Frozen Fantasy: Deadline Stress

The NHL trade deadline is approaching quickly. Fans are clamoring for action in a lot of cities, but do trades help or hinder?

It depends, of course. But I lean to the latter, both for fantasy and long-term impact on the ice. I don't really care how it helps the player. Call me cold. I'm OK with that. 

Look at how the Penguins have destroyed their system. Yes, they've won three times with Sidney Crosby (100 percent Yahoo!) in town, but not since 2017. And they're a long way from a playoff spot right now. 

The Maple Leafs have three superstars and an aging stud, and the eighth-best odds for the Cup. But four Eastern teams sit ahead of them. Their first pick in 2025 will be in the fifth round. By then, Auston Matthews (100 percent Yahoo!) et al could be long gone. But that's a big hole. 

Top trade targets get better linemates on new teams. But it's only logical that their ice time will drop too. And that can be a fantasy curse for managers who need them to seal their league. 

Take Jacob Markstrom (84 percent Yahoo!), for example. He's having a Vezina-caliber season, and a trade seems imminent. The Devils want him. He seems amenable to a deal. But as a fantasy manager, do I want him playing in front of THAT D? Markstrom's individual numbers are destined to drop in that scenario, even if his odds of a Cup go up.

Do I need to go on?

Players in the middle of the lineup – like Tyler Bertuzzi (below) – are a bit different. They can make great wire pickups because lightning can sometimes be caught in a bottle. And for cheap. 

Yet Bert doesn't help me in the league where I have Markstrom. I have to balance out risk this year against the upside of the next three. Such is life in a dynasty. 

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. 

Tyler Bertuzzi, LW, Toronto (23 percent Yahoo!) – Bert's game is built for the postseason, but he's suddenly gotten hot over the last week or so. And with a lot of right-time, right-spot goals. Bertuzzi rang up a hat trick on Hockey Night in Canada a week ago Saturday and continued to snipe all week. He hit the ice against the Rangers on Saturday on a four-game, six-point streak that included five goals with 15 shots. Bertuzzi came oh-so-close to extending the streak Saturday, but William Nylander's (100 percent Yahoo!) shot deflected off the defender right beside him. His confidence has finally arrived, and that's a good thing for the Leafs and us. 

Tyson Foerster, RW/C, Philadelphia (14 percent Yahoo!) – I recently traded for this rookie in a keeper league – his ability to find the back of the net sealed the deal. And Foerster has done that of late with four goals (and five points) in three contests before being held off the scoresheet Friday. And he added two more Saturday. That put him in the top-10 rookie scorers overall and in a tie for third in goals (16). And on Sunday morning, Foerster was fifth overall in Yahoo! standard leagues for the last seven days. Sure, he'll run hot and cold – it's a rare rookie who finds consistency. But he's earned the trust of John Tortorella, so he's going to play. And that shot has been a threat since he was a wee kid playing for the TNT novice rep team. Obscure link? You bet. But fun nonetheless. 

Philipp Grubauer, G, Seattle (27 percent Yahoo!) – Grubauer is hot, and that means he's the coach's darling until he cools. The Kraken needs wins. Period. So Grubauer will play until he wobbles. His three-start winning streak ended Saturday, but not until after he gave Connor McDavid (100 percent Yahoo!) and the Oilers a real run for their money. Grubauer has only allowed seven goals in his last four starts (.936 save percentage). I could've used that this week. 

Matias Maccelli, LW, Arizona (13 percent Yahoo!) – Maccelli went into Sunday on a five-game, seven-point streak (three goals, four assists). The goals are an outlier as he's only registered 11 across 60 appearances. But this quiet playmaker is proving that his amazing 49-point rookie campaign last year wasn't a fluke. The Desert Dawgs are an awful team, though Maccelli's value isn't a mirage. He's a smart play if you need assists. 

Thomas Novak, C, Nashville (4 percent Yahoo!) – Novak is warming up, just like he did in the second half last season. And he's barely rostered. Win-win. Novak has gone off for 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in his last 13 games. That stretch includes two PPG, two PPA and 23 shots. And a bonus 38 faceoff wins. It's modest, but consistent. Novak will help most in leagues that use F over C. 

