NHL Trade Tips: Montembeault Ready to Shine

As the NHL enters its second month of action this week, there should be plenty of trade talk in your fantasy pools.

Here are some players whom you could deal for and trade elsewhere.

TRADE FOR

Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Hurricanes (47 percent rostered)

Svechnikov got off to a terrible start with no points in his first eight games. He has two goals and an assist in his last four games, as he has moved back to the top line. Svechnikov has yet to pick up a point in eight road games, but he does have two goals and three points in four home contests. Svechnikov has had some very good seasons since entering the league at the tender age of 18. He should be a 55- to 70-point player this season, barring any injuries.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Svechnikov for Mathew Barzal. (Barzal for Svechnikov is a pretty even deal at this stage of their NHL careers.)

Aaron Ekblad, D, Panthers (73 percent rostered)

Ekblad has a goal and two assists in 13 games this season. He managed 33 points in 56 contests last season and is now averaging 3:17 on the power play. Ekblad is a solid defenseman and should get 35 to 40 points this season, as long as he doesn't suffer a long-term injury or get suspended. The Panthers will be better once they get back Matthew Tkachuk, hopefully in six weeks.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Ekblad for Neal Pionk. (Pionk is an ordinary fantasy defenseman for the Jets. He has only two assists in 13 games this season and has hit the 40-plus mark only once in his nine-year NHL career.)

Sam Montembeault, G, Canadiens (65 percent rostered)

Montembeault is off to a horrible start with a 3.67 GAA and an awful .839 save percentage heading into action Wednesday. He gave up three goals on the first six shots (though two of the three were scored on a five-versus-three power play for the Flyers) and then was terrific, stopping 35 of 36 shots in a shootout loss. He is still at a 3.67 GAA and improved his save percentage to .855. Montembeault is 3-4-1, and it appears that he has turned the corner and should be a good deal from here on in.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Montembeault, Mathew Barzal, Quinn Hughes and Jet Greaves for Frederik Andersen Alex Lyon, Miro Heiskanen and Trevor Zegras. (I like this trade, as Montembeault and Greaves should give solid goaltending, while Hughes is a top-two defenseman in fantasy.)

TRADE AWAY

Dylan Larkin, C, Red Wings (97 percent rostered)

Larkin has always been a solid center for the Red Wings. Starting his career as a 19-year-old after being selected 15th overall in 2014. He has had three seasons with 70-plus points and a couple of 69-point seasons, but he has never been as good as this season, scoring eight times while adding 10 assists in only 13 games. That's a 114-point pace if he remains healthy all season. It is highly unlikely he will come close to this pace, and while he could set a career high, it's best to deal him from a position of strength.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Larkin for Auston Matthews. (That's an awful lot to get for Larkin. Matthews has won the Rocket Richard Trophy on three occasions, and though he is off to a slow start – for him – Matthews is still a top-10 talent in the NHL.)

Dawson Mercer, RW, Devils (64 percent rostered)

Mercer came into the NHL as a 19-year-old and had two good seasons. He has slumped the last two campaigns with only 33 and 36 points, respectively, while playing 82 regular-season games in each campaign. At the age of 24, Mercer is off to a great start with eight goals and six helpers in 13 games, including three power-play goals and two shorthanded. He still sees third-line minutes in five-on-five situations, making it difficult to project Mercer continuing at this scoring pace.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Mercer and Sean Monahan for Jake Guentzel. (Guentzel is a stud, and giving up Mercer and Monahan doesn't seem like a lot at this time.)

Matthew Knies, LW, Maple Leafs (94 percent rostered)

Knies is playing well enough that he should get plenty of consideration for Team USA at the upcoming Olympic Games. He plays alongside Auston Matthews in Toronto, which should help him Olympics-wise, as Matthews will play in the Olympics and the two have plenty of camaraderie. The reason Knies is a good trade candidate is that if he does make the Olympic team, he likely will slump after the event, and if he doesn't make it, chances are that he won't be playing well leading up to the tournament. Knies is off to an excellent start with four goals and 12 assists in 13 games. After this week, the Maple Leafs will have played 12 of their 16 games at home, which does not bode well for the rest of the season as he has only two assists in four road games thus ar.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Knies and Trevor Zegras for Nazem Kadri, Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley.  (I really like the Utah pair of Guenther and Cooley, and think they will easily outscore Knies and Zegras – never mind that Kadri is also part of the deal.)