Fantasy Hockey Players Likely to be Traded at Deadline: Part 1 | Seth Jones, Ryan O’Reilly, Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram

We are going to comb through the players likely to be on the move on the NHL trade deadline on March 7 - keeping in mind, your likely fantasy trade deadline is February 28.

This will be a two-part series. We'll go over a total of eight players in the consensus top 30 that are rosterable, and could potentially have an uptick in production once traded. These players will move to a buying team making a playoff push. The direct result of this is they will play for a better team, with better talent surrounding them.

If you need a boost prior to the trade deadline as your fantasy team is also making a push deep into the playoffs, then take a look at these players. Some will be impact players to your roster, some will be waiver wire targets to fill your injury holes. You will see a mix but that will depend on how deep your league is.

Forwards Likely on the Move

We'll start with Ryan O'Reilly, currently of the Nashville Predators. Who would have ever thought this team would be a seller come trade deadline. Smashville was supposed to come out, well... smashing other teams. They went out and got Steven Stamkos and added him to an already deadly scoring core, but so far this year they have fallen flat.

Goaltender Juuse Saros has not been his elite self, with only 12 wins in 42 starts, and captain and number one defenseman Roman Josi has an abysmal -26 +/- rating. Like what happened here?

Regardless, O'Reilly seems to be on his way out and has 14 goals, 20 assists, and 12 powerplay points in 53 games played. He also has 98 shots on goal, 14 hits, and 47 hits.

Likely a depth piece here, but certainly serviceable. The veteran still has some life to his game, and is somewhat above waiver wire status.

Dylan Cozens. Where do we even go with this guy? For starters, he plays on the Buffalo Sabres, and he's not the only one on his way out of this team on the part one list. This guy rides the waiver wire like Tony Hawk rides a stair railing. I still can't tell if he is ready to break out, or if he is what he is.

I think he'll do super well given the opportunity to be isolated with better players. He is just so on the cusp it's frustrating. In my main league, this guy has been dropped, and immediately picked up from waivers seven times. Likely double that last year, and I was included in that count.

He's worth a pickup, especially if he moves. His production can only go up. I feel like he is laying on his floor, but his ceiling is about four stories high. If he gets some help, it will help propel him up. His production is also stifled in Buffalo as he is hindered by his deployment as a third liner with no depth around him.

This year, he has 11 goals, 16 assists, and four powerplay points in 55 games played. He also has 123 shots on goal, 123 hits, and 36 blocked shots. Also of note, he has 55 penalty minutes, for those of you with leagues who count this.

Defensemen Likely on the Move

Continuing the Sabres train, we have Bowen Byram. This 2019 fourth overall pick is also still a mystery. Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche and stuck behind Cale Makar, then moving to Buffalo and being stuck behind Rasmus Dahlin, and kind of Owen Power - this has not helped him break out.

Despite this being a recurring theme in Buffalo, this kid is due to have a monster season. He could never and will never be the number one defender on either the Avs or the Sabres. 

If he does get moved, let's hope he can quarterback a powerplay unit and is given some freedom and opportunity to expand his deployment where he isn't overshadowed by a top prospect.

This season, Bo has seven goals, 22 assists, and two powerplay points in 55 games played. He also has 66 shots on goal, 57 hits, and 81 blocked shots.

Last but not least is Chicago Blackhawk Seth Jones, who has recently asked for a trade. This might be tough to do, with a $9.5M AAV for the next five years. If Jones can land on a contending team, it will not only help that team immensely, but would rocket Jones into the next level.

He is already an elite defender, who still puts out great numbers and peripherals. Imagine what he could do on a team that isn't awful. That said, it is surprising that the Hawks are selling, and not trying to get some help for Connor Bedard. 

But, how many teams took at least two elite prospects to build a franchise? Speaking of Blackhawks, Hello Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Hello Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Hello Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Hello Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

So, Hello Bedard and... Tyler Bertuzzi? Nope, just doesn't have the same ring (or production) to it, does it? Guess selling is a way to get there quicker, and both the Blackhawks and Jones have decided Jones isn't the number two guy (and he's not).

This season, Jones has six goals, 20 assists, and 14 powerplay games in 40 games played. He also has 76 shots on goal, 56 hits, and 79 blocked shots.

That doesn't mean Jones doesn't have value, and can't help your team find success in the playoffs. It just means he isn't a franchise player. And again this isn't a bad thing, because there aren't very many of them out there!

Closing Thoughts

Any of these four players are decent pickups. I would say Jones has the highest ceiling of course, especially if he lands on a contending team. His +/- will certainly pick up if he does, as he is currently a -15, but not surprising given the team he has around him.

My second pick would honestly be Bo. Once out of the shadow, this kid is going to shine. Mark my words!

Soon, we will touch on four more players in the the top half of the 30 players who are making the trade boards, so watch out for that and be sure to check in on FantasySP's Trade Analyzer tool before hitting send or accept in your trades!