Christopher Morais

It’s that time of year again folks. The trade deadline is here and many NHL teams are still looking to improve their teams for a long post-season run. There has been quite a bit of action leading up to the deadline, and I’ll break all that down for you, along with instant analysis of breaking trades during the day. Let’s take a look at some of the important deals that have already happened.

Detroit Red Wings Trade:

• Mattias Backman—D
• Mattas Janmark—F
• 2015 2^nd Round Pick

 Dallas Stars Trade:

• Erik Cole
• 2015 3^rd Round Pick

With the health of captain Henrik Zetterberg still in the air, Erik Cole is definitely a much-welcomed addition to the team. Cole should fit into Detroit’s top six and will be counted on to produce on a regular basis. Fantasy owners who need a small boost offensively should look to add Cole, but don’t expect him to be a point-per-game player from now till the end of the year.

New York Rangers Trade:

• Anthony Duclair—F
• John Moore—D
• 2016 1^st Round Pick
• 2015 2^nd Round Pick

Arizona Coyotes Trade:

• Keith Yandle—D
• Chris Summers—D
• 2015 4^th Round Pick

This deal is my favorite pre-trade deadline trade. The Coyotes got their man in Duclair, who had instant chemistry with teammate Max Domi at the World Juniors back in December. Arizona will for sure look to see if that chemistry will continue in the NHL but one thing is for sure—they got a ton in return and should be happy with this deal.

The Rangers paid a big price to get Yandle, and only time will tell if it was worth it. The 28-year-old will help an already good Rangers defense become even better, and he will be asked to contribute as much offence as possible. He only has four goals this year, but for fantasy owners looking to target a defenseman to help them push for a playoff spot, I would look no further than Yandle.

Chicago Blackhawks Trade:

• 2015 1^st Round Pick
• Klas Dahlbeck—D

Arizona Coyotes Trade:

• Antione Vermette

There’s no question with the recent injury to Patrick Kane, the Hawks were in desperate need of a top six forward. Vermette will probably take Brad Richards spot on the second line with Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad and that should help increase his fantasy value by quite a bit. The Blackhawks will need the pending UFA to help out offensively with the absence of Kane, and I expect him to put up anywhere from 10-15 points from now till the end of the season. The 32-year old is only 29% owned in Yahoo! leagues and is an excellent add moving forward.

Florida Panthers Trade:

• 2015 2^nd Round Pick
• 2016 3^rd Round Pick (Conditional)

New Jersey Devils Trade:

• Jaromi Jagr—W

Jarmoir Jagr is on the move again, this time to South Beach. The Panthers are looking to make a playoff push, and Jagr brings talent and veteran leadership to a young team. If you’re a Jagr owner this is great news—as the Panthers offensive is better than anything New Jersey has done this season. In his second game with the team, the 43-year-old skated with youngsters Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov recorded two points on three shots. He may be fading into the sunset, but Jagr is still good enough to help the Panther, and fantasy onwers, make a push for the post-season.

Trade Deadline Watch

 I’m not saying all these players get traded, but there will be interest and it wouldn’t surprise me if they did move.

 

• Phil Kessel—Toronto Maple Leafs—Cap hit: 7yrs/8M per season
• Jordan Eberle—Edmonton Oilers—Cap hit: 4yrs/6M per season
• Jonathan Bernier—Toronto Maple Leafs—Pending UFA
• Mike Green—Washington Capitals—Pending UFA
• Jeff Petry—Edmonton Oilers—Pending UFA
• Tyler Bozak—Toronto Maple Leafs—3yrs/4.2M per season
• Marek Zidlicky—New Jersey Devils—Pending UFA
• Chris Stewart—Buffalo Sabres—Pending UFA
• Alex Stalock—San Jose Sharks—1yr/1.6M per season
• Michal Neuvirth—Buffalo Sabres—Pending UFA
• Michael Del Zotto—Philadelphia Flyers—Pending UFA

Breaking Trades:

 Boston Bruins Trade:

• 2015 2^nd Round Pick
• 2016 2^nd Round Pick

Tampa Bay Lightning Trade:

• Brett Connolly—W

 It looks like Boston has decided to make a push for the playoffs. Connolly is a blue-collar worker who will help fill out that bottom-six for the Bruins. The price was a bit high for my liking, but its that time of year, and every team wants as much as the can get for a player. This trade doesn’t have very much fantasy value and Connolly still isn’t worth adding in any fantasy format.

Tampa Bay Lightning Trade:

• Radko Gudas—D
• 2015 1^st Round Pick
• 2015 3^rd Round Pick

Philadelphia Flyers Trade:

• Braydon Coburn—D

The Flyers are a seller this year and they aren’t wasting anytime moving players for draft picks. Coburn is off to the highest scoring team in the league and that is definitely a good thing. The 30-year-old defenseman won’t wow anyone with his offence, but he will help make the Lightning a better defensive team. The former 8^th overall pick in 2003 still isn’t fantasy relevant, so there’s no reason to add him now.

