Frozen Fantasy: Aftershocks Everywhere

I don't know about you, but Mikko Rantanen's (100 percent Yahoo!) trade surprised me - players like him usually don't get traded. 

Especially midseason. Wow.

Hockey really has become a business. The deal blindsided Rantanen. He wasn't going to re-sign, at least for the cash the Avs were willing to offer. And he could only block nine teams. His teammates are still shocked. 

And the Canes clearly weren't worried he was Jake Guentzel 2.0 (99 percent Yahoo!).

Yes, it's both a hockey trade and cap management deal, too. Carolina didn't even check in with Rantanen's team to pre-talk about a new deal. Wow. Again. 

I can't help but wonder what the deal means for other teams. Mitch Marner (100 percent Yahoo!) hasn't signed an extension yet. And something needs to give in the Grand Canyon of resentment in Vancouver. One week, it's Elias Pettersson (96 percent Yahoo!) who might move. The next, it's J.T. Miller (96 percent Yahoo!). 

Brad Marchand (91 percent Yahoo!) and Nikolaj Ehlers (89 percent Yahoo!) may change cities. And what about Sidney Crosby (99 percent Yahoo!), who suddenly became a possible Cole Harbour love connection in Mile High with Mack himself.

If Sid moves, then anything is possible. Feels a bit like fantasy, doesn't it? 

Fantasy trades will be heating up soon, especially in keeper and dynasty leagues. We'll talk more about those in future. 

Until then, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. 

Jackson Blake, RW, Carolina (1 percent Yahoo!) - Mikko Rantanen (100 percent Yahoo!) is likely the best player Blake has ever played beside. Just put your stick down, young man. Blake is already a better finisher than playmaker, so this situation could reap the Hobey Baker finalist a bounty. And you too, if you have a deep roster and can take that kind of chance.

Alexandre Carrier, D, Montreal (2 percent Yahoo!) - Carrier has been a top-four revelation in Les Bleu, Blanc et Rouge, but little wonder as the Preds know how to pick and develop defenders. He does have one 30-point campaign under his belt and in Montreal has already put up 10 - including nine helpers with 34 blocks in only 18 games. In fact, Carrier has five points (one goal, four assists) and 17 blocks over his last seven heading into Tuesday. Don't count on power-play points, but he'll help as a depth option in deep leagues. 

Tony DeAngelo, D, NY Islanders (7 percent Yahoo!) - DeAngelo's controversies go back more than a decade, all the way to his OHL days. The list is epic. We both know the issues, and I won't give them pixels here. And he can also produce points like few others. So hold your nose and pick him up. DeAngelo's two 50-plus point campaigns both came in 68 or fewer contests. And he can run a power play with the best. Isles' GM Lou Lamoriello won't put up with his crap, and fantasy managers don't need to like a player to roster him. Someone else will grab him, so step out in front. I did. I can always drop DeAngelo, though I don't think I will. 

Jakub Dobes, G, Montreal (24 percent Yahoo!) - Dobes has size and is athletic, and he's living his dream. Saturday was his sixth start over the Habs' last 15 games and it was his first NHL loss, albeit in OT (5-0-1). Dobes went into that outing with a sparkling 1.55 GAA and .941 save percentage, likely because no one has a book on the guy. I'm not saying that to sully what he's done. But he's shown some technical holes that he's still working to close, and that's exactly the kind of thing that NHL-level shooters will exploit once they know. Jacob Fowler is their goalie of the future, though Dobes could be a solid backup the next few years. 

Jonathan Drouin, LW/RW, Colorado (30 percent Yahoo!) - Drouin immediately slotted onto the top trio with Nathan MacKinnon (100 percent Yahoo!) and newcomer Martin Necas (93 percent Yahoo!). If he sticks with those two, he could be a massive second-half contributor. Drouin already has 16 points across 17 appearances, and a point-per-game pace going forward is more than possible. That is, if he can stay healthy. This could actually be Drouin's chance to fulfill that Draft Day promise. Doesn't matter if it's more than a decade after the fact…

Morgan Geekie, LW/RW/C, Boston (10 percent Yahoo!) - Geekie is still enjoying the all-you-can-eat feast at the Pasta bar, so you need to get on board. David Pastrnak's (100 percent Yahoo!) success has been desperately needed in Boston, and Geekie is part of that. He heads into Tuesday on a three-game, four-goal scoring streak with six goals and two assists (12 shots) from his last seven games. Geekie's on the wire in nine-of-10 leagues. Shame.

