Fantasy spin: Offseason trades, 2022 NHL Draft
Impact of Tkachuk-Huberdeau, DeBrincat, Burns, other moves; podcast
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PANTHERS ACQUIRE M. TKACHUK FROM FLAMES FOR HUBERDEAU, WEEGAR
The Florida Panthers acquired elite wing Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames and signed him to an eight-year contract; the Flames acquired elite wing Jonathan Huberdeau and signed him to an eight-year contract and also landed valuable defenseman MacKenzie Weegar in return. The trade involves two of the NHL's top 10 point producers from last season in Huberdeau (115; T-2nd) and Tkachuk (104; eighth) and significantly alters the fantasy landscape.
Read more: [Fantasy spin on FLA-CGY trade]
HURRICANES ACQUIRE BURNS, PACIORETTY
The Carolina Hurricanes acquired defenseman Brent Burns from the San Jose Sharks and left wing Max Pacioretty from the Vegas Golden Knights, boosting their Stanley Cup futures appeal for this season.
Burns, who should be a fixture on the Hurricanes' first power play after they traded Tony DeAngelo to the Philadelphia Flyers, should be considered a top 15 fantasy defenseman again for this season. Burns leads NHL defensemen in goals (130), points (489 in 618 games) and shots on goal (2,116) and is fourth at the position in power-play points (175) since moving back to defense for the Sharks in 2014-15. He was 12th in the NHL in points (54) among defensemen last season despite San Jose missing the postseason.
The 37-year-old defenseman gives Carolina another workhorse (26:09 per game, third in NHL last season) at the position along with Jaccob Slavin (23:32; 27th) and brings added fantasy value in leagues counting blocked shots (150; 15th in NHL). Burns also at least slightly boosts the appeal of the Hurricanes' top forwards and also elite goalie Frederik Andersen.
Pacioretty, who ranked fourth in the NHL in 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes (1.57; minimum 25 games) last season, will need six months to recover from a torn Achilles and likely be out for the first half of the season but is worth stashing on injured reserve in all fantasy leagues.
Erik Karlsson could be the Sharks' lone beneficiary from the Burns trade as Karlsson will now have the first power-play duties to himself. Karlsson, who had 35 points in 50 games last season (82-game pace: 57 points), should be considered a fringe top 25 fantasy defenseman for this season.
It's worth noting the Golden Knights, who have bounce-back appeal under new coach Bruce Cassidy, now have a hole at left wing on their top line after the Pacioretty trade, which could lower the fantasy ceilings of elite center Jack Eichel, right wing Mark Stone and the rest of the team.
SENATORS ACQUIRE DEBRINCAT
The Ottawa Senators acquired wing Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks, accelerating their rebuild, boosting the fantasy stock of their other young talent and making them a potential Stanley Cup Playoff contender as early as this season. DeBrincat, who goes from a non-contending team in Chicago to an up-and-coming group in Ottawa, remains a top 50 overall fantasy player after the trade.
The Senators' top-six forward group is now even more potent with DeBrincat, who is tied for sixth in the NHL in goals (73 in 134 games) over the past two seasons combined, likely to play on a line with either center Josh Norris or Tim Stützle. If DeBrincat plays right wing, he would likely either play on the top line with Norris and elite left wing Brady Tkachuk or second unit with Stützle and forward Claude Giroux (signed three-year contract with Ottawa in free agency).
DeBrincat had an NHL career high in points (78 in 82 games; second on Chicago behind Patrick Kane's 92) and tied his best goal total (41) last season. He led the Blackhawks in goals (tied for 13th in NHL) in the category last season and also over his tenure in Chicago (160 goals since 2017-18). He also had the first 100-hit season of his NHL career (101) last season.
After the DeBrincat trade, the Senators will now have nine players in NHL.com's fantasy keeper / dynasty rankings (players who will be 25-or-younger around the start of this season), the most of any team. Ottawa has other valuable fantasy commodities in long-term leagues including right wing Drake Batherson, defensemen Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and forward Shane Pinto.
The biggest fantasy beneficiaries of the DeBrincat trade include Stützle, who had Ottawa's second-most points (58) behind Tkachuk (67) last season, and Norris, who had their third-most points (55). Chabot and/or Sanderson could gain value from power-play exposure to Ottawa's elite forward talent, and goalie Anton Forsberg could build off his NHL career-best season (22 wins, .917 save percentage in 46 games). Depending on whether DeBrincat plays left wing or right wing, the fantasy stock of his wing linemate, Tkachuk, Batherson or Giroux, could also rise drastically.
KINGS ACQUIRE, SIGN FIALA
Wing Kevin Fiala was acquired by the Los Angeles Kings from the Minnesota Wild on June 29. Fiala could have a higher fantasy ceiling after the trade with a chance to play on the Kings' top line with center Anze Kopitar and also boosts their Stanley Cup futures appeal for this season considering their core players won championships in 2012 and 2014.
