This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.
The NHL's trade deadline is still six weeks away. And fantasy trade deadlines either coincide with it or happen a few days later. Are you buying or selling? And when do pull the trigger -- now or right at the deadline?
Take a stand. And stick to it.
The buying or selling decision is best done with complete objectivity. I'm in a couple leagues where guys lose it and go on a spending spree, even when their teams are borderline ... at best.
That's a recipe for misery.
I have done it both ways -- gotten aggressive and swung for the proverbial fences, and threw in the white towel and started a rebuild. Some moves have paid off. Some, not so much.
But who's counting?
OK, OK -- you count. I used to, but I've been doing this too long to remember them all. I prefer instead to analyze my learnings -- good and bad, and why -- instead of running an inventory of deals.
And here's a nutshell of what I now use as my guiding principles:
TRADING: I trade really early or wait right to the deadline. Really early lets me take advantage of someone who's in a panic because one of his or her big guns went down. Right on deadline means I'm in complete control over someone who is off the charts panicked because they feel others are leaving them behind.
My preference? Really early. I hate the dickering and nickel-and-diming that comes from too many
The NHL's trade deadline is still six weeks away. And fantasy trade deadlines either coincide with it or happen a few days later. Are you buying or selling? And when do pull the trigger -- now or right at the deadline?
Take a stand. And stick to it.
The buying or selling decision is best done with complete objectivity. I'm in a couple leagues where guys lose it and go on a spending spree, even when their teams are borderline ... at best.
That's a recipe for misery.
I have done it both ways -- gotten aggressive and swung for the proverbial fences, and threw in the white towel and started a rebuild. Some moves have paid off. Some, not so much.
But who's counting?
OK, OK -- you count. I used to, but I've been doing this too long to remember them all. I prefer instead to analyze my learnings -- good and bad, and why -- instead of running an inventory of deals.
And here's a nutshell of what I now use as my guiding principles:
TRADING: I trade really early or wait right to the deadline. Really early lets me take advantage of someone who's in a panic because one of his or her big guns went down. Right on deadline means I'm in complete control over someone who is off the charts panicked because they feel others are leaving them behind.
My preference? Really early. I hate the dickering and nickel-and-diming that comes from too many people. Seriously? I have a real job and it ain't fantasy general manager, as much fun as that would be. I don't have time for hour-long chats to get to a deal. Sorry.
BUYING: I toss out a few lines about six weeks out (now) and test the water. I'm not desperate, but someone might just bite before the market gets out of control. If I'm super serious, I try to make a great offer -- and I mean GREAT -- a couple weeks before deadline. My offer then becomes the benchmark for every other offer that owner receives. And boy, do they compare. They think they should wait and wait to try to get more. Then I either swoop in and up the ante OR tell them I'm about to pull the offer. That tends to get things moving. And fast.
My preference? I prefer the up-the-ante route unless my potential trade partner has been a real jerk through the process. Fair is fair in my world. And there's really no harm in tossing in a prospect to sweeten the pot. They won't help me now (or even in a couple years). But they sure look shiny to opponents.
A little bit of honey goes a long way. It'll work for me if it works for Jack Daniel's. And it really works for Jack's Tennessee Honey ...
Now let's look at who caught my eye this week.
Sam Bennett, LW/C, Calgary (13 percent Yahoo! owned) - Bennett might never have another night like he had Wednesday against the Panthers -- that was off the charts. He delivered four, count 'em, four goals and a plus-5 rating in a 6-0 win and looked every bit a star in the making. Pretty soon, he is going to be battling Sean Monahan to be the team's No. 1 center. But for now, Bennett will continue to deliver in fits and spurts. That makes him a tough activation in most formats, but he may fit for some of you. If not, stream a Flames' game and iso on Bennett. It'll be worth every penny.
Justin Braun, D, San Jose (5 percent) - Steady Eddie won't be mistaken for an offensive defender any time soon. But somehow, he's on pace to top 30 points -- that'll be a career mark if he can do it. You can't really play Braun in matchups -- you need to just plug him into your lineup and leave him alone. He'll get those assists and deliver a decent plus minus. Use him if you can stomach that.
