Frozen Fantasy: Trade Timing

Trade early? Go late? NHL general managers face the same dilemma we do.

Case in point? The Wild.

Bill Guerin's team is in free fall. They're 3-7-0 in their last 10, despite a plus-29 goal differential. They're too good to not make the postseason, but they're only a few points out of a wild card fight.

They need to avoid a disaster. They can't wait. Guerin would be best served to strike early before other GMs come to the table. The price doesn't always drop right before the deadline. Desperation can lead to pretty funky things. And expensive ones.

Of course, there are never any guarantees. Remember my deal for Sidney Crosby, Gabriel Landeskog, Brad Marchand and Ryan Ellis? Ellis has played two games. Marchand sat out for that brain burp.

I went really early on that deal and while I'm on the outside looking in, our site projects me moving up into a playoff spot. Without that early move, I would have no shot at all. Even with Cole Caufield white-hot right now.

The NHL trade deadline is still a few weeks away. Many fantasy leagues are in the same situation.

If you're planning to deal, strike first and set the standard. Be fair in your offer – your opponent might be looking ahead to baseball (please settle – I want to hear the crack of a bat). They might just say yes without quibble.

And don't be afraid to spend – you could push a competitor out of the market. That's to your advantage. Or they might make a mistake.

I'm lucky – I play with friends. And I want to keep them that way. That means it's fine to give them gears, but I don't nickel and dime. It's better to keep a friend and my reputation than to be known as "that manager".

Being hard to deal with will cut you off from a lot of deals. And you might not even know it.

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

Brandon Carlo, D, Boston (2 percent Yahoo!) – Carlo has found some offense this week, but that's not why he's here. In four games heading into Saturday's win, Carlo had 11 new bruises from blocking shots while throwing six hits. Vulcanized rubber hurts, so mad props to the man. His 13 shots and three points were gravy. Carlo is a guy who can help in secondary categories.

Erik Haula, LW/C, Boston (57 percent Yahoo!) – Haula has hit pay dirt with Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak on the Bruins' second line. He's riding a six-game, eight-point streak (three goals, five assists) heading into Monday. I'm not convinced Haula's the long-term solution in that second-line role, but he does have that 55-point, lightning-in-a-bottle season in Vegas under his belt. Deployed perfectly, he can shine. This isn't Vegas, but maybe it's close. Tap into it.

Parker Kelly, LW/RW/C, Ottawa (1 percent Yahoo!) – Kelly is a pest who skates fast, plays hard and isn't afraid to throw his body around. And throw it around he did this week – try 21 hits in three games heading into Saturday afternoon while averaging around 10 minutes a game. And then he went off with two goals. Kelly is the kind of guy who fans love – an undrafted lunch bucket guy who's living out his dream. He was the top hitter in the league this week, but he won't give you much else. Still, Kelly is like a shot of nitrous if you need to boost that category. And he's fun to watch.

Cayden Primeau, G, Montreal (1 percent Yahoo!) – Throw out Primeau's early numbers. He's up on an emergency call-up because Andrew Hammond was put on IR. Montreal is in a different emotional space with Mighty Mite behind the bench and this team is playing confident hockey. That will help Primeau in a big way. He's worth a gamble if you need goaltending help.

Zach Sawchenko, G, San Jose (6 percent Yahoo!) – Sawchenko is back in the blue paint following a James Reimer injury Tuesday. I don't like the Sharks right now – they're 2-5-3 heading into Sunday. But Sawchenko is mentally strong and very motivated – he's a free agent this summer and wants another contract. He's a great story (like Kelly, above). Who can't cheer for a guy who transitioned to Canadian university hockey instead of pro after his junior career? Sawchenko might help if he faces a lot of pucks.

Jordan Staal, C, Carolina (25 percent Yahoo!) – Third-line centers usually don't offer much – the position is just too deep. But guys on great teams do get hot and that's Staal. He can help with cheap faceoff wins and he's quietly rolling with offense. In his last 13 games, Staal has 11 points, including seven goals, and 126 face-off wins. Yah, I was shocked, too.

Paul Stastny, LW/C, Winnipeg (7 percent Yahoo!) – What's that old adage – in like a lion, out like a lamb? Stastny is roaring into March with three goals and an assist in his last two games (three PPP) and he's riding a three-game, five-point streak going into Sunday. Stastny is on a line with Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, and leaving that foul February behind. No one is paying attention to him. Except you and me.

Ryan Suter, D, Dallas (21 percent Yahoo!) – This 37-year-old graybeard has somehow made John Klingberg dispensable. Wow, but little surprise – Suter is plus-8 and Klingberg is minus-17 and there's just one point separating the two. Suter's currently on a roll with five points in his last four games going into Sunday. And his power-play time will increase even more when Klingberg leaves in trade.

Tyler Toffoli, LW/RW, Calgary (59 percent Yahoo!) – I'd resisted Toffoli in Calgary, simply because I thought the drop from the first line to the third would hurt. Not anymore. His three-game, six-point streak - including three goals - ended Saturday, but it's important to note half of those points came on the PP. Check your wire, just in case. He's on a point-per-game pace in Alberta. Yes, small sample size, but it's pretty clear he's found a fit.

Back to the Wild.

There are rumors that Guerin could be in pursuit of Claude Giroux, J.T. Miller or Joe Pavelski.

Gut reaction – all three could easily perform better in Minny than they are right now. And they'd set the Wild up for a long playoff run.

They just need to get in. And then see where it goes.

Remind you of fantasy? Me, too. I won a three-week title series last season by 15 one-hundredths of a point (cumulative) against the manager who had gone unbeaten all season long.

Just get in. See where it goes.

Until next week.