Hello everyone and welcome to Part II of the three-part series, "Players Who Could Help Your Team If Traded". Last week, I highlighted players who could help you dominate G, A, and +/- categories if they are moved before the NHL's March 7 trade deadline. And as promised, this week's article will examine players who stand to become (or remain) meaningful sources of in PPP, PIM, and SOG following a change of scenery.

Power-Play Points: Kyle Palmieri

Among all the statistics covered in this series, power-play points are the most dependant on deployment and, in turn, the most difficult forecast post (hypothetical) trade. Even if a player is tearing it up on the man advantage with their current club, how can we expect sustained production if they lose their power-play spot on a new team? While we certainly expect squads struggling on the power play this season (Boston, Los Angeles, Minnesota) to bolster their man-advantage units by way of trade before the playoffs, it's difficult to predict specific trades with meaningful accuracy. As a result, I've decided to key in on a veteran sniper whose power-play production could only improve on a new team: Kyle Palmieri.

As mentioned last week, the Islanders' power-play has been nothing short of abysmal this season, clicking at just 11.54%. To put that number in perspective, the Islanders' powerplay is not only last in the league this year. With just 15 of 130 converted opportunities on the man advantage this season, the Islanders' power-play currently tied – with the 2001-2002 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim – for the 11^th worst powerplay of all time.

In terms of power-play production, any member of the 2024-2025 New York Islanders would (or, realistically, could) only benefit from a change of scenery. This includes Palmieri, who is currently tied for second on the Islanders with a grand total of 6 PPP so far this season. To put that number in perspective, there are 10 (yes, 10) players on the Winnipeg Jets with more than 6 PPP so far this year.

On the bright side, a look at Palmieri's career stats indicates he's more than capable of making meaningful powerplay contributions in the right circumstances. Just last season, Palmieri generated 20 power-play points, or 0.24 PPP/GP. Before that, Palmieri produced a similar (or better) PPP/GP output during five consecutive seasons as a member of the New Jersey Devils.

Safe to say, most contending teams would welcome a five-time 25+ goal scorer to assist with their middling powerplay. As a pending UFA with a reasonable $5M cap hit, it wouldn't be surprising to see "Country Mile" Kyle move to greener pastures by 3 p.m. ET on March 7.

There's one beautiful thing about rock bottom: Things can only go up from there.

Penalty Minutes: Mathieu Olivier

In an article last month, I highlighted Mathieu Olivier as a particularly strong source of penalty minutes this season, thanks in large part to his insatiable desire to drop the mitts. Although Olivier has fought just twice in the past month, he continues to stand alone with the most fighting majors (11) and third-most penalty minutes in the NHL so far this season.

While fighting tends to ease up as the playoffs loom, Olivier could relish the chance to make an impact on a new team in the way he knows best. For fantasy leagues featuring PIM scoring stats, keep a close eye on past fights, upcoming heavyweight matchups, and questionable hits to take advantage of hockey's unwritten code. With a big fight at the right time, the King of Sin could play a role in bringing your team to fantasy championship glory.  

Shots on Goal: Ryan Donato

Despite another lackluster season for the Chicago Blackhawks, Ryan Donato is having himself quite the year on an individual level. Currently pacing to shatter his single-season career high in points by 26, Donato has emerged as a valuable multi-cat commodity this season.

Heading into the 4 Nations break, Donato really seemed to clicking with sophomore phenom Connor Bedard, having amassed eight points in final four games. While playing alongside a generational talent certainly has its perks, Donato's success this season is largely attributable to his increased willingness to put pucks on net. As it stands, Donato ranks 47^th leaguewide in shot attempts per 60 minutes, one spot ahead of Sebastian Aho, and 39^th overall in SOG/60 minutes, sandwiched between known NHLers Andrei Svechnikov and Kirill Kaprizov.

Before we deem Ryan Donato a bona fide multi-cat stud, we must acknowledge that his 15.3% shooting percentage exceeds the league average, indicating his goal scoring could very well cool off. But even if his point production tails off a bit down the stretch, two things are certain: you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, and Donato has taken a lot of them this season.

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That's all for Part II! Keep your eyes peeled for the final installment of this series next Sunday, February 23. Until then, happy long weekend to all!