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Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.comFeb 27, 2024, 01:00 PM ET
CloseSean Allen is a fantasy analyst for ESPN.com. He was the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hockey Writer of the Year. You can tweet him @seanard.
When it comes to the value swings in fantasy during the NHL’s trade deadline, the players changing teams aren’t the only ones that can become fantasy relevant with the announcement of a deal.
Most trades consummated at the deadline will involve a player moving from a seller in return for picks/prospects from a buyer. We spend a lot of time assessing the value change in those players that are now playing for a contender, but it’s always worth a look at the power vacuum that is left behind on the seller.
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Who is left behind to fill key roles by the players traded away? There is always more ice time freed up by such a trade, but sometimes the vacuum can include key roles on scoring lines and power plays.
We can see early evidence of this already with the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens in the weeks since the teams got an early start on the deadline by shipping out Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan, respectively.
For the Flames, the departure of their anchor, No. 1 center has left an opportunity for Nazem Kadri to step up his game as the new top pivot. In the nine games since the trade, Kadri has been a new player. He was barely fantasy relevant before the all-star break, earning 1.76 fantasy points per game (FPPG) across 49 contests. Since Lindholm’s been gone, Kadri has five goals and seven assists for 2.66 FPPG.
With the Habs, the power vacuum hasn’t brought results for Alex Newhook yet, but it has brought a wealth of opportunity that he could still capitalize on. His FPPG remains below the startable threshold — before and after Monahan’s departure. However, look at his ice time: Earlier in the…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/fantasy/hockey/story/_/id/39609741/nhl-trade-deadline-six-players-seize-new-opportunities-rickard-rakell-leo-carlsson
Author : Sean Allen
Publish date : 2024-02-27 17:31:26
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