With most of the attention being on how players like Antoine Vermette and Chris Stewart will do with their new teams, today we’ll take a look at a few other players in the West that should receive a boost in their fantasy value.
Players That Should Thrive With Their New Team – Western Conference
Tomas Fleischmann, Anaheim Ducks
Despite his production dwindling over the past few seasons, Fleischmann has the tools to be an effective contributor, and should have a better opportunity to showcase his talents in Anaheim. He played under head coach Bruce Boudreau before when both were members of the Washington Capitals, so he will be familiar with the system the Ducks use. Boudreau is giving him every chance to succeed, putting him on the second line next to Ryan Kesler, while also giving him time on the top powerplay unit. Boudreau likes to shuffle his lines quite often, but considering Fleischmann is much more suited for a scoring role, that is where he will most often be used, and thus should remain a viable fantasy target.
Sean Bergenheim, Minnesota Wild
Here’s a trade that many people won’t think too much of. Bergenheim has just 19 points in 46 games this year, and has never eclipsed 30 points in a season so far in his career. Those aren’t numbers to get too excited about, and playing in the bottom-six forward group while getting no powerplay time, he doesn’t come off as a great fantasy asset. However he does have one thing going for him, he likes to produce when it matters most. He has 12 goals and 17 points in 23 playoff games. While that may be a small sample size, it was also the most recent time he’s been involved in games that matter this late into the season. He isn’t a lock to start lighting it up, but he would be an interesting option for deeper leagues should he catch fire down the stretch.
James Wisniewski, Anaheim Ducks
Picking up Wisniewski was just one of the many moves the Ducks made at the trade deadline, and it should not go unnoticed. He has great offensive talent, as indicated by his 51 points last season (28 of which came on the powerplay). He hasn’t put up similar numbers this year, but he still has 29 points in 58 games. With Sami Vatanen currently injured, Wisniewski could fill the void and become a key player for the Ducks as they gear up for the playoffs.
Kimmo Timonen, Chicago Blackhawks
Timonen scored 35 points just last season, and if he has fully recovered from the blood clots in his leg, then he should still be able to contribute. He didn’t play all season until being traded, and still only has a 6% ownership rate in Yahoo leagues as a result. He is yet to score as a member of the Blackhawks, but after missing so much time he’ll need a few games to shake off the rust. He’s always been great on the powerplay, and that should surely continue considering all the talent he’ll be playing with. Timonen announced that this will be his final season, and he’ll be looking to get as much out of it as he can. He wants one more chance to win a Stanley Cup, and he’ll get that as a member of the team that denied him in his previous attempt five years ago.
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