Today is the NHL trade deadline (more on that later!) but there’s a good chance that the biggest name that moves went yesterday. After being with Carolina since they drafted him in 2003, Eric Staal was traded away from his brother Jordan to join up with his brother Marc for the New York Rangers. By his standards, Eric was having a poor season but this move should help him quite a bit. First off, his shooting percentage is incredibly low meaning he was already due for a hot streak. Now, he’s going to play with better linemates than he in Carolina and also will move to the wing giving him more freedom offensively. I’d guess that in these 20 games with the Rangers, Staal gets around 14 points with an elite shot total. For Carolina, the biggest beneficiary will be Victor Rask and could very well be a must-own in 12’ers very soon. Here’s what else I saw around the league this weekend:
Friday’s Games:
Lightning 4, Devils 0 – Ben Bishop had another strong game stopping all 21 shots that he faced. Steven Stamkos continued his heater with a goal and an assist with four shots and two PIM. Ryan Callahan dishes two assists and added a shot. More on him in the Sunday gam recap but the bottom line is that he’s on fire right now and needs to be picked up everywhere. Ondrej Palat scored a goal and an assist with two shots; he should be held in 12’ers. Cory Schneider‘s cold streak kept going allowing 4 goals on 36 shots. I could see the Devils going on a long downswing the rest of the season limiting Schneider in wins.
Capitals 3, Wild 2 – Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter assisted both of the Wild goals in the defeat. Pominville has been on fire and needs to be owned in 12’ers right now. The coaching change seems to have done him wonders. Braden Holtby played well per usual stopping 30 of 32 shots in the win. Alex Ovechkin became the first player to reach the 40 goal mark scoring a goal and an assist with four shots. Nicklas Backstrom had two assists as he keeps piling up the assists.
Bruins 4, Hurricanes 1 – Tuukka Rask had one of his best games of the year stopping 39 of 40 shots in the victory. Naturally, he did what Rask does and laid an egg on Sunday. Standard. Patrice Bergeron scored a goal and an assist with four shots as his career offensive season continues. Matt Beleskey hit the twine twice on three shots; he’s still a streamer for me. Brad Marchand scored a goal on two shots as the troll amazingly reaches 32 goals on the season. Amazing. The Hurricanes goal was from their two key players of the future as Noah Hanifin scored from Elias Lindholm. Justin Faulk is out injured again which is incredibly frustrating for his owners. I would still hold Faulk though unless you’re desperate for the roster spot.
Ducks 2, Oilers 1 (OT) – Cam Talbot played very well in the loss stopping 30 of 32 shots. This is pretty much best case for Talbot; the Oilers aren’t going to be winning many games down the stretch. Jordan Eberle scored the lone Oiler goal from Benoit Pouliot as that line keeps rolling. Ryan Getzlaf extended his point streak to 10 games with a goal, an assist and three shots. He’s incredible. David Perron tallied an assist with two shots and should be owned right now. Rickard Rakell scored the overtime winner on his third shot pushing his total up to 16 goals. He’s been one of my favorite streamers this year and he’s still there for me. Fredrik Andersen stopped 17 of 18 shots in the win as he looks to be the #1 right now.
Sabres 3, Sharks 1 – Chad Johnson received the spot start against a team interested in acquiring him and played well. After allowing a goal less than 2 minutes in the game, Ochocinco locked the game down finishing with 24 saves on 25 shots. Look for him to be moved today. Zach Bogosian had another multi point game with a goal and an assist. I’d own him in 16’ers or deeper but these points seems a bit fluky. Evander Kane scored a goal on his only shot; he’d have had a good shot at 30 goals if he didn’t miss time. Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored the Sharks goal with four shots. He’s very solid across the board as he has the best offensive season of his career.
Saturday’s Games:
Flyers 4, Coyotes 2 – Mikkel Boedker had an assist with four shots in what could have been his last game as a Coyote. There’s a realistic chance he’s the best player moved today; Boedker would be an outstanding addition for a contender. Shane Doan‘s resurrection at 39 years old shows no end with an assist and three shots. Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored a goal on three shots and added two PIM. OEL is a top 5 defenseman at this point. Claude Giroux returned from injury and scored a goal on five shots. Brayden Schenn shifted back to the wing and tallied two assists; he’s a must own at this point. Mark Streit dished three assists and added a shot with two PIM. His minutes are starting to come up so there’s a chance that Streit could get back on the radar in 12’ers but without getting first unit power play time, I’d bet against it.
