Fantasy Impact: The Columbus Blue Jackets traded Antoine Vermette to the Phoenix Coyotes for goaltender CurtisMcElhinney, a second-round draft pick and a fifth-round draft pick.

The Jackets get: $3.75 million off the cap, two decent picks, and believe it or not – a goalie. Only one team could get a McElhinney and actually improve their goaltending. This one.

The Coyotes get: that first-line center they have coveted for so long. Just kidding. But Vermette is an on-again/off-again second-line center who produces in spurts. He tends to follow bad seasons with good ones and if that trend holds then look for a 60-point year from him in 2012-13.

Fantasy Players Impacted: Steve Mason wouldn’t have this many starts if Curtis Sanford and Mark Dekanich didn’t get hurt so much. Hell, even Allan York has gotten some starts – and he’s been hurt too! So the Jackets get a healthy goaltender who will spell Mason and if they catch him during a hot streak he’ll do surprisingly decent. At worst they get more of the same, but with a better cap situation and more draft picks.

With Vermette out of the mix, ice time opens up for youngsters such as Ryan Johansen and possible call-ups Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert.

In Phoenix, the arrival of Vermette will push Daymond Langkow into a checking role. I doubt Martin Hanzal will be removed from the Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata line, so Vermette will help the other scorers such as Shane Doan, Mikkel Boedker and …uh… well, those guys.

Fantasy Players this helps, in order:

1. Vermette

2. McElhinney

3. Doan

4. Boedker

5. Johansen

6. Atkinson/Calvert/Tomas Kubalik

Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:

1. Mason (as if his value has room to drop)

2. Dekanich (ditto)

3. Langkow