With the whirlwind 2020 NHL trade deadline in the books, featuring more than 20 trades over the past two days, our fantasy hockey analysts Victoria Matiash and Sean Allen break down the difference-makers. Whether it's players going to better situations or the players replacing them at their previous teams, we've got you covered with the pickups your fantasy lineup needs.
New York Islanders get Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Allen, fantasy analyst: The Isles don't need another center for their scoring lines, but Pageau has the versatility to slip into the mix. This could be enough to get him back into the mix following his blistering start to the season. Since Dec. 1, Pageau hasn't been up to snuff for fantasy rosters. His 10 goals and 20 points in 33 games are on par with Warren Foegele and Chandler Stephenson for that time frame.
What we are interested in is any return closer to the 14 goals, 20 points and a plus-18 he put up in the first in 27 games of the season.
There is room for him among the Islanders scoring lines, and surely they will want to test their new toy in a top-line role. The catch is whether he can find chemistry with Mathew Barzal. The frenetic pace he put up in the first two months is enough to make Pageau a speculatory addition to any fantasy league.
Edmonton Oilers get Andreas Athanasiou
Matiash, fantasy analyst: Athanasiou is fast. Such an injection of speed onto Connor McDavid's wing will be worth watching, if that's how it shakes out. The former Red Wing also can score, as supported by his 30 goals (24 assists) in only 76 games last season.
We can expect Edmonton coach Dave Tippett to at least experiment with Athanasiou on McDavid's line, especially with Sam Gagner headed the other way. If available -- he is in two-thirds of ESPN.com leagues -- the 25-year-old ex-Detroit speedster deserves immediate attention across most of the fantasy spectrum.
Carolina Hurricanes get Vincent Trocheck
Allen: In a rare swap of active assets, the Hurricanes trade in Erik Haula and Lucas Wallmark from their third line for Trocheck.
It's not immediately clear how he fits into the Hurricanes' lineup. Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho hold down the fort comfortably down the middle, while Aho, Justin Williams, Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen make up the power-play unit.
Trocheck can put up points when placed in the right situation -- especially on the power play. In 2017-18, Trocheck helped fuel a Panthers power play that tore through the league. He posted 13 of his 31 goals on the man advantage en route to a 75-point campaign. That's not something you bury on the third line.
Of course, when Trocheck is buried on a depth chart, as he has been this season, he's not particularly fantasy relevant. The power play is key to his value when it's there.
As such, you will need to watch his role on the man advantage for the Hurricanes. If he's out there with Aho and Teravainen, he's going to be a fantasy factor. If he's not, you can look elsewhere.
Carolina Hurricanes get Sami Vatanen
Matiash: If Vatanen can score with the Devils, he won't have much issue making productive noise in Carolina. Once off injured reserve, the puck-moving defenseman will replace either Jaccob Slavin on the Hurricanes' No. 1 power play or Jake Gardiner on the second. Averaging 0.49 points per game, the veteran defenseman is available in nearly 85% of ESPN.com leagues.
The Hurricanes also acquired Brady Skjei from the Rangers to bolster their blue line, bumping Gardiner outside the fantasy-relevant margins altogether.
Colorado Avalanche get Vladislav Namestnikov
Allen: Like Kovalchuk in Washington, Namestnikov does little more than offer the Avalanche insurance for their top six forwards. With both Mikko Rantanen and Nazem Kadri sidelined for longer than the short term, there are opportunities to find meaningful work at the top of the Avs' depth chart.
Namestnikov has had success on scoring lines in the past. While he isn't the top choice for a role with Nathan MacKinnon, he's not too far down the pecking order after Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi. Keep an eye on the lines in the short term, as Namestnikov could play himself into a fantasy-relevant role while Rantanen and Kadri are on the mend.
Vegas Golden Knights get Robin Lehner
Matiash: One significant takeaway from this move is that Marc-Andre Fleury -- who ranks eighth in the league in games started with 44 -- will earn more rest down the stretch. While advantageous to the hockey club itself, that isn't going to charm Fleury's fantasy managers much. Lehner, who had split time fairly evenly with Corey Crawford in Chicago, is also likely to see fewer opportunities in taking a minor back seat to the Golden Knights' No. 1. But he's going to win more often when he does play.
Conversely, in Chicago, Crawford is about to become much busier, having lost his tandem buddy. Rostered in only 17% of ESPN.com leagues, the Blackhawks' new stand-alone No. 1 has been superb of late, rocking a .947 SV% though three recent games. So, from a fantasy point of view, the guy left behind receives the biggest boost with this move.
Edmonton Oilers get Mike Green
Allen: This addition admittingly is intriguing but more likely destined to be nothing in the end. Green has a week or two while Oscar Klefbom is recovering to see if he can find a role with the Oilers' power play. Can he? Well, fantasy value is usually from a combination of talent and opportunity. In this case, the opportunity is overwhelmingly good, while the talent is in question.
The opportunity, of course, is to play a role on the power play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl well enough while Klefbom is hurt. It's fair to speculate that he's more than his current stats (which, by the way, are atrocious -- 11 points in 48 games with a minus-32 rating), because his surroundings have been awful. Overall, though, given Green's recent history and the short window of opportunity, rushing out to add him to your lineup doesn't seem like a high-priority move.
