Special to Yahoo Sports
This year’s NHL trade deadline was a flurry of activity with several moves impacting the fantasy landscape. Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from this year’s deadline.
Winners
Claude Giroux, C/LW, Panthers (77% rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Giroux could get RW eligibility soon, which will be a huge bonus for fantasy managers, after the lowly Flyers traded him to the Panthers. Giroux’s slated to skate on the top line with Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe (a boon for all three players), and with Aaron Ekblad on LTIR, the Panthers have included Giroux on their top power play and are prepared to roll with five forwards. Giroux’s been one of the most consistent scorers in the league and playing on such a talented team can only boost his production.
Rickard Rakell, LW/RW, Penguins (24%)
Rakell’s bounce-back season with 16 goals continues to reach new heights, and after leaving the Ducks the expectation is he will line up next to Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh. The Pens split their top line recently with Bryan Rust playing on the second line, but acquiring Rakell gives Mike Sullivan a chance to re-unite Rust with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel without worrying too much about imbalanced scoring. Rakell moves from a team that ranks 22nd in GF/GP to one that ranks 13th, and accordingly gets a big boost in fantasy value.
[Batter up: Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]
Max Domi, C/LW/RW, Hurricanes (9%)
Domi likely will be a full-time winger on the Canes after failing to make much of an impression playing center with the Blue Jackets. He’s a skilled playmaker who has always made a strong first impression — he scored 52 points in his rookie season and then 72 in his first season with the Habs — and there’s no shortage of talent to leech off of, whether it’s playing with Sebastian Aho, Vincent Trocheck or Jordan Staal. His fantasy value gets a big boost with one of the league’s best teams on offense and likely will be featured on the second power-play unit as well.
Frank Vatrano, LW/RW, Rangers (7%)
Traded by the Panthers to the Rangers, Vatrano has scored at least 10 goals in five of his seven seasons. He is an underrated goal scorer who can move up and down the lineup. His fantasy value gets a big boost now because he’s playing opposite Artemi Panarin on New York’s second line after finding it hard to crack the top-six with the Panthers. He has already scored in three games with the Rangers. He might be worth an add in deep fantasy leagues.
Artturi Lehkonen, LW/RW, Avalanche (4%)
Lehkonen is five goals away from tying his career-high (18), and if all goes well, he should reach that mark in no time with his new team after leaving Montreal. The absence of Gabriel Landeskog means Lehkonen has a chance to move into the top-six even though he’s probably better suited in a checking role, perhaps taking Logan O’Connor‘s place on the second line with Nazem Kadri. Even if Lehkonen is on the third line, he has a chance to play with top prospect Alex Newhook. Lehkonen’s fantasy value gets a boost going from the Habs to a very dangerous offensive team, and the boost could be even bigger if he moves up the lineup.
[Try Yahoo Fantasy Plus for free to get premium baseball draft tools and more]
Marcus Johansson, LW/RW; Johan Larsson, C/LW, Capitals (both 1%)
Johansson returns to D.C. where he had his best seasons and will likely skate alongside Nicklas Backstrom and Anthony Mantha. He’s struggled since leaving the Caps, failing to make much of an impression in his five other stops, including most recently with the Kraken where he scored just six goals with a minus-22 rating in 51 games. However, arguably the biggest beneficiary is Mantha, who has scored 11 points in 19 games and now has two playmakers to feed him the puck.
Larsson is an intriguing add from the Coyotes as a versatile forward who showed some scoring touch with the Sabres but has failed to reach his previous heights due to injuries and circumstances. This is the best team he’s ever played for, and while he’ll likely be used in a bottom-six role, his versatility presents some upside because he can move up the lineup and maybe play a little on the power play. The boost in his fantasy value is muted at the moment but there’s a chance it could rise.
Colin Blackwell, LW/RW (1%); Mark Giordano, D, Maple Leafs (55%)
Forget about Giordano, who is just good depth at this point in his career and will play on the third pairing while the Leafs continue to lean on Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie. The diamond in the rough in Toronto’s trade with Seattle is Blackwell, a hard-working winger with scoring touch who may move up the lineup even though he’s slated to play on the fourth line. With a career 14.3 S%, Blackwell’s shown some good finishing ability even as a late bloomer, and his fantasy value should get a big boost should he ever find himself on John Tavares‘ line as the two former Kraken find themselves playing key roles on a Cup contender.
Calle Jarnkrok, LW/RW, Flames (2%)
Jarnkrok should get C eligibility as the Flames’ third-line center and, so far, has made a good first impression since being traded from Seattle. He’s a dependable player who scores at a 40-point pace no matter where he plays in the lineup — it was especially impressive on a Kraken roster with minimal scoring talent — so his fantasy value only increases because he’s playing on a much better team now.
Derick Brassard, C/LW, Oilers (2%)
The caveat is that Brassard has to play with either Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid to really boost his fantasy value after being traded by Philadelphia to Edmonton. He produced a respectable 16 points in 31 games on a poor Flyers team while averaging only 14:22 per game. With Jesse Puljujarvi back in the lineup and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins returning soon, Brassard will be a depth forward who can occasionally help the power play.
