The Trading Deadline - Part II

February 23, 2001

As the March 13 trading deadline approaches we're hearing a lot of big names being thrown around. Hasek, Blake, Tkachuk, Fleury, Belfour, etc. From a Fantasy Hockey perspective these trades are really meaningless. A quality player will more than likely be a quality player on another team. His linemates may change, but his role likely won't. Look at Bill Guerin this season or Raymond Bourque last year. They never missed a beat. 

What affects Fantasy Hockey Leagues are the minor players that are involved in trades. These are either the young prospects on the other end of a potential blockbuster or just some guys involved in minor deals. 

Over the next few weeks we'll be discussing these players and what potential trades can do to their Fantasy production - this year and in the future. We will group them by team. Last week we talked about the Cup favourites - St. Louis, New Jersey and Colorado. This week we'll talk about the teams that are close to Cup contention but just aren't in the same league as last week's clubs - Ottawa, Detroit, and Dallas. 

Ottawa Senators: Peter Schastlivy, Shane Hnidy, Matthieu Chouinard, Colin Forbes, John Emmons - It doesn't matter how many games the Senators win and well Patrick Lalime plays, the media still thinks they need another goaltender to compete. We don't think that Marshall Johnston will go out and get a starter...although he may pick up an inexpensive, veteran backup. Cheap goalies who may be available include Guy Hebert, and John Vanbiesbrouck. While these guys have higher salaries than Lalime, their contracts are up at the end of the season and if they were acquired right at the deadline then the cash outlay for the Sens would be relatively low. Neither of these players are worth front line prospects but it wouldn't be out of the question to see Forbes or Emmons head the other way. The Sens could also use a veteran power forward to provide some toughness. Scott Mellanby would have been a good choice - but look for a player like Adam Graves to be available. As for veteran d-men the Sens could make a pitch for Curtis Leschyshn, Bill Houlder, Sean O'Donnell or Gord Murphy. The price for players of this calibre could fluctuate but it's highly unlikely they would be able to get away without parting with a top prospect like Schastlivy or Chouinard. Both of those players have bright futures ahead of them. For Chouinard a trade to a lower team could increase his chances of breaking into the NHL but could hurt his value. As for Schastlivy, he's a super-talented forward, itching for a chance to play. 

<Update - March 1, 2001: Ottawa acquired Eric Lacriox from the Rangers for Colin Forbes. While Lacroix is far from being an offensive powerhouse, he will provide some more toughness for the Sens.>

Detroit Red Wings: BJ Young, Jesse Wallin, Yuri Butsayev, Marc Rodgers  - Over the past few years the Red Wings have re-stocked for their Cup runs by trading prospects and draft picks with reckless abandon. Currently the organization is a poster child for how NOT to maintain a balance between the present and the future. Unlike Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix who has managed to build an impressive stable of young talent while still managing to acquire superstars at the deadline, Detroit's Ken Holland has been on pillage mode. Whether it's Chris Chelios, Igor Larionov, or a plethora of other veterans, teams have made the Wings pay the price. While the well isn't exactly dry, we find it hard to believe Detroit will purge much more of its young talent for a shot at the Cup. But you never know. With Blake off the market, but still in the West, the Red Wings will need to decide quickly how they will react. Scotty Bowman has always believed that goaltending was his Achilles heel. Look for the Wings to make a run at Sean Burke if he should become available. As well, the team could probably use a tough d-man like Sean O'Donnell. The price for either of these players would be steep. Top defensive prospect Jesse Wallin would have to be in the package. Wallin could play in the NHL for most teams right now but as we know Scotty Bowman always leans towards the veterans - just ask Chris Osgood. If Wallin gets dealt this could increase his short term fantasy value. Instead of waiting until next season (at the earliest) there would be a chance that he'd step right in for his new team. The same can be said for Butsayev. While he's not a sure thing like Wallin, he could easily stick around for many lower rung NHL squads. 

Dallas Stars: Richard Jackman, Jon Sim, Greg Leeb, Blake Sloan, Brad Lukowich  - The Stars are a bit of an enigma. You can't quite put your finger on it but you know that something's not quite right. It could be we're a bit uneasy about Ed Belfour's mood swings. Or maybe it's the fact that the Stars "D" is showing its age a bit. More than likely it's the fact that the team just hasn't had the offensive output they're going to need to make a run in the playoffs. They're 14th overall in goals scored. While that isn't terrible, we've got to remember that the Stars' success over the past few years has been built on defensive hockey. It's been proven many times this year already that they aren't very good when they have to open up. For the team to be successful in the playoffs they're going to need to improve team speed and scoring. There's really only one top player on the market who can do that...Teemu Selanne. The price for the Finnish sharpshooter would be high - at a minimum a it would be either Lukowich or Jackman, a top forward and a draft pick. Lukowich is finally coming into his own with the Stars (after a very brief summer vacation to Minnesota). He's matured. The thing is that he's never going to be much of a fantasy catch - no matter where he goes. As for Jackman, he's been highly regarded for a while. He has strong leadership skills but his potential offensive output is questionable. If a player like Sloan or Sim were to move to Anaheim, they would have a shot at breaking the top 2 lines. And unlike Sami Pahlson, who the Ducks acquired earlier this season, both Sloan and Sim have been exposed to the North American game (in the NHL and the minors) for some time. They've paid their dues. They could contribute immediately.