Andre Burakovsky, LW, Washington (2 percent) - This kid is talented, but at this point in his career, he can't drive the offense - he relies on someone else. And that means his line mates are critical to his success. Enter Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams, and you have the perfect situation for Burakovsky to show off his many talents. He enters play Saturday with back-to-back two-point efforts and is poised to extend that mini-run. Pick him up and then promptly drop him when Barry Trotz starts juggling lines.
Robin Lehner, G, Buffalo (12 percent) - Lehner's day has finally come. He's the future of netminding for the Sabres and he's finally back from injury. Friday night, he held the Bruins at bay for two periods, but the gate opened a little in the third, courtesy of more than a few breakdowns in front of him, and a loss was all but guaranteed. Still, I'm stashing Lehner -- he'll see a lot of pucks and deliver value in the save percentage category. Someone else will snag him if you don't. Sometimes that's enough to warrant a pickup.
Shawn Matthias, LW/C, Toronto (0 percent) - I don't like this guy, but it's not because he doesn't have talent. He does -- he notched 18 goals last season. But Matthias has always struck me as a guy who can skate like the wind, but then struggles to know what to do with the puck. He's now 27 and time is seriously ticking on his career. But James Van Riemsdyk's busted foot has catapulted Matthias onto a line with Tyler Bozak and P.A. Parenteau, so opportunity has arrived. He hasn't delivered on it yet, but someone in Toronto has to score ... don't they?
Vladislav Namestnikov, C, Tampa Bay (5 percent) - Go pick him up NOW. Namestnikov has two new BFFs and their names are Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. And that has helped him deliver a four-game, eight-point streak (three goals, five assists). This talented two-way center/winger is earning his stripes. He might as well be doing it on your roster instead of someone else's.
Andrew Shaw, RW, Chicago (17 percent) - Shaw is the ugly duckling in the Hawks' flock of graceful swans. There's no typical Chicago finesse in his game - he simply goes straight through guys. But right now, that seems to be working for this unlikely top-sixer, at least in Illinois. Shaw is hopping the boards with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa, and he's produced beautiful results. He was held off the scoreboard Friday night, but went into that game on a three-game, five-point streak that included seven SOG and five hits. Chicago is on a special run and Shaw is part of that. Get in on the action if you can.
Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina (1 percent) - Hands up for those of you who thought a guy whose first name is misspelled by everyone would do the impossible and outshine Noah Hanifin. Right. Thought not. Slavin was perhaps fourth on the Canes' minor league depth chart, but James Wisniewski's injury and Ryan Murphy's disappearing act accelerated the Canes' plans. Admittedly, Slavin wasn't even on my radar to start the season -- I hadn't had the misfortune of misspelling his name. It took a while to get going offensively, but he has three assists and a plus-5 rating in his last four games. And Slavin plays the game like a cagey, intelligent 30-year-old veteran. He's not just good -- he's great, especially at just 21. He has three assists and a plus-5 rating in his last four games. Scoop him, especially in keeper formats. But he's also gaining real value in single-year formats.
Kris Versteeg, LW/RW, Carolina (11 percent) - I've been eyeing Versteeg for a couple weeks, but I haven't been able to bring myself to recommend him. Until now. He has 10 points, including three goals, in 12 games since Christmas after posting 18 points in 33 games before the jolly fat man arrived in town. That puts Versteeg on pace to deliver close to 50 points, so he and his positional versatility are pretty much a must-add in most formats right now. Just bear in mind that his production, like so many others on this list, is tied to the success of his line mates. So roll Versteeg as long as he continues to hop the boards with Eric Staal and Elias Lindholm.
Back to buying and selling.
The real trick to getting what you need in any buy/sell situation in fantasy is setting down specific, non-emotional objectives. Stop worrying about winning and start thinking about how to meet your objectives. Need a top scorer and have tasty prospects? Move them. Now.
You can't win on promise, but you can win on proven. So do it.
You also need to lay down specific goals if you decide to liquidate. And don't compromise -- you don't need to take guys back that don't fit your plan.
If Steve Yzerman can do it with Jonathan Drouin, then you can do it, too.
Until next week.
