Fantasy spin: 2024 NHL Trade Deadline
Impact of Guentzel, Hertl, Toffoli, Tarasenko, Henrique, Byram-Mittelstadt moves
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Guentzel traded to Hurricanes 🌀
The Carolina Hurricanes acquired forward Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, making them one of the Stanley Cup favorites. Guentzel could lose some fantasy appeal moving away from longtime elite center linemate Sidney Crosby but should still be considered a top 50 overall player for the rest of the season.
Guentzel, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, is nearing a return from an upper-body injury. The 29-year-old joins the best possession team in the NHL and provides Carolina with a new wrinkle for this postseason to potentially get over the hump and win the championship for the first time since 2006.
If Guentzel plays on the Hurricanes' top line with center Sebastian Aho and also the first power play, he could remain a point-per-game player the rest of the way. Guentzel may see a more significant dip if he plays on the second line with center Jack Drury, but it's worth noting Carolina also acquired center Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals in a separate move Friday -- giving Kuznetsov bounce-back appeal if he eventually ends up on Guentzel's line.
Having Guentzel, along with a healthy wing Andrei Svechnikov (did not play last postseason because of injury) and goalie Frederik Andersen (returned Thursday after blood clotting issue) gives the Hurricanes a realistic chance to reach the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost in four one-goal games to the Florida Panthers last postseason.
Guentzel, who won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017, has 58 points (34 goals, 24 assists) in 58 career playoff games. A two-time 40-goal scorer in the NHL, Guentzel has 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 50 games this regular season and ranks seventh in the NHL in even-strength goals (140) since 2018-19 and 15th in even-strength points (286) over that span. -- Pete Jensen
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Hertl traded to Golden Knights 🛡️
The Vegas Golden Knights made a huge splash before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday to acquire center Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks, improving their chances of repeating as Stanley Cup champions once he returns from a knee injury. The move also significantly boosts the 30-year-old's fantasy value in keeper and dynasty leagues.
Hertl, who is under contract until 2029-30, led the Sharks in goals per game (0.31; 15 in 48 games) at the time of the trade and should play in the top six when healthy, likely as the No. 2 center behind Jack Eichel. But it’s unclear whether Hertl could return before the end of the regular season, which may put his fantasy value in Vegas on hold until next season.
With Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (upper body) also on injured reserve, Hertl could also play some wing and bring exposure to any of their top forwards in Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Ivan Barbashev or Chandler Stephenson at even strength or on the power play.
Hertl, who played his entire career with the Sharks prior to the trade, had his best season in 2018-19 with NHL career highs in goals (35) and points (74 in 77) and also his best postseason totals in goals (10) and points (15 in 19 games) to help them reach the Western Conference Final. Hertl also played in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, which San Jose lost to Pittsburgh. -- Pete Jensen
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Toffoli traded to Jets ✈️
The Winnipeg Jets acquired wing Tyler Toffoli from the New Jersey Devils, further boosting their offensive depth and making them a coveted team to stack in fantasy for the rest of the season. This move increases the futures appeal for Winnipeg, which remains in the hunt for the Central Division title, Presidents' Trophy and Stanley Cup.
The 31-year-old was the Devils' goal leader (26 in 61 games) this season prior to the trade and had their fourth-most points (44). Toffoli won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 and had his best season with the Calgary Flames in 2022-23 with 73 points (34 goals, 39 assists) in 82 games. Toffoli could slot onto either line in the Jets' top-six forward group, including the possibility of playing with center Sean Monahan, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 2. -- Anna Dua
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Tarasenko traded to Panthers ☀️ 🐆
The Florida Panthers acquired right wing Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, boosting his fantasy value and their Stanley Cup futures appeal. Tarasenko should be considered a fringe top 100 overall fantasy player for the rest of the season upon joining one of the most potent offenses in the NHL.
Tarasenko, who is on a one-year contract, will be playing for his fourth team in the past two seasons but has bounce-back potential considering he had five straight seasons of at least 33 goals with the St. Louis Blues from 2014-15 to 2018-19 and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2019.
The 32-year-old was one of five 40-point producers (41 in 57 games) for Ottawa's deep offense this season; the Senators, despite being out of Stanley Cup Playoff contention, ranked 13th in goals per game (3.27) at the time of the trade. Tarasenko had Ottawa's second-best plus/minus (plus-13) behind rookie forward Ridly Greig (plus-17). Tarasenko joins the Panthers, who are leading the NHL standings (90 points through first 63 games), averaging the most shots on goal per game (34.1) and have the second-best shot attempts percentage in the League (55.8) at the time of the trade.
Tarasenko should slot into the Panthers' top-six forward group, either on a line with forwards Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart or Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett. The trade shouldn't negatively impact the fantasy value of any of Florida's high-scoring forwards, including Reinhart (45 goals; second in NHL) or Carter Verhaeghe (30 goals; second on Panthers) -- each of whom has proven in the past he can perform at an elite level on any unit. -- Pete Jensen
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Byram traded to Sabres; Mittelstadt to Avalanche ⚔️ 🏔️
The Colorado Avalanche traded defenseman Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres for center Casey Mittelstadt, improving the Avalanche's secondary scoring and Sabres' fantasy appeal in long-term leagues. Mittelstadt is worth adding in standard leagues for the rest of the season upon joining a Stanley Cup contender, while Byram could finish the season strong on the top pair with Rasmus Dahlin and be a breakout candidate for next season.
Mittelstadt, who led Buffalo in points (47 in 62 games), assists (33), even-strength points (39) and was tied for its plus/minus lead (plus-12) this season at the time of the trade, could be Colorado's new No. 2 center and play on a line with forwards Artturi Lehkonen, Ross Colton, Jonathan Drouin and/or eventually Valeri Nichushkin (cleared to practice after being in NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program).
Byram, 22, gives the Sabres one of the best young defenseman cores in fantasy keeper and dynasty leagues, joining fellow left-shooting players at the position in Rasmus Dahlin, 23, and Owen Power, 21. Byram, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, played in mostly a secondary role with the Avalanche and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2022 (had nine assists, plus-15 in 20 games that postseason). Byram has dealt with multiple long-term injuries in his NHL career but scored a career-high 10 goals last regular season despite being limited to 42 games. -- Pete Jensen
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Henrique traded to Oilers ⛽️
The Edmonton Oilers acquired veteran forward Adam Henrique from the Anaheim Ducks, making him a must-add player in fantasy for the rest of the season and improving their Stanley Cup chances. The 34-year-old now could have the highest fantasy ceiling of his career with a chance to round out Edmonton's loaded top six with elite forwards Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane. Henrique is expected to start on the second line with Draisaitl and Kane.
Henrique had been heating up with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in his past 23 games prior to the trade. He scored an NHL career-high 30 goals with the New Jersey Devils in 2015-16 and has had a resurgent contract year with Anaheim, averaging the second-most points per game (0.70; 42 in 60 games) of his NHL career (0.72 with Ducks in 2021-22). -- Pete Jensen
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Other potential fantasy sleepers who were traded before deadline: Noah Hanifin, D, and Anthony Mantha, RW, VGK; Jake Allen, G, NJD; Anthony Duclair, LW, TBL; Michael Bunting, LW, PIT; Jack Roslovic, C/RW, NYR; Jason Zucker, LW, NSH
