It’s early in the fantasy hockey season, yet some players maybe have not lived up to their early expectations. That makes several athletes good candidates to trade for, as their value may be the lowest it will be all season. Which players that some fantasy managers might be panicked about are the best trade targets?
Trevor Zegras, Forward
Trevor Zegras is off to a slow start in terms of his offensive output, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t producing. As of now, he is one of the unluckiest players in the NHL with his goal scoring, and is bound to turn a corner at some point. With some fantasy managers likely to grow impatient, pouncing on his all-time low value might be a good idea.
Zegras has always been an elite shooter in his career, but that has not been the case so far this season with a minus-2 goals above expected. In his 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, he had 6.3 and 7.8 goals above expected, making him one of the better scorers in the game. With his line being as dominant as it is right now, ranking among the top forward lines in expected goals for percentage, the chances will come, and he will start finishing on them eventually.
It’s only a matter of time for Zegras, but just two points in his first eight games might cause some panic for his managers. A low-ball offer might be enough to snag him, and he could be a solid lineup player in leagues of all sizes and scoring standards.
Filip Forsberg, Forward
Filip Forsberg is having a monster season for the Nashville Predators, but his stats so far don’t necessarily show that. Ranking as one of the best players in terms of expected goals so far, he hasn’t scored at the rate he is used to. With seven points on the season in spite of that, goal-hungry managers may be looking to shop him. A top-end player, he’d be a fantastic addition to a fantasy team without too many elite forwards.
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Forsberg has just one goal even though he has 4.2 expected goals to this point, he could be among the league leaders in points if his finishing was up to his normal standards. He scored around what was expected of him last season, but the year before that, he dominated with 15.1 goals above expected. If he can be anywhere near that form, he could score 80-90 points in a healthy season.
Nearly scoring at a point-per-game pace despite nearly being one of the worst players in the league in terms of goals above expected, he will start scoring at one point or another. Big in the hit and assist department already, Forsberg could be among the top fantasy hockey forwards by season’s end.
Ilya Samsonov, Goaltender
With the goaltending situation for the Toronto Maple Leafs being relatively uncertain, there may not be more panic around Ilya Samsonov than there is right now. Joseph Woll, their 25-year-old backup, is one of the best goaltenders in the league in goals saved above expected (GSAx) with 8.6, and has looked like the obvious pick to be the starter for Toronto recently. Despite this, there should still be some competition for the starting role. On a team that is a near-lock for the playoffs, he should be on the radar.
Related: Joseph Woll is Maple Leafs’ Clear Choice for No. 1 Goaltender
Woll is destined to have his play come down to earth a bit, with no goaltender in the entire league playing better than him. If he has a cold streak, Samsonov will swoop in to try and instill some confidence that he is still the starter of the Maple Leafs. Even with how good his backup has been, they both are likely to see a split in action, given they are each healthy.
If Samsonov can log 40 or more starts, he is an excellent play, as he can be a win-heavy netminder with a good save percentage (SV%) and goals-against average (GAA). Even with how great Woll has been, it’s not time to give up on who the starter was meant to be before the season. He will certainly have a lower price tag than he did a few weeks ago, making him a nice buy-low candidate at this time.
Vitek Vanecek, Goaltender
With the underwhelming play of young backup Akira Schmid to this point, Vitek Vanecek seems to be the clear-cut starter of the New Jersey Devils as of now. Having a goaltender on a team that is going to rack up wins consistently is massive, and a manager with him on their squad may be looking to upgrade in the short term with his individual numbers not being too hot.
As a whole, goaltending has been shaky for the Devils. They are still a contender to win a lot of games, given they had a 52-22-8 campaign last season. With a roster as good as theirs, the success in goal is bound to come at some point. Once Vanecek starts to perform better, that will correlate with his performance in fantasy.
Managers might not be as panicked as they would be with Samsonov, with Vanecek’s starting job in almost no jeopardy, but his struggles could have some questioning whether or not he is worth what they spent to draft him for. A big offer could get them to bite, and this would pay dividends for managers needing a starting goaltender.
Making emotionally-based trades is usually a bad idea, but some managers can’t help themselves. If you need a boost on your team, these players might be the easiest to target in order to make a difference in the long term.
