's Everything Everywhere All at Once season, which also described the NHL landscape on Tuesday when a flurry of moves blanketed the league. Patrick Kane was officially moved, the Leafs swapped out more pieces in an effort to play a more physical style, and the Oilers made their long-awaited big acquisition on defense with Mattias Ekholm.

You'd think there'd be little business left to be done now, but there are still plenty of names out there waiting to be moved. Here's a list of players whose fantasy values could get a boost if they're moved in the coming days.

Cam Talbot, G, Senators

Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the Kings late Tuesday night, the first domino to fall in what could end up being a major goalie carousel. Talbot looked sharp in his most recent start against the Red Wings and, all things considered, has had a very solid season for the Senators. However, the 35-year-old impending free agent doesn't fit into the Sens' long-term plans, making him an ideal candidate for a team looking to shore up their goaltending. Could the Knights be a destination with Laurent Brossoit on injured reserve and the untested Adin Hill as the current starter? Mads Sogaard stands to benefit the most, as he'll take the lion's share of the starts in Ottawa if Talbot is dealt, but Talbot's own fantasy value could see a boost if he ends up on a much

Follow along in our NHL Trade Deadline tracker.

It's Everything Everywhere All at Once season, which also described the NHL landscape on Tuesday when a flurry of moves blanketed the league. Patrick Kane was officially moved, the Leafs swapped out more pieces in an effort to play a more physical style, and the Oilers made their long-awaited big acquisition on defense with Mattias Ekholm.

You'd think there'd be little business left to be done now, but there are still plenty of names out there waiting to be moved. Here's a list of players whose fantasy values could get a boost if they're moved in the coming days.

Cam Talbot, G, Senators

Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the Kings late Tuesday night, the first domino to fall in what could end up being a major goalie carousel. Talbot looked sharp in his most recent start against the Red Wings and, all things considered, has had a very solid season for the Senators. However, the 35-year-old impending free agent doesn't fit into the Sens' long-term plans, making him an ideal candidate for a team looking to shore up their goaltending. Could the Knights be a destination with Laurent Brossoit on injured reserve and the untested Adin Hill as the current starter? Mads Sogaard stands to benefit the most, as he'll take the lion's share of the starts in Ottawa if Talbot is dealt, but Talbot's own fantasy value could see a boost if he ends up on a much stronger team as a potential 1A or 1B option. 

Wishlist Destination: Golden Knights

Jakob Chychrun, D, Coyotes

The Oilers were reportedly in on Chychrun before trading for Mattias Ekholm, but there's certainly no shortage of suitors. There's always a chance the Coyotes hang on to Chychrun; it's an awkward position, sure, but there's still term on Chychrun's contract and his imminent departure wasn't a major distraction even before the Coyotes started scratching him to keep him healthy for a potential move. Chychrun scored 28 points in 36 games on a roster short on elite talent, and any move should be a welcome one for fantasy managers, if only because it means Chychrun will finally get to play again.

Update: Chychrun to the Senators. What a fantastic pickup for the Sens, especially considering what the Canucks paid (a first- and second-round pick) to get a lesser defenseman in Filip Hronek. Chychrun immediately bolsters a blue line that now has two other studs in Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson, and it's a clear signal that Ottawa is chasing a wild card spot. Chychrun might be a little rusty having sat out eight games since Feb. 10, but once he gets up to full speed, he should be playing at least 20 minutes per night. Chychrun regains a ton of his fantasy value simply by playing again, but it'll be interesting to see how the Sens deploy him on the power play. Chabot is currently the quarterback on the top power play, and his fantasy value will take a hit if Chychrun becomes the preferred option. Unless the Sens want to run two defensemen on one of their units, Sanderson will be the odd man out. 

Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Coyotes

Gostisbehere has rebuilt much of his value with the Coyotes after struggling in his final three seasons with the Flyers. He's averaging over 22 minutes per game and scored 30 points in 51 games, and he can be a good addition to any team looking for help with their transition game or on the power play. A move to a better team should certainly unlock more of Gostisbehere's potential even if his overall ice time takes a dip, because he'll be playing with better linemates.

Update: Gostisbehere to the Canes. Gostisbehere profiles like a Canes player. He possesses immense skill at moving the puck and generating offense, and he'll likely step in as the second power-play quarterback behind Brent Burns, displacing Brady Skjei. Gostisbehere won't be getting the same ice time he got in Arizona, but perhaps less is more if it comes with better linemates and a better defensive structure that can hide his flaws. At the very least, Gostisbehere maintains his fantasy value as a quality depth option at a position that's usually quite thin. 

