Risers and Fallers: Steel City Rising

The trade deadline is upon us come Friday at 3pm (EST). We’ve seen moves trickling through in the weeks leading up to this but between now and then things should get hot and heavy quick once the first significant domino falls. By now we have a pretty clear picture of who’s going to be selling versus who’s acquiring. A couple teams may surprise one way or the other but the outlook is pretty clear. Now it’s just a matter of who goes where.

This is a pretty balanced week as far as team scheduling with nearly every team playing on at least one off-night. Therefore, look to add based on your own specific team needs. Teams in the mix for a wild card spot would be the first place I look as those players have extra motivation to make the postseason. This results in their best effort compared to say a bottom feeder organization whose guys might be just about ready to throw in the towel.

Risers

Lukas Dostal

Fresh off starting duties for Czechia in the Olympics, the 25-year-old has returned to the excellent form displayed in the first two months of the season with nine quality starts in his past twelve nods. With John Gibson shipped out this past summer he’s the uncontested number one.

Anaheim as a whole has all the earmarks of a young team having experienced extended stretches of both hot and cold play. Mid-December to mid-January saw them hit a lull but since then they are white hot having won almost all the games since. For years the Ducks were punching bags but those days are officially dead. Joel Quenneville is certainly a strong candidate to win the Jack Adams Award.

Arturs Silovs

Kyle Dubas’ lack of praise for the tremendous turnaround he’s orchestrated in the Steel City has become criminal. Not only has he given this heralded core another shot at glory in the here and now but he’s accumulated massive draft capital. From now through 2028 the Penguins have two or more selections in Rounds 2 and 3 of each respective draft (golf clap).

One of his savviest moves was trading for the young Latvian netminder last summer and all he’s done is deliver. This crease will be a 50/50 timeshare most likely but with six quality starts in his past six nods, he’s pressuring Stuart Skinner not to flounder. In a who blinks first type of crease battle, I would bank on the young netminder over the historically porous former Edmonton Oiler.

Mackenzie Blackwood

I always preach following the contract with this crease competition being a shining example. In sixteen games since Dec. 29th, Blackwood has started twelve of those posting nine quality starts. Wedgewood, at 33-years-old, is a career backup. Whilst his early season success story was nice to watch unfold, the return to reality has slowly but surely transpired.

Look for Blackwood to be leaned on as the playoffs approach with him fully ramped up since his return from injury at the start of November. He makes five and a quarter million dollars per year to Scott’s one and a half. Follow the contract, it tends to wins out.

Fallers

Filip Gustavsson

The Wild’s number one only has seven quality starts since January 2nd. In my opinion the 27-year-old has been the posterboy for how finicky goaltending is year to year with anyone who drafted him paying the price. In what’s been an up and down career to this point, the season thus far reflects such.

Dealt by Ottawa back in ‘22 for Cam Talbot, he’s established a trend of one good year followed by a bad one during his Minnesota tenure. Unfortunately, year four in sticking to this trend would be a down season and although his save percentage is currently above .900, it belies reality in that he just hasn’t been consistent. He’ll still net wins and good outings but the chance for bad play is large enough to make him risky any given night you deploy.

Jake Oettinger

I stand corrected. The 27-year-old American is giving Gustavsson a run for his money on biggest fantasy goaltending disappointment this year. What has been one of if not the most consistent goaltender league-wide since the start of his career has established an element of inconsistency in ‘25-’26.

Never before posting a season save percentage beneath .900, he currently sits just below the mark with a month and half left in the season. Since the calendar flipped to ‘26 he’s only posted six quality starts. Like Filip above this won't cut it for the price you paid on draft day. Collecting wins will be no problem but your ratios surely are suffering.

Connor Hellebuyck

In keeping with this week’s fallers theme, the Team USA hero only has five quality starts since January 1st. The Olympics were an incredible performance for him but that stacked defense isn't out in front limiting high danger chances now.

There are a lot of miles on the soon-to-be 33-year-old's legs, having played in 253 games not including playoffs over the course of the prior four seasons. Said miles have seemingly come home to roost with the Jets decently but not entirely outside the wild card picture. This will force them to continue riding Connor thereby not alleviating what may be the problem in that he needs rest and recovery, not workhorse duty.

Other Thoughts

Gabriel Landeskog available in 60% of Yahoo leagues. Past 25 games he has 21 points, 70 shots, 31 hits, 14 blocks. L1/PP1 on lethal Avs offense; league winning add late in the game.

Jimmy Snuggerud has 3G, 7A in the past nine games.

Linus Ullmark could help you in net if avail on your wire(s). 7-0-2 over last 10 w/ 2.21 GAA and .905 SV%.

Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are both under 50% ownership on Yahoo. Great tandem to own for stretch run on contending Sabres squad.

As bad as they are going to be on top of how bad already, consider Vancouver Canucks during the fantasy playoffs if you start later, as they play four times two weeks in a row. (3/30-4/12).

Target Penguins for five-game week during fantasy playoffs (week of 3/30).

Watch what plays out on deadline day and add players accordingly based on new digs. A great example is Devan Dubnyk a decade ago when he was dealt to the Wild from Arizona.