Jason Chen offers the in-depth fantasy hockey breakdown after the St. Louis Blues traded Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers.
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports activities
All this discuss how trades have been troublesome to make with the flat cap and ballooning cap hits has not prevented the groups from making huge strikes. Certain, retaining wage has made it simpler, however it’s simply extra of the rising proof that there’s no such factor as an untradeable contract.
Vladimir Tarasenko requested a commerce two years in the past, and the Blues lastly acquiesced by sending him to the Rangers with Niko Mikkola for winger Sammy Blais, prospect Hunter Skinner and two picks. It’s the second huge commerce piece to get taken off the board following Bo Horvat’s commerce to the Islanders final week, and it additionally successfully places the Rangers out of the operating for Timo Meier and Patrick Kane.
Right here’s your commerce breakdown for my fellow poolies.
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On Tarasenko
Little question, it makes essentially the most sense instantly to play Tarasenko with Artemi Panarin on the highest line with Mika Zibanejad within the center. They had been linemates on the world juniors as soon as upon a time, and Tarasenko even made a pitch for the Blues to sign Panarin a few years in the past. How ironic and fortuitous they might find yourself becoming a member of forces in Manhattan.
With all due respect to Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, Panarin and Zibanejad are on one other stage talent-wise. Bear in mind it is a contract yr for Tarasenko, and at 31 years previous, this is likely to be his final probability to money in on a profitable long-term deal. A change of surroundings and an actual probability at one other Cup are two intangible the explanation why Tarasenko’s play will enhance.
Tarasenko’s struggled a bit of bit this season, and a few of that’s as a result of your entire crew has underperformed. He’s taking pictures at 9.7 % proper now (10 targets on 103 photographs), which is three share factors decrease than his profession common and 5 share factors decrease than final season when he had his profession yr.
Little question, Tarasenko’s plus-minus and taking pictures effectivity ought to enhance. The Rangers don’t want him to hold the load relating to scoring targets, and Panarin makes everybody’s lives simpler together with his elite playmaking. Even with the slight underperformance, word Tarasenko continues to be above common at ending, based on hockeyviz.com.
The Ripple Impact
Slotting Tarasenko onto the highest line will bump Jimmy Vesey down the depth chart. Vesey’s nonetheless a viable streaming choice if he’s on a line with Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck, however they’re not as dynamic offensively as Panarin and Zibanejad. The match may very well be higher for Vesey, who has scored three factors in 5 video games, however the offensive ceiling simply isn’t as excessive.
Contemplating Filip Chytil’s latest sizzling run, the Rangers will probably depart that line intact. As they confirmed within the playoffs final season, they will tip the scales within the Rangers’ favor as a result of many groups nonetheless don’t have a 3rd scoring line.
If Tarasenko/Panarin and Kreider/Trocheck match up towards the opposition’s high two pairings, that opens up a ton of fine matchups for Chytil’s line. Fantasy managers who couldn’t get their fingers on Tarasenko, Panarin, Kreider and/or Trocheck ought to take a big gamble on the ‘Child Line’ that has labored so properly beforehand.
That may bump Barclay Goodrow to the fourth line, which is nice as a result of he’s enjoying larger within the lineup than he ought to. It’ll additionally probably bump Will Cuylle and Jake Leschyshyn from the lineup. All three gamers have little to zero fantasy worth.
Mikkola is an attention-grabbing addition to the Rangers’ blueline. He’s a defensive defenseman who can rack up the hits and blocked photographs in banger leagues and substitute Ben Harpur on the third pairing.
As a result of the Rangers rely a lot on their high 4, count on Mikkola’s ice time to dip. Mikkola was one of many Blues’ go-to guys on the penalty kill, and he’ll probably play an analogous position with the Rangers. That’s going to alleviate some stress on their high 4, which implies doubtlessly extra even-strength or power-play time for the remainder. The defenseman to look at might be Ok’Andre Miller, who’s had a superb season and scored 20 factors in his previous 27 video games. He’s value choosing up in all codecs.
For the Blues, this clearly takes their greatest finisher out of the lineup, and it’s in all probability greatest to keep away from them until fantasy managers are targeted on protecting Jordan Kyrou and/or Robert Thomas long-term. Whoever performs on Kyrou and Thomas’ line, which is most definitely Pavel Buchnevich, gained’t see an enormous dip in manufacturing, however they’ll positively get the hardest matchups any further.
With Ryan O’Reilly and Ivan Barbashev on the block, that’s going to place a variety of stress on Brayden Schenn and Brandon Saad to generate secondary offense, and I’m undecided they will do it. They don’t profile as offensive playmakers, particularly Saad. Noel Acciari may get a bump, however as an impending UFA, he may get dealt, too.
Re-acquiring Blais means the Blues get a bit of extra bodily within the backside six, and possibly that’ll assist present a spark for them to play a bit of meaner. That edge has disappeared a bit of bit, and in banger leagues, Blais is an efficient supply of hits however not a lot else. It’s additionally a sign that the Rangers realized their mistake in buying and selling Buchnevich for him.
TL;DR, Give Me the Spark Notes for Fantasy
Vladimir Tarasenko: Trending manner up. Anticipate his ending capacity to enhance at each even power and on the ability play. He’s the most important winner on this commerce.
Artemi Panarin/Mika Zibanejad: Trending up with a high-end finisher on their line and now not having to tug Jimmy Vesey and even Kaapo Kakko or Alexis Lafreniere round.
Vincent Trocheck/Chris Kreider: Maintain, if barely up, since they could draw simpler defensive matchups.
Jimmy Vesey: Trending down as he will get bumped from the highest line, and he doesn’t produce a lot offense within the first place.
Ok’Andre Miller/Adam Fox: Trending barely up for the reason that addition of Niko Mikkola means they don’t need to play as a lot on the penalty kill, releasing them as much as play extra minutes at even power or on the ability play.
All the Blues’ fantasy values for this season are negatively affected. Even the gamers who stand to achieve extra ice time, similar to Logan Brown or Tyler Pitlick, gained’t be on the fantasy radar. After Tarasenko, the Blues even have O’Reilly, Barbashev, Acciari, Josh Leivo on expiring contracts, which is able to additional damage their capacity to generate offense.
Information Abstract:
- Tarasenko Commerce Creates Large Alternatives in Fantasy Hockey
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