Welcome to the weekend, everyone. Usually it's time to take a break from work throughout the week but before the weekend even began, teams were busy making deals done. Here's some analysis for some guys that have been traded lately.
Tomas Kaberle - Bruins
No shocker that he was traded since the Maple Leafs are in full sell mode and Kaberle was in the last year of his contract. There's nothing negative to glean from this trade since it's practically a fantasy dream to have a quarterbacking defenseman like Kaberle paired up with the big, burly, offensively talented Zdeno Chara or a great one-two punch in the blue line between Chara and Kaberle in separate pairings. Hard to believe that the 8th best defenseman in points can improve his position but the Leafs found a way for him with better chances to get assists and improve his +/- with the Bruins. Kick back and enjoy the ride, Kaberle owners.
More after the jump...
Craig Anderson - Senators
Part of a head scratcher of a trade but the only real sense out of this trade is the Sens being in sell mode like the Leafs. Much was expected of Anderson this year but he's been a flat bust since he was likely drafted as a G2 and probably dragged your team with him. On the opposite spectrum of Kaberle, Anderson goes from the 8th worse team in +/- to the worse team in +/-. In other words, watch what he does but don't think about touching him unless he's REALLY proven himself, which I don't think he will. If you own him, feel free to dump him.
Robin Lehner - Senators
He wasn't necessarily traded but the Anderson/Elliot trade seems to have opened the goalie of the future's door a little more. Doesn't mean he'll get playing time right out of the bat with Pascal Leclaire coming back from injury soon but this could be a nice little sampling we'll have while here. Anderson will likely compete for the job and may try to get more starts away from Leclaire but don't be surprised if the Sens decide to give Lehner a few starts before they send him down. Those in keeper formats should keep a close eye and see how he does to determine his status for next year. For those in yearly leagues, keep him in your watch list to in case injuries (Leclaire) or poor play (Anderson) force the Sens hand on calling him back up later in the year.
Brian Elliott - Avalanche
The other half of the head scratching trade, this side actually looks decent for the Avs. This is a good chance for Elliott to prove himself with his new team since Peter Budaj hasn't done a great job and he's is coming a somewhat better team than the Senators. He's likely in your FA pool but I would give him a shot as a bench goalie and see what he does there. He won't get every start but if he proves his worth over a few games, I can certainly see how he might help you out in the final stretch of the season.
EDIT
Chris Stewart, Kevin Shattenkirk - Blues
Go figure. An hour after I post this, the Blues and Avalanche make a big move. Chris Stewart's value doesn't change since his role does not change. It's too bad that Stewart hurt his hand and took a good chunk of his time this season but perhaps his new team can get him out of the funk he's been in. Shattenkirk should get every opportunity to develop into a QB defenseman with the Blues and he's likely available in your pool. Give him a shot if you want to gamble with some upside.
Erik Johnson - Avalanche
Much like Stewart and Shattenkirk, Johnson's value does not change since his role does not change but he'll be on a slightly better team than the Blues. I know it seems like I'm repeating myself but it doesn't improve him much so one can only hope that the Avs can tap into his high upside potential.
There were some other trades that happened like Rich Peverley, Ian White and Eric Brewer but they are all skaters that are on the fringe of worth watching since they make better moves in real life as depth improvements than anything to do with a fantasy impact. With the trade deadline looming with just 9 days to go, it should be interesting to see how other trades go down and who it impacts for the final part of the season.