While there is plenty of merit in looking at where some of the most discussed trade-bait players will land and how they will perform, there is also the oft-forgotten other side of the coin. What about the team those players left behind?
With every significant NHL trade, especially from the "sellers" teams, there is usually prime ice time and a major role left to be filled after a player's or players' departure.
An example? In the wake of Dion Phaneuf being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings, rookie Thomas Chabot jumped from the Ottawa Senators' third pairing to the second with Cody Ceci. He then promptly turned in his first multi-point game since Dec. 1 on Saturday with a goal and assist.
His ice time didn't take a huge spike, but being relied on with the second pairing is a big jump in responsibility that also comes with secondary power-play time. Chabot probably won't make his way into fantasy relevance this season, but he has skill and an increase in opportunity, so the possibility is there.
With that in mind, let's have a look at the power vacuums being left behind if some of the most popular speculated trades bear fruit.
Jimmy Vesey, LW/RW, New York Rangers
Not only are the Rangers said to be unloading Rick Nash, but Michael Grabner and Mats Zuccarello have also been discussed as players on the block. That is going to free up a heck of a lot of scoring-line and power-play ice time for the final month-and-a-half of the season. With absolutely no reason to promote top prospects such as Filip Chytil this season, the ice time is going to be divided up internally. While players like Pavel Buchnevich have already been getting prime minutes this season, Vesey has largely been relegated to a checking line.
Vesey scored 16 goals last season and, based on his NCAA scoring profile, still has plenty of untapped offensive potential to showcase. If the Rangers unload players at the deadline en masse, Vesey could be the top choice to finish the season as a top-line winger.
Filip Hronek, D, Detroit Red Wings
With Mike Green on the block and Trevor Daley also coveted for locker room presence by playoff teams, the Red Wings' blue line could be getting thin next week. While Niklas Kronwall is playing plenty of power-play time, too, he's not ideal in that role. In the meantime, the Red Wings have a 20-year-old Czech defenseman in the AHL who has been honing his North American game for the better part of two seasons. He finished fourth in the OHL in scoring last season and is second among rookie AHL blueliners this season. No matter what happens, the Red Wings will still have a potent forward group on the power play after the deadline and there will be an opportunity for Hronek to make a splash if he gets the call.
Brady Skjei, D, New York Rangers
Speaking of power-play quarterback roles, the Rangers aren't guaranteed to get back Kevin Shattenkirk soon and there is talk of shipping out Ryan McDonagh. Skjei surprised with 39 points last season but has been under-utilized this season with Shattenkirk and McDonagh around. If he is the last defenseman standing after the deadline next week, the power play will be all his -- at least until Shattenkirk is healed.
Marian Gaborik, RW, Ottawa Senators
The Senators are said to have both Mike Hoffman and Derick Brassard on the block among their top-six forwards. Gaborik has already slid nicely into a line with Matt Duchene and Hoffman since coming over via trade last week. What's missing right now is some power-play time. If the Senators move either forward, Gaborik could add the power-play to his workload in Ottawa, which is arguably enough to put him on the fantasy radar.
Evan Rodrigues, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Rodrigues profiles as a late bloomer on offense. He notched 30 points in 72 games during his rookie AHL season in 2015-16, then matched that 30 points in only 48 games last season. This season, he has 10 points in only eight AHL contests, while potting 12 points in 30 games with the Sabres. But dial in a little closer and you'll see that he has five points during his past six games and is playing a much-expanded role with Jack Eichel on the sideline already. If the Sabres move Evander Kane, it basically assures Rodrigues a role near the top of the depth chart for the remainder of the season.
Forwards on the move
Taylor Hall, LW, New Jersey Devils (up 12 spots to No. 31)
Hall was already having a monster season that put his name back in the mix with the elite of the elite in the NHL. Since Jan. 1, he's found yet anther level to his game. After turning in a tidy 1.0 points per game through the first 36 games of the season, Hall has been scoring at a clip of 1.44 points per game in 18 games since the calendar flipped to 2018. He's currently pulling rookie Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri into next-level status for fantasy managers and doesn't show any signs of slowing down, riding an 18-game point streak.
Reilly Smith, RW/LW, Vegas Golden Knights (up 10 spots to No. 95)
Speaking of point streaks, Smith hasn't missed the score sheet during his past seven contests with a total of 12 points during that span. The line of Smith, Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson continues to defy all expectations and force us to admit they may be the best line in the NHL. As strict combinations of three players go, this line leads the NHL with 40 goals at five-on-five this season. Smith is the only one of the trio remaining who hasn't cracked the threshold of being rostered in 80 percent of ESPN leagues.
Defensemen on the move
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D, San Jose Sharks (enters ranks at No. 244)
An absolute non-factor in fantasy for the first three months of the season, Vlasic has now been enjoying a sustained hot streak that forces him into the rankings. That's despite the fact that he has a documented 11-year NHL career with little to no fantasy relevance to show for it. But, since Jan. 1, Vlasic has 18 points in 23 games, including five multi-point contests. He had only two multi-point games all of last season and none prior to January this season.
Alex Pietrangelo, D, St. Louis Blues (down 16 spots to No. 77)
I've tried to hang with Pietrangelo during his extended slump, but it's time to start letting him slide down the rankings. After an electric start to the campaign with 13 points in 13 games during the month of October, Pietrangelo has struggled to maintain fantasy relevance. He has only two power-play points since Dec. 1 and has even ceded power-play position to Vince Dunn on the first unit. Perhaps an injection of a new winger at the trade deadline can reinvigorate the Blues' offense, but I won't be holding my breath.
Goaltenders on the move
Antti Raanta, G, Arizona Coyotes (up 28 spots to No. 164)
It has taken some time, but it looks like Raanta is finally showing why many were high on him coming into his role as a starter in the desert. He leads all goaltenders on the ESPN Player Rater for fantasy value during the past 30 days and has been lights-out since Jan. 1 (.937 save percentage in 15 games).
Martin Jones, G, San Jose Sharks (up 15 spots to No. 83)
It looks like Jones has finally successfully fended off the challenge from Aaron Dell to his role as primary starter for the Sharks. Struggling through some bad goaltending and injuries, Jones had a really nasty December and January. But so far through February, Jones has posted a 2.00 goals-against average and .932 save percentage that is indicative of a workhorse starter. Even better, his only relief from Dell during the past seven games came as part of a back-to-back set.
Petr Mrazek, G, Detroit Red Wings (up 22 spots to No. 174)
Whether he's tending twine for the Wings, Flyers or someone else next week, Mrazek has some of his swagger back. Even accounting for that ugly seven-goal blowout against the Islanders on Feb. 9, Mrazek is seventh in the NHL for GAA and save percentage since Jan. 1 (at least 10 starts). He should be on fantasy rosters ahead of a potential move to a contender, but should even pay dividends if he stays with Detroit.
Quick hits
Nathan MacKinnon returned on Sunday to the Colorado Avalanche, stepping back in on the top line with Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. What might be of interest to some deeper leagues is that rookie Tyson Jost was the fourth forward on the power play. ... The Winnipeg Jets are deploying their offensive threats three lines deep for the first time this season. It creates an opportunity for continued contribution from both Mathieu Perreault and Kyle Connor, and also creates a role for Andrew Copp.
Note: The default trade deadline in standard ESPN fantasy hockey leagues is Friday, Feb. 23 at noon ET. Check your league's settings to see when your deadline falls.