Montreal Canadiens Trade:

• 2015 2^nd Round Pick
• 2015 5^th Round Pick (Conditional)

Edmonton Oilers Trade:

• Jeff Petry—D

Edmonton once again is a seller at the trade dead line. The Habs acquire a good defenseman that will help them make a long playoff run. Petry is not going to be asked to go out and put up points, but he will help add another layer to an already very good defense. The 27-year-old isn’t fantasy relevant, and he won’t be move forward. If you owned him before the trade because you were desperate for help on the blue line, you can pretty much drop him now and look for someone else to take his place.

Montreal Canadiens Trade:

• 2016 5^th Round Pick

 Buffalo Sabres Trade:

• Brian Flynn—F

My Montreal Canadiens are keeping Trade Deadline day alive with another trade. This trade really has no fantasy implications, but it’s a depth move that will help the penalty kill become even better.

Arizona Coyotes Trade:

• Zbynek Michalek—D

St. Louis Blues Trade:

• Maxim Letunov—F
• 2015 3^rd Round Pick (Conditional)

St. Louis becomes a better team by adding Michalek to their team. With Kevin Shattenkirk out, the 32-year-old will help solidify the back end for the Blues and should be a nice fit with veteran defenseman Barret Jackman when he comes back from injury. The Czech native won’t help anyone fantasy wise, but at best it allows players like Andrew Campbell, Brandon Gormley, and Connor Murphy to get more ice time down the stretch for the Coyotes

San Jose Sharks Trade:

• Andrew Desjardins– F

Chicago Blackhawks Trade:

• Ben Smith–F

Another great depth move for both teams. Again, both players aren’t really fantasy relevant, both they with help their respective teams fill out their bottom-six. Smith, who is under contract till the end of next season at a cap hit of 1.5M, has recorded nine points (5G, 4A) in 61 games this season. Desjardins has recorded six points (3G, 3A) in 56 games this season.

Detroit Red Wings Trade:

• 2016 3^rd Round Pick (Conditional)*

* If the Wings go to the Eastern Conference final, add a 5^th round pick in 2015. If they go to the Stanley Cup final, a 5^th round pick goes back to Detroit and the 3^rd round pick for New Jersey becomes a 2^nd.

New Jersey Devils Trade:

• Marek Zidlicky—D

There was no shortage of rumors that has the Red Wings looking to add a top four defenseman, and the name that kept coming up was Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Zidlicky is a great pick up for the Wings and should be able to contribute to their offense. He brings the ability to move the puck, and on a veteran team like Detroit, he should have no problem fitting in. The 38-year-old has 23 points (4G, 19A) in 63 games this season, and he shout get a boost moving to a much better offensive team. The Czech native is owned in 27% of Yahoo! leagues, so fantasy owners who want to take a risk on Zidlicky can add him, but don’t expect more than 5-10 points from now till the end of the season..

New York Islanders Trade:

• 3^rd Round Pick (Conditional)

San Jose Sharks Trade:

• Tyler Kennedy—F

Kennedy is heading back to the East. The Sault Ste. Marie native is going to help out the Islanders bottom-six, but isn’t going to see an increase in his production down the stretch.

Pittsburgh Penguins Trade:

• Robert Bortuzzo—D
• 2016 7^th Round Pick

St.Louis Blues Trade:

• Ian Cole—D

It may be a minor trade, but this one works out well for Pittsburgh who will get an NHL defenseman with a bit more experience and who can help solidify the bottom two pairing. Bortuzzo is heading to St. Louis as a player who didn’t see a lot of game action recently and probably wont see much more. He’s a big, tough defenseman who can play physical and will probably be the team’s 7^th or 8^th defenseman heading into the playoffs.

Colorado Avalanche Trade:

• Karl Stollery—D

San Jose Sharks Trade:

• Freddie Hamilton—F

To be honest, I have no idea who these two players are. It’s a minor deal with no fantasy relevance.

New York Islanders Trade:

• Chad Johnson—G
• 3^rd Round Pick

Buffalo Sabres Trade:

• Michal Neuvirth—G

This trade may just be a depth move for the Islanders, and a confirmation that Buffalo is doing everything possible to finish last, but it actually have fantasy hockey relevance! For fantasy owners who scrabbled to pick up Neuvirth after the Jhonas Enroth trade (myself included), if you still need goaltending help, Chad Johnson is the guy to go pick up now! Don’t get me wrong, he’s not an above average goalie, heck he’s barely an average goalie on a good team, but if you need volume starts, Johnson is going to get them, because Anders Lindback isn’t a better option. If you’re relying on any of these goalies to help you get into the playoffs, it’s not a good thing, but I just finished adding Johnson as I’m writing this, so take this risk now and see where it goes.

