The rankings that come after the trade deadline are sobering. The excitement and attention that the deadline brings tend to skewer our perspective of the players changing teams in a flurry of activity.
It's when I do the rankings following the deadline that I'm reminded that, for the most part, the day involves the moving of bit players -- pawns, if you will.
The highest-ranked player wearing a different jersey from the previous rankings is Tyler Toffoli, and he went to the Vancouver Canucks a week before the deadline. (We missed a week of rankings to do the dynasty edition.) Toffoli jumped 91 spots to No. 124, getting him into the mix of fantasy wingers that provide value based on being in a good situation.
With Brock Boeser done for the season, Toffoli should have little trouble returning value as a linemate to Elias Pettersson.
There were a few more swings in value based on the trade activity, but the fact that Toffoli is No. 124 speaks to the lesser impact the deadline tends to have in the fantasy realm. Sure, it's fun to track, but the moves at the deadline tend to not be league-changing in nature on their own.
The key is to follow all the value, combine what you know of the deadline moves and attack multiple places where value swings can begin to compound on your roster.
This week I'll focus extensively on how the players in the trade deadline moved in the rankings. Extensively, but not exclusively, as there are other important notes to tackle.
Forwards on the move
Andreas Athanasiou, W, Edmonton Oilers (enters ranks at No. 139): The easy call for biggest takeaway from the trade deadline is the addition of Athanasiou to the wing of Connor McDavid. Adding Athanasiou's breakaway speed and slick hands at the net as a tool for McDavid makes a dangerous combination for opposing goaltenders. Of course, he posted a goal and assist in his Oilers debut on Tuesday. But also, of course, he left Wednesday's game with an injury. Discussion after the game was that it wasn't too serious, so here's hoping. He's a must-add in any format, injury not withstanding. Though less exciting than Athanasiou, but still a factor in the situation, Tyler Ennis should also be scooped up in most leagues. He's also getting time with McDavid and also debuted with two points (and didn't get hurt on Wednesday).
Vincent Trocheck, C, Carolina Hurricanes (down 29 spots to No. 159): As expected, Trocheck didn't supplant Sebastian Aho or Jordan Staal when it came to the Hurricanes' top lines. He played on the third unit with Martin Necas and Nino Niederreiter. Trocheck also didn't bump anyone from the Canes' top power-play unit. Though I like his line and think it could be effective for scoring, the minutes and situations aren't likely to add up to significant fantasy value. This is a downgrade, as Trocheck was at least on the second line for the Panthers.
Conor Sheary, W, Pittsburgh Penguins (enters ranks at No. 193): Welcome back, Conor. Sheary was right back on Sidney Crosby's wing, a role he played off and on for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. During his best campaign, in 2016-17, he assisted on 14 Crosby goals, was assisted by Crosby on eight of his own and combined with Crosby for both assists on six other goals (all from NaturalStatTrick.com). There is existing chemistry here and it's worth gambling on if he's available.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C, New York Islanders (up 14 spots to No. 207): Don't let the price the Islanders paid fool you; Pageau isn't an elite fantasy asset. Also don't let his pace for October and November fool you. In his 33 games for the Senators between Dec. 1 and the deadline, he potted 10 goals and 20 points; not nothing, but not impactful for fantasy either. In his Islanders debut, Pageau played on the second line with Michael Dal Colle and Josh Bailey, and did manage to have a big impact on the game with a goal and 17 penalty minutes when he stepped up to defend Dal Colle after a big hit. He is in position to have a role for fantasy going forward, but it's not going to be a big one.
Ilya Kovalchuk, W, Washington Capitals (down 25 spots to No. 213): Kovalchuk has looked inspired while with Montreal, and there was a chance he could land in a role that would have elevated his value at the deadline. But the third line for the Capitals is not that role. Kovalchuk should be a boon for the Caps and he improves their third line, but it probably won't be a factor in fantasy. There's a chance an injury or line shake-up could change his value, so he doesn't drop off the radar completely.
Nick Ritchie, W, Boston Bruins (enters ranks at No. 216): Both Ritchie and the still-ill Ondrej Kase offer potential upgrades to the Bruins' wings outside the top line. And both have a chance to play into a role on the top power-play unit. As such, both need to be on the radar going forward, as their situation is massively improved moving from the Ducks to the Bruins.
Defensemen on the move
Erik Gustafsson, D, Calgary Flames (enters ranks at No. 170): Gustafsson immediately took over top power-play duties for the Mark Giordano-less Flames. While he didn't show much in the role this season with the Blackhawks and eventually lost it, Gustaffson has the chops to make an impact with the opportunity; just look at last season's performance. He needs to be added in all leagues, as there isn't a timeline for Giordano's return.
Goaltenders on the move
Robin Lehner, G, Vegas Golden Knights (up 18 spots to No. 132): Lehner's workload might go down with this move to the Golden Knights, but the quality of that work should improve by leaps and bounds as part of a contender. He's one of the more skilled goaltenders in the league and just needs to be in the right situation. The Golden Knights offer that. Marc-Andre Fleury is still top dog here, but expect the team to transition to a 55-45 or 60-40 split of duties to keep the 35-year-old Fleury fresh.
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, Carolina Hurricanes (enters ranks at No. 173): The Hurricanes are one of the better defensive teams in the league, a fact the whole world knows now thanks to David Ayres. With James Reimer and Petr Mrazek both out, Nedeljkovic gets a chance to shine. He was shaky in his first start on Tuesday, but don't let that sour you too much on his potential here. The Canes can make any goaltender look good, and Nedeljkovic isn't just any goaltender; he's the team's 24-year-old heir apparent. I'm picking him up anywhere I need some help in net down the stretch, as this could turn into a tale not dissimilar to the one told by Jordan Binnington last season.
New to rankings
Andreas Athanasiou, Erik Gustafsson, Alex Nedeljkovic, Shea Weber, Conor Sheary, Gabriel Vilardi, Anton Khudobin, Alec Martinez, Nick Ritchie, Tyler Ennis, Patric Hornqvist, Valeri Nichushkin, Jack Hughes, Ethan Bear, Barrett Hayton, Alex Galchenyuk.
Just missed
Alex Tuch, Kirby Dach, Malcolm Subban, Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula, Gerald Mayhew, Jared Spurgeon, Ondrej Kase, Jordan Eberle, Mike Green, Tyson Jost, Jake Gardiner, Michael Dal Colle, Sonny Milano, Filip Chytil, Jonathan Quick, Nick Foligno, Alex Chiasson.
Dropped out
Derek Stepan, Brock Boeser (done for season), Petr Mrazek (hurt), Ondrej Palat, Oliver Bjorkstrand (done for season), James Reimer, Dominik Kubalik, Igor Shesterkin (hurt, but he'll be back, hopefully), Jakob Chychrun, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jake DeBrusk, Andreas Johnsson (done for season), Filip Hronek, Drake Batherson, Blake Coleman, Andrew Mangiapane.