Gustav Nyquist, LW, Nashville (36 percent Yahoo!) – Nyquist trotted into Saturday on a four-game, eight-point scoring rip that had him a top-10 fantasy producer through the last week. But that's not all. The quiet Swede had only been held off the scoresheet twice since Jan. 31. As in 14 points - including four goals and three PPP - from 11 matchups. Nyquist's shot total (14) was modest over that span and he rarely hit (four). But he's the kind of player who lifts the floor of every fantasy roster he's on. His streak was stalled Saturday, yet I'm a believer. 

Max Pacioretty, LW, Washington (23 percent Yahoo!) – Pacioretty is finally starting to warm up, so get on him fast. He entered Sunday on a four-game, five-point scoring streak that included two PPG, one PPA, 10 shots and seven hits. And Pacioretty totaled seven points in his last seven games before being shut down Sunday. I can't begin to imagine the psychological impact of those repeated Achilles tears. Right now, it seems like he's starting to play without fear a bit more and his natural talents are coming through. He can help. 

Shane Pinto, C, Ottawa (25 percent Yahoo!) – Pinto surprisingly didn't skip a beat after missing half the season. And with Josh Norris (20 percent Yahoo!) out again, he's the de facto top pivot in Canada's capital. He's recorded 16 points in 18 games, including six in his last four. And he's winning more than half (50.9) of his faceoffs. Pinto has loads to prove this year, and he's doing it. I'm willing to put money down that it'll continue. That's great for fantasy managers. 

Owen Power, D, Buffalo (24 percent Yahoo!) – Kudos to those who had Power active Saturday night as he looked every bit the dominant defender that had people drooling at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He's still a kid, and his game is growing. Power won't be able to keep up his current production (five points - with two of those goals - across four appearances), yet he might surprise the rest of the way with Buffalo playing loose and free.

Daniel Sprong, RW, Detroit (8 percent Yahoo!) – Sprong is a funny guy. He does so much with so little ice time, and it's been like that for a while. His four-game, four-point streak that included two PPP was snapped on Saturday. Sprong is still on pace for his first 50-plus point campaign, and he'll flirt with 200 shots. There's not a lot to dislike in his profile, unless your league is heavy on meathead stats. He's a bit soft and slippery, and doesn't contribute there. 

Logan Stankoven, C, Dallas (10 percent Yahoo!) – Stankoven was sent down Friday, but was back Saturday because there's no way they can keep him off NHL ice. The move was purely cap related, so it might happen again. Stankoven is a second-line player who went into Saturday on a three-game, three-goal (four point) streak. That run ended, though his game is sharp. He fires loads of shots (15 in five games) and even registered a five-hit effort during that stretch. Stankoven is a fast, aggressive and skilled fire hydrant who never turns off. And his call up to Dallas is the only reason he isn't leading the AHL in scoring. There haven't been a lot of great 5-foot-8 NHLers, but Stankoven is going to be on that list. You can already see it.

Cam York, D, Philadelphia (4 percent Yahoo!) – York stepped up large this week following Jamie Drysdale's (8 percent Yahoo!) injury. He posted three goals and an assist through four outings along with seven shots and hits. York had gone 10 games without a goal leading into this run and had only put up one from the previous 28. Sure, there's risks. But Philly isn't going away, and he's widely available. That's a great combo in my books. 

Back to deadline stress.

Here's another one. Short-term, Elias Lindholm's (69 percent Yahoo!) shot at a Cup rose with his deal to Vancouver. So fans there are happy. But fantasy managers got burned big time. Lindholm has only managed six points across 13 appearances since and went into Sunday night on a five-game skid. 

And that happens to coincide with my play-in week in a new dynasty league. Spit.

Help or hinder? Maybe it's both. It's all but impossible at draft to limit this type of risk. In-season moves to seize opportunity or reduce risk can happen, though sometimes they create even more risk. Do you trade Markstrom away in a dynasty league because his value this season might drop a bit? Because next season and the one after that are different beasts. 

Risk management in fantasy is a funny thing. Hope isn't a strategy. But faith in your decision making can be. 

It has to be. Life is too short to absorb that stress. 

Until next week.