We’re heading into Week 11 of the 2024-25 fantasy hockey season. As we get ready to flip the calendar from 2024 to 2025, hopefully you’re steaming right along in your season. As usual, we’ll be highlighting two players to target for a trade, and two players you need to deal while they’re at their fantasy apex.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Trade Advice (Week 11)
Buy
The 20-year-old has tailed off quite a bit in the month of December, as he has gone scoreless in the past six games with a minus-11 rating with four penalty minutes (PIM) and 16 shots on goal (SOG). Despite that, he