It is crazy to believe but the NHL Trade Deadline is about 40 days away. Yet, March 1st will come before anyone knows it. When fantasy hockey and trading collide, there is bound to be rumors and speculation.
The New York Islanders are currently six points out of a playoff spot with many teams to pass. They have also played 43 games as of press time which means they do have games in hand. The Islanders are still middling at .500. They rank in the bottom five on the power play, have allowed nearly three goals a game, and just have been mediocre in every fantasy way too. Does Garth Snow swing for the playoffs?
New York will try to be a seller come the end of next month but may tinker with lines first. Let’s take a look at a few potential targets, probability, and potential fantasy impact.
NHL Trade Deadline Targets – New York Islanders
Goaltending – Jaroslav Halak could be worth something but he’s passed through waivers already. Thomas Greiss hits the free agent market come July 1st. Greiss has an attractive cap hit (1.5 million dollars) for buyers but if the Islanders go on a run, will Snow pull the trigger?
Their current starting goalie has better numbers across the board than Halak. Twenty starts for Greiss has been great for fantasy owners as he sports a 11-7-2 record with a 2.41 GAA and .925 save percentage. High danger save percentage may be a little low, but Greiss is just a better carrot to dangle than what Halak is currently.
Stubbornly, the general manager is not going to give up on the playoffs easily. New York still has a chance but the two and a half headed monster (including J.F. Berube) is an immense problem. This is expected to lead right up to the deadline before a decision is made Greiss offers the greatest return out of any Islander player.
Dennis Seidenberg – Defenseman
Seidenberg has had an okay season to say the least. He has 13 points in 35 games, including four goals. The difference is the younger Seidenberg would shoot the puck more. He has just 39 shots in 35 games. His role has changed.
The thing is the defenseman has the ability to produce points in spurts. Seidenberg went on an eight game run where he had eight points. Chances crept upward while shooting volume has stayed consistent.
How about one more snag? He is 35 years old. On the bright side, the defenseman carries just a $1 million salary which makes trading easy. He averages a solid two blocks a game and is a +17. Plus/Minus is not always a meaningful stat, but on a team that is so porous defensively, it does speak volumes. Seidenberg might be able to fetch a mid round draft pick and in some cases higher if the market is more compact than expected.
Calvin de Haan — Defenseman
The defenseman has proven to be a decent commodity for New York with nine points in 42 games. He is on pace for about 17 points and when he is on the ice, the Islanders do shoot better at 5 on 5 (10.7%) and an improved save percentage at .917.
Defensive red flags are few. It is not the +7 but from an offensive standpoint, de Haan does miss a lot of opportunities. He has 59 shots which is decent but misses more shots than hit. There are the 111 blocks which is more than 2.5 per game. That is a bit of an asset as well for fantasy purposes. His salary is a hair under $2 million which is not too bad for a 25 year old.
Chances are 50-50 once the Islanders decide on being a seller. His younger age and potential will be enticing to several teams and the wear and tear is not too bad (18+ minutes a game).