A few days ago NHL.com provided fantasy hockey fans with 10 under-the-radar pickups for the final stretch. Four of those players were guys that had recently been traded. Today we break things down even further by looking at any relevant fantasy player that was traded prior to the NHL's deadline on Monday, Feb. 28. It's always difficult to gauge exactly how a newcomer will perform with his new squad, but 10 days after the deadline, we should start to see some trends.
While some of the players listed below are surely owned in your fantasy league, a few of them may still be out there on waivers and are certainly worth adding as you approach your league's playoffs. Remember, sometimes it takes time for these newbies to get used to a different setting and teammates -- some patience needs to be shown from a fantasy viewpoint, and hopefully they'll reward you in the end.
In order from the most owned in standard Yahoo! Fantasy Leagues to the least owned, here is a list of any potentially fantasy-relevant players that were dealt prior to the deadline, their ownership percentage, their statistics with their new team, their total season stats and what you should do with them in regards to your fantasy team.
Alex Goligoski, Dallas Stars, D (owned in 94 percent of Yahoo! Leagues)
Verdict: add him -- stepping in smoothly on the top defensive pairing with Stephane Robidas
8 games with BOS: 0 G, 1 A, plus-3, 0 PIMs, 0 PPP, 7 SOG
Verdict: bench him -- clearly off to a slow start and focusing more on defensive role early on
Verdict: add him -- he is flourishing with his new squad despite the team struggling
4 games with LAK: 1 G, 2 A, plus-1, 0 PIMs, 0 PPP, 6 SOG
Verdict: add him -- only good things coming while on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams
Verdict: add him immediately -- he may not keep it up playing for OTT, but ride him before it's too late
Verdict: add him -- but don't expect much more than what he's done in his first 8 games with the Avs
7 games with PIT: 1 G, 1 A, even, 4 PIMs, 0 PPP, 16 SOG
Verdict: add him -- off to a slow start, but the talented winger will get it going eventually
Verdict: drop him -- despite manning the power play, he isn't seeing enough total ice time to be helpful
Dennis Wideman, Washington Capitals, D (54 percent)
Verdict: add him -- it's only a matter of time before he starts contributing more in D.C.
Verdict: add him -- with Jonas Hiller's return in doubt, Ellis will be relied on for plenty of action
Niclas Bergfors, Florida Panthers, RW (35 percent)
Verdict: leave him -- wait another year or two for the 24-year-old
5 games with BUF: 2 G, 2 A, even, 0 PIMs, 1 PPP, 11 SOG
Verdict: add him -- off to a fast start with new squad
Kris Versteeg, Philadelphia Flyers, LW (32 percent)
Verdict: add him -- he can only improve skating on a line with Mike Richards
11 games (9 starts) with NYI and season total: 6-2-2, 2.02 GAA, .927 save percentage, 1 shutout
Verdict: add him -- his current hot streak may end before you know it
Verdict: leave him -- we were hoping the plus/minus would improve at worst case
5 games with WSH: 1 G, 2 A, plus-4, 4 PIMs, 1 PPP, 9 SOG
Verdict: add him -- centering Caps' second-line with Alexander Semin and seeing time on top PP unit
Alex Kovalev, Pittsburgh Penguins, RW (19 percent)
6 games with PIT: 1 G, 0 A, even, 8 PIMs, 0 PPP, 9 SOG
Verdict: leave him -- trade to playoff contender hasn't done much; he appears to be running out of gas
Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues, D (19 percent)
Verdict: add him in deeper leagues -- especially in keeper leagues
Verdict: leave him -- playing minor role on a very deep team in Boston
Verdict: leave him -- unless you need shots from your blue line
Michael Frolik, Chicago Blackhawks, RW (10 percent)
Verdict: leave him -- power forward seeing limited ice time in his new city
Joffrey Lupul, Toronto Maple Leafs, LW (8 percent)
Verdict: add him in the deepest leagues -- off to hot start on hot team
Verdict: add him in the deepest leagues -- could be a useful bench forward
Scottie Upshall, Columbus Blue Jackets, RW (6 percent)
Verdict: keep an eye on him -- scored 2 goals in his first two games, but struggled in the next three
Cory Stillman, Carolina Hurricanes, LW (3 percent)
6 games with CAR: 2 G, 3 A, plus-2, 0 PIMs, 1 PPP, 9 SOG
Verdict: keep an eye on him -- could be useful in deep leagues while playing with Eric Staal
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