The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone and some key players for fantasy hockey have been moved around, raising their value. Whether these trades came before the deadline or on deadline day, we’re going to give you the analysis of which players will be better off to either trade for or add for the final weeks of the regular season in fantasy and for your league’s playoffs.
Fantasy Hockey Risers at the NHL Trade Deadline
Jack Roslovic, New York Rangers
Jack Roslovic saw himself traded to the New York Rangers, a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, from the 29th-ranked Columbus Blue Jackets. While he may have been lining up on the first line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau for a time, the team just wasn’t good and he was only able to score six goals and 23 points in 40 games. As the Rangers lost Blake Wheeler for the season, Roslovic comes in and takes over that role. He is expected to play alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, major upgrades this season to who he lined up beside in Columbus. Whether you classify Roslovic’s new line as the first or second line, his goals-per-game and points-per-game should rise.
Jason Zucker, Nashville Predators
Jason Zucker was having a tough season by his standards on the Arizona Coyotes, so the Nashville Predators got him for cheap at the deadline. He goes from a middle-six winger playing with average talent on a team that can’t score much to a new opportunity to play with young and dynamic talent on the Predators’ second line. He is likely to line up beside Tommy Novak and Luke Evangelista who each have more goals and points than Zucker this season. This should help the already physical forward get on the scoresheet more and be a decent depth addition to your fantasy team.
Tyler Toffoli, Winnipeg Jets
Tyler Toffoli left the New Jersey Devils as their leading goal-scorer and landed on the Winnipeg Jets. With 26 goals, he comes in tied for the team lead in goals on his new team with Kyle Connor. It is expected that the Jets deploy him on the right wing on the top line beside Connor and Mark Scheifele, so this should give him a boost at five-on-five as the team is playing better than the Devils. As New Jersey’s power play has also been horrible, expect Toffoli to produce a lot more on the man advantage in Winnipeg to boost his fantasy value.
Casey Mittelstadt, Colorado Avalanche
Casey Mittelstadt goes from a Buffalo Sabres team that isn’t going to make the playoffs again to an offensive force in the Colorado Avalanche. He was the leading scorer on the Sabres and comes in as the fix to the second-line center hole the Avs have been dealing with for a while. He should get some solid wingers on his line at five-on-five at all times and continue to score at a strong pace, even better potentially. His ceiling is definitely higher on the Avalanche and although he might not get as much power play time on the top unit, he still joins a strong second unit and has some great puck-movers on the back-end feeding him the puck every shift.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Florida Panthers
Vladimir Tarasenko gave the Ottawa Senators very little choice and forced them to send him to the Florida Panthers to finish off the season. He goes from playing on the second or third line on a struggling Senators team to the top line in Florida. He is expected to play beside Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, each of whom is having great seasons. This should allow Tarasenko to produce even more offensively and get many more scoring chances all around. The Panthers are a very good team this season. Expect Tarasenko to play on the second power-play unit in Florida, but he is with some good players on that unit.
Some players around the NHL went from teams that provided tons of playing time and opportunity to better teams where there is less of that to go around. This is why players like Adam Henrique and Jake Guentzel don’t appear here. In the case of the five players above, they are all going to better teams and likely getting better opportunities to succeed. Make sure to take advantage in your fantasy leagues as the season wraps up.