This season’s trade deadline was as much about who didn’t move (Jonathan Drouin, Loui Eriksson, Dan Hamhuis) as it was about who did move. Deadline day really did not get rolling until the final buzzer sounded and every team made a mad dash for last second deals. In the deals that were made, plenty of players had their fantasy value change. Who gained value and who lost value? We’ve got you covered with the fantasy impact of the trade deadline’s biggest deals.
TO DALLAS: D Kris Russell
TO CALGARY: D Jyrki Jokipakka, F Brett Pollack, conditional second-round pick
FANTASY IMPACT:
If you disregard Russell’s stretch of 12 points in 14 games in March 2015 – and you should, since it was when Mark Giordano was injured – you’ll see Russell is no more than a 20-30 point rearguard, and that remains true even on a high powered Dallas team. Basically, his point production rate should be in between that of current Dallas d-men Jason Demers (21 points in 56 games) and Johnny Oduya (18 points in 63 games). If Russell was unowned in your leagues, chances are he should stay that way despite being dealt, while if you have Russell on your fantasy team, you’d be well advised to try to use the hype of deadline day to explore flipping him for a more productive asset.
Meanwhile, with Russell leaving town, Dougie Hamilton’s excellent 2016 should only get better despite Calgary having been a seller at the deadline. On the flip side, T.J. Brodie becomes even more of a sell-high, since he’ll be saddled with tough minutes that Russell had previously skated. For Jokipakka, what little production he might have will come to an end upon the return of Dennis Wideman, after which Jokipakka might be a healthy scratch from time to time.
In Dallas, the red herring is that the defence corps will be negatively affected. But chances are that won’t be the case because it will remain the John Klingberg one-man show. The impact of Russell’s arrival in Dallas likely will be felt most by Stars netminders, who stand to see a decrease in saves (with Russell blocking so many shots) but a modest improvement in GAA and wins.
KEY EXPECTED STATS:
Kris Russell – 19 games, 1G, 5A, 1PPP, 71 blocked shots
Dougie Hamilton – 20 games, 3G, 10A, 5PPP
T.J. Brodie – 20 games, 2G, 6A, 2PPP
Jyrki Jokipakka – 14 games, 0G, 2A, 17 hits, 15 blocked shots
Antti Niemi – 12 games, 8 wins, 2.44 GAA
Kari Lehtonen – 7 games, 5 wins, 2.51 GAA
TO COLORADO: Mikkel Boedker
TO ARIZONA: Alex Tanguay and two prospects (F Conner Bleackley, D Kyle Wood)
FANTASY IMPACT:
On paper, this is likely a lateral fantasy move for Boedker. After all, Colorado and Arizona have very similar goals-per-game and PP% rates, and Boedker should remain a top-six fixture. Because of this, and due to the fact that there were so few deadline deals, a larger spotlight will shine on Boedker, which means he might be a hype-induced sell-high.
On the other hand, Tanguay might benefit in Arizona because although he’s a 36-year-old, 15-season veteran, he did post 55 points in 2014-15 and his skills don’t really translate to a bottom-six role. Plus, Tanguay figures to see more power play time with the Coyotes and, just as importantly, he urgently needs to show all 30 NHL teams he still has what it takes to find himself a contract when he hits the UFA market this summer.
The biggest impact will be felt by other players on the teams involved. In Arizona, Michael Stone should now cement his spot on PP1 for the Coyotes, and with that will continue his recent momentum (eight points in his last nine games.) In Colorado, Blake Comeau figures to be pushed out of the top six entirely, where he’d found a recent home. If you own Comeau in a league, he should be moved ASAP before other GMs get wise to the negative impact this deal will have on him.
