NHL Trade Tips: Yahoo Trade Deadline

The trade deadline for most Yahoo pools is Wednesday, so this week's NHL Trade Tips is out early to help you make your final moves.

The NHL is back after a tremendously successful 4 Nations Face-Off, but the tourney took its toll on some players who went all-out trying to win for their respective countries. Matthew Tkachuk, for one, is likely out long-term as he is thought to be dealing with a groin injury that caused him to miss the third period and overtime in Canada's 3-2 win over the United States.

TRADE FOR

Mikko Rantanen, W, Hurricanes (100 percent rostered)

Rantanen is off to a very slow start in Carolina with only one goal and two assists in seven games. He was a force with Colorado before the trade, garnering 25 goals and 39 assists in only 49 appearances. While Sebastian Aho is not Nathan MacKinnon, Aho is still a top-20 center in the NHL and the two Finns should eventually click.

I think that Rantanen and the Hurricanes are in negotiations on a long-term contract and that could be hurting him on the ice. You likely will need Rantanen at playoff time in head-to-head leagues and the contract should be resolved (one way or another) by then. There is also a possibility, albeit slim, that Rantanen is traded by the March 7 deadline if no deal can be agreed upon. In that case, he will more than likely be traded to a top playoff team, probably one in the Western Conference, as the Hurricanes don't want him in the East where they could potentially meet up with him early in the post-season.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Rantanen and Artemi Panarin for Dougie Hamilton and J.T. Miller.

Kevin Lankinen, G, Canucks, (61 percent rostered)

Lankinen gets a huge boost in fantasy value as Thatcher Demko is once again on the sidelines, this time with a lower-body injury. Lankinen will handle most the goaltending for the Canucks down the stretch as the Canucks are currently the second wild card in the West and are being chased by four teams within six points of them.

Lankinen inked a five-year contract extension last week, based on his 19-7-4 record. He has four shutouts as well as a 2.52 GAA and .907 save percentage, much better than Demko and current backup Arturs Silovs.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Lankinen and a 14th-round pick for Chris Kreider and a 10th-round pick.

Kevin Fiala, W, Kings (82 percent rostered)

The Kings have played the lowest amount of games heading into action Monday with 54, one less than Buffalo and five less than four teams thus far. That's a huge advantage.

Fiala got off to a good start with seven goals and 12 points in his first 13 games but then hit the skids, as he managed only seven goals and three assists in his next 27 appearances. That's a far cry from the previous three seasons in which he generated 85 goals and 230 points over 233 regular-season appearances. He has turned it back on with eight goals and 15 points in his last 13 tilts heading into action against Vegas on Monday night.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Fiala for Barrett Hayton.

TRADE AWAY

John Tavares, C, Maple Leafs (92 percent rostered)

Tavares is having an excellent offensive season with 22 goals and 26 assists over 50 games. He has been a force on the power play with eight goals, though his measly two assists are well below his normal total, as he has had 32 power-play helpers over the previous two campaigns.

The issue with Tavares is that he has slowed down and likely won't be able to keep up the pace as a second-line center come playoff time. That's why the Maple Leafs are likely looking at a top-two center come trade deadline time (think Brock Nelson for instance) which will push Tavares down to the third unit, where he won't have as good linemates as far as scoring prowess is concerned. I would get what I could for the 34-year-old veteran at this time.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Tavares for Aleksander Barkov.

Logan Thompson, G, Capitals (90 percent rostered)

Poolies will look at Thompson's 25-2-5 record with a 2.25 GAA and a .920 save percentage and ask why they should be trading him. Well, he shares the net with Charlie Lindgren on a pretty even basis, save for the time that Lindgren missed five-plus games from Jan. 10-21 with an upper-body injury. Thompson is only 2-0-2 in his last four starts, and has allowed 15 goals on 122 shots (.877 save percentage). You should be able to get a lot for the talented netminder who will likely finish second or third in Vezina Trophy voting at the end of the season. The Capitals are so far ahead in the Eastern Conference standings that there is no reason to play Thompson more heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Thompson for Igor Shesterkin.

Roman Josi, D, Predators (99 percent rostered)

Josi has not had a good season, just like the Predators, who are out of the Western Conference playoff race. Josi has only three assists in his last nine games, giving the defenseman nine goals and 38 points across 52 appearances this season. Josi has had superb seasons in two of his three previous years, picking up 96 points in 2021-22 and 85 points last season. He sandwiched those two campaigns with a 59-point year in 2022-23, albeit in only 67 games, but this season looks to be his worst since the league's 56-game schedule during COVID when he managed 33 points in 48 outings. His minus-26 rating is troublesome, as it's tied for fifth-worst in the NHL and the worst on the Predators.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Josi and Juuse Saros for Jake Oettinger and Cale Makar.