New York Islanders Trade:

• Cory Connacher– F

Vancouver Canucks Trade:

• Dustin Jeffrey—F

Connacher is barely an NHL guy anymore, so this trade is more of an AHL depth trade than anything else. I don’t expect to see him on a NHL or fantasy hockey roster anytime soon

Columbus Blue Jackets Trade:

• Jordan Leopold—D

Minnesota Wild Trade:

• Justin Falk—D
• 2015 5^th Round Pick

The 34-year-old Leopold is heading to Minnesota as a pure rental to help boost their defense to make a run for the playoffs. The 44^th overall pick in 1999 had no fantasy value to start with, and still has none. He has three points (1G, 2A) in 25 games this season and has played five games since the beginning of 2015. The Minnesota native is heading home, and will bring some veteran leadership to a good hockey team.

New York Islanders Trade:

• David Leggio—G

 Arizona Coyotes Trade:

• Mark Louis– F

 Another minor league deal with no fake hockey relevance.

Toronto Maple Leafs Trade:

• Olli Jokinen– F

St. Louis Blues Trade:

• Joakim Lindstrom—F
• 6^th Round Pick (Conditional)*

* Can become a fourth-round pick in 2015 if the Blues reach the Stanley Cup finals and Jokinen plays a role in it

Jokinen may actually get the chance to play in the playoffs again! The 36-year-old has played a total of six playoff games in 17 NHL season, and it was no secret that jokinen was not happy to leave Nashville earlier this year. It’s going to be interesting to see where the Veteran fits in with the Blues, but that wont affect his fantasy value and he still remains a player you don’t need to own on any roster.

Montreal Canadiens Trade:

• Joey MacDonald—G

 San Jose Sharks Trade:

• 7^th Round Pick

Minor league deal with no fake hockey relevance.

Montreal Canadiens Trade:

• Jack Nevins—F
• 2016 7^th Round Pick

Buffalo Sabres Trade:

• Torrey Mitchell—F

Bergevin has been a busy man today adding depth to the team. Mitchell will help fill out the bottom-six for the Habs and should see some time on the penalty kill. The 30-year-old forward has 13 points (6G, 7A) in 51 games this season.

Pittsburgh Penguin Trade:

• Simon Despres—D

Anaheim Ducks Trade:

• Ben Lovejoy—D

Lovejoy is heading back to Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old is going to bring some maturity and veteran leadership to a very good Pittsburgh team. He’s not going to rack up the points—scoring only 11 points in 40 games, but he’s a reliable defenseman that will help the Penguins moving forward.

Minnesota Wild Trade

• 2017 2^nd Round Pick

Buffalo Sabres Trade:

• Chris Stewart—F

The Sabres continue to unload players to anyone who’s willing to talk to them. Speculation was strong that Stewart would be traded before the deadline, but the price was believed to be too high for most teams. The Sabres didn’t get their wish of a prospect and a 1^st round pick for him, but a 2^nd round pick is pretty fair and it is a good move for both teams. It’s still unclear where the 27-year-old will play, but I expect him to be a bottom six player for the wild, thus hurting any fantasy value he has left. I would be okay with dropping him now.

Calgary Flames Trade:

• Sven Baertschi—F

Vancouver Canucks Trade:

• 2^nd Round Pick

It’s not just a minor league deal, but Baertschi has no value this season for fantasy owners or the Canucks. He’s a long-term project at best, and maybe he gets a shot to play with the Canucks on a regular basis, but right now his game is just too inconsistent.

Colorado Avalanche Trade:

• Maxim Talbot—F

 Boston Bruins Trade:

• Jordan Caron—F

 The Boston Bruins got some depth by adding a Stanley Cup champion to their team, and Colorado get a young player in return. This trade becomes really nice if you’re a Alex Tanguay owner, who’s been playing on the teams third line with John Mitchell and Dennis Everberg. The hope here is that Tanguay will move up to the second line and play with Matt Duchene and Jarome Iginla, boosting his fantasy value up again. For a player with 40 points (16G, 24A) this season, why he’s on the third line is beyond me. Let’s hope that Roy gets it right this time.

Anaheim Ducks Trade:

• Rene Bourque—F
• William Karlsson–F
• 2015 2^nd Round Pick

Columbus Blue Jackets Trade:

• James Wisniewski—D
• 2015 3^rd Round Pick

This is probably the biggest deal we will see all day. The Ducks get a very good player in Wisniewski, who can help with his vision and power play expertise. The main piece going back to Columbus is rookie William Karlsson—who has three points in 18 games this season. The Blue Jackets are in a rebuild mode, or should be in the coming years, and adding a talented player like Karlsson is a great return. The only player with real fantasy value is wisniewski. The Veteran defenseman is going to see a lot of power play time and I expect him to play with youngster Cam Fowler. The Ducks are a much better team than the Blue Jackets and the 31-year-old should see both his plus/minues and point totals increase from now till the end of the season.

Anaheim Ducks Trade:

• Eric Brewer—D
• 2015 5^th Round Pick

Toronto Maple Leafs Trade:

• Korbinian Holzer—D

Both players are depth players that shouldn’t make a big splash from now till the end of the season.

Anaheim Ducks Trade:

• Mat Clark—D

 Colorado Avalanche Trade:

• Michael Sgarbossa—F

 Minor league deal with no fake hockey relevance.