This article is part of our NHL Trade Tips series.
This is no time to panic if your team is off to a slow start and definitely no time to gloat if you are doing well, as the season is only two-plus weeks old and there is still plenty of playing time remaining. You shouldn't be upset if some of your players are not doing well so far; chances are they will get hot soon. Conversely, don't get too high if some of your later picks are off to amazing starts, as the chances of them reverting back to their old forms is great.
Here are some players who you could deal for and trade elsewhere.
TRADE FOR
Elias Pettersson, C, Canucks (99 percent rostered)
Pettersson picked up an assist Saturday to snap a three-game streak without a point, giving the talented Swede just two points in five contests ahead of Tuesday's action. He managed an assist in Tuesday's 6-3 victory over Chicago, giving him a two-game points scoring streak. Pettersson managed 34 goals and 89 points in 2023-24, after a career-best 102 points the previous campaign. He slumped at the end of the regular-season last year, picking up only a goal and five points in his last 11 games, which continued in the postseason as Pettersson had a goal and five helpers in 13 games. The betting has to be that Pettersson is close to returning to form. He centers the second line with Nils Hoglander and Conor Garland on his flanks, as well as on the first
This is no time to panic if your team is off to a slow start and definitely no time to gloat if you are doing well, as the season is only two-plus weeks old and there is still plenty of playing time remaining. You shouldn't be upset if some of your players are not doing well so far; chances are they will get hot soon. Conversely, don't get too high if some of your later picks are off to amazing starts, as the chances of them reverting back to their old forms is great.
Here are some players who you could deal for and trade elsewhere.
TRADE FOR
Elias Pettersson, C, Canucks (99 percent rostered)
Pettersson picked up an assist Saturday to snap a three-game streak without a point, giving the talented Swede just two points in five contests ahead of Tuesday's action. He managed an assist in Tuesday's 6-3 victory over Chicago, giving him a two-game points scoring streak. Pettersson managed 34 goals and 89 points in 2023-24, after a career-best 102 points the previous campaign. He slumped at the end of the regular-season last year, picking up only a goal and five points in his last 11 games, which continued in the postseason as Pettersson had a goal and five helpers in 13 games. The betting has to be that Pettersson is close to returning to form. He centers the second line with Nils Hoglander and Conor Garland on his flanks, as well as on the first power play. There is no reason that Pettersson cannot regain his form, and if you can get him on the cheap, go for it.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Pettersson for Adrian Kempe.
Miro Heiskanen, D, Stars (97 percent rostered)
Heiskanen has yet to hit the scoresheet after seven games. The 25-year-old has been one of the top-10 fantasy defensemen over the last two years, scoring 20 goals and 107 assists in 150 regular-season appearances. He has also been a stud on the power play, with 55 points. Heiskanen should be rated even higher on the blue line when it comes to overall play – possibly top five – and you should jump all over him when it comes to trade talk as he will regain his scoring touch. Heiskanen quarterbacks the top power play with the Stars, which means a lot, as Dallas has had the sixth and fifth best power plays respectively in the previous two campaigns. They currently sit in 29th with two goals in 18 attempts, so you know that will definitely improve, with Heiskanen likely at the forefront.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Heiskanen for Morgan Rielly.
Zach Hyman, RW, Oilers (98 percent rostered)
Hyman had a career year in 2023-24, scoring 54 times in the regular season and chipping in with a league-leading 16 goals in the playoffs. His 70 goals tied Auston Matthews for top spot in the NHL. It has been a different story thus far in 2024-25. He has not recorded a point in seven games after Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina. Hyman is averaging only 2.29 shots on goal this season, compared to 4.13 in 2023-24. That will change, as he is playing alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, on what should be considered a top-three line in the NHL. He also sees time on the top power play, where he has scored 15 goals in each of his last two regular seasons. While the 32-year-old likely had the greatest year in his career in 2023-24, there is no reason he cannot hit the 35-40 goal mark in 2024-25.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Hyman for Nazem Kadri.
TRADE AWAY
Mark Kastelic, LW, Bruins (7 percent rostered)
Who would have thought that Kastelic would be second on the Bruins in points with five and tied for second in plus/minus, with a plus-8 rating, heading into action Tuesday. The Bruins fourth line consisting of Cole Koepke, John Beecher and Kastelic have combined for seven goals and nine assists with a plus-27 rating after six games, much better than any other line for Boston. Kastelic has scored twice on only six shots on net in six games and he is likely to trend back to an eight to nine percent shooting average, rather than his 33 percent.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Kastelic for Devon Levi.
Ross Colton, LW, Avalanche (61 percent rostered)
Colton is off to an amazing start with six goals and seven points in seven games. He is seeing top line action with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, but I can't see that lasting for long, as the Avalanche are expecting the likes of Jonathan Drouin (upper body), Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder) and Valeri Nichushkin (suspension) back shortly. That will knock Colton down to a third-line role at best, and he'll likely lose his spot on the top power play. He had a career-high 40 points in 2023-24 and should beat that mark after his hot start, but he is not a 60-70 point player as a bottom-six forward.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Colton for Miro Heiskanen.
Neal Pionk, D, Jets (55 percent rostered)
Pionk's stats are bolstered after a huge game Friday in which he had a power-play goal and three assists in an 8-3 win over fledgling San Jose. The contest gives the defenseman a goal and six assists in seven games. Pionk has been very steady over the previous four seasons, averaging 33 points, with no more than 34 points in any one year and no less than 32. He is seeing second unit power play time in 2024-25, just like he has over most of his career, and while that won't change, barring an injury to top quarterback Josh Morrissey, if you have an opportunity to trade him away (giving up Jason Robertson is highway robbery), do it.
Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Pionk for Jason Robertson.