Barrett Hayton, C, Utah (18 percent Yahoo!) - Hayton's development has sat at simmer since he went fifth overall in 2018. Hindsight is 20/20, and then GM John Chayka could have had Quinn Hughes (100 percent Yahoo!). But that's not Hayton's fault. At 24 and healthy, he's showing signs he's taking that next step to be a true second-line center. He's really improved at the dot (54.2 percent) and went into Ottawa on Sunday on an absolute tear riding a three-game goal streak (four goals, two assists) with seven points (four and four) in five. And two of those goals won games. Hayton's not going to get you much on the power play, yet this is a hot run that can't be overlooked in deep dailies. 

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Carolina (2 percent Yahoo!) - Two things: the Mikko Rantanen (100 percent Yahoo!) trade sent Jack Drury (0 percent Yahoo!), Kotkaniemi's main rival for ice time, to Colorado. And the ice will open up for him as opponents will undoubtedly key on Rantanen and Sebastian Aho (98 percent Yahoo!) on the lead unit. So, job security plus space and time. Hmmm. I'm not a huge Kotkaniemi fan, but this turn of events is worth watching. Can he step into it? He's already on a four-game, five-point streak that includes four goals. Like Hayton (above), he's a 2018 overdraft. But a hot streak is still a hot streak. 

Bobby McMann, LW, Toronto (8 percent Yahoo!) - McMann started on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner (both 100 percent Yahoo!) on Saturday and scored 3:46 in on a quick ticky-tack play from the high slot. He's not intimidated beside those stars, and he knows how to both hunt pucks and find open ice. McMann will ride shotgun on this group until Matthew Knies' (43 percent Yahoo!) returns from an upper-body injury. The Leafs only play twice this week, so the juice may not be worth the squeeze. But McMann is a must-add in daily formats every time he starts alongside the big boys. 

Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim (8 percent Yahoo!) - It's easy to write off a lot of the Ducks as they have the fifth fewest points in the NHL and a minus-30 goal differential. But I caught some McTavish highlights Sunday morning, and they reminded me why I like him so much. He's tenacious, works the wall well, and rarely finds himself on the wrong side of the puck. And dang, can McTavish rip the puck. He's on a three-game, five-goal ripper heading into Tuesday that includes a power-play snipe and 10 shots. McTavish remains in a third-line role, though he now hops the boards on PP1. This is a ride-hot reco in redraft, but it's also an invest-now in dynasty and keeper formats. McTavish is that good. 

Will Smith, RW/C, San Jose (6 percent Yahoo!) - Smith goes into this week's games against Pittsburgh, Seattle and Montreal on a four-game, five-point run that covers two goals and six shots. Those non-playoff opponents seem ripe for Smith's picking, especially considering this upswing included matchups against strong clubs like the Panthers and Bruins. Mikael Granlund (59 percent Yahoo!) is an excellent teacher as Smith's pivot, and the 19-year-old is an elite offensive forward. This streak won't last, but points are points if you're in need, especially at RW. 

Cam Talbot, G, Detroit (42 percent Yahoo!) - Talbot has become a winning machine since the calendar flipped to January at 7-1-0 alongside a .906 save percentage. Sure, part of that run is tied to the weaker opponents. And yes, his success in LA was related to their system. But Talbot is holding his own with the winged wheels, and you can do worse in a daily league if he's there for the taking.

Back to aftershocks. 

I have a hard time thinking the Leafs will move Marner. But what if he leveraged them a true top defender? They'd need to consider that. Miller is an in-your-face personality and represents an instant upgrade for any team. Pettersson is a stud. And Marchand could help on a team's second line. 

And Sid with Mack? Who'd drive the Zamboni with that magic duo. IYKYK double-double, boys. I'd pay money to see that, just like I did for Alex Ovechkin (97 percent Yahoo!).

BTW, just 19 goals to tie. And 20 to you-know-what. 

Buckle up, and enjoy the ride. Until next week.