This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
OK. Sunday in the NHL wasn't quite as dramatic as that whole Oscar fiasco, but the NHL did have some drama of its own to end the weekend.
First up, the Kings acquired Ben Bishop from the Lightning. There's not a ton of fantasy relevant advice to be had there. Bishop and Jonathan Quick will have a 1A/1B set up in Los Angeles. If anything, it may reduce their value in season-long formats since it's not clear how much either will play, but it's likely each play fewer games than they would have in the absence of the trade. On the other hand, Bishop's single game value likely rises behind Darryl Sutter's defensive system.
Outside of picks and prospects, Peter Budaj is the only other NHL player in the deal. He's headed to Tampa. His value will drop as he becomes entrenched in a backup role. But with the return of Quick this week, Budaj's value was going to drop anyhow. Andrei Vasilevskiy gets a little bump with a lesser backup and no doubt remaining about whether or not he's the number one guy in Tampa.
The other trade was the first place Minnesota Wild getting their hands on 6-foot-6 center Martin Hanzal. The former Coyote will see a role reduction on a team that's not a raging dumpster fire. He's likely to become their third line center once he's settled in. Though it's not clear who will be on his wings, he's getting an upgrade. He's going to get less defensive attention, play on a team that's scoring and winning, and have improved linemates.
His value is likely on the rise despite the fact that it's not clear how much power play time he'll get and that he's likely to see his minutes fall. Despite reasons to believe his value will rise, those two points are worth considering, especially in season-long formats.
Featured Matchups
Senators (PP: 22, PK: 8) at Lightning (PP: 8, PK: 18), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Mike Condon (17-10-5, 2.47, .913), Ben Bishop (11-13-5, 2.81, .909)
Key Injuries:Curtis Lazar (upper body), Bobby Ryan (finger), Ryan Callahan (hip), Steven Stamkos (knee)
This is a significant game for Tampa. We're just a couple days from the trade deadline and the Lightning are looking for any indication of where the team will finish. Grabbing a couple points against a division rival is a big deal right now.
Fortunately for them, the schedule is on their side. Tampa is well-rested facing an Ottawa squad that is on the last night of a four-game road trip and finishing up a back-to-back. They're also going to be facing Ottawa's backup netminder. Though Condon has had solid performances this season, he isn't unsolvable. In his last start, Winnipeg got three past him on just 20 shots.
It may be a good time to stock up on Lightning depth. It's a thin night that features a slumping team and a team coming off their bye week. Tampa has been placed in a good position against a team that might be tired, making them one of the evening's most attractive depth charts.
And they have a few players who have been ringing the bell regularly. Nikita Kucherov has four goals and six assists in his last nine games. Vladislav Namestnikov is on a three-game goal streak. Ondrej Palat has three goals and two assists over the last five games. Tyler Johnson has a goal and three assists over the last four games. And rookie Brayden Point is coming into his own with three goals and three assists in his last six games.
Kings (PP: 24, PK: 5) at Wild (PP: 1, PK: 10), 8:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jonathan Quick (1-0-0, 1.50, .958), Devan Dubnyk (32-11-3, 2.01, .933)
Key Injuries:Ben Bishop (illness), Paul LaDue (upper body), Jordan Nolan (lower body)
An immovable object meets an unstoppable force. The West's best team gets a visit from an always difficult defensive foe. But there is a bevy of x-factors worth considering before selecting players from this game.
First and foremost, the Wild are coming off their bye week. Coach Bruce Boudreau said he's been picking the brain of league coaches to see what they've learned about that first game back from the bye. At large, teams have not fared well getting their legs back under them after five days off. Almost every team in the league has suffered a loss in that first game back.
The x-factor on the other side is Quick. He was injured on the opening night of the season and just returned last game. How confident do you feel about where he's at? He looked good in his first game back, stopping 32 of 33 Anaheim shots for a win. But he's an acrobatic goaltender coming off a groin injury. It leaves questions. As does the acquisition of Bishop. It has left many wondering whether Kings management knows something about Quick's health that we don't. That's just speculation, but these are questions worth asking.
The other thing to consider is the Wild's recent acquisitions. As I said above, Hanzal is going to have some value in Minnesota. The other NHL player involved in the deal is fourth-line forward Ryan White. Both are expected to suit up Monday. But in daily formats, don't jump the gun. At the time of publication, neither had arrived in Minnesota. They don't know the system, they've had no practice, they've been traveling all day, they missed morning skate, and, as Michael Russo of the Star Tribune points out, they're likely to play on the fourth line because of the aforementioned factors.
Other Matchups
Canadiens (PP: 11, PK: 19) at Devils (PP: 19, PK: 17), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Carey Price (26-16-5, 2.42, .919), Cory Schneider (19-18-9, 2.64, .914)
Key Injuries:P.A. Parenteau (undisclosed), Pavel Zacha (concussion)
Montreal has been getting mixed results lately. They've been shutout in three of their last seven games. In the month of February, they've seen a healthy lead in the Atlantic evaporate. There's still plenty of depth to be mined from their roster under new coach Claude Julien, but there have been more struggles than expected.
Alex Galchenyuk is one focus for the team. He's getting a bigger opportunity under Julien and responded in their last game, turning in a multipoint effort during an overtime win against Toronto. None of this is a reason to shy away from Habs skaters, but maybe a reason to stick to the guys whose value is well established. Don't get too cute with roster selections from Montreal.
On the other side, with an average of 2.28 goals per game (29th in the league), the Devils continue to underwhelm. They've gone through fits and starts where they look like they're about to pull things together and then they don't. They're an average team who isn't scoring a whole lot and is getting an uncharacteristically pedestrian performance from Cory Schneider.
Recommended Pickup
Brayden Point, C, TBL — With 23 points in 46 games, you might overlook the 20-year-old rookie. But he's been a factor for the team all season. He's a vastly underrated rookie and his strong performances are starting to show up on the scoresheet. Though there's a gap in there where he wasn't playing, over his last 15 games he has put up six goals and six assists. He's not a volume shooter, but he is seeing his role grow. In the last two games, he has played 17:41 and 18:11. Those are the two highest ice time marks he's had since returning to the lineup on Feb. 2.
