Summer is usually a dead time in the hockey world after early July. However, we've had a mini-bump in player news over the past week or so. Included have been offer sheets for two players, teams granting multiple player trade requests, an injury affecting a Vezina Trophy finalist, and more. Perhaps more news will trickle in as teams start to get ready for training camp in September. Let's discuss some of the main players that have been affected.

Patrik Laine

This is a case of a fresh start potentially helping a player, with the new team on a positive trajectory without the high expectations (although Montreal fans could easily turn it into that). The prime concern about Laine is not scoring ability itself. It is games missed, which affects productivity. Laine has played an average of 43 games over the past three seasons, which is barely half of his team's available games. Throw away the 2023-24 season with just 18 games played, and Laine was a near point-per-game scorer for the Blue Jackets over his previous two seasons with the club (108 points in 111 games).

I could analyze the team, linemates, icetime, and everything else under the sun using every possible metric to determine how Laine will perform in Montreal. Much of that flies out the window if he misses a significant chunk of games again. What's more important is the one factor that will impact Laine's production the most: Laine himself. I don't mean to dismiss any mental health issues he may be dealing with, but there's a ton of uncertainty here. Even with the unknowns, Laine is worth drafting in the later rounds of single-season drafts, as he's a talented enough player on his own merit and is a worthwhile risk for the Canadiens.

Fantasy Take: Laine Moves to Montreal

Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway

Who doesn't love a good offer sheet? Except if you're an Oilers fan right now! Yet I seem to remember the Oilers being the benefactor of a Dustin Penner offer sheet years ago. Then again, "benefactor" may not be the right word when it comes to Penner. I'm not sure matching the Blues' offers would have been the right move for the Oilers anyway – particularly the one for Broberg.

As Dobber said in his updated lowdown, Holloway's new contract means that he has golden boy status and will receive opportunities over similarly projected players (eg. Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Texier). I'm still taking Jake Neighbours over Holloway if you have to choose between the two, as Neighbours has a more proven body of work at the NHL level (27 goals in 2023-24) than Holloway. On the Blues, Holloway seems like a middle-six forward who will receive second-unit power-play time, which would be a slight upgrade over what he would have received in Edmonton.

Broberg is an interesting one. His signing of a $4.5 million offer sheet put the Oilers in a tight spot, as he has a higher cap hit than Evan Bouchard (for this season only) while only being projected for third-pair minutes. The Torey Krug injury opens up a spot on the top power play, although Justin Faulk has experience in this role and seems like the best bet to replace Krug. Broberg seems more likely to be on the second-unit power play beside Scott Perunovich, and he could even make his way up into the top 4. Because the Blues also added Ryan Suter this offseason, Perunovich could even be bumped out of the lineup. Either way, Broberg has gotten paid, so now it's up to him to live up to that contract.

After Edmonton and San Jose exchanged Cody Ceci and Ty Emberson, the net effect is that the Oilers still lose a defenseman. Could former Oiler Tyson Barrie be the missing link? We all know how potent the Oilers' top power play is, but what about a second unit of Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, Adam Henrique, Evander Kane/Matthew Savoie, and Barrie? That wouldn't be too shabby.

Vasily Podkolzin

Podkolzin is another example of how difficult it is to project 18-year-olds. After trading the 2019 first-round pick for a fourth-rounder, the Canucks would probably love to travel back in time and get a do-over. After all, players like Matt Boldy and Cole Caufield were still on the board when they picked Podkolzin. The current situation is that Podkolzin is about to lose his waiver-exempt status, and the Canucks couldn't guarantee him a roster spot for the coming season. So they were risking losing him for nothing, even if the return was only a fourth-round pick.

After losing Holloway, Podkolzin seems like a worthwhile gamble for the Oilers. He seems unlikely to crack the top two lines, but his hard-working style and positive attitude could make him an ideal bottom-6 forward for the Oilers. Podkolzin can probably be ignored in most fantasy leagues, but he still has some time left at age 23 to make something of his career.  

Thatcher Demko

Reports out of Vancouver are that Demko won't be ready for training camp and may have even undergone surgery during the summer. The hope is still that Demko will participate at some point in training camp and be ready to start the season, but this is a goalie that was out of the Canucks' lineup for much of the fourth quarter and the playoffs. Demko could be drafted as a top-5 goalie if fully healthy, but he simply cannot be at the moment if this injury worry lingers.

The Canucks are also reportedly poking around in the goalie market, which might have been made easier cap-wise with Podkolzin being traded. Arturs Silovs is a solid late-round sleeper and appears to be a strong bet to start the season in Vancouver no matter what. Kevin Lankinen, Antti Raanta, and Martin Jones seem like the best bets for teams looking for goaltending insurance, so it's possible that the Canucks could turn to one of those options. The Canucks also signed ex-Vegas goalie Jiri Patera this offseason.

Rutger McGroarty and Brayden Yager

I won't expand on this one too much beyond saying that the Jets did well to receive Yager for a prospect who clearly didn't want to sign. Teams aren't going to give away players requesting a trade, but other teams know that the player might be able to be acquired at a discount.  

McGroarty appears set to compete for an NHL roster spot, which could make him a darkhorse Calder candidate. Don't expect anything like top power-play time, but the Penguins are getting stale and could benefit from an injection of talented youth. Yager is expected to play in the WHL for another season.

Fantasy Take: Jets and Penguins Swap Rutger McGroarty and Brayden Yager

Yaroslav Askarov

Askarov requested a trade to a team where he has a long-term future as a potential starter, and he got it on Friday. He will be given every opportunity to be the starter for a Sharks team that is building for the future with top prospects such as Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and talent they will draft in the coming years.

In terms of the here and now, Askarov will need to battle both Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood for starts in the coming season. A three-headed monster in net is possible, and so is Askarov starting the season in the AHL again if he doesn't stand out in training camp. Vanecek battled injuries in 2023-24, but he is reportedly healthy enough for camp.

The Sharks also committed to Askarov over the coming seasons, immediately signing him to a two-year extension with a cap hit of $2 million to start after the 2024-25 season. Both Vanecek and Blackwood are projected to become UFAs after the season, and it's very possible that one (or even both) are traded at the deadline. As a result, Askarov should play NHL games this season. It's just a question of how many.

As for how Askarov will perform, his fantasy owners will need to continue to play the long game. San Jose is in a long rebuild, so there are serious questions about how effective he will be. As I said in the Fantasy Guide, the Sharks are a goaltending situation to flat-out avoid. Yet as the likes of Celebrini, Smith, William Eklund, and others approach their breakouts, Askarov will be in a better position to live up to his upside as a blue-chip goaltending prospect.

Fantasy Take: Sharks Acquire Yaroslav Askarov

–

Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Threads.