NHL Trade Tips: 4 Nations Face-Off Edition

The NHL heads back into action Saturday, but not before the big 4 Nations Face-off championship game, pitting Canada against the United States in Boston on Thursday night. The round-robin game Saturday between the two countries was a classic, starting with three fights in the first nine seconds of the game. That's old-time hockey!

I'm going to look at six players from the tournament that you should deal for, or away.

TRADE FOR

Shea Theodore, D, Golden Knights (93 percent rostered)

There are a couple of ifs to deal with before trading for Theodore, who is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury (believed to be his arm/wrist). First, you must be playing head-to-head, and secondly, be comfortably in a playoff position.

I'm assuming Theodore will return at some point by late March, if not earlier. Theodore may not have much value to his fantasy manager over the next month but should be in fine form by the time fantasy playoffs begin. He has been a stud this season with seven goals and 41 assists across 55 appearances this season, including two goals and 19 points on the power play. That places Theodore fourth among defensemen in scoring and tied for fourth in points with the man advantage. That's quite a blueliner to get for the most important time of the fantasy season, and the cost at this time is a lot lower than it would be if he was healthy.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Theodore for Bowen Byram.

Artturi Lehkonen, W, Avalanche (60 percent rostered)

Lehkonen picked up only one assist in three games during the 4 Nations Face-Off, and that was late in the third period Monday in a loss to Canada. He only saw 11:31 of action in a 4-3 overtime loss to arch-rival Finland on Saturday and while he played 18:56 against the Canadians, he should be plenty upset with his play and playing time for Finland.

Lehkonen will return to the top line with the Avalanche, alongside the great Nathan MacKinnon, as well as Martin Necas. Lehkonen has 23 goals and 33 points in only 45 NHL games this season, and has yet to be a force on the power play, as he has only a goal and two assists despite averaging 2:48 of ice time with the man advantage. That should change over the last third of the season.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Lehkonen for Jamie Benn.

Brady Tkachuk, W, Senators (100 percent rostered)

Tkachuk has looked amazing in the 4 Nations Face-Off, perhaps because he is playing alongside his brother Matthew for their first time as NHLers. Brady had two goals in the opener, a 6-1 win over Finland, and brawled with Sam Bennett in Saturday's 3-1 win over Canada.

Tkachuk has 21 goals and 23 assists over 56 contests with Ottawa and has been a force on the power play with 11 goals and 18 points. Tkachuk is second in the NHL with 101 PIM and eighth in the league with 188 hits. He went through a 10-game slump from Jan. 9-25 in which he failed to pick up a point, but he had three goals and six points in seven games leading up to the tourney.

Tkachuk looks revitalized and should be a huge addition to your fantasy squad down the stretch, should you be lucky enough to acquire him.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Tkachuk and Mika Zibanejad for Sam Bennett and Timo Meier.

TRADE AWAY

Brock Nelson, C, W, Islanders (54 percent rostered)

Nelson is likely to get dealt (in my opinion) and likely won't be on the top unit of the power-play, especially if he heads to Toronto. He could be the third-line center with the Maple Leafs, though John Tavares would likely move down to a third-line role, at least come playoff time. Nelson has plenty of skill and has proven himself to be a 30-plus goal scorer at the NHL level, but I think his value is at its highest with the Islanders.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Nelson and a 12-round pick for Alexis Lafreniere and a ninth-round pick.

Elias Pettersson, C, W, Canucks (96 percent rostered)

Pettersson really needs a reset, and it may not happen this season. He has struggled in Vancouver with only 11 goals and 23 assists in 49 games, by far his worst season in the NHL. He did not play well at the 4 Nations Face-Off, failing to pick up a point in three games and managing to play only 9:54 in Monday's tilt against the United States. While he should rebound next season (or perhaps earlier if he is dealt, because a change of scenery could be in his and the Canucks' best interest), at this point in time I would deal Pettersson.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Pettersson for Zach Hyman and Alexander Romanov.

Juuse Saros, G, Predators (93 percent rostered)

Saros is having his worst season in the NHL, as the 29-year-old netminder is 11-23-6 with a 2.95 GAA and an .898 save percentage. His peripherals last season were his previous worst, with a 2.86 GAA and a .906 save percentage, and he has not shown any inclination of late (0-5-0 with a 4.43 GAA and an .862 save percentage in his last six appearances) that he is trending upward. While he was perfect in relief of Kevin Lankinen on Monday, stopping all 14 shots, he was mediocre in his only start of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, allowing six goals on 32 shots against the Americans on Friday. The Predators are not going to make the playoffs, and Saros could be seeing less time in goal down the stretch.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Saros for Mackenzie Blackwood.