Fiala, at 25 years old, finished around the top 50 overall fantasy players in standard leagues last season and remains a coveted player in keeper and dynasty leagues after signing a seven-year contract with the Kings. He goes from the Wild, where he played mostly on the second line with rookie standout Matt Boldy and center Frederick Gaudreau last season, to the Kings, where he'll likely play on the top line and also first power play with Kopitar and valuable defenseman Drew Doughty.
Read more: [Fantasy spin on Fiala trade to Kings]
SENATORS ACQUIRE TALBOT
The Ottawa Senators acquired goalie Cam Talbot from the Minnesota Wild, making him slightly more appealing in fantasy this season. Talbot, who goes from being the 1B behind Marc-Andre Fleury in Minnesota to a likely 1A role over Anton Forsberg in Ottawa, is a fringe top 15 fantasy goalie for the rapidly rising Senators, who have also acquired elite wing Alex DeBrincat this offseason.
Talbot, who's entering a contract year (potential 2023 unrestricted free agent), is coming off a strong season for the Wild; he was 10th in the NHL in wins (32-12-4) with a .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 49 games and then played well even after Minnesota acquired Fleury.
Talbot and Forsberg, who signed a three-year contract with the Senators on Mar. 21, could be a sneaky tandem to target in the mid-to-late rounds of a fantasy draft for one of the NHL's most-improved teams (also acquired Alex DeBrincat, signed Claude Giroux this offseason) with a defense that will likely add elite prospect Jake Sanderson (No. 5 pick in 2020 NHL Draft) this season.
AVALANCHE ACQUIRE, SIGN GEORGIEV
The Colorado Avalanche acquired goalie Alexander Georgiev from the New York Rangers and signed him to a three-year contract, giving him renewed fantasy appeal with a chance to be the starter for the defending Stanley Cup champions this season.
Georgiev joins the early fantasy top 25 goalie rankings with a chance to compete for the No. 1 job with Pavel Francouz (.921 save percentage in 57 NHL regular-season games). Georgiev, 26, gains significant value in keeper and dynasty leagues going to Colorado from New York, where he was the clear backup to elite goalie Igor Shesterkin.
With an elite offense (3.76 goals per game last season; fourth in NHL) and defense that includes Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Bowen Byram, Samuel Girard and Erik Johnson, Georgiev could have his best season yet in 2022-23. Georgiev's best fantasy season came in 2018-19 (.914 SV% in 33 games), and he has shown flashes of brilliance with two shutouts in each of the past four seasons.
It's worth noting Georgiev is still ranked behind Darcy Kuemper, who signed with the Washington Capitals, in fantasy for this season.
RED WINGS ACQUIRE, SIGN HUSSO
The Detroit Red Wings acquired goalie Ville Husso from the St. Louis Blues and signed him to a three-year contract, giving them a much stronger goalie tandem with him and Alex Nedeljkovic this season. Husso, one of the fantasy breakout goalies of last season, loses some fantasy appeal from the move but remains among the fantasy top 25 rankings at the position for this season.
Husso was 25-7-6 with a .919 save percentage and two shutouts this regular season, tied for the sixth-best even-strength SV% in the NHL (.919; minimum 40 games) and had a shutout in the Blues' playoff opener against the Minnesota Wild. Even though Husso lost the starting job to Jordan Binnington in the postseason, he still has plenty of staying power at 27 years old and is now ranked ahead of Nedeljkovic in the fantasy top 250 after the trade to Detroit.
The Red Wings, who hired new coach Derek Lalonde on June 30, are rebuilding but have a strong young core, led by elite center Dylan Larkin and rookie standouts from last season in Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider and forward Lucas Raymond. The signings of valuable forwards David Perron, Andrew Copp and Dominik Kubalik in free agency and potential addition of top prospect Simon Edvinsson could also help the Red Wings improve and challenge for the Stanley Cup Playoff spot as early as this season.
KRAKEN ACQUIRE BJORKSTRAND
The Seattle Kraken acquired wing Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Columbus Blue Jackets, boosting their top-line and first power-play outlook for this season. Bjorkstrand should be considered the Kraken's most valuable wing and gives their projected top-line center Matty Beniers (nine points in 10 NHL games last season) a much better supporting cast.
Bjorkstrand, who had NHL career highs in goals (28), points (57), power-play points (19) and shots on goal (215) last season, is likely to play on the top line with Beniers and either wing Jordan Eberle or Andre Burakovsky and also the first power play. Bjorkstrand, who's 27, also gives the Kraken more appeal in longer-term fantasy leagues to go along with centers Beniers, who's 19, and Shane Wright (No. 4 pick in 2022 NHL Draft), who's 18. Seattle ranked among the NHL's bottom five in goals per game (2.60; tied for fourth worst) and power-play percentage (14.6; fourth worst) in its inaugural season.
The Blue Jackets traded Bjorkstrand after signing elite wing Johnny Gaudreau in free agency and re-signing Patrik Laine. Columbus should have a potent first power-play unit of likely Gaudreau, Laine, wing Jakub Voracek, center Boone Jenner and defenseman Zach Werenski but loses a valuable secondary scorer with this trade considering Bjorkstrand led the Blue Jackets in goals last season and had their second-most points, PPP and SOG.
