More Fantasy Hockey Trades: Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Luke Schenn, Michael Bunting and More

Three more trades have happened since my last trade article on March 5, which broke while composing it. We are still leading up to the trade deadline. This one starts with another huge three-team trade. It's actually crazy how common this is becoming.

The trade deadline is this Friday, March 7 in the NHL, and there should still be a lot of movement up to and on that day. Again, I will be taking the day off as per tradition and keeping you up to date with a couple summary articles to ensure you have all the facts at your fingertips.

Let's dive into these three trades, and as always I will give you a fantasy outlook, stat breakdowns, and a brief opinion of each move.

The Lightning, Kraken, and Red Wings Trade

To the Tampa Bay Lightning: Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Kyle Aucoin, fifth-round pick (2026)

To the Seattle Kraken: Mikey Eyssimont, retain 50% of Gourde's contract, first-round pick (2026), first-round pick (2027), second-round pick (2025)

To the Detroit Red Wings: Conditional fourth-round pick (2025), retain 25% of Gourde's contract

Another blockbuster trade before the trade deadline. Both the Bolts and the Kraken ran away with this trade, respectively. Obviously the Bolts are making a serious push to get another run at the cup with the additions up front in Groude and Bjorkstrand, while the Kraken somehow ended up with two first-round picks and a second-round pick. Absolutely wild.

The Red Wings got a fourth-round pick for some salary retention, which is negligible compared to the other two teams in this deal.

Gourd has six goals, 11 assists, and 36 penalty minutes as a forward in 36 games played this season. He also has 40 shots on goal, 59 hits, and 26 blocked shots. Gourd should be slotted to play a bottom six role, and would be a decent streamer or injury cover at best, but will add some decent depth to the Bolts leading into the playoffs.

Bjorkstrand has 16 goals, 21 assists, and eight powerplay points as a forward in 61 games played. He also has 124 shots on goal, 61 hits, and 26 blocked shots. He should be playing a top six role with powerplay time and his value moving forward just spiked given his new surrounding teammates and the sweater he will be wearing.

Aucoin is a sixth-round draft pick in 2020 by the Red Wings and has yet to crack the NHL as a left-handed defenseman.

Eyssimont has five goals, five assists, and 44 penalty minutes as a forward in 57 games played. He also has 98 shots on goal, 82 hits, and 19 blocked shots. A physical bottom six is a depth player and a non-roster player in fantasy.

The Sharks and Penguins Trade

To the San Jose Sharks: Vincent Desharnais

To the Pittsburgh Penguins: Fifth-round pick (2028)

Really not much to say here. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas doing Dubas things. Desharnais is not an impact player in the NHL or in your fantasy league, and a pick three years away is right up Dubas' alley to acquire.

Desharnais has zero goals, three assists, and 38 penalty minutes as a defenseman in 44 games played. He also has 27 shots on goal, 73 hits, and 68 blocked shots.

The Penguins and Predators Trade

To the Pittsburgh Penguins: Luke Schenn, Tommy Novak

To the Nashville Predators: Michael Bunting, fourth-round pick (2026)

I am not sure what happened here, because this is very out of character for the Penguins general manager; Dubas. Did he just make a hockey trade? Did we not just go over a trade where Dubas did a Dubas trade?

This trade is actually pretty exciting. Sadly Luke will not be reunited with his brother Brayden Schenn, unless the Penguins also target him from the St. Louis Blues - which I believe to be highly unlikely.

Although what I also thought was unlikely was Dubas trading away Bunting, because if there is one other typical characteristic of him; it's that he loves his guys. If you played for the Soo Greyhounds or the Toronto Marlies, it's likely you will be a trade target. Bunting played for him as a Marlie, and a Toronto Maple Leaf. Then he was brought over by Dubas this year.

Heck, even whatever made up title they made for Jason Spezza is even reflective of this. Dubas brought in Spezza as a player on the Maple Leafs, Spezza retired and was immediately brought into the office. Dubas was fired, Spezza immediately resigned. Dubas' first action as part of the Penguins organization was to bring in Spezza. You can't even make this up.

All Dubas' antics aside, this trade actually makes the Penguins a better team, somehow. We all know that the Penguins blueline can not defend their way out of a wet paper bag. Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson are the core of their defense and are both extremely offensive minded.

Schenn brings a veteran presence (not that this team needs that, in the slightest) and a defense first defender who throws the body. Is it possible he gets moved again before the trade deadline? Maybe, we'll see.

Novak, on the other hand, will slot in as a bottom six and may see some sporadic powerplay time. Schenn was the main part of this deal for the Penguins.

Bunting going to the Preds is brilliant. A team struggling to put the puck in the net and make plays, despite the offensively loaded talent on the roster. Bunting is a grinder who makes plays, digs deep, and plays hard minutes.

I think he will be a great spark to get Smashville finally going offensively. I suspect he will be seeing middle six minutes, and will also get a look at some powerplay and penalty kill time. Bunting is an all-around depth weapon that will be a great fit for the Preds.

Schenn has one goal, four assists, and 41 penalty minutes as a defenseman in 61 games played. He also has 66 shots on goal, a whopping 228 hits, and 76 blocked shots.

Novak has 13 goals, nine assists, and five powerplay points as a forward in 52 games played. He also has 88 shots on goal, six hits, and 21 blocked shots.

Bunting has 14 goals, 15 assists, and 15 powerplay points as a forward in 58 games played. He also has 110 shots on goal, 58 hits, and 13 blocked shots.

One final note on Bunting is he is currently on IR and expected to return in a few weeks but is out indefinitely while recovering from an appendectomy he had last week.