Penguins 4, Jets 1 – Blake Wheeler scored the Jets goal from Dustin Byfuglien and Nikolaj Ehlers. The first two are superstars and I’m a firm believer that Ehlers will get there. I think he’s a clear own right now in 12’ers yet he’s still widely available. Marc-Andre Fleury saved 27 of 28 shots in the win bouncing back from a few duds in a row. Ian Cole had two assists and two shots; I like his game but his role isn’t big enough to own in most leagues. Carl Hagelin scored twice on six shots as his story remains the same; if you don’t need power play points, own him. Derrick Pouliot had two assists with a shot; he’s in the same boat as Cole although I’m a firm believer in Pouliot going forward. Kris Letang scored a goal on two shots to stay extremely close to a point per game. Scott Wilson scored for the fourth time in five games despite getting little playing time. Perhaps a role boost will happen soon?
Blue Jackets 4, Panthers 3 (SO) – The biggest news of the day for the Panthers wasn’t anything in this game but in the trades that they made. The Panthers acquired Jiri Hudler, Teddy Purcell and Jakub Kindl on Saturday giving them incredible depth. It’s hard to say if Hudler and Purcell slide into the second and third line now. Both of these guys are going to take a hit in value as they’re going from the first line with elite linemates to a lesser role. Purcell should be dropped in 12’ers and Hudler is right on the fringe. Kindl is interesting but I assume his role will be limited for the rest of the year as well. In this game, Scott Hartnell scored a goal and an assist with three shots and six PIM. There are plenty of rumors about Hartnell moving, possibly going back to Nashville, which could potentially boost his value. Alexander Wennberg tallied two assists with three shots showing signs of his potential. There’s a chance he gets a sleeper post going into next season. Brandon Dubinsky‘s big year continued with an assist with four shots plus the shootout winner. Seth Jones scored a goal; the development of his shot is going to be crucial to his future in fantasy.
Predators 5, Blues 0 – Quite the performance by the Predators as they put themselves in great shape for a wild card spot. Filip Forsberg had his second hat trick in four days scoring three goals and an assist with seven shots. He’s now matched last season’s goal total and while the assists are down quite a bit, seeing the goals increase is excellent at 21 years old. Forsberg’s line dominated with Mike Ribeiro tallying three assists while Craig Smith had a goal and two assists with two shots. Ribeiro is an elite two category player while absolutely killing you in shots. If you can stomach the shots you can own him but it’s hard to take. Smith is a strong streamer. Pekka Rinne stopped all 28 shots in the victory; he’s in his best stretch of the season by a country mile. At this point, just ride the waves and hope that Rinne stays on top.
Rangers 3, Stars 2 – Henrik Lundqvist played great again stopping 36 of 38 shots in the win. You always have to like the Rangers chances with The King between the pipes. Nine different players had a point for the Rangers. Of relevance, Chris Kreider scored a goal on three shots; he could lose his spot in the top 6 to Staal when Rick Nash returns. That said, it wouldn’t really hurt his value to get extra offensive zone starts. Keith Yandle had an assist and three shots but only played 16:25; with the Rangers blueline fully healthy for a change, Yandle’s minutes will drop quite a bit. The fourth line led the way for the Stars with Colton Sceviour scoring a goal and an assist with three shots while Radek Faksa dished two assists. Faksa is a former 1st round pick who has some offensive upside but doesn’t have the role yet. There’s the chance he gets it down the line so in dynasties, he’s a name worth considering. Tyler Seguin had an assist with seven shots continuing his fine form while Valeri Nichushkin scored a goal on seven shots. Nuke is a solid streamer when he looks to be getting significant playing time that night.
Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 1 – Mike Condon gave the Canadiens a rare quality goaltending performance stopping 31 of 32 shots in the win. That said, my biggest takeaway here is start every goalie you can against the tanking Leafs. Max Pacioretty scored twice on five shots with two PIM as he pushes to get to 30 goals again. P.K. Subban had an assist with three shots and two PIM as he continues to play great; if only his shooting percentage would correct itself. Alex Galchenyuk scored a goal; he looks like a good bet to push past 20 goals for the 2nd straight year. I still believe there’s another gear just waiting to be found in his game. James Reimer stopped 32 of 36 shots in the loss, which turned out to be his last game as a Maple Leaf. Reimer was traded to the Sharks making Reimer a great streamer when he gets action.