KEY EXPECTED STATS:
Mikkel Boedker: 18 games, 4G, 8A, 4PPP
Alex Tanguay: 19 games, 3G, 8A, 2PPP
Michael Stone: 19 games, 2G, 8A, 3PPP
Blake Comeau: 18 games, 1G, 4A, 1PPP
TO BOSTON: Lee Stempniak
TO NEW JERSEY: second-round pick, fourth-round pick
FANTASY IMPACT:
Stempniak is your classic hot-and-cold player. After a lengthy hot streak (38 points in 51 games) earned him a place on many fantasy rosters, Stempniak is being traded at a time when he has cooled off dramatically (one point over his last eight games). Will a move to Boston reverse that recent trend? Don’t bet on it.
Stempniak averaged nearly 19 minutes a game with the Devils, which included over two minutes of power-play time per game. That power-play time shifted between first- and second-unit minutes, similar to a large group of other forwards. In Boston, however, Stempniak won’t crack the first unit, which appears set in stone. With the Bruins boasting the league’s third best offence (3.03 goals/game), Stempniak seems suited for a role as a middle-six forward, more likely as a secondary scorer who would play on the third line.
Stempniak’s departure opens up more ice time, including power-play time, for young forwards such as Joseph Blandisi (14 points in 24 games) and Reid Boucher (10 points in 21 games). Don’t forget that the Devils also acquired Devante Smith-Pelly, a natural right wing like Stempniak, from the Canadiens on Monday. With key roles on the Devils up for grabs, the hard-hitting 23-year-old has an opportunity to boost his fantasy value the same way Stempniak and Kyle Palmieri did when they joined the Devils.
KEY EXPECTED STATS:
Lee Stempniak: 19 games, 3G, 5A, 2PPP
Joseph Blandisi: 19 games, 4G, 6A, 5PPP
Reid Boucher: 19 games, 4G, 5A, 3PPP
Devante Smith-Pelly: 19 games, 2G, 5A, 2PPP, 35 hits
TO ANAHEIM: Brandon Pirri, Jamie McGinn, Martin Gernat, 4th Round Pick
TO EDMONTON: Patrick Maroon
TO BUFFALO: Conditional third-round pick (2016)
TO FLORIDA: sixth-round pick (2016)
FANTASY IMPACT:
The Ducks made several moves on Monday to shuffle their secondary scoring around. They not only acquired Pirri, but traded for Jamie McGinn from Buffalo while trading away Patrick Maroon to Edmonton. With the Ducks attempting to spread out their scoring over three lines, these new acquisitions could turn out any number of ways depending on how the lines shake out.
Had he stayed in Florida, Pirri was looking at reduced ice time with the recent acquisitions of Jiri Hudler and Teddy Purcell. But once he is ready to return from his ankle injury, Pirri has a real opportunity for top-six minutes, considering that the only real bets for that ice time in Anaheim are Ryan Kesler, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Pirri’s ice time should no doubt increase from the 15 minutes per game that he was receiving in Florida. Unfortunately, fantasy owners will have to wait for that to happen because of the injury.
Unfortunately, the move to Anaheim may have the opposite effect on McGinn. The recipient of first-unit power-play minutes in Buffalo, McGinn won’t be so lucky on an Anaheim squad with deeper scoring. If he’s lucky, he will receive second-unit power-play minutes, but he will also need to battle with Pirri for a role there. If both happen to earn a role, that could bump either Rickard Rakell or Nick Ritchie out.
The Oilers’ newest forward was relegated to the fourth line in Anaheim, but he has a chance at a new lease on life in Edmonton. With Teddy Purcell now in Florida and Benoit Pouliot out for a while with a shoulder injury, Maroon has an opportunity to be the power forward creating space for Jordan Eberle and Connor McDavid. Keep in mind that this role is not guaranteed for Maroon, who could not retain a similar role in Anaheim with Perry and Getzlaf.
KEY EXPECTED STATS:
Brandon Pirri: 12 games, 4G, 3A, 3PPP
Jamie McGinn: 21 games, 4G, 4A, 2PPP
Patrick Maroon: 18 games, 3G, 5A, 2PPP, 37 Hits
