By Corey Abbott, RotoWire
Special to Yahoo Sports
Fantasy managers should be on the lookout for depth pieces to supplement their rosters for the second half of the season. This week’s trade suggestions feature a couple of undervalued producers, a surprising success story and a potential buy-low candidate.
TRADE FOR
Blake Coleman, C, RW, Calgary Flames (80% rostered)
Coleman is having a career year offensively, amassing 19 goals and 37 points through 43 contests in 2023-24. He is on pace to surpass the 35-goal mark and reach the 70-point plateau for the first time. The 32-year-old forward also has 103 shots on net and 50 hits going into Tuesday’s action. Along with his career-high 18.4% shooting, Coleman seems like the type of player who would be a great sell-high candidate, but his consistency has made him someone to believe in during the second half. Just make sure that the asking price isn’t too high to acquire him.
Coleman hasn’t been held off the scoresheet for more than two straight games since Nov. 7. He has compiled 17 goals and 34 points in 32 games in that stretch. Coleman has failed to pick up at least one point in just two of his past 18 outings, registering 13 tallies and 11 assists over that span. He’s also currently tied for first overall with six shorthanded points (four goals, two assists) and is tied for the league lead among forwards with a plus-23 rating.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Coleman and a fourth-round pick for Oliver Bjorkstrand and a fifth-round pick
Evander Kane, LW, Edmonton Oilers (7% rostered)
Kane has compiled 14 goals, 25 points, 114 shots on net, 120 hits and 52 PIM over 38 appearances this season. He hasn’t had the breakout, bounce-back campaign that many were hoping for, but he’s still a valuable multi-category contributor. He has hit a rough patch offensively, picking up just three goals and five points in a 17-game span going into Tuesday’s action, which could make him a very good buy-low option.
Kane’s recent deployment on the third line has held back his fantasy value. Still, he has managed to hit the scoresheet during the portions of games when he has played alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Kane filled in for Ryan McLeod, who was out with an illness, on a combination with Draisaitl and Warren Foegele in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Montreal. He had four shots and one assist in the contest. Fantasy managers would probably feel much more comfortable dealing for Kane if he were permanently back in the Oilers’ top six, but that’s an adjustment that could occur sooner rather than later.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Kane and Niko Mikkola for Valeri Nichushkin and Owen Power
Joel Farabee, LW, Philadelphia Flyers (37% rostered)
Farabee has been all over the scoresheet following a rocky start to the season. He has accounted for seven goals, 44 shots and 12 assists in his past 19 contests. Farabee has averaged nearly 17 minutes of ice time per game in that period. The 23-year-old forward is on pace to shatter his previous career highs in goals (20), assists (24) and points (39). Farabee is on track to flirt with 30 goals in 2023-24 and potentially reach the 60-point plateau for the first time in the NHL.
Farabee hasn’t been deterred despite playing with a variety of linemates this campaign. He has been operating a bit under the radar, but his rostered percentage has been on the rise. Farabee is worthy of more fantasy attention, as he should be a productive second-half player. He hasn’t provided much category coverage, so consider trading for him only if you need a depth scorer.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Farabee for Alex Pietrangelo
Troy Terry, RW, Anaheim Ducks (36% rostered)
Terry is back on track after some early-season struggles. He has notched six goals and 14 points in 16 appearances entering Tuesday’s slate of games. The 26-year-old winger also has 40 shots on net and four points (one goal, three assists) on the man-advantage during that stretch.
Terry is still capable of hitting the 60-point mark for a third straight season despite his current 54-point scoring pace. He has played well alongside Leo Carlsson, who returned from a knee injury in Monday’s 5-4 overtime win over Florida. Terry stands a good chance of being a reliable point producer in the second half, and assuming he isn’t available on waivers, he probably won’t cost much to acquire in a trade.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Terry and Drew Doughty for Chandler Stephenson and Sean Durzi
TRADE AWAY
Valeri Nichushkin, LW/RW, Colorado Avalanche (85% rostered)
Nichushkin has accumulated 22 goals and 42 points in 40 games this season. He also picked up 128 shots on net and 46 hits while averaging a career-high 21:29 of ice time per contest. He was well on his way to posting new personal bests in every major offensive category. Unfortunately, Nichushkin is out indefinitely after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Monday.
Nichushkin will be unavailable for as long as the program administrators deem necessary to provide him with the care he needs for a personal matter. If fantasy managers don’t have the roster flexibility to stash him away on injured reserve or the patience to wait for his return, he has plenty of trade value.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Nichushkin and Rickard Rakell for Andrei Svechnikov
Jonathan Quick, G, New York Rangers (42% rostered)
Quick got off to a great start with the Rangers, posting a 9-0-1 record with two shutouts and a .924 save percentage in his first 10 starts. It was a big improvement from 2022-23, when he posted a mark of 16-15-6 with a 3.41 GAA and an .882 save percentage in 41 appearances between Los Angeles and Vegas.
However, Quick has come back down to earth lately. In his past four outings, he has gone 0-3-1 with an .875 save percentage. He has surrendered at least three goals against in each of those contests. He should continue to see starts to keep Igor Shesterkin fresh, but his fantasy value as a depth netminder is deteriorating. As a result, it’s worth exploring what you can get for him via trade before he mainly becomes a streaming option.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Quick for Jared McCann and Casey DeSmith
