Fantasy Top-10: Trade Bait Board

Tom Collins

2018-02-12

With two weeks left until the NHL trade deadline, this is a good opportunity to look at your fantasy roster and see whose value will soon be artificially inflated.

Players who are dealt get an immediate boost in trade value as many fantasy general managers believe a new start can only benefit the players involved. Therefore, these guys will see a boost in value as soon as they are dealt, so that’s a good time for you to try and trade those same players.

Just keep in mind that most players on this list won’t be dealt in the next two weeks. Most teams prefer to wait until after the playoffs, because by then they know their cap situation, who is leaving as free agents, weaknesses the playoffs may have exposed and more importantly, teams know exactly where their draft pick is. A squad like Columbus could see their first rounder be anywhere from 10 to 31 (not to mention a top-three pick if they miss the playoffs and win the lottery). By the time the draft rolls around, teams know exactly what number that pick is, and can thereby assign a specific value on it.

Below are the top 10 players whose names are on trade boards that will see that boost if traded. I’m not going to guess where they are going to go or what their value will be. A winger going to Pittsburgh will have more value that the same player going to Montreal.

 

10. Derick Brassard

There’s no doubt that Brassard needs a fresh start with a new team. After posting 60 and 58 points in his last two years as a Ranger, he hit 39 points last year as a Senator and is on pace for 46 this season, despite the fact his ice time and power play ice time hasn’t changed in four years. Brassard can fit as a top-six centre in most lineups.

 

9. Mike Green

Someone will pay for Green, but don’t be fooled by the fact he’s on pace for 43 points. He starts hot and then slows way down in the second half. He’s doing that now with three points in his last 11 games. His value will shoot up if he’s dealt to someone like Pittsburgh or even San Jose, but he won’t truly be fantasy relevant again until October.

 

8. Thomas Vanek

Vanek seems to be one of those players who has instant chemistry no matter where he goes. He instantly made Montreal, the Islanders and Detroit better. He struggled in Minnesota, and was okay in Florida. Even this year in Vancouver, he’s on pace for 23 goals and 56 points. Vanek is surprisingly owned in only 15 per cent of Yahoo pools, so it may make sense to pick him up and see if there’s a market for him if he’s traded at the NHL level.

 

7. Jordan Kyrou

Normally, I would never have a prospect on a list like this, but there’s a lot of chatter about Kyrou. The thing is, it’s not the Blues that are actively shopping him. He just seems to be the asking price for pretty much every big name on the market that is linked to the Blues. The second-round pick has been excellent since being drafted in 2016, and was impressive for the gold-medal team Canada at this year’s world junior championships. Check out his Dobber prospect profile here.

 

6. Rick Nash

Nash isn’t as good as he once was, but that won’t stop someone from overpaying for him in the NHL and in your fantasy pool. He can still put the puck in the net (he’s on pace for 25 goals) and he likes to shoot (on pace for 253 shots), but his power play numbers are awful and he doesn’t contribute in any other category. However, he’s the only one on this list that has a better than 50/50 chance of being dealt.

 

5. Max Domi

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If Domi is truly on the block, every NHL team should be calling the Coyotes to make an offer. His game does have some flaws, but he is 22 years old, won’t hit unrestricted free agency for quite a few years and could end up wanting to prove people wrong if dealt. Fantasy-wise, his career has been disappointing so far as his production is dropping while his ice time is increasing. Maybe he just needs to get to a winning environment.

 

4. Alex Galchenyuk

No one on this list has been on the trade block for longer than Galchenyuk. It feels like the Habs have wanted to move him for about four years now. The 23-year-old should excel in almost any spot he goes to. He’s a top power-play guy (seven power-play goals and 16 power-play points) who produces more than two points per 60 minutes and has a high shot rate. A new team will put him in an assigned role, instead of jerking him around by playing him first line centre or a fourth line winger from game to game.

 

3. Mike Hoffman

Hoffman seemed a sure bet to be dealt a few weeks ago, but he seems to have found chemistry with Matt Duchene, so Ottawa may choose to hold onto him instead. Hoffman is a player I always figure should be putting up bigger numbers than he does (every year, I list him as a top-10 candidate to get 70 points for the first time). Despite his struggles, Hoffman is still on pace for 23 goals and 56 points.

 

2. Jeff Skinner

Skinner is on the trade block, and I’ll admit I have no idea why. He’s scored at least 28 goals in three of the last four years and is only 25 years old. He’s one of the players a team keeps in the building process. Regardless, Skinner has struggled this year and is on pace for 23 goals, 47 points and 286 shots. A trade could help boost his power play production (he has only three PPG and 7 PPP).

 

1. Max Pacioretty

Benjamin Franklin once said there were only three certainties in life: Death, taxes, and Max Pacioretty scoring 30 goals and 60 points. The last one on that list is no longer a certainty, as the Habs captain has struggled mightily this year. The trade rumours seem to have died down now that he has 13 points in his last 16 games. Pacioretty is having an off-year, but is still on pace for 24 goals. Any type of trade would see his fantasy trade value skyrocket. 

 

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