Checking in on trade acquisitions for the Sabres, Canadiens, Islanders and Penguins.

With the trade deadline just passed, all of the focus is on the many deals that took place over the last few days. Whether your favorite team was a buyer or a seller, most teams were involved in some way. In fantasy hockey the ramifications of these trades can be very significant as the value of many players turns on its head in an instant.

However, the trades that took place prior to trade deadline season are also very important. Not only did player values change at the time that the trades were executed, the time that has passed since then has provided us the opportunity to view the individuals in their new environments. Also, in some instances the players' new teams have undergone some massive changes since then.

Today we will look at four teams in the Eastern Conference that made significant additions to their roster prior to trade deadline season. Most of the players outlined are affected positively by the change – either now or in the future. Sometimes the acquisition hurts the player's value. Other times, the move has a bigger impact on some of the player's new teammates.

Buffalo

Zach Bogosian – After years of posting disappointing offensive numbers due to a lack of ideal power play opportunities, Bogosian has moved into a chance to be the top dog in Buffalo. While the offense has not translated yet, he has been a peripheral-category beast since the trade.  Here is a comparison of Bogosian's numbers before the trade with a his Buffalo numbers scaled up to 41 games:

Obviously, some of the physical play comes with the adrenaline that comes with the change of environment. In fact, he had 11 of his 33 hits in his first game following the trade. That wears of over time. Still, the fact that Bogosian is playing 27 minutes per game including heavy utilization on special teams gives fantasy owners a ton of hope for the future. If his offensive game can come around he just might be able to finally live up to the pre-draft expectations.

Evander Kane – Kane's controversial stay in Winnipeg came to an end when he was dealt to the Sabres despite being deemed out for the season due to shoulder surgery. Even though we have not seen Kane suit up in Buffalo yet, the future is indeed bright for the multi-category star. Not only is he going to be the top winger in Buffalo next year, there is a good chance that he will be lining up to either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. The potential of the Sabres' new top duo will be immense and whether or not you are personally a fan of Kane should not deter you from owning him on your fantasy team.

Montreal