Jordan Greenway, LW, Wild

Greenway should be a big bruising power forward with immense value in banger leagues with his ability to score goals and rack up hits. Hampered by injuries and an offense that never quite developed, Greenway has scored only two goals in 43 games this season. The cap-strapped Wild need to maximize every dollar to be competitive, and it might be beneficial for both sides to move on. Greenway can play up and down the lineup, but the big fantasy boost will come from an improved shooting percentage. He's shooting a career-low 3.1 percent, less than half his career average. Though he's not a particularly good finisher, a new environment and a reversion back to the mean — even if he remains below-average — might spark a hot streak to end the season.

Wishlist Destinations: Penguins, Canucks

Brock Boeser, RW, Canucks

Once a highly-touted sniper capable of scoring 30 goals, injuries and inconsistent top-six and power-play deployment means Boeser has yet to score more than 29 goals or 56 points in six full seasons. He's been leapfrogged on the depth chart by Anthony Beauvillier and Andrei Kuzmenko this season, and it's long been rumored that a change of scenery — his hometown Wild, perhaps? — would help energize his career. The Canucks lack quality depth down the middle, and on a new team where he can play next to a playmaking center and have a consistent role in the top-six and on the power play, Boeser could rediscover his scoring touch. He's scored just 11 goals in what has arguably been the toughest season of his career.

Wishlist Destinations: Wild, Penguins

J.T. Miller, C/LW/RW, Canucks

After Chychrun, Miller has the most fantasy value on this list. He's a proven scorer who can make a big impact on the power play, and with three-position eligibility, he gives fantasy managers the flexibility to use him anywhere in their lineup. Though his output has dipped this season, he's still in the top 50 in scoring and averaging close to a point per game. The wrinkle is that Miller is reportedly dealing with a lower-body injury, though that hasn't stopped speculation that he could be dealt to the Penguins. If Miller is moved, look for him to continue his scoring pace but without the burden of having to play on a bad Canucks team that has hurt his plus-minus. Also note that since acquiring Beauvillier and Kuzmenko, Miller hasn't shared the ice very often with star center Elias Pettersson at even strength, capping his fantasy value with the Canucks.

Wishlist Destinations: Hurricane, Penguins

Kevin Hayes, C/LW, Flyers

The ideal fit for Hayes would be the Hurricanes, a team stacked with solid wingers but that lacks depth down the middle. The All-Star center has been very productive for the Flyers considering they don't have any elite talent on offense, as he's on pace to score 20 goals for the third time in his career. A move to a team with good scoring wingers should unlock even more of that offensive potential. With top scorer Travis Konecny suffering an upper-body injury that may keep him out for the rest of the season and a roster looking to pawn off their remaining veterans, staying in Philly just doesn't present Hayes with much upside. The last time Hayes was traded at the deadline, he produced 13 points in 20 games for the Jets in a career season.

Wishlist Destination: Hurricane

Mikael Granlund, C/RW, Predators

Granlund has been a huge disappointment this season. It wasn't surprising to see his numbers dip considering how the Predators overachieved last season, but 36 points and a minus-15 rating in 57 games was certainly on the lower end of what to expect. Once a crafty two-way playmaker, Granlund can still be a very positive addition on a better team. His pass-first mentality can be frustrating in fantasy because it means he only contributes in one category (assists), but on a better team with better wingers, he might be able to increase his point production. The Preds' firesale is underway, with the team trading Tanner Jeannot to the Lightning and Mattias Ekholm to the Oilers, and aside from Juuse Saros, Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg, Nashville has made it clear that they're willing to move everyone else.

Update: Granlund to the Penguins. Brian Burke was up in arms when the Pens were getting bullied by the Isles, so acquiring a skilled paper without a lot of sandpaper in Granlund was an interesting move. Granlund provides some much-needed depth scoring for the Pens without sacrificing defense with his strong two-way play. The Pens like to play fast, which will suit Granlund's playmaking ability, and perhaps the prospect of playing for a playoff spot might provide him with a spark to further increase his offensive production. Granlund's fantasy value gets a big boost moving away from a Preds team that's getting torn down. The hope is that Granlund gets a top-six role, otherwise he's stuck dragging low-impact players such as Jeff Carter and Danton Heinen around, which obviously caps his fantasy upside. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Chen
Jason won the 2021 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year award, and was also a finalist on 2019. He joined RotoWire in 2013. Jason has also written for Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, The Hockey News, The Hockey Hall of Fame's Legends Magazine, and Centre Ice Magazine.
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