In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll discuss a few players that may be moved before the NHL's trade deadline on March 3^rd.

Tyler Bertuzzi

With his contract expiring and his team falling out of the playoff race, Bertuzzi found himself in plenty of trade rumours heading into the All-Star break. Fast forward to the present, where Detroit is 5-2 since the break, working their way back into the playoff conversation. It's a tough task given the logjam ahead of them, but they have games in hand. In addition, the teams they're chasing haven't been in great form recently. With newfound optimism that the playoffs aren't out of reach, recent reports indicate that Bertuzzi is no longer on the market. Obviously, a lot can change in this next week before the deadline, so it's worth preparing for all outcomes.

In my opinion, the best result for Bertuzzi's fantasy value is staying in Detroit. To this point, I've seen Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Minnesota listed as teams that are interested in Bertuzzi. The problem is, none of those teams are going to give him the first-line, top power-play role that he's seen with the Red Wings. Last season, Bertuzzi posted a 75-point pace while averaging roughly 20 minutes of ice time and seeing 61% of Detroit's total power-play time. Although his numbers are down this year, I would attribute that to injuries – I don't think his role with the team is declining. Since returning from his latest injury on January 26^th, Bertuzzi has seven points in nine games. During that span, he's been skating 17 minutes a night and seeing a 60% share of PP time. If he stays with the Red Wings down the stretch, I imagine he'll continue to settle in. As long he stays healthy, we should see a gradual increase in ice time and more consistent production going forward.

Another team that makes sense for Bertuzzi is the same team that pokes its nose in on every notable name at every trade deadline: the Golden Knights. Although some may be intrigued by the possibility of Bertuzzi skating beside Eichel, I think those people underestimate the quality of Bertuzzi's current center, Dylan Larkin. Sure, Eichel may have a higher ceiling, but Larkin's been in better from recently.

Bertuzzi's situation in Detroit is a good one, he sees lots of opportunity and plays beside high-quality linemates. If you're adding him to your fantasy roster, do it because you think his play will improve down the stretch now that injuries are behind him – not because you're hoping for a trade.

Joonas Korpisalo

Coming into this season, Korpisalo's fantasy value was virtually non-existent. He was fresh off the worst campaign of his career, posting a 4.15 GAA and .877 save percentage through 22 games. His season was cut short as he underwent hip surgery in March of 2022. The recovery process leaked into November, delaying his debut this season. Korpisalo struggled during his first month back and ended up suffering a lower-body injury which kept him sidelined for a couple of weeks. Since returning from that injury in late December, he's managed to post strong numbers behind a depleted Blue Jackets team. He's 6-5-2 in his last 13 starts, registering a .921 save percentage and 2.84 GAA. With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, there's a good chance the Blue Jackets move him ahead of the trade deadline. The team is already committed to Elviz Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov for the next few years, so it makes sense to recover an asset for Korpisalo right now. In terms of potential landing spots, the Kraken and Kings are two strong teams whose goaltenders haven't posted great numbers. Both teams have weaker schedules (in terms of opponent quality) down the stretch, so Korpisalo could be a really strong add if he ends up in Seattle or LA. 

James van Riemsdyk

As a pending UFA on a Flyers' team without playoff aspirations, there's a good chance van Riemsdyk gets dealt before the trade deadline on March 3^rd. According to Elliotte Friedman, the Stars, Wild, Golden Knights and Jets have all expressed interest in JVR recently. If I were to rank those destinations from best to worst for JVR's fantasy value, I'd go Vegas, Dallas, Minnesota, and Winnipeg.

For JVR, a move to Dallas or Minnesota would likely place him in a second-line role with good players. On the Stars, he could slot in beside Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment. On the Wild, he might play with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matthew Boldy. Both scenarios provide an upgrade from current linemates Owen Tippett and Morgan Frost. Now, although his even-strength situation would improve, JVR wouldn't be guaranteed a prominent power-play role on either team. Both the Stars and Wild run four forwards and one defenseman on their top PP unit. Both teams also keep their top even-strength trio together on the power play, leaving just one forward slot open. Boldy occupies that spot in Minnesota, while Jamie Benn has a hold in Dallas. Boldy and Benn have been productive with the man advantage this year, so it's hard to see JVR ousting either of them. Since the Stars have been struggling on the power play recently, there's a chance they shake things up and give van Riemsdyk a look on the top unit. Minnesota, on the other hand, has been doing very well with the man advantage, so I wouldn't expect much power-play opportunity for JVR if he ends up with the Wild. That difference in power-play potential is why I think a move to Dallas would boost JVR's fantasy value slightly more than a move to Minnesota.

Having established 'baseline' destinations in Dallas and Minnesota, we can now discuss why Vegas would be a better landing spot, and why Winnipeg would be worse. Vegas' top-six currently features Paul Cotter and Mike Amadio – two players that JVR could realistically surpass on the depth chart. While Dallas and Minnesota have established top lines that won't be broken up any time soon, there's a chance van Riemsdyk gets a look on Vegas' first line with Jack Eichel. Of the four trade destinations Friedman mentioned, JVR is most likely to see prominent power-play time with the Golden Knights. Unlike other teams, Vegas doesn't have many bona fide offensive producers that have to see prominent power-play time. The team is also likely to shake things up as they've struggled with the man advantage recently. In 2023, no team has a worse power-play success rate than Vegas (8.3%). As a final note, I'd be weary of a move to Winnipeg because the Jets already have a solid top-six, so van Riemsdyk may end up on the third line if he gets traded there.