Frozen Fantasy: Stop Asking Who Won the Trade

I'm done with the NHL trade deadline. And it's still a week-and-a-half away. Why? Because I'm sick and bloody tired of the question, "Who won that trade?"

Why the $%&! does that matter?

I've been asked who won the Evander Kane and Cody Franson trades dozens of times. The answer every time -- and with just about every trade -- is an emphatic "BOTH." So why do we obsess with winners and losers, especially when it comes to things that don't actually have a league title attached to it?

Are we so insecure that we need to feel like we've dominated and defeated someone else? Be stronger. Beat the weak. The short answer? Yes. And that's so very, very sad. That attitude permeates society. But all it does is set us up for disappointment and failure.

OK. I'll stop now. Psychoanalysis over. Relieved?

The reality in sports and fantasy trades alike is really quite simple -- both sides stand to gain from every single move. Who is anyone else to judge what each of us believes we need? Seriously.

Take the Evander Kane deal. Both sides actually kicked it out of the park. Buffalo got a potential 40-goal scorer who can play alongside a young stud center like Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. And a home-state boy who can fit right in -- and potentially anchor -- the team's back end. Worst case they leverage Kane into a draft day deal for a sweet return. The Jets stabilized their D with a potential future stud, filled out their top nine, readied for the postseason and planned for the future.

Both sides got what they wanted. Didn't they both win?

In fantasy, we always say we won the trade if we got the best player in the deal. Maybe on the surface, but rarely in reality. The best fantasy trades -- the most successful ones -- are the ones where two or more owners come together to swing a deal that meets the real needs of both sides. Remember my deal for Sidney Crosby? It met both our needs. To a T ... despite me getting the so-called best guy in the package.

The sooner we all start focusing on approaching trades with a win-win attitude, the sooner we actually get what we need. But then again, we wouldn't have much to whine about ... would we?

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Cam Atkinson, RW, Columbus (12 percent Yahoo owned) - Atkinson has been a preseason fantasy fave for years. And he's disappointed in every one of those years. I now tend to ignore him ... until he goes on a bit of a run. And that's exactly what's happening. He was held off the scoresheet Thursday, but had six points in his last five games before that. And that includes four goals. It may be time to give him a try again.

Darren Helm, C, Detroit (4 percent) - Helm's value in Yahoo leagues will be forever limited, simply because he only qualifies at center. But those in leagues set to "forward" should take a hard look. He's turned up the heat in his last eight games with five goals, three assists and a plus-5 rating. He has already set a career mark in goals (13) and is just four points from equaling his career mark in points (32) ... with 26 games to go! He won't keep up this pace, but I'm tapping into this run anyway. I don't think it's over yet. A boost is a boost.

Jonas Brodin, D, Minnesota (4 percent) - Any guy who impresses the great Niklas Lidstrom impresses me. Brodin is a sharp young defender -- he plays against the opposition's best players, skates like a dream and blocks a decent number of shots. And he is only 21. The offense will come in just a few years, but right now, he's flexing his scoring muscles with a three-game, three-point streak. And that's almost as good as winning the lottery given the way defenders are dropping these days. He's worth rolling until a Minnesota cold front moves back in.

Toby Enstrom, D, Winnipeg (13 percent) - Check to see if an overeager league mate has dropped this guy in favor of that really tall and shiny toy that recently arrived in town. Tyler Myers' ownership has skyrocketed since the trade and he has five points in six games in the Peg. But Enstrom has quietly delivered three points (one goal, two assists) in his last two games and is still higher on the PP depth chart than the giraffe. Enstrom is smart with great mobility and a quick stick. I'd target him ahead of Myers -- similar production at a fraction of the price? #nobrainer.

Justin Fontaine, RW, Minnesota (0 percent) - Four games, five points -- do you think he likes playing alongside Zach Parise? Fontaine isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut, but it's clear he knows where to position his stick to serve up those tasty dishes from his linemates. It will not continue -- his upside is sorely limited. But I'm betting short term on his five points, including three goals, in his last four games. I'll drop him soon enough, but I want to take advantage of his time on the top line.

Michael Grabner, LW/RW (2 percent) - Grabner is a smart, hard-working winger with fantastic speed and a rip of a shot. He's never become the high-end offensive talent he profiled as on draft day. He's been injured, so a lot of owners have forgotten about him. That's great for you -- he has three points in his last two games and his chemistry with Frans Nielsen is palpable. The Isles are a good team and his return to the lineup helps them rebalance the top six. I have scooped him up in two leagues. You should, too.

Cody McLeod, LW, Colorado (4 percent) - Need PIM? McLeod has 40 in his last six games, including 30 in a single game. And he also picked up a goal and an assist in that span. He's not going to give you much offense, but he will snap and get you PIMs in bunches. And at this point, that's pretty much the only way to gain traction in that category.

Milan Michalek, LW/RW, Ottawa (7 percent) - I talked about him recently, so I won't belabor the point. I will only say this -- he has four goals, two assists, a plus-3 rating and 18 SOG in his last five games. Those totals vaulted him into the top-10 Yahoo producers over the last 10 days. The rest is up to you.

Michal Neuvirth, G, Buffalo (7 percent) - What? There's a Buffalo goalie on this list? Think pre-2004 lockout Roberto Luongo -- you know, the guy who didn't win much, but was absolutely pelted with pucks? Neuvirth won't win you games, but his save percentage will rock your world. Case in point? He's 1-2-1 in his last four, but his save percentage in that span was .945. That can help. Go get him.

Back to winning. And losing.

It's time for an attitude change. We get cocky if we think we spanked our opponents into submission in trades. Then we'll make silly proposals that only make our leaguemates ignore us. Don't be that owner.

And you'll never make another trade if you think you lost a deal. And the only reasons you might actually lose a trade are if you actually hit the wrong toggles when you propose a trade (unlikely) or if a guy dies right after making the deal (sad, but also unlikely).

Stop viewing trades -- and life situations -- as things that need to be won. Instead, focus on what is gained for both sides and you might actually get what you need. Everywhere.

Now, if only fans and the media alike would start thinking the same way. I probably wouldn't be done with the trade deadline already if that were the case.

Until next week.