Fantasy Hockey Impact of the NHL Trade Deadline – Part 2

Jason Chen looks through the effect of the NHL trade deadline on fantasy hockey. Which forwards are worth adding and who's not worth picking up?

It’s been one of the craziest NHL trade deadlines in history, and there’s a lot to digest for fantasy hockey. 

For the most part, players who got moved from non-playoff teams to contenders saw their fantasy values rise. Even with less ice time, playing with better players on a better team should equate to quality over quantity.

In case you missed it, here’s the fantasy rundown on the Bo Horvat, Vladimir Tarasenko and Timo Meier trades, with Part 1 rounding up the rest from last week. Here’s Part 2 featuring the rest of the forwards who switched addresses and their fantasy impact for the rest of the season.

All player positions and rostered percentages courtesy of Yahoo.

Patrick Kane, RW, Rangers (95 percent rostered)

The prized jewel of this year’s trade bait, the Rangers managed to land Kane even after getting Tarasenko. Kane was re-united with former Hawks running mate Artemi Panarin, with Vincent Trocheck at center. Truth be told, it was weird to see Kane in a blue sweater, and his Rangers debut was spoiled by a loss to the Sens, finishing with zero points, four shots on goal and a minus-2 rating.

There’s no doubt Kane possesses immense skill and will help bolster an already solid Rangers offense, but it might take some time to get used to his new surroundings and a new system. Fantasy managers must be patient with Kane because the benefits are worthwhile if he can return to scoring at a point-per-game pace.

Max Domi, C/LW/RW, Stars (56 percent rostered)

Evgenii Dadonov, LW/RW, Stars (3 percent rostered)

With three points in three games already for the Stars, Dadonov’s already turned the corner on an otherwise uneventful season with the Habs. He obviously won’t keep up this point-per-game pace, but the 33-year-old scored 43 points in 78 games just a season ago. The only drawback will be the lack of ice time.

Domi is a really good acquisition for the Stars. He’ll most certainly play a scoring role and likely bump Wyatt Johnston from the second line or Ty Dellandrea from the third line. Domi’s production, despite having lackluster support with the Hawks, has been quite impressive, and he should have a much easier time putting up points with the Stars. Domi’s addition will also take some pressure off Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin and provide some mismatches for the opposition.

A potential playoff run is sure to invigorate both players, and while Dadonov and Domi will be playing depth roles on the Stars, they should be far more productive than starring for their previous bottom-feeder teams. Domi should be a good depth option in most leagues, while Dadonov has sneaky value in deeper leagues.

Ivan Barbashev, C/LW, Golden Knights (26 percent rostered)

Barbashev’s first couple of games with the Knights has been good. He’s playing on the top line with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault, and as long as he stays there, Barbashev should be quite productive. He’s already an excellent asset in banger leagues, and now with a top-line assignment, his fantasy value is sure to increase.

Tyler Bertuzzi, LW/RW, Bruins (38 percent rostered)

Bertuzzi can be a frustrating fantasy asset. He’s missed games in the past due to his non-vaccinated status, and though that hasn’t been an issue this season, injuries certainly have. It’s limited his playing time, and perhaps it’s the name, but you expect Bertuzzi to be a unicorn in banger leagues with his scoring ability and physical play. That’s not the case since he’s provided modest production across the board, and it’s unlikely to improve much even though he matches the Bruins’ style perfectly. Bertuzzi is projected to play on a big and tough third line that has limited offensive upside with Charlie Coyle at center and Trent Frederic on the other wing.

Mikael Granlund, C/RW, Penguins (14 percent rostered)

Granlund can be a frustrating fantasy asset because his contribution is assists, and that tends to be one of the easier categories to fill. He’s had a down season with the Preds – who hasn’t – and you’d think a move to the Pens will give his fantasy value a bump. But, no, Granlund will play on the third line to begin with, dragging around Jeff Carter at even strength and on the second power-play unit. If that’s going to be how the Pens use Granlund, it’s difficult to see how his upside in fantasy has increased. He played 16:16 in his Penguins debut, registering zero shots and winning 4-for-10 faceoffs.

Nino Niederreiter, LW/RW, Jets (20 percent rostered)

Considering how reluctant the Jets have been to play Nikolaj Ehlers, Niederreiter might end up jumping ahead of him on the depth chart. Niederreiter played 18:13 in his Jets debut, and his physical style is exactly what Rick Bowness likes. He obviously doesn’t have the same kind of talent or upside as Ehlers, but increased playing time – Niederreiter was averaging 16:03 with the Preds – will give Niederreiter more opportunities to put shots on goal and rack up the hits. He’s a valuable asset in banger leagues.

Jakub Vrana, LW, Blues (17 percent rostered)

Vrana is a true wild card. A stint in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program limited Vrana to just five games, but when healthy and getting consistent playing time, he’s a proven scorer. He’ll get that chance with the Blues, though note at best, he’ll be the third-best winger behind Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich. Kasperi Kapanen and Brandon Saad hold top-six roles at the moment, but a good showing from Vrana will bump one of them. It’s much too early and risky to pull the trigger on Vrana, but keep an eye on him.

Jordan Greenway, LW, Sabres (One percent rostered)

Greenway’s had a tough season, scoring just two goals in 45 games. At this point in his career, what you see is what you get – a big bottom-six power forward with stone hands. The upside with Greenway is the Sabres’ offensive talent is a little more spread out, and a career-low 2.9 shooting percentage might revert back to the mean and see Greenway end the season on a bit of a hot streak. With better linemates, Greenway could be an effective player in deep banger leagues.

Marcus Johansson, LW/RW, Wild (Two percent rostered)

The Wild will leave Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello intact as their top pair of wingers, which is a bummer for Johansson since playing with Kaprizov offers the most opportunities to score points. However, Johansson also reaps some benefits from playing opposite Matt Boldy on the second line. Boldy can be a little streaky, but he shoots a lot, which is good because it gives Johansson a target for his playmaking ability. In deeper leagues, Johansson might be a worthwhile pickup.

Nick Bjugstad, C/RW, Oilers (Five percent rostered)

Bjugstad won’t average 17 minutes a game for the Oilers, so his production will likely dip. He’s been very good at 5-on-5, but he won’t share the ice with Connor McDavid. Aside from faceoffs from the wing and plenty of hits, Bjugstad’s fantasy value remains largely unchanged.

Denis Gurianov, LW/RW, Canadiens (Two percent rostered)

Gurianov’s having a ball on the Habs’ top line with Nick Suzuki. He wasn’t getting chances like this with the Stars. In his Habs debut, he played 17 minutes and registered six shots on goal – he then scored a goal in the following game. Gurianov is a sneaky, under-the-radar pickup for fantasy managers looking for some added scoring down the stretch. There won’t be much internal competition for Gurianov’s minutes. Note this bumps the red-hot Rafael Harvey-Pinard down to the second line, who has gone three games without a point but did manage to get five shots on goal against the Kings on Thursday.