The NHL's trading deadline came and went at 3:00 PM yesterday without the usual flurry of deals we have come to expect---due in large part to the fact that most teams did their shopping over the past week or so and did not wait until deadline day.
Still, there were a few deals yesterday that should capture the interest of fantasy hockey owners, so let's check them out.
Dustin Penner
Penner was dealt from the lowly Edmonton Oilers to the playoff-contending Los Angeles Kings for a first-round pick in 2011, a conditional 2012 pick, and prospect Colton Teubert. The move up the standings and the chance to play among the top six forwards in LA should give a nice little boost to Penner's fantasy hockey numbers. A four-time 20-goal scorer who netted a career-best 32 two seasons ago, Penner already was having a decent year with 21 goals before the trade. Look for a bump in his goal totals in LA, perhaps to the 30-goal range, and for his 39 points to rise significantly, too. For those fantasy hockey owners whose leagues count plus/minus, look for Penner's to improve on a better club. He is at -12 now.
Jason Arnott
Arnott was shipped out of New Jersey to Washington in exchange for grinding center David Steckel. Neither player has tremendous fantasy hockey value---for instance, Steckel's most notable stat, faceoff winning percentage, won't do fantasy hockey owners much good---but if Arnott centers the Caps' second line, he might be a valuable secondary scoring option in many fantasy hockey leagues. Arnott is an 11-time 20-goal scorer, and just last season he netted 19 with Nashville. He has 13 goals and 24 points this season, but the chance to skate on a line with Alexander Semin and, if healthy, Marco Sturm, should give a jolt to Arnott's numbers down the stretch. This could be a real lightning in the bottle move for fantasy hockey owners seeking secondary scoring help.
Dennis Wideman
Like Arnott, Wideman is heading to the Capitals (for a third-rounder and a prospect) and should see a spike in his offensive numbers over the final six weeks of the season. Though his plus/minus has been brutal this year (-27) Wideman does have 33 points (9-24-33) in 61 games, already three more points than he totaled all of last year in Boston. And keep in mind that Wideman was a 13-goal, 50-point very valuable fantasy hockey defenseman just two years ago. Wideman will benefit by Mike Green's injury absence in Washington with more playing time overall, but specifically with time on the Caps potentially explosive top power play unit. 19 of Wideman's 33 points this year have come on the power play, and it's not like he was playing with Alex Ovechkin down in Florida, like he will be now in DC. Wideman would be a solid fantasy hockey pickup for the stretch run.
Bryan McCabe
Though not traded on deadline day, McCabe is another Florida defenseman with some fantasy hockey value that was dealt---to the Rangers for Tim Kennedy and a third rounder---on Saturday. Don't expect McCabe to benefit from his new surroundings nearly as much as Wideman will, but the Rangers desperately need a trigger man on their power play, and McCabe---even at age 35---still fills that bill. As a result his numbers (5-17-22, 2 power play goals in 49 games) should improve over the last month and a half of the season because John Tortorella will give the former captain of the Panthers every chance to succeed on the power play. Motivated for his first playoff run in seven years, McCabe should deliver, though not nearly as much as Wideman should in Washington.
Send you fantasy hockey questions in to Jim at jimcerny@gmail.com