Many fantasy leagues are wrapping up their trade deadline this week as they frequently coincide with the NHL trade deadline, which is occurring this Friday.

This is one of your last chances to improve your team for that playoff push.

It’s no secret that traded players frequently see a quick boost in fantasy value. Think of the salivating that went on with Vladimir Tarasenko was dealt to the Rangers, much of which has been overhyped. In the nine games since Tarasenko was dealt to New York, the Rangers have scored 3.78 goals per game and been successful on 30.8 per cent of their power-play opportunities. In those nine games, Tank had four points, none on the power play, despite playing almost exclusively with either Mika Zibanejad or Artemi Panarin at even strength and getting looks on the top power-play unit.

While much of the focus this week will be on the likes of Patrick Kane, Timo Meier, Jakob Chychrun, etc., some of the more productive trades involve ones considered to be the smaller deals. Maybe that’s because we don’t expect as much, so it’s more surprising when those players have a quick hit in production.

Below are 10 lesser-name players who could see a quick boost in production if dealt this week. We’re talking possibly only a couple of games for some of the names on this list, but some could go for longer.

Note that I am also including players who were dealt on the weekend but haven’t seen any game action with their new squad yet.

10. Matt Dumba

It’s unbelievable how far his value has dropped over the last few years. He had at least a 50-point pace in each of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns, although an injury knocked him out for almost 50 games in the latter season. Since then, he’s struggled, and this year his production has dropped to a 19-point pace. Part of that reason is that he is averaging only six seconds per night with the man advantage, where his previous low was 1:34. His shot-per-game mark is down to 1.2, and his hitting has also decreased. A new team could give him a boost in peripherals and production, just don’t expect a consistent 50-point pace again.

9. Cam Talbot

It’s difficult for a goalie to be traded at the deadline and make an immediate impact as most playoff teams already have a number one guy. Minnesota is one of the rare exceptions from a year ago when they brought in Marc-Andre Fleury. Talbot can still be a number one netminder in the right situation, but that may have to wait until the summer. There are a couple of teams out west that could use an upgrade on their goaltending. Going to a playoff team, even in a 1B role, would be a big step up from the Sens. However, with Talbot dealing with an injury-plagued season, teams may choose to stay away.

8. Jesse Puljujarvi

It may seem strange to think that moving away from Connor McDavid would help improve production, but Puljujarvi has been doing nothing in Edmonton. His ice time has been dropping as we get further into the season (he’s been below 10 minutes in eight of his past 18 games), and he gets little power-play time. His 0.25 points per game means very few fantasy general managers are rostering him, except in deep dynasty leagues. No matter where he goes, he can’t be any worse than he is in Edmonton. Depending on his landing spot, he could get thrust back into a top-six role with some power-play time, which will also help him reach the two-hits-per-game mark.

7. John Klingberg

Betting on himself with a cheap, one-year deal hasn’t worked out for Klingberg. If he is dealt to another team this week, he’ll be looking to regain some of the value he lost in Anaheim. He is on a hot streak with eight points in his last eight games, which has helped bring him up to a 38-point pace. That’s a far drop from his normal 50-point pace, but maybe it’s enough to get another team interested. The tough part for Klingberg is that he won’t be getting top power-play time unless there’s an injury to someone else, and his peripherals aren’t that great.

6. Max Domi

We talked about Domi last week, but he deserves another mention. While all the talk will be on Patrick Kane and where he winds up, don’t overlook Domi. The soon-to-be-ex-Chicago Blackhawk leads the team in games played (58), goals (18), assists (tied with Kane at 29), points (47), PIM (76), and power-play goals (tied with Jonathan Toews at eight), while being second in shots (135) and power-play points (16). He can be slotted into a top-six role with a new team and continue to produce in the right situation.

5. Denis Gurianov (Traded to Montreal)

One thing that Marty St. Louis has excelled at in Montreal is taking players discarded from other teams and putting them in a role to immediate success. Sean Monahan had 17 points in 25 games and looked like a sure bet to fetch another first-round pick until his most recent injury. Mike Matheson had 16 points in 25 games and is now the subject of trade interest, despite having another three years on his contract after this one. Kirby Dach has a 50-point pace for the first time in his brief career. Rem Pitlick had 18 points in his first 26 games a year ago when he was claimed off waivers. Now Gurianov is the latest project for Montreal. In Dallas, his ice time was hovering around 12 minutes per night, his shot rate dropped to 1.6 shots per game, his hitting was plummeting and he had nine points in 43 games.

4. Ivan Barbashev (Traded to Vegas)

While no one is expecting Barbashev to get back to the 60-point pace he put up a season ago, you have to think that going to the Golden Knights from St. Louis is a big step up. He spent most of this season playing with Brayden Schenn, Noel Acciari and Brandon Saad at five-on-five and was on the second power-play unit. In Vegas, if the Golden Knights bring no one else in, Barbashev could get a shot at second-line duties with Reilly Smith and William Karlsson, but more importantly, maybe he gets some looks on the top power-play unit, replacing Michael Amadio and Nicolas Roy, who have been manning that spot since Mark Stone went on the IR.

3. Jakub Vrana

This year has not gone well for Vrana. He spent some time in the NHL’s player assistance program, was sent to the AHL and was also placed on waivers without being claimed. With all of this working against him, he’s only played in four NHL games this season. His ice time in those games averaged below 12 minutes per contest, but he has still managed two points. He has another year at a $5.25 million cap hit, so anyone who trades for him will want to put him in a top-six role to see what he can produce. Don’t forget that he had at least a 59-point pace in each of the previous three seasons, so we know can produce in the proper situation.

2. Luke Schenn

Guys who do great in peripherals will often see a boost in their stats for a couple of games after a trade as they’re out to prove to their new team exactly what they can do. Alexander Romanov, for example, had six hits and 14 blocked shots in his first two games for the Islanders this season. Last year, Nicolas Deslauriers had a goal, three shots and six hits in his first game in Minnesota after the trade deadline, and followed that up with a seven-hit contest. It took only a few more games before he got into his first fight with the Wild. Schenn is in the same boat. While Schenn’s 21 points with the Canucks is a nice bonus (and only one point off his career high), you’re looking to him for hits, PIM, and blocked shots. His 71 PIM is 12th in the league (buoyed by five fights) and his 258 hits are tops by a good margin. His 81 blocked shots put him on pace for more than 100. If he is dealt this week, expect a small bump in those stats for at least a couple of games.

1. Tanner Jeannot (Traded to Tampa Bay)

Odds are, if you’re in any type of banger league, Jeannot is already gone. But maybe there’s a chance he’s still available on the waiver wire. Much like Schenn, Jeannot will be wanting to prove to his new team how valuable he can be on the ice. So expect Jeannot to hit and punch any opposing player he can in his first few games with a new squad. His 85 PIM is fifth in the league and his 213 hits are fourth. He’s also been in nine fights already, tied for third in the league. Although he’s struggling this year for points, he’s only a year removed from a 24-goal, 41-point rookie season.