The first month of the fantasy hockey season has passed and there are plenty of players off to great starts worth trading at this time, and a lot of very good players who have started the season slowly and should get their form back in the near future.
Here are some players whom you could deal for and trade elsewhere.
TRADE FOR
Evan Bouchard, D, Oilers (99% rostered)
Bouchard got off to a real slow start with only one goal in his first six games. He has picked up the pace of late, despite going without a point in his last two games, as he has three goals and seven points in 13 games this season. He has only one assist on the power play after picking up 35 points last season. Bouchard will get it going again, especially when Connor McDavid (ankle) returns to action, which may be as soon as Saturday versus Vancouver.
Bouchard is a special talent, as was evident last season when he exploded for 18 goals and 82 points in 81 regular-season games. He followed that up with an outstanding Stanley Cup playoff run, scoring six times while adding 26 assists in 25 appearances. If you can get him in a trade, pick him up while his value is low.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Bouchard and Auston Matthews for David Pastrnak and Chris Tanev.
Vince Dunn, D, Kraken (81% rostered)
I’m a firm believer in picking up an injured player early and just having him sit on your reserve list or in your minors — if you have one. Dunn is a perfect example. The Kraken blueliner had 11 goals and 35 assists in 59 games last season, after picking up 64 points, including 14 goals in 2022-23. He started the season with a goal and two assists in four games before suffering an upper-body injury that put him on the shelf the last three weeks. He could return as early as Nov. 12 versus Columbus, and if he does, he will be a great acquisition.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Dunn for Jacob Trouba.
Thatcher Demko, G, Canucks (92% rostered)
Demko is another injured player worth picking up while he is still on injured reserve. Demko has begun skating, and while he has no timeline for his return from a knee injury, he is worth stashing on your roster.
Demko was terrific last season, going 35-14-2 with five shutouts, a 2.45 GAA and a .918 save percentage. Trading for talented players like Demko bodes well for the rest of the season and into your playoffs, as he is a top-10 goaltender in the NHL when healthy. I suggest trading away Kevin Lankinen (below) while his value is high and picking up Demko (and getting better assets up front in return) while his value is low.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Demko and an 11th round pick for a seventh-round pick.
TRADE AWAY
Alex Pietrangelo, D, Golden Knights (89% rostered)
Pietrangelo is off to a career-best start as he has a goal and 12 points in 12 games. His career high in points is 54, set during the 2017-18 campaign when he was with St. Louis.
Pietrangelo has yet to pick up a point on the power play, and his lone non-5-on-5 point was shorthanded. At the age of 34, it seems almost impossible that he would all of a sudden become a high-scoring defenseman, especially with him averaging a career-low 1:01 of ice time per game with the man advantage.
Pietrangelo is without a point in his last two games, so he is trending downward at this time.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Pietrangelo and Joel Eriksson Ek for Roope Hintz and Evan Bouchard.
Kevin Lankinen, G, Canucks (62% rostered)
Lankinen has been one of the best surprises in the early going as he 5-0-2 with a 2.25 GAA and a .919 save percentage heading into action Tuesday. He has taken over as the No. 1 goaltender in Vancouver, as Thatcher Demko is still unable to play due to a knee injury.
But it’s only a matter of time until Demko returns to action. While Lankinen will see a bit more than normal action as the backup to Demko upon his return, as the Canucks do not want to overtax the recovering Demko, Lankinen will lose a lot of his value.
Lankinen has had one good season in the NHL, his rookie year of 2020-21 when he was 17-14-5 with a 3.01 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 37 regular-season appearances. He has been a second goaltender ever since, and look for him to continue that role when Demko is deemed healthy enough to return.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Lankinen, Neal Pionk and 10th and 14th round picks for Miro Heiskanen, John Gibson, fourth- and sixth-round picks.
Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Jets (90% rostered)
Ehlers is off to a fabulous start, scoring eight goals and adding nine assists in 13 appearances. He has a pair of goals and two assists on the power play and is a plus-11.
Ehlers is a very good player, but his career high in points is only 64, set in the 2016-17 campaign as a 20-year-old. Ehlers is a good second-line player who gets a lot of time on the first power play. He is not as good as his start, and it makes sense to deal him at his highest value, which is likely right now.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Ehlers for Chris Kreider.