Taylor Raddysh, RW (1%); Boris Katchouk, LW, Blackhawks (0%)
Raddysh scored a goal and an assist playing on the second line with Jonathan Toews while Katchouk played with Kirby Dach on the third. Both players found it difficult to crack the Lightning’s stacked lineup, but both will certainly get the opportunity with the Hawks. Raddysh has more offensive upside and could be a sneaky source of points.
Daniel Sprong, LW/RW, Kraken (0%)
The Kraken basically gutted their roster at the deadline, which means Sprong, who arrives in Seattle via the Marcus Johansson deal, will get ample opportunity and likely get more ice time than the 12:45 he averaged with the Caps. The problem with the Kraken is that they lack premier playmakers, which will make it somewhat difficult for Sprong to score. Regardless, the increased ice time should help Sprong improve his scoring pace; he’s potentially a sneaky add for a few goals.
Hampus Lindholm, D, Bruins (15%)
The expectation is Lindholm will skate with Charlie McAvoy on the top pairing after signing an eight-year extension with the Bruins following a trade from the Ducks. Lindholm is a steady defender who should allow McAvoy to jump on offense even more, and they might end up being the only two defensemen who average more than 20 minutes per game for the Bruins. Perhaps Lindholm will pick up a few assists along the way playing on a good team, but it’s likely McAvoy who benefits the most.
Nick Leddy, D, Blues (2%)
Don’t expect Leddy to return to his 40-point form, but adding the former Red Wings’ rearguard certainly takes a little pressure off Colton Parayko and Torey Krug. The Blues likely will use Leddy and Parayko as a shutdown pair, but Leddy is undoubtedly an upgrade over Marco Scandella and may allow Parayko to jump up on offense a little more. Having a Leddy-Parayko shutdown pair should also allow the Blues to use Krug and Justin Faulk more selectively, especially in offensive situations.
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Wild (94%)
Fleury likely will split starts with Cam Talbot, so his fantasy value takes a hit with less volume after starting the majority of games for the Blackhawks. But playing for the Wild increases his chances of winning games. It will also push Talbot, who shut out the Knights on Monday, to be stronger between the pipes. It’s a win-win for both goalies, and fantasy managers who stuck with Fleury should reap some benefit.
Scott Wedgewood, G, Stars (6%)
Acquiring Wedgewood from Arizona is a signal that maybe Braden Holtby‘s injury is long-term, and re-affirms Jake Oettinger‘s status as the No. 1. Wedgewood performed quite well considering the Coyotes were shelled nearly every game and becomes a more viable option for fantasy managers looking for the occasional spot start.
BONUS: Jack McBain, C; Nathan Smith, C, Coyotes
Acquired in separate deals with the Wild and Jets, keep these two players in mind closer to the end of the season when the NCAA tournament ends April 9. Both are 2022 Olympians — McBain for Canada and Smith for USA — and finishing their college seasons with Boston College and Minnesota-Mankato, respectively. The Coyotes are a popular destination because roster spots will be immediately up for grabs, and both players could make an impact right away, perhaps even in top-six roles.
Losers
Brandon Hagel, LW/RW (3%); Nick Paul, C/LW, Lightning (2%)
This seems counterintuitive since both Hagel (Blackhawks) and Paul (Senators) are moving from lottery-bound teams to the defending champions, but note that their roles will change vastly on a more talented and experienced team. Hagel goes from a top-line complementary winger averaging 17:28 per game with the Hawks to a bottom-six role; he played just 10:40 in his Lightning debut with no power-play time. The versatile Paul will play a bottom-six role and assuredly average far less than the 17:22 per game he received with the Sens.
[Play in one of Yahoo’s NHL DFS contests]
Andrew Copp, C/LW/RW, Rangers (35%)
Much like Hagel and Paul in Tampa Bay, look for Copp’s role to diminish playing on a better team than what he had in Winnipeg. He was a very effective player for the Jets playing more than 17 minutes per game, but he likely won’t receive the same amount on Broadway and will have to leapfrog Alexis Lafreniere, Frank Vatrano and the injured Kaapo Kakko for a top-six role.
Evgenii Dadonov, LW/RW, Ducks (8%)
Dadonov’s trade to Anaheim from Vegas is under review by the league because the Ducks were on his 10-team no-trade list, a fact that the Knights apparently were unaware of when they acquired him from the Senators last July. Dadonov is still eligible to be traded to another team should the trade be voided, though it would make him ineligible for the playoffs. Dadonov has been disappointing for consecutive seasons, and being in a situation he doesn’t want to be in will further negatively affect his fantasy value.
Kaapo Kahkonen, G, Sharks (33%)
Kahkonen goes from a timeshare on the playoff-bound Wild to a crowded crease on a team that’s still trying to figure out if it wants to rebuild. Kahkonen will share the crease with James Reimer, and because Kahkonen is waiver exempt, the return of Adin Hill might bump him to the AHL. Remember, the Sharks also acquired Alex Stalock a few weeks ago, and it’ll be difficult for Kahkonen to get playing time.
Owen Tippett, RW, Flyers (2%)
Tippett never lived up to expectations as a scoring power forward with Florida, and it’ll be even more difficult to realize his potential on a bad team lacking quality centers. Tippett is slated to skate alongside Morgan Frost, another underachieving first-round pick. Until both players improve, they remain very much on the periphery.
