Alright guys, the trade deadline is finally here! I’ll be updating this page throughout the day with every trade that occur and their impact on fantasy hockey in both the short and long term. Let’s get right to it, starting with a couple trades from late last night that I didn’t discuss:
Kris Versteeg to the Kings for a conditional 5th and Valentin Zykov – This move will hurt Versteeg’s value as he will have a much smaller role for the Kings. Zykov is an interesting prospect but won’t be making an impact any time soon.
Daniel Winnik and a 5th round pick to the Capitals for Brooks Laich , Connor Carrick and a 2nd. The Caps were able to dump Laich here which was the main goal; Winnik will have little impact. Carrick is a very solid player who fits nicely in the Leafs long term plans.
Sergei Plotnikov to the Coyotes for a conditional 7th and Matthias Plachta. Plotnikov was a major disappointment in Pittsburgh originally getting a chance in the top 6 to eventually being a 4th liner and frequent healthy scratch. Perhaps the change in scenery will help but I wouldn’t count on it. Plachta is a German prospect who isn’t close to making an impact.
Update: It’s noon and there is still only the one trade today. Unbelievable. It’s only a matter of time until they start coming in and apparently it’s going to be one massive movement once someone significant moves.
12:54 PM – We have a trade! It’s a miracle! Sadly it’s two minor leaguers that have no fantasy relevance as Dennis Robertson goes back to Carolina while journeyman Drew MacIntyre goes to Chicago.
I expect the last two hours to be crazy but time will tell. I’ll be here, waiting in anticipation.
1:11 – Finally a big move! Mikkel Boedker is going to Colorado. This should help the top Avs and their power play. He could slot on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog which would help all three of their players. The Coyotes received Alex Tanguay, Conner Bleackley and Kyle Wood in return. The real prize here is Bleackley. The former 2014 first round pick is still a couple years away but he projects to be a very good two-way forward with offensive potential. Solid deal for the Coyotes for 20 games of Boedker.
1:36 – Kris Russell is going to Dallas. I don’t think this move will have much impact for Russell; he will probably end up on the third pair in Dallas. It does give a boost to the defensemen still in Calgary as they should receive more minutes. I’m looking at T.J. Brodie and Dougie Hamilton specifically. The Flames received Jyrki Jokipakka, Brett Pollock and a conditional second round pick. Jokipakka doesn’t bring anything to the table from a fantasy perspective. Pollock is a former second round pick who has some potential to be a power forward. He’s quite a bit away from making any impact on the NHL level though.
1:36 – Eric Gelinas is going to the Avalanche; the Devils receive a 3rd round pick in return. He gets a fresh start in Colorado. He has some potential but he’ll probably slot on the third pair for now meaning there won’t be much of an impact.
2:18 – Brandon Pirri is going to the Ducks for a 6th. Wow, what a steal for the Ducks. I’d probably pick up Pirri right now if you need goals. He could slot into the first line on the right wing immediately and we’ve seen what that’s done for David Perron.
3:00 – The trade deadline is past but expect for trades to trickle in for the next hour. John-Michael Liles has been moved to the Bruins. He should get power play time there and should have some value in deeper leagues.
3:06 – Arthur Staple is reporting that Shane Prince is going to the Islanders for a third round pick. His value will depending significantly on what line he slots into. We will have to wait and see what develops there over the next couple days.
3:14 – Lee Stempniak is headed to the Bruins. It’s uncertain where he will slot in the lineup but this could be great for Stempniak or horrible. If he plays with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, this will be incredible for his value. If he doesn’t, his role is going to significantly decrease from what it was for the Devils.
3:33 – The Canadiens have traded Devante Smith-Pelly to the Devils for Stefan Matteau. Matteau is a former first round pick who hasn’t amounted to anything yet. Perhaps the change in scenery will give him a boost but for now, neither of these guys are contributing.
3:45 – Jamie McGinn is going to the Ducks. He was getting good playing time in Buffalo and now it’s another name in the mix for that third spot on the Ducks first line. Perhaps McGinn will play with Ryan Getzlaf instead of Pirri; if that’s the case McGinn will be great. Otherwise, he should be a solid stream.
This is probably all we are going to get but I will update this page if anything else breaks. This trade deadline was quite the dud; that should set up a bunch of trades at the draft this summer. As always, leave any comments below and feel free to ask any questions. I’ll be back tomorrow morning with my normal daily notes recapping tonight’s games. Take care everyone!
