The All-Star Game is over, and that means we're now staring at a two-month race to the finish line on the season. It's also the start of the bulk of trading season, both in the NHL and in fantasy.
I recently got done making a deal for now and the future in one of my keeper leagues. I'd run up the white flag pretty early in the year on that team, but a little surge before the break gave me some hope that the season could be salvaged. With earlier trades, I'd compiled some extra draft capital, and I was able to acquire Connor Hellebuyck for one of my two first-round picks. It's a league where goalies are important, especially those that can win.
I made the trade for two reasons. One was simply opportunity -- Hellebuyck is a high-end goalie on a winning team, so it makes sense given the format. The other reason was that I didn't have enough keeper-caliber players on my roster for next season. Going into 2024-25 with Hellebuyck, Alexandar Georgiev and Elias Pettersson as my core, plus five picks over the first four rounds barring any future moves, gives me a lot of confidence. Hellebuyck should still be an effective goalies for at least 2-3 more years, and he fits my mindset of going for it every year. I don't want to waste time on rebuilding. If the team dips again this month, I've still got assets to trade away to bolster my picks.
While that's a valid approach in fantasy, it's not always possible in the NHL. That's why the Flames initiated their fire sale last week, trading Elias Lindholm to the Canucks for a package headlined by Andrei Kuzmenko. I see this as a win-win from the fantasy angle. Lindholm will get a lot more talent to play with, regardless of which role he settles into for Vancouver. Lindholm can be a weapon on the power play, and he can be a playmaker for the Canucks' plethora of finishers.
Kuzmenko will get out of a situation that turned sour on him. The Flames aren't making the playoffs this season, but as they ship players out, Kuzmenko should settle in a top-six role with power-play time. While this is just his second NHL campaign, he's now 28 years old, so he has enough overall experience to help in the mentoring process with the prospects that will fill in the holes on the roster. Ideally, I'd like to see Kuzmenko get a look with the Mikael Backlund-Blake Coleman duo -- that's a pair of veteran forwards that has gotten the most out of all of their linemates this season. I'm not rushing to add Kuzmenko anywhere, but I'll be keeping an eye on his adjustment to Calgary.
The other big trade of the week was Sean Monahan to the Jets. This is another good deal, especially since the Jets were able to add to their team this year without losing anyone. The Canadiens did well to get Monahan back into playing shape after awful injury luck, and he looks like a viable second-line center again. If he gets top-six minutes, power-play time and favorable zone starts, Monahan should be able to maintain his level of production in a stronger offense (35 points in 49 contests). The presence of a defensive ace in Adam Lowry means Monahan won't have to do as much work in his own zone as he did in Montreal. I'd expect a small dip in ice time across the board, but his fantasy utility should stick.
For the waiver wire this week, it's a good time to take a midseason reset. Any momentum that a player had before the All-Star break shouldn't be given too much weight, though it's still important to keep an eye on who is clicking and who isn't. I'm more interested in targeting players that are under-utilized from a wider scope in fantasy this week. Most -- if not all -- of the players highlighted will be available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Sam Bennett headlines this week's recommendations. He's a physical presence who gets power-play time in a high-tempo Panthers offense. He slipped off the radar after battling injuries in October and starting slowly once healthy. He made up for it with five goals, six assists, four power-play points, 24 hits and 18 PIM over 13 contests in January. The Panthers are just about healthy up front, and that has Bennett filling a second-line role on a roster that tends to spread out the talent.
I'm also looking at a pair of Ducks again once they get going again Friday. I mentioned Adam Henrique last week, so just a quick review of his January: five goals, nine assists, 34 shots on goal, 13 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating in 14 contests. He did a lot of that alongside Troy Terry, who racked up 15 points, 35 shots on net and a plus-5 rating across 12 games in January. Going into the break, those two forwards were on separate lines. Terry was a forgotten man after a slow start, but he's playing like a leader again, while Henrique fills a steady veteran role.
Trent Frederic didn't slow down heading into the break, carrying a five-game point streak (one goal, five assists) before the Bruins took their bye. Frederic ended up with 11 points across 14 games in January. He's seen some occasional top-line usage at even strength, but he most often settles into a middle-six role. This is his breakout year -- 29 points, 84 hits, 45 PIM and a plus-17 rating over 49 contests has him on pace for career highs in each of those categories by the end of the season.
