The fantasy trade deadline produced some big trades that will impact the reminder of the hockey both in fantasy and reality.
Here are some thoughts on some of the top trades made prior to or during the deadline.
Duchene and Dzingel head south: The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel from the Ottawa Senators in two separate trades to help them make a late playoff push.
The pre deadline deals haven’t paid dividends yet but they are proof that the Blue Jackets believe they can make the playoffs and compete for the cup. From a fantasy standpoint, Duchene’s minutes and production will be fine. I don’t expect his numbers to change. Dzingel’s production will take a small hit because he will have to compete for more minutes and shifts.
Bruins acquire Coyle and Johansson: The Bruins acquisitions of Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson aren’t flashy acquisitions but they provide the Bruins with depth and additional scoring depth. Both were non factors in fantasy and neither will much of a fantasy impact with the Bruins.
Knights add Stone the Sniper: The Vegas Golden Knights got the best offensive player available in Mark Stone. Stone was having a terrific season in Ottawa but was not in the Senators future plans because he is a feee agent at the end of the season. Vegas paid a heavy price but they were able to sign Stone to an extension upon acquiring him.
From a fantasy standpoint, Stone’s production should remain at the level it has been all season. He is playing with better players so Stone should continue to produce at a high level.
The Jets acquire Kevin Hayes: The Jets made several trades but the Kevin Hayes trade is their biggest acquisition. Hayes and his owners will benefit greatly from this deal. Hayes will center the Jets line that features Patrik Laine and Nik Ehlers. Hayes point per game production should spike and that is key coming down the stretch and in the fantasy hockey playoffs.
Zucch to the Stars: I was a big fan of the Mats Zuccarello trade from the Rangers to the Stars until Zucch got hurt. He is out for four weeks as a result. Zuccarello was going to center a line with Tyler Seguin and Jaime Benn so if you owned him, it’s a tough blow because his production would have gone up.
Granlund and Simmonds to Nashville: The Predators added more size and scoring depth in Mikael Granlund and Wayne Simmons. If Granlund lands on the top line and power play with center Ryan Johansen and left wing Filip Forsberg, then Granlund should see an uptick in scoring.
Simmonds has had a disappointing season offensively. He will more than likely play on a third line with Nick Bonino which means don’t expect Simmonds to all of a sudden turn things around from a goal scoring standpoint.
Sharks add some much needed scoring depth in Nyquist: The San Jose Sharks made one of the most impactful deals of the deadline acquiring winger Gustav Nyquist from the Detroit Red Wings. Nyquist was once again in the midst of another productive season (15 goals, 33 assists) at the time of the trade.
From a fantasy standpoint, Nyquist is on a better team so his production should reflect that moving forward. He is having a career year so the Sharks acquired him at the right time.
Nyquist has been on a line with Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane thus far. San Jose now has two potent lines that can score.