The NHL trade deadline is a week away, and this will be a time of year when even the most pessimistic fantasy general manager can get swept up in the emotion of it all. 

Any time a player gets dealt around trade deadline day, the value of that traded player increases in fantasy circles. Which makes perfect sense. A player is normally going from a bottom team to a much better one, usually one with better linemates. This doesn’t mean the player will produce more, but there’s a perceived increase in value. Even superstars would see their value increase. A fantasy general manager would be wise to take advantage of this if their league still has their own trade deadline.

I mean, Ben Chiarot is nice and everything, but he’s averaging 23:33 per night and contributes consistently only in hits and blocks even though he’s getting some power-play time and has nine points in his last nine games. If he gets dealt to a contending team, he’s moving down the lineup, getting less time and therefore fewer hits and blocked shots. But some might see Chiarot on a much-better team and assume he’s going to see an increase in production.

However, not all trades come with benefits for the traded player. A top-six player on a bottom team might be a bottom-six player on a contender.

If in doubt, don’t forget to come by the Dobber website shortly after any trade is finalized. Dobber and the gang will have almost instantaneous takes on who these trades will benefit the most. 

Below are 10 players who are rumoured to be dealt that could see an increase in value if traded. 

10. Marc-Andre Fleury

Fleury’s season hasn’t been as bad as his overall stats may show. He started the season horribly, losing seven of his first eight. Since November 9, Fleury is 18-13-4 with a 2.68 GAA and a .913 SV %. Those 18 wins in that timeframe are the same number as Jack Campbell and more than Connor Hellebuyck, Robin Lehner, Ilya Sorokin, Ilya Samsonov, John Gibson and a host of others. His GAA and save percentage are also higher than many of the other netminders. If he does remain in Chicago, keep in mind that the Blackhawks has the sixth-easiest schedule the rest of the way, so you can expect this streak to continue.

9. J.T. Miller

Miller has to be one of the most underrated players. Since the 2019-20 season, Miller is tied for 12th in points with 187 heading into Sunday night’s game. Miller has proven that he can produce if given the ice time, and he would be a boon to a team’s power-play (his 30 power-play points before Sunday are third highest and only three points behind league-leader Connor McDavid). His 134 shots aren’t elite, but he does like to throw the body around with 128 hits. Like the Canucks, you may never get the proper value for Miller if you look to trade him. 

8. Tomas Hertl

Hertl has been one of the more popular names on the trading block this season, and it feels as if the rumours surrounding him have been swirling since the pre-season began. Hertl has been an excellent fantasy option for a few years, but he’s turned up the production slightly this season in many categories such as shots, power-play production and hits. He’s also great for faceoffs if your league counts that stat. His points production is down slightly, but he’s still on pace for 65 points. 

7. Brock Boeser

After years of not wanting to trade their veterans and not wanting to rebuild, the Canucks now seem willing to go in the opposite direction. Rumour has it that veterans such as Boeser, Miller and Connor Garland are on the block. Regardless, Boeser has put up at least a 65-point pace in each of the last four seasons, twice eclipsing the 70-point pace mark. This year has been a bit of a drop for the Canucks forward, but he has 17 points in his last 22 games heading into Sunday’s action. 

6. John Klingberg

The 29-year-old Klingberg is having one of his usual seasons, but you only want to trade for him in points-only leagues. With 31 points in 50 games, Klingberg is on pace for 51 points over an 82-game schedule. In eight NHL seasons, Klingberg has failed to put up a 50-point pace only once, and that was in 2019-20 when he had a 45-point pace. His plus-minus is atrocious, he’s shooting fewer than two shots per game and he doesn’t hit. He’s been extremely streaky this season (he has five points in his last three games after going pointless in eight games). 

5. Max Domi

Domi is one of the few players that might see an increase in ice time on a new squad, depending on where he is dealt. His production has dropped since leaving Montreal in almost every category outside of PIM. He’s averaging 13:31 per night on the third/fourth line. However, he is on pace for 51 points. He’s an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, but a team acquiring him might want to put him in a top-six role to see if he can recapture that 70-point magic he had in Montreal. 

4. Artturi Lehkonen

Lehkonen is one of those players who may see a significant uptick in production on a new team. His advanced stats have been extremely positive for the last few years, but he would need to go to a squad that needs a top-six spot. On the third line in Montreal, Lehkonen has mostly played with Joel Armia, Nick Suzuki and Ryan Poehling this season and Paul Byron, Jake Evans and Jesperi Kotkaniemi last year. Despite the shuffling around the lineup, Lehkonen is on pace for a career-high in goals, assists and points, which is great, because he doesn’t produce anywhere else. He didn’t play Sunday night because of an injury, but there is no word of if it is long-term or not. 

3. Jakob Chychrun

I would be shocked if Chychrun is dealt within the next week. This feels more like a draft-day trade, where teams know where their picks are and a better idea of free agent holes they need to fill. Despite a substandard level of points production this year, Chychrun is still a beast in most other fantasy categories as he’s averaging three shots, one PIM, 1.09 hits and 1.4 blocked shots per game. He’s on pace for only 37 points, which would still be the second-most productive season ever for the 23-year-old. He was in the process of bouncing back with 10 points in his last six games before leaving Saturday’s game with an injury, but a deal to a contending team with a better power-play would definitely up his value. 

2. Semyon Varlamov

Anyone who has drafted Varlamov has to be disappointed, and Varlamov could be the most disappointing netminder of 2021-22 once the season wraps up. Taken in the fourth round on average in Yahoo pools (and the eighth-goaler selected on average), no one could have imagined how much he would have struggled. He’s now clearly the backup to Ilya Sorokin, and between backing up and his injury at the start of the season, Varlamov has only played 18 games. Worse still is that he’s only won four of those. He’ll certainly be a backup in any other situation, but he should be able to win more games of those he does play. If he gets dealt to a team like Edmonton, he’ll become the number one guy there.

1. Claude Giroux

His production hasn’t been what many have hoped for over the last few years (an 82-game pace average of 63 points), but he can still produce in other categories. He’s averaging 2.7 shots and 10-plus faceoff wins per game while producing 12 power-play points. His 0.8 hits per game is a bonus and his highest in five years. Rumours keep abounding that Giroux is headed to Colorado, where he would instantly play with better linemates and potentially a much better power-play first unit. Even in a cap fantasy league, Giroux would be worth grabbing if he’s going to a team such as Colorado.