Who gained, lost the most fantasy value at the trade deadline?

Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Wild

It’s worth noting that, with a capable backup in Cam Talbot, Fleury might see a small reduction in his workload compared to what it was in Chicago. His all-around fantasy profile and potential for wins and high-end rate stats improve dramatically, however. As a Blackhawk, Fleury sat in the middle of the pack in expected goals against per 60 among 63 goaltenders with 500 or more minutes played at 5-on-5 this season. Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen, manning the Wild net, had two of the lower xGA/60 marks in the league because they’ve had easy workloads. Minnesota allows the second-fewest scoring chances and fifth-fewest high-danger changes per 60 in the NHL. Only the Boston Bruins have a lower team xGA/60.

Fleury, then, shouldn’t see nearly as many tasty enemy scoring chances with the Wild. Not every netminder responds well to being less busy, but he flourished on stout defensive clubs across his four seasons in Vegas.

Claude Giroux, C/LW, Panthers

In certain situations, when a star player joins a stacked team, it hurts his fantasy value because he has to play lower down the lineup. That is not the case for Giroux. His opening line rushes with the Panthers have him playing the right wing on Florida’s top line with Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov. Giroux is also penciled in for the No.1 power-play unit. He’s joining a Cats team averaging a staggering 4.06 goals per game, the most since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins. Not only will Giroux augment the lineup with his versatile skill set, but he’ll practically accumulate extra points just standing out there with so many elite teammates. Worth noting: He’ll soon gain RW eligibility in standard Yahoo leagues, making him usable at every forward position.

Mikko Koskinen, G, Oilers

Sometimes trades that don’t happen are just as important in fantasy as trades that do. The Edmonton Oilers opted not to upgrade in net at the trade deadline. That decision was probably to some degree dictated by the market, as Fleury only wanted to go to Minnesota and potential difference makers like Braden Holtby ended up not available (and hurt). Koskinen had taken control of the Edmonton net, going 11-1-2 with a .916 save percentage across 15 appearances leading up to March 21, and he’s likely earned 1A starter status going forward.

Do I think Koskinen is Edmonton’s answer in net? No. He tends to falter when his workload increases. He could regress at any moment, but his fantasy value undeniably spiked after the trade deadline passed. He’s now a No. 1 netminder or close to it on a team with playoff aspirations. By the same logic, Laurent Brossoit also gets a boost after Vegas acquired no additional goaltending support behind injured Robin Lehner.  

Rickard Rakell, LW/RW, Penguins

This one’s a no-brainer. In fact, stop reading and check your waiver wire before continuing. Rakell is available in 76 percent of Yahoo leagues at the moment. That low ownership number reflects a three-year career funk that preceded this season in which he failed to top 18 goals after eclipsing 30 in 2016-17 and 2017-18. The slump was tied to a sudden drop in shooting percentages, which might have reflected a drop in linemate quality. Rakell’s most common linemates from 2018-19 through 2020-21 were an aging Ryan Getzlaf and two-way winger Jakob Silfverberg. This season? Rakell’s most common linemate has been the dynamic young center Trevor Zegras, a player better equipped to set up teammates in prime scoring areas, and Rakell’s shooting percentage and scoring rates jumped to their highest marks since 2017-18.

My point: Rakell can flourish when he’s playing with a talented center, and that’s a virtual guarantee to happen in Pittsburgh, whether he’s with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin – almost certainly the latter. It wouldn’t be remotely surprising to see Rakell embark on a stretch-run scoring binge. That makes him the definition of a league-winner off the waiver wire.

Owen Tippett, RW, Flyers

Tippett, drafted 10^th overall by the Panthers in 2017, has scored goals effectively at every stop of his career. He was a goal-scorer in major junior, he’s made it look pretty easy in his past two AHL stints and he has little left to accomplish at the minor-pro level. His NHL parent club was just too stacked to give him sufficient opportunities this season. That won’t be a problem on his new team. The Flyers will let him sink or swim. In his first game after coming over in the Giroux trade, Tippett played the point on Philly’s top power-play unit. Will he finally bust out at the NHL level? Maybe, maybe not, but it doesn’t cost anything to find out. He’s available in 98 percent of Yahoo leagues. Give him a one-week tryout if you need a spark in the goals, shots and hits categories.

Trade Deadline Fallers

Brandon Hagel, LW/RW, Lightning

The Blake Coleman comparisons follow Hagel everywhere now that the Lightning paid up to acquire him in a deal very similar to the Coleman trade of 2020. Coleman was a crucial real-life addition and helped Tampa win back-to-back Stanley Cups. In fantasy, however, his value took a hit after the trade because he became a third-liner in a loaded lineup. In his final two seasons as a Devil, Coleman topped 20 goals both times and averaged more than 17 minutes of ice time. In Tampa, he managed 14 goals in 64 regular-season games while playing around 15 minutes a night.

We could see a similar role change for Hagel. He had 21 goals and played 17:38 per game in Chicago. He logged just 10:40 in his first game with the Lightning, toiling on their third line. He’s a lovely real-life addition for Tampa, but the deal torpedoes his fantasy value.

The Florida Sams: Reinhart, C/RW, and Bennett, C/LW

The Giroux trade crowds the Panther depth chart. Because he can play every forward position, it’s tough to forecast which prominent top-sixer will get bounced to the third line on any given night. For starters, in the first line rushes, it’s been Reinhart taking the hit, dropping to third-line right wing duty with Bennett holding strong as the No. 2 center. The situation is one to watch closely, however, as the Panthers and coach Andrew Brunette find the best fit for Giroux. Between him, Barkov, Verhaeghe, Anthony Duclair, Jonathan Huberdeau, Bennett and Reinhart, there are seven top-six forwards for six spots.

Andrew Copp, C/LW/RW, Rangers

Copp became an important member of the Jets’ top six over the past two seasons, during which he emerged from more of a checker role to averaging 21 goals and 55 points per 82 games. His most common linemates this season? Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. He won’t be so lucky playing a handy depth role on his new team. His first Rangers line rushes had him manning the third line with Filip Chytil and Dryden Hunt. Copp is a tremendous addition for the Rangers but, from a fantasy perspective, goes from playing higher in a mediocre team’s lineup to playing lower in a better team’s lineup.

Cam Talbot, G, Wild

You probably don’t need me to point this one out. Shutout Monday night aside, Talbot just lost the 1A role in Minnesota’s net. He’ll still likely play more than your average backup, but backup is the word. His fantasy value is all but dead in season-long leagues. In daily formats, he’ll still have a chance to help your rate stats when he does start.