Nick Alberga: The player that stands out for me is Tyler Bertuzzi, who’s readily available in most leagues to be scooped up off the waiver wire right now. I think he’s in dire need of a change of scenery. If that happens, I think he could pop off again. Bertuzzi’s slated to become a UFA this summer.

Brock Seguin: Ryan O’Reilly for me. I think with Vladimir Tarasenko getting dealt yesterday, O’Reilly has one foot out the door. His value is super low, he’s been hurt, he has just 16 points in 37 games, and he could land in a great spot. Carolina, with Svechnikov and Necas? Minnesota with Boldy? This year has been a disaster, but he averaged 24 goals and 47 assists per 82 games in the four seasons prior. He’s only 30 percent rostered, so might not even have to trade for him. If you do, it won’t cost you anything.

Matt Larkin: I’ve exhausted the Patrick Kane talk, so I’ll give you a less obvious name: John Klingberg. His real-life game has cratered, but that doesn’t matter to us in fantasy. He can still move the puck as a power-play quarterback. Whoever acquires him will deploy him in a fantasy-friendly role. Same goes for Shayne Gostisbehere, who hopefully will return from his injury in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Nick Alberga: McNabb would be the easy drop for me. That’s a no brainer, assuming it’s a standard cat league —as you’ve indicated. Additionally, even though Henrique’s been on fire, I would sell high and swap him for DeBrusk. It sounds like he’ll be back soon. And when he does, he’ll be right back with Marchand and Bergeron on the top line.

Brock Seguin: You can comfortably drop McNabb. I’m assuming it’s a banger league, but if it’s between McNabb and Durzi, I’m keeping Durzi. I would also be moving Henrique for DeBrusk in a heartbeat.

Matt Larkin: If you have Brayden McNabb on your roster at all, I presume your points league includes banger stat categories, yes? I’d hold him for that reason and actually make Viktor Arvidsson the cut. He surged in December and early January but is ice cold again and is also prone to annoying day-to-day maladies. DeBrusk for Henrique sounds great to me. DeBrusk is on the cusp of returning from injury and should get another look as Boston’s first-line right winger, allowing David Pastrnak to stay with the Czech Line.

Nick Alberga: Palat, Palmieri, Duclair, Marchenko. As a fantasy owner, I’m looking for category coverage. Sadly, all Marchenko pretty much does is score goals. Furthermore, Palat and Palmieri have started to heat up and it sounds like Duclair could finally be closing in on a return. On Vrana: As I Tweeted earlier this week, I’m hearing his playing days in Detroit are done. Considering the cap issues league-wide, I think it’s going to be a tough trade to make in-season. We’ll see.

Brock Seguin:

I think you can probably drop Vrana. 

1. Palat 

2. Palmieri 

3. Duclair

4. Marchenko

Matt Larkin: I’ll be specific for you and quote my own mid-season top 300 rankings from last week (https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/matt-larkins-midseason-top-300-fantasy-hockey-player-rankings-for-2022-23): Ondrej Palat 175^th, Kirill Marchenko 213^th, Anthony Duclair 214^th, Kyle Palmieri not ranked. Palat, healthy now, is heating up on Jack Hughes’ line. Marchenko is a fun story but the shooting percentage isn’t sustainable. It’s a bit worrisome to see Duclair’s recovery timeline repeatedly delayed. As for Vrana: even if he’s traded, I’m not optimistic we see him on any NHL roster until next season. He’s still working through his off-ice problems.

Nick Alberga: Potential. That’s the big word here. There’s no question Jiricek’s supremely talented. That said, this is the NHL, so I’m always very curious when it comes to young blueliners. Additionally, there’s the whole Zach Werenski thing, too. Honestly, it reminds me a lot of the Heiskanen/Klingberg combo in Dallas all those years. But yes, over time, I’m forecasting fantasy stardom for Jiricek.

Brock Seguin: He’s an outstanding prospect. Has a cannon of a shot, and has posted really solid AHL numbers this season. He should get a look with the Blue Jackets late in the season and should be a lock to make the team next season. He’ll probably be a Fantasy No.4 defenseman to start next season.

Matt Larkin: Jiricek has some high-end fantasy potential. He projects to be a do-it-all, top-pair defenceman in the NHL. He has nice scoring upside but also has the size and physicality to become a multi-category helper. I actually foresee a fantasy profile similar to what Seth Jones was in Columbus: contributing a bit of everything and hurting your plus-minus on a bad team.

Nick Alberga: It’s Burns for me. Full transparency, I’ve never been a big Spurgeon guy in fantasy hockey. Additionally, since January 1^st, Burns has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 15 outings. Translation: He’s starting to cook.

Brock Seguin: It depends on the scoring settings; if your league has points for hits and blocked shots, it boosts Spurgeon. But from a points/SOG perspective, I still have Burns ahead. I have Burns for 21 points (6G / 15A) and 96 shots the rest of the way. For Spurgeon, I’m at 17 points (5G / 12A) and 62 SOG.

Matt Larkin: I’m a Burns guy, especially if your league counts shots, as he gets a ton of those. He’s in a cushy situation, getting top power play duty on a strong team. Burns has 10 goals and 37 points in 51 games. Spurgeon’s full-season career highs are 14 goals and 43 points. Easy choice here.

Nick Alberga: I won’t lie, I’m disappointed. Over the past few seasons, I thought Perron was severely underappreciated from a fantasy perspective. This year’s been a different story, however. He’s been very inconsistent. Despite that, considering who looks to be available on your wire, I’d stand pat and cross my fingers for a strong finish.

Brock Seguin: I have Perron and Oshie pretty even the Rest of the Season, so he’d be the only one I’d consider making the swap for. If you look ahead to the fantasy playoffs, they have the same amount of games, and the Capitals have an easier schedule, so you could use that as the tiebreaker.

Matt Larkin: I expected more from Perron. He has been so reliable in fantasy for most of his career. He’s still on pace for 50 points, however, and has always been streaky. The Wings have 33 games left; last season, Perron closed out his year with 18 goals and 35 points in his final 32 games. I’d hold him over the names you mentioned.