Kyle Okposo has been traded to the Florida Panthers by the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick. (Source: NHL.com on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Okposo will join a Florida squad battling for the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs as the club looks to return to the Stanley Cup Finals for a second consecutive season. The veteran provides more value as a reliable defensive forward option, recording 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) to go along with 61 hits in 61 games so far this season.
Jason Zucker has been traded to the Nashville Predators by the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick.
Fantasy Impact: Zucker will provide Nashville with another sneaky offensive forward option as the club pushes towards a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The veteran provided the Coyotes with a more physical forward option, but has a history as a reliable goal-scorer from his days in Tampa Bay, currently notching 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) to go along with 58 penalty minutes and 74 hits in 51 games so far this season.
Tyler Toffoli has been traded to the Winnipeg Jets by the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick. (Source: Darren Dreger on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Toffoli gives the Jets a flashy offensive option from the wing as they push towards a postseason spot in the Western Conference. The veteran continues to provide fantasy managers with a reliable goal-scoring option in lineups, notching 44 points (26 goals, 18 assists) to go along with 61 hits in 61 games so far this season.
Jake Guentzel has been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes by the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, Cruz Lucius, Vasili Ponomarev, a conditional 2024 first-round pick, and a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick. (Source: Pierre LeBrun on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Guentzel (upper-body) will immediately slot into a favorable top-six forward spot for a Carolina squad looking to make a deep postseason run once he returns from long term injured reserve. The talented winger has posted 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 50 games so far this season.
Bowen Byram has been traded to the Buffalo Sabres by the Colorado Avalanche. (Source: Elliotte Friedman on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: In the exchange, the Sabres sent Casey Middlestadt to Colorado. Byram gives the Sabres another talented blueliner to pair with Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin as the club makes a serious push towards a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Byram has posted 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) to go along with 60 hits in 55 games so far this season.
Vladimir Tarasenko has been traded to the Florida Panthers by the Ottawa Senators. (Source: Frank Seravalli on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Florida will send a 2024 conditional fourth-round and 2025 conditional third-round pick to Ottawa in exchange for Tarasenko. The winger still possesses above-average finishing ability in the offensive zone and will make the high-scoring Florida forward group even deeper as the club looks to return the Stanley Cup Finals this postseason. Tarasenko has tallied 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 57 games so far this season.
Sat, Mar 2nd 10:57am EST
By Chris Schommer
Elias Pettersson has agreed to an eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks according to Pierre LeBrun. (Source: Pierre LeBrun on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Pettersson was going to be eligible for restricted free agency after this season, but will now remain a core piece of an explosive Vancouver club for head coach Rick Tocchet for the foreseeable future. The center is a dynamic offensive weapon for fantasy managers, posting a 1.21 point per game average (29 goals, 46 assists) in 62 games so far this season.
Patrick Kane (lower body) has been activated from injured reserve by the Detroit Red Wings the club announced Saturday. (Source: Detroit Red Wings on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Kane will return to the Red Wings lineup after missing the last seven games, joining the club’s second line alongside David Perron and J.T. Compher while also likely seeing time on the second power-play unit for head coach Derek Lalonde as he shakes the rust off. The winger has been a dynamic offensive weapon for the Red Wings, tallying 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 19 games so far this season.
The Calgary Flames have traded center Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. (Source: Calgary Flames on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The pending free agent netted the Flames forward Andrei Kuzmenko, defensive prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round pick, and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick. The 29-year-old has registered nine goals and 32 points across 49 games with the Flames this season, although his 6.9% shooting rate is miles below his 12.1% career mark, suggesting some positive goal-scoring regression is on the horizon.
Tue, Jan 2nd 5:47pm EST
By Chris Schommer
Bryan Rust (upper-body) has been activated from long-term injured reserve Tuesday by the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Source: Wes Crosby on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Rust returns to the Pittsburgh lineup for head coach Mike Sullivan ahead of Tuesday night’s contest against the Washington Capitals and should return to his second-line duties as well as his role on the second power-play unit against Washington netminder Darcy Kuemper.