Nicolas Roy is one of those players that tends to pop up a few times a year. He collected 11 points over the Golden Knights' last seven games before the break, though it came during a time where the team was missing its top-two centers. William Karlsson (lower body) is expected to be back right away, but Jack Eichel (knee) will be out another couple of weeks at a minimum. Roy should still get some top-six minutes at center before Eichel returns. Roy has always been best down the middle, but he often has to settle for bottom-six usage at center or a move to the wing to maintain a top-six spot, so it'll be interesting to see if he can sustain his momentum when Vegas is at full strength.
Vegas' defense is arguably not as close to being healthy as the forwards. Shea Theodore (upper body) is still not particularly close to returning, and that has allowed Alec Martinez to grab some power-play time. Martinez comes with all the necessary caveats -- he's a shot-blocking, defense-first option who is also injury-prone and 36 years old. His six assists over the last nine games before the break don't exactly scream confidence, but adding 33 blocks in that span gives him ample value in formats where that stat is counted. Martinez should always see top-four minutes for his defensive skill, as long as he doesn't join the injured list.
Samuel Girard has also settled into a solid role since his return at the end of December. In his last 13 games, he picked up eight assists with 32 blocked shots, 18 hits and a plus-7 rating. The Avalanche are among the deepest teams in the league defensively, so Girard isn't a lock for power-play time, but he's solid enough across the board to help out your fantasy team.
Sticking with the Avalanche, Ross Colton should get some respect for as long as he can play on the second line. He entered the break with nine points over his last seven contests. There's some debate as to whether his line or Ryan Johansen's trio will be the listed second line for the Avalanche, but I've got more confidence in Colton, Miles Wood and Logan O'Connor's workmanlike effort at this stage in the season. Artturi Lehkonen and Zach Parise could be good for Johansen, but little has worked well for Johansen in 2023-24, so I'd hesitate before dipping too deep into Colorado's roster.
Between the pipes, this is another call to give some attention to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. While he went a modest 5-3-0 over eight games in January, two of those wins were shutouts, and he added a 1.52 GAA and a .944 save percentage for the month. The only goalie even close to those metrics in January was Stuart Skinner, and he has a lot more help in Edmonton than Luukkonen does in Buffalo. Luukkonen's starting role is safest when Devon Levi is with AHL Rochester, but it should be steady as long as he plays well.
If you need a warm body to get you some games, Mackenzie Blackwood isn't a terrible choice. He went 4-3-1 with a 2.53 GAA and a .923 save percentage in January, including wins in his last three games before the break. The Sharks play only seven times in February, and the matchups aren't pretty, so he may be more of a situational streamer than a hold as a No. 3 fantasy goalie.
It's odd to suggest a goalie whose main rival for playing time was just at the All-Star Game, but that's where we're at with the Kings. Cam Talbot has look worn down, and David Rittich has gone 3-1-2 with a 2.29 GAA and a .924 save percentage in his last eight games. The Kings fired head coach Todd McLellan last week, so there's a chance they rebound with a new voice. Rittich has the momentum between the pipes, though I want to see how the workload gets distributed under the new boss, interim head coach Jim Hiller, before I start making moves in fantasy.
Finally, one backup to consider is Anthony Stolarz. Sergei Bobrovsky has been great this year, so Stolarz has had limited time. In January, that meant five of 13 games, where Stolarz went 3-1-1 with a 2.23 GAA and a .914 save percentage. If that usage continues, Stolarz probably gets you a game a week, sometimes two. Bobrovsky isn't one to have a second-half slump, but he's also 35 years old and may need some rest down the stretch. That's not a problem if Stolarz continues to play well, and it's even easier to do if they can wrap up their playoff spot quickly. Stolarz is better than most true backups from a rest-of-season perspective.
As we navigate February, I'll do my best to highlight any major trades each week. The NHL trade deadline is March 8, and there should be plenty of movement given the competitiveness around the bubble in both conferences. I'll also have the usual waiver-wire moves going forward.
In fantasy, it's a sprint to the playoffs now. If you're more than a couple of weeks' worth of wins out of the running, now is probably the time to sell or pack it in. Bubble teams need to be on the cutting edge of making moves and following trends, while top teams will want to shore up their depth regularly to protect their position. Whatever your goal, best of luck to you as you jump back into action this week.
