The NHL will pause trading from Dec. 20-27 for the holiday season. This does not mean you have to, as fantasy hockey leagues have no such rule. Here are some players whom you could deal for and trade elsewhere.
TRADE FOR
Joseph Woll, G, Maple Leafs (81% rostered)
Woll’s value skyrocketed Tuesday when it was learned that Anthony Stolarz (who has been sharing the net with Woll since Oct. 24) will be lost to the Maple Leafs for four to six weeks after undergoing a procedure on his knee to remove a loose fragment. This will allow Woll to gain full possession of the crease on a very good — and surprisingly stellar defensively — Leafs team. Woll is 8-4-0 with one shutout, a 2.24 GAA and a .918 save percentage this season. Dennis Hildeby will back up for now, though Matt Murray could get recalled at any time, also as a backup for Woll.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Woll for Neal Pionk.
Roope Hintz, C, Stars (72%)
Hintz continues to center the top line in Dallas, between Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. Hintz got off to a slow start and has 13 goals and six assists in 29 games, but he should start setting up more goals as he has had three straight seasons of at least 35 helpers. Hintz has three goals and four points in his last four contests, including a pair of goals Monday in a 3-1 win over Washington. Hintz slipped last season to 65 points after a pair of 70-plus point campaigns, and while he may not get back to that milestone, look for Hintz to average close to a point per game the rest of the season.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Hintz and Matthew Knies for Troy Terry.
Rasmus Dahlin, D, Sabres (99%)
Dahlin has missed the last seven games with back woes, but the Sabres’ top defenseman is expected to return to practice Thursday with a good possibility of playing at home versus Toronto on Friday. Dahlin had six goals and 13 assists in 21 games before going pointless in his last four games before he left the lineup. The 19 points in 21 games is indicative of his offensive prowess over the last three seasons, which included a career-high 73 points in 78 games during the 2022-23 campaign. While he slipped to 53 points last season, the defenseman managed 20 goals, tied for third-best in the NHL.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Dahlin for Will Cuylle.
TRADE AWAY
Morgan Rielly, D, Maple Leafs (94%)
Rielly has had some outstanding seasons in a Toronto uniform, including 20 goals and 72 points in 2018-19 and 58 points in 72 appearances last season. While so many think that Rielly is a scorer, because of his one 20-goal campaign, he has hit double digits only twice in his 12-year NHL career. He has only four goals and 16 points in 31 games this season. He always has averaged more than one hit per game, but he has only 13 hits in 31 contests. At the age of 30, Rielly seems to be on the downward slope of his career, at least offensively.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Rielly for Mika Zibanejad.
Alexandar Georgiev, G, Sharks (60%)
Georgiev was having a horrible season with the Avalanche, going 8-7-0 with a 3.38 GAA and an .874 save percentage with a team that many thought was a Stanley Cup contender this season. The Avalanche turned their netminding duo around, getting rid of Georgiev for Mackenzie Blackwood (there was more to the trade but that was the important part of it), as well as Justus Annunen to Nashville for backup Scott Wedgewood. Georgiev is now with San Jose, and while he won his first games with the lowly Sharks, he stopped only 17 of 20 shots. He will likely be more of a mentor to Yaroslav Askarov, once the Sharks goalie of the future is given the full-time gig in San Jose, lowering Georgiev’s already minuscule value.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Georgiev for Claude Giroux.
Brent Burns, D, Hurricanes (55%)
Burns has been in a decline over the last two seasons after he managed 61 points as a 37-year-old in his first season with the Hurricanes. Burns regressed last season to only 43 points in a full 82-game regular season and is even worse this season with two goals and eight points in 30 games. While he has always been a power-play phenom, Burns has been relegated to the second unit this season and has yet to acquire a point with the man-advantage, after picking up 23 and 20 points on the power play during his last two seasons, respectively. Burns is showing his age at 39 and is not worth a roster spot on your fantasy squad.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Burns and a 15th-round pick for Alex DeBrincat and a 21st-round pick.