MAPLE LEAFS ACQUIRE MURRAY
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired goalie Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators, increasing his fantasy ceiling and making him a fringe top 25 fantasy goalie for this season. Murray transitions from a rebuild with the Senators to the Maple Leafs, who have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the past six seasons and also signed goalie Ilya Samsonov.
Murray won the Stanley Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 (.923 save percentage in 21 playoff games) and 2017 (.937 SV% in 11 playoff games) but struggled in 20 games for the Senators last season (5-12-2, .906 SV%). He is a fantasy injury bounce-back candidate for this season behind Toronto's elite offense, which was second in goals per game (3.80) and first in power-play percentage (27.3) this regular season.
Murray and Samsonov are boom-or-bust fantasy options worth considering in late rounds, especially considering Jack Campbell, Toronto's No. 1 goalie last season, signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
FLYERS ACQUIRE DEANGELO
The Philadelphia Flyers acquired defenseman Tony DeAngelo from the Carolina Hurricanes, improving their offensive outlook at the position. DeAngelo was the most valuable fantasy defenseman for the Hurricanes last season and ranked 11th in the NHL at the position in points per game (0.80; 51 in 64 games).
DeAngelo is a two-time 50-point producer (had 53 with New York Rangers in 2019-20) and could positively impact new defenseman teammate Ivan Provorov (NHL career-high 41 points for Flyers in 2017-18), who has regressed in recent seasons. That said, DeAngelo's fantasy value has taken a hit as he drops outside the top 25 defenseman rankings going from a Stanley Cup contender in the Hurricanes to the Flyers, who are not rebuilding but have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
DEVILS ACQUIRE, SIGN VANECEK
The New Jersey Devils acquired goalie Vitek Vanecek from the Washington Capitals and signed him to a three-year contract, making him their clear No. 1 option at the position this season.
Vanecek was tied for sixth in the NHL in shutouts (four) and has an average save percentage in his NHL career (.908) but loses some appeal going from a perennial Stanley Cup Playoff contender in Washington to New Jersey, which upgrades in net with this trade but still has holes in its lineup, particularly on defense. The Devils allowed the fourth-most goals per game (3.68) in the NHL last season, but Vanecek could gain appeal in fantasy leagues counting saves if he becomes their workhorse starter.
Vanecek's numbers improve at even strength, with a .915 SV% in 79 games since entering the NHL in 2020-21, a big boost to the Devils, who allowed the second-most 5-on-5 goals (217) in the League last season. Vanecek is a potential fantasy sleeper in late rounds behind a sneaky Devils offense featuring high-end fantasy talent in skaters Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Ondrej Palat (signed five-year contract this offseason) and Dougie Hamilton.
CANADIENS SELECT SLAFKOVSKY, ACQUIRE DACH
The Montreal Canadiens selected left wing Juraj Slafkovsky with the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and then acquired center Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks, significantly improving their fantasy forward depth for the years ahead.
Slafkovsky was a bold pick by Montreal over center Shane Wright but could have a higher fantasy ceiling if he ends up eventually playing on the top line with valuable forwards Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Dach, the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, gives the Canadiens a No. 2 center with untapped potential and four impact 22-and-under players.
The 6-foot-4 Slafkovsky has thrived at times against high-end competition; his highlights were scoring seven goals in seven games at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and having seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games for TPS in Liiga, Finland's top professional league, last season.
It's unclear if Slafkovsky will play in the NHL this season, but he could be worth a top 150 overall fantasy pick if he does considering he's the highest Slovakia-born player selected in League history and has a chance to slot into the top six immediately. Slafkovsky told NHL.com after being drafted Thursday that he will do everything he can this summer to prepare himself to play in the NHL as soon as possible.
Dach, also 6-foot-4, has played in mostly the bottom six under multiple coaches for Chicago but could play on a line with at least one of wings Caufield, Slafkovsky, Brendan Gallagher and/or Josh Anderson in the seasons ahead under coach Martin St. Louis. Dach is ranked among NHL.com's fantasy top 250 with breakout potential for this season.
WRIGHT FALLS TO KRAKEN AT NO. 4
The Seattle Kraken selected center Shane Wright with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, boosting their center depth for this season and beyond. Wright could be their No. 2 or 3 center as early as this season behind fellow rookie Matty Beniers and experienced option Yanni Gourde.
The Kraken have now landed two promising center prospects in Beniers and Wright in their first two drafts to build their roster around. Beniers had nine points (three goals, six assists), four on the power play, in his first 10 NHL games last season.
Wright is coming off an impressive performance with Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League last season; he ranked eighth in the OHL in both points (94 points in 63 games) and shots on goal (260). He also had 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in five games for Canada at the 2021 U-18 World Junior Championship.
Related: [2022 NHL Draft first-round results, analysis]
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Other trade acquisitions with sneaky fantasy upside: Jeff Petry, D, PIT; Pavel Zacha, C/LW, BOS; Connor Brown, LW/RW, WSH; Alexander Romanov, D, NYI
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NHL.com's Pete Jensen and Anna Dua contributed to this analysis.
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