Special to Yahoo Sports
With the Yahoo Fantasy Hockey trade deadline on March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT, in this week’s column we shake things up a bit. Instead of the usual article, the focus this week is on five players to trade for who could give your team a boost down the stretch and four players to trade whose value has either dropped or is projected to drop in the near future.
NHL players to trade for or add
Blake Coleman, RW, CGY
If looking for someone who contributes across the board, Coleman is an option. A key member of two Stanley Cup winning teams in Tampa Bay, Coleman signed a six-year, $29.4 million contract with the Flames last July to provide leadership and secondary scoring. He racked up two goals and four assists during his five-game point streak that ended Sunday. He remains solid in a second-line role, where he’s totaled 26 points, 161 shots, 113 hits, 48 PIM and a plus-12 rating in 53 games, showing his across-the-board production. A middle-tier draft pick or blueliner like Zach Werenski might be the acquisition cost to trade for Coleman, who is also available to add in 64% of Yahoo leagues.
Vitek Vanecek, G, WAS
Barring a major collapse, the Capitals are all but certain to make the postseason once again. Goaltending has been a shuffle between Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov, but based on recent performances, Vanecek is clearly in the lead to take on the role as the team’s No. 1 netminder. The 26-year-old is 5-3-0 with a 1.81 GAA and .940 save percentage in his last nine appearances, improving to 12-7-5 with a 2.25 goals-against average and .921 save percentage this season. Vanecek has solidified his hold on the role with his recent play and will require dealing a solid forward like Mathew Barzal or blueliner like Mikhail Sergachev to obtain his services.
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Nico Hischier, C, NJ
Hischier, the first overall pick in 2017, is rostered in just 33 percent of Yahoo leagues. Given his recent production and importance/place in the Devils’ lineup — second line center and first-line power play — that number is vastly lower than it should be. In his last 11 games, Hischier has racked up an impressive eight goals and six assists, giving the Swedish pivot 16 goals and 38 points in 40 games on the season. Hischier’s career-high 52 points set as a rookie in 2017-18 is clearly at risk of falling. If he’s not available on the waiver wire in your league, he likely won’t come cheap in any kind of keeper or dynasty league, costing a solid late-round retention/prospect and/or high pick, but the upside makes him worth the price.
Denis Gurianov, LW, DAL
Gurianov has had stretches of solid production mixed with those where he pretty much has been invisible on the ice. Lately, though, he looks to be in one of those peaks with three goals in his last six games. One major reason for including him in this column is that there is a decent probability that Joe Pavelski is dealt if Dallas is not in the playoff hunt come the March 21 deadline. If Joe Pav is moved, Gurianov, rostered in just 10 percent of Yahoo leagues, could slide up from the second to the first line, playing with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson.
Brandon Carlo, D, BOS
Before you flip the page on this column, hear me out. Offense is not Carlo’s game, but in the last two weeks, the Bruins’ blueliner has chipped in two goals in three assists. But Carlo’s main value is in leagues that count hits and blocks. Through 55 games, Carlo has 97 hits and 79 blocked shots, putting him on pace for more than 100 in each category by the end of the season, that coupled with close to the 20 minutes of ice time he sees in each game, adds to his worth in those formats. And he won’t cost a thing in a trade for most managers since he’s available in 98% of leagues.
Others include: Erik Haula, Josh Norris (back from injury), Boone Jenner, Phillip Danault, Yegor Sharangovich, Jordan Kyrou, Patrik Laine, Kyle Palmieri, Cole Caufield, Mason Marchment, Ryan Suter, Ryan Pulock, Rasmus Andersson, Anton Forsberg and Jeremy Swayman.
NHL players to trade away
Claude Giroux, C, PHI
Giroux’s inclusion on this side of the ledger is based on what his role might be if/when he is traded. With Philly on the outside looking in on the playoffs and Giroux in the last year of his deal, he is a prime candidate to be dealt by the NHL trade deadline. He is on Philly’s top line, both at even strength and on the man advantage. His future role depends on where he lands. But even if it’s in a good spot, it likely will be a lateral move in terms of fantasy production. If it’s not a good spot, he could see a decline in production. His fantasy managers should consider dealing him now to a team willing to take the risk, as his name value alone likely will warrant a higher return than might be expected.
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John Gibson, G, ANA
Profiled last week, Gibson gets another mention for a variety of reasons. First, he is 2-5-0 with a 5.17 goals-against average and .843 save percentage, allowing at least three goals in each of those seven outings. With that rough patch, Gibson is down to 17-15-8 with a 2.90 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 40 outings. Second, Anaheim is expected to be a seller at the deadline, resulting in the possible move of Rickard Rakell and others, which will make the Ducks even younger and possibly more likely to struggle.
Oliver Kylington, D, CGY
Those who have read my columns all season know I have been high on Kylington — even traded for him in the RotoWire Staff League before our deadline a few weeks ago. That move clearly has backfired to date, as Kylington has not hit the scoresheet in the last 10 games. Kylington’s overall numbers are still very solid and look even more impressive when factoring in his recent slump. But that is little salve to those relying on him in weekly head-to-head or season-long formats and it is also possible he might have been playing over his head earlier this season. Get what you can, even if just a forward who contributes in a handful of categories.
Evgenii Dadonov, LW, LV
This is one for deep leagues. Dadonov hadn’t gotten on the scoresheet since Jan. 20 versus the Canadiens, going 14 games without a point before notching an assist Friday. Through 54 outings, Dadonov has 22 points, 131 shots on net, 47 hits and a plus-2 rating. Part of the inclusion of the veteran winger here is that he failed to take advantage of his move up to the top line during Max Pacioretty‘s (lower body) absence, which doesn’t bode well for future success if/when Pacioretty returns, or if the Knights make a deadline acquisition. Deal him while you can, and if you can’t, consider the drop.
Others include: Mikael Granlund, Sean Monahan, Dustin Brown, Anders Lee, Jaccob Slavin, Duncan Keith, Marc-Andre Fleury (if he remains in Chicago) Jack Campbell and Linus Ullmark.