Red Wings 5, Avalanche 3 – The latest outdoor game saw the Red Wings explode with four goals in the third period to win in Colorado. Amazingly, the Wings scored five goals with arguably their three best players going pointless. Niklas Kronwall had two assists with a shot in his second game back from injury. The lack of shots always drag down Kronwall’s value but the assists and power play points are always strong. Tomas Tatar scored a goal and an assist with two shots; he’s quite a bit behind last year’s pace which is disappointing. Justin Abdelkader scored a goal on four shots playing over 20 minutes; he’s had another solid year across the board. Nathan MacKinnon was dangerous throughout the game scoring a goal and adding an assist with three shots. It’s a great sign in his development that MacKinnon’s shot rate has skyrocketed this season. He could push 300 shots by the end of the year. Gabriel Landeskog had two assists with four shots and two PIM; his shot rate has been much better lately which is very nice to see. Tyson Barrie scored a goal on four shots as he pushes 50 points again although it came with a -3. So many great defensemen this year have brutal plus-minuses but you have to simplp accept it.
Senators 6, Flames 4 – With the way these teams have been playing, it came as no surprise to me that there were 10 goals in this game. Mika Zibanejad scored a natural hat trick, amazingly in a 2 minute and 38 second stretch in the 3rd period. He has a shot at getting to 50 points but I’d leave him to stream. He isn’t great in any category. Mark Stone is hotter than a pistol as he had three assists and two shots. Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman each had two assists; both set a career high in assists in the process. Zack Smith scored a goal on five shots playing almost 20 minutes. His recent play has placed Smith on the streaming radar. For Calgary, it should come as no surprise that the big guns led the way. Johnny Gaudreau scored two goals and an assist with six shots while Sean Monahan had a goal, assist, shot and two PIM. T.J. Brodie dished three assists and while he doesn’t do much outside of assists and plus-minus, the fact that he has 35 assists already makes him a must-own.
Kings 2, Sabres 0 – Robin Lehner played great again in the loss stopping 33 of 35 shots. Sabres legend Jhonas Enroth recorded the shutout against his old team stopping all 23 shots he faced; he’s a top notch streamer when he plays. Tanner Pearson scored both Kings goals but while he’s on the third line and not on the power play, he’s of little use. Jake Muzzin had an assist with six shots as he continues to play extremely well.
Sunday’s Games:
Blackhawks 3, Capitals 2 – In a potential Stanley Cup preview, the Hawks came out on top at home. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal on two shots to get back into the top 5 in points. Quite the breakout from the 23 year old. Andrew Ladd had an assist with a shot in his Blackhawks return. Patrick Kane scored a goal on three shots and added two PIM. In other words, Kane did what he does. Teuvo Teravainen had an assist and four shots and most importantly, he was on the power play. He’s a solid streamer while that’s the case.
Blues 5, Hurricanes 2 – The Blues were down 2-1 after the first period before they took over and dominated the rest of the game. Jake Allen stopped 32 of 34 shots in the win in his best start since he’s returned from injury. Alex Pietrangelo returned from injury with a big game scoring a goal and an assist with four shots. Robby Fabbri scored a goal and an assist with two shots to stay on the streaming radar. I can see a sleeper post in the 20 year old’s future as well. David Backes scored a goal on four shots playing over 20 minutes which was nice to see. For Carolina, Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist with eight shots. I’m a huge fan and if Carolina decides to move him, he’s the type of game who can make a major difference. Ron Hainsey also had a goal and an assist; there’s your annual Ron Hainsey update!
Wild 3, Panthers 1 – Aaron Ekblad scored the Panthers goal and while he’s been very good in real life, he hasn’t taken the next step in fantasy as expected. The goals should slightly increase along with the shots but the assists aren’t there yet. Hopefully an improved power play in the future helps him in that regard. Aleksander Barkov had an assist with four shots as he continues to crush this season. Devan Dubnyk stopped 17 of 18 shots in the win and while his numbers aren’t anywhere near last year’s absurd level, they’re solid. Erik Haula scored a goal and an assist with two shots. He’s showed more offense in the last month than he has in years in the NHL. He’s starting to push streaming consideration in 12’ers. Jason Pominville‘s heater continued with a goal on two shots while Charlie Coyle scored a goal on four shots. He’s not quite a hold in 12’ers for me now because of the lack of shots but he’s an elite streamer.
Lightning 4, Bruins 1 – Ben Bishop was outstanding again stopping 32 of 33 shots in the victory. Ryan Callahan scored two goals and an assist with six shots. Callahan now has 8 points in his last 4 games and 11 points in his 7 games. This is from somebody who had 17 points in his first 54 games. Despite that, I think you still have to pick him up and ride him while you can. Steven Stamkos scored for the sixth consecutive game, this time on a penalty shot. He added an assist giving him a decent chance on his best assist total in 4 years. Alex Killorn is also on a heater like his linemates; in this game he scored a goal and an assist with two shots and four PIM. He’s been on my favorite streamers lately and he’s pushing towards being a hold. Shockingly, after two outstanding performances, Tuukka Rask gave up 4 goals on 30 shots #notshocking. The Bruins defense is quite the mess.
Sharks 4, Canucks 1 – Martin Jones was solid in the victory stopping 23 of 24 shots. The Sharks are safely in the playoffs so if they have a small slump, there’s the chance Jones gets rested more often down the stretch, especially now that the Sharks have a quality backup in Reimer. For the Canucks, The Cyborgs did the damage with Daniel Sedin scoring the goal (6 SOG, 2 PIM) from his brother Henrik Sedin. Marc-Edouard Vlasic had another two assists with two shots. Joe Pavelski scored a goal on seven shots and added an assist as he pushes for 70 points for the third straight season. Justin Braun had a goal and an assist with a shot and two PIM; there’s your annual Braun update! Tomas Hertl scored a goal on three shots and needs to be owned everywhere. Logan Couture‘s great stretch since returning from injury was extended with an assist and two shots.
Ducks 4, Kings 2 – Man, I hope these teams play each other in the playoffs; it would be an absolute bloodbath. The Ducks won their eighth straight on the back of one of their superstars. Corey Perry was an animal in this game scoring a hat trick on four shots while adding an assist and two PIM. Ryan Getzlaf‘s point streak reached eleven with an assist and three shots; both guys have firmly turned their season around as expected. David Perron scored a goal on two shots and added two PIM to solidify his status as a hold. Sami Vatanen tallied two assists to keep up his recent run of fine form. Anze Kopitar had an assist with three shots playing over 24 minutes in the defeat. I’d like to see the shots up but his stat line is solid or better across the board.
Oilers 3, Islanders 1 – The Oilers were down 1-0 with less than 10 minutes when they exploded for three goals to win at home. Cam Talbot was great again saving 36 of 37 shots in the victory. Brandon Davidson had a goal and an assist with three shots; with Justin Schultz moving to Pittsburgh, Davidson could see a role increase. It’s worth monitoring over the next few games. Zack Kassian had an assist with two shots and two PIM as he’s firmed up his spot on the first line with Purcell gone. He’s definitely worthy of streaming, especially if you need PIM.
Monday Streamers – There are actually 6 games on the slate tonight which seems crazy to me. Monday is always a slow day yet you have a bunch of games the day of the trade deadline? Seems completely backwards. Anyways, there will be plenty of streaming per usual so here are my top 3 options:
Alex Killorn (6.2%) – He’s on fire and gets to play Toronto. That’s really all that needs to be said.
Carl Hagelin (9.2%) – He’s a great source of shots and gets to play the Coyotes. Pittsburgh should dominate this game giving Hagelin plenty of opportunities.
Valeri Nichushkin (5.6%) – He’s supposed to stay on the first line tonight which is good enough for me.
That’s all for now guys. This is a reminder that I will be starting a live blog keeping track of all the trades throughout the day tomorrow leading up to the deadline. I plan on starting that page around 11 a.m. if all goes well so hopefully you guys will be following along! I will also be back on Tuesday with daily notes recapping the action from the games tonight. As always, please leave any questions or comments below. Take care everyone!
