It's less than 48 hours until the NHL shuts down for almost three weeks and then there is a furious rush to the playoffs with most teams playing 25-27 games. The NHL is shutting down trading at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday until the season resumes Feb. 25, but that doesn't mean that you and your fantasy hockey league have to stop.
Best of luck with your trades this week.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This will be the last fantasy hockey trade analyzer until February 23.
TRADE FOR
Brayden Point, C, Lightning (94% rostered)
Point has been out of action since Jan. 12 with a lower-body injury, and while he will not return to the Tampa Bay lineup before the break, he is still hopeful to join Canada at the Winter Olympics. Point is expected to be fully healthy upon his return from the break, which should make him a prime candidate to trade for at this time. He was having an average season (for him) before his injury, tallying 11 goals and 30 points in 37 appearances. But looking over his last three seasons, the talented center had 95, 90 and 82 points, respectively, including no less than 42 goals in any one season. He will be reunited with Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel upon his return and should be good for at least a point per game down the stretch.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Point, J.T. Miller and an eighth-round pick for Nick Schmaltz, Nico Hischier and a fifth-round pick. (Schmaltz, Hischier and Miller are good players with Schmaltz having a breakout campaign this season, but none compare to Point.)
Seth Jones, D, Panthers (67% rostered)
Jones last played Jan. 2 against the Rangers, managing only 3:00 of ice time before he left the game in the opening stanza with an upper-body injury. The Panthers are hoping the break gives Jones enough time to heal and that he will return to action Feb. 26 against the Maple Leafs, the Panthers first game back. Jones was a stud on the power play before the injury, tallying five of his six goals and eight of his 18 helpers with the man-advantage.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Jones and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for Dylan Guenther. (Nugent-Hopkins and Guenther are similar offensive players, and Jones really tips the scale in this trade.)
Logan Cooley, C, Mammoth (66% rostered)
Cooley (lower body) has been out of action since Dec. 6, a span of 27 games. The good news is that he has returned to the ice in the last few days, skating in a non-contact jersey Monday. Cooley is one of the brightest young players in the NHL. The 21-year-old had 14 goals and nine assists across 29 games this season, after striking for 25 goals and 65 points in his sophomore season in 2024-25. Cooley should return to a role as a top-six forward upon his return, as well as play on the first power-play unit.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Cooley for Ryan O'Reilly. (O'Reilly is having a tremendous season, but if he is dealt to a contender, he is likely going to see third-line minutes, while Cooley will always be a top-six, or, more likely, a first-line center.)
TRADE AWAY
Aaron Ekblad, D, Panthers (59% rostered)
Ekblad was seeing first power-play time when Jones was injured Jan. 2, but has been seeing less and less time with the man-advantage, and that could dry up completely when Jones returns after the break. Ekblad is without a point in his last five games, and has three goals and 21 points in 54 games. He used to be a fantasy asset, picking up double digits in goals in eight of his first nine seasons in the NHL, but he has not had more than four goals in any of his last three campaigns.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Ekblad and a fourth-round pick for Roman Josi and a 15th-round pick. (There is no comparison between Ekblad and Josi in fantasy pools).
Mikael Granlund, C, Ducks (33% rostered)
Granlund has excelled as the first-line center for the Ducks, but he will lose that spot to Leo Carlsson, upon Carlsson's return from a thigh injury, likely once Anaheim returns to action Feb. 25 versus Edmonton. Granlund has 12 goals and 27 points in 38 games, which is well behind his 66 points in 83 games last season, split between Dallas and San Jose.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Granlund, Connor McMichael and a third- and fifth-round pick for Mark Scheifele, Alex DeBrincat and a 10th- and 12th-round pick. (This is obviously a give-up deal in a dynasty league, as Scheifele and DeBrincat are head and shoulders better than Granlund and McMichael.)
Ryan O'Reilly, C, Predators (61% rostered)
O'Reilly is having a fabulous season with the Predators. He has 53 points in 55 games, equaling his point total from last year, when it took him 79 games. He centers the top line, as well as the first power play. So why trade him? Well, the rumor mill has O'Reilly going to a Stanley Cup contender, and, if so, he loses plenty of his value, as he likely will be a third-line center. He will also see a reduction in power-play time, making him an ideal candidate to trade at this time.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: O'Reilly and Patrick Kane for Jack Hughes. (While Hughes is injury prone, he is still a top star in the NHL when healthy. Kane used to be, but is no longer, while O'Reilly could be dealt at any time.)