Free-agent winger Tomas Tatar has agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche. (Source: Elliotte Friedman on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Tatar will give the Avalanche another inexpensive scoring option as part of a forward group that will be missing captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) for the second consecutive season. The veteran winger is coming off of a solid 20-goal, 48-point 2022-23 season that saw Tatar lace up his skates for all 82 games with the New Jersey Devils.
The Ottawa Senators traded Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings for Dominik Kubalik, Donovan Sebrango, a 2024 fourth-round pick, and a 2024 conditional first-round pick. (Source: Frank Seravelli on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: DeBrincat’s acquisition by Red Wings general manager gives a club moving in the right direction a legitimate goal scorer to put alongside captain Dylan Larkin to fortify Detroit’s top line for the foreseeable future.
Filip Zadina has been placed on waivers by the Detroit Red Wings according to Elliotte Friedman. (Source: Elliotte Friedman on Twitter )
Fantasy Impact: Zadina will look for a fresh start somewhere else, unable to ever fulfill his potential as a legitimate goal scorer for general manager Steve Yzerman after being drafted by the previous front office. Health and consistency issues have plagued the enigmatic winger to this point and fantasy managers will be best served by practicing a cautious approach wherever Zadina ends up.
Max Domi has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs according to Chris Johnston. (Source: Chris Johnston on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Domi fortifies a revamped Toronto forward group attempting to replace free-agent departures Michael Bunting and Ryan O’Reilly for head coach Sheldon Keefe. The center finished with 56 points (20 goals, 36 assists) in the regular season as well as 13 points in 19 postseason games for the Dallas Stars last season.
Michael Bunting has agreed to a three-year, $13.5 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. (Source: Pierre LeBrun on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Bunting joins a Carolina squad in need of the forward’s combination of finishing ability and toughness as part of a forward group lacking the latter. The 27-year-old will look for a third consecutive 20-goal season as Carolina head coach Rod Brindamour looks to push his squad deep into the playoffs this upcoming season.
Ryan O’Reilly has agreed to a four-year, $20 million deal with the Nashville Predators. (Source: Pierre LeBrun on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: O’Reilly joins a Nashville squad attempting to re-tool under new head coach Andrew Brunette after moving on from Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene prior to the beginning of free agency. The veteran center should provide a solid scoring option in the top-six forward group in desperate need of more offensive punch as they attempt to capitalize on netminder Juuse Saros between the pipes most nights in hopes of returning to the postseason this upcoming season.
Tyler Bertuzzi has agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs according to Chris Johnston. (Source: Chris Johnston on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Bertuzzi fills a hole in a top-six forward group that lost Ryan O’Reilly and Michael Bunting to begin free agency. The enigmatic winger has flashed an elite finishing ability while also disappearing at times, but will look to reach his full potential playing alongside the core four forwards of William Nylander, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Auston Matthews for head coach Sheldon Keefe this upcoming season.
Bo Horvat has agreed to an eight-year, $68 million contract with the New York Islanders. (Source: New York Islanders on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Horvat is now locked in for the long term after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks Monday. The 27-year-old instantly injects an inconsistent forward group with a legitimate force in the offensive zone, carrying a 1.10 point per game average (31 goals, 23 assists) for a team that looks serious about contending for the foreseeable future.
Matt Boldy and the Minnesota Wild agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract extension. (Source: Frank Seravalli on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Boldy is now locked in with the Wild through the 2029-30 season and should play a key role alongside Kirill Kaprizov. The 21-year-old has recorded 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 42 games so far this season.
Alex Nedeljkovic has been placed on waivers by the Detroit Red Wings according to Chris Johnston. (Source: Chris Johnston on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Nedeljkovic had struggled mightily in net for the Red Wings behind No. 1 goaltender Ville Husso and was eventually sent down to AHL affiliate Grand Rapids to work on his conditioning. It will be interesting to see if any organization is willing to take a chance on the netminder, carrying an abysmal 4.09 GAA and .880 save percentage in eight starts (2-4-2) in the crease this season with Detroit.