Pittsburgh Penguins get Patrick Marleau
Matiash: Joining the Penguins in what serves as a depth move with a view to the postseason, Marleau is probably destined to fill a spot on Pittsburgh's third line and secondary power play. While the 40-year-old isn't likely to erupt with his new club -- he has all of one assist as a Shark in his past 11 games -- an uptick in production is expected, particularly with the extra skater. Boasting 413 career power-play points, Marleau's 2019-20 running grand total of one is out of character. Desperate managers in deeper leagues might consider taking a flier on the veteran forward, particularly in leagues where scoring with the man-advantage matters.
Washington Capitals get Ilya Kovalchuk
Allen: Kovalchuk had a chance to be fantasy relevant if he landed in the right place. The Capitals were not the right place. It's likely the only top-six time Kovalchuk will see in Washington is when Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, T.J. Oshie or Jakub Vrana are hurting, but outside of that, he's destined for the third line and second power play.
When Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Drouin were both out of the lineup for most of January, Kovalchuk was able to play a convincing role in the top six and power play. He posted nine points in 10 games during the month, but he has seen his role slip with the return of healthy players to the Canadiens' lineup.
The Caps are surely hoping for the same kind of depth role should something befall their regulars.
Buffalo Sabres get Wayne Simmonds
Matiash: In one of the day's less anticipated moves, unrestricted free agent-to-be Wayne Simmonds joins a Sabres club that remains, as of trade deadline day, six points out of third place in the Atlantic and eight behind Carolina for the second wild-card spot. There you have it. While there's a chance he's offered an audition on Buffalo's second line, the 31-year-old could also fall within the Sabres' bottom six, along with contributing on the secondary power play.
Managers who have stayed true to Simmonds to date might as well see how it all plays out with the Sabres, but there's no cause to jump on him otherwise. The power forward's eight goals, 16 assists -- including nine power-play points -- and 64 PIM (penalty minutes) serve purpose in only the deepest of leagues.
Boston Bruins get Ondrej Kase
Allen: There is a formula for Kase to have fantasy relevance as a member of the Bruins. First off, he has to get healthy, but he's reportedly just sick this time. Second off, he needs to show he fits in well enough to bump Jake DeBrusk from the power play. DeBrusk is on the same power-play unit as David Pastrnak (36 power-play points) and Brad Marchand (25 PPP), yet he has just 10 power-play points to his name.
There is an opportunity here, as there always has been, for someone to step ahead of DeBrusk. Kase, when he's on the ice, scored at a fairly impressive rate with the Ducks. There is no need to be proactive about this in regular-sized leagues, however, as there will be warning signs that he's moving up the Bruins' depth chart.
Edmonton Oilers get Tyler Ennis
Matiash: It all depends on where he slides in. Earning a chance to compete on a line and power play with Connor McDavid is one thing, sitting tucked in the Oilers' bottom six is another.
Ennis has had scoring moments throughout his career, just not consistently enough to satisfy managers in all but the deepest fantasy leagues. But playing with McDavid & Co. could be a game-changer. Fifteen points or so through Edmonton's final 20 games -- more than a few counting with the man advantage -- could be there for the ex-Senator if it all works out.
Ottawa Senators trade away Namestnikov, Pageau
Allen: It's Joshua Norris time. With the Sens dealing away Namestnikov, but more importantly Pageau, the deck has been cleared so we can see more of the Sens' future in the coming months. The key return in the Erik Karlsson trade has been showcasing his talent in the AHL all season. Norris has posted 30 goals and 58 points to sit among the top three in the league in both categories -- while leading all rookies. He made his NHL debut over the weekend and was then sent back down to the AHL.
The point is that the trade exodus from Ottawa is going to allow some opportunity for the younger players to stake a claim for a role in the future. Norris, Alex Formenton, Drake Batherson ... they all have potential to make a strong enough run to find fantasy relevance. File their name away for the stretch run.
Calgary Flames get Erik Gustafsson
Matiash: After collecting 60 points with the Blackhawks in 2018-19, this current campaign is proving a disappointment to date for the 27-year-old defenseman. So this move could be just what the doctor ordered.
We'll see if Gustafsson supplants Noah Hanifin on the Flames' top power play or falls to the second -- assuming Mark Giordano remains out while dealing with a hamstring injury. Fantasy managers who have fallen out with Gustafsson should optimistically ride the course in seeing how the fresh start unfolds in Calgary. Other managers in need of their own help on the blue line might now consider investing in the former Hawks defenseman, if available. He scored 17 goals just last season.
Florida Panthers get Erik Haula and Lucas Wallmark
Allen: Haula and Wallmark were on the Hurricanes' third line and second power-play unit. They likely will be on the Panthers' second or third line and second power-play unit. Haula is interesting because he has shown a propensity for goal-scoring and power-play success in the past. That said, the Panthers are too deep at the moment for him to score a role on the power play.
Haula could show something in a second-line role with Mike Hoffman at his wing, but it's probably not enough to play into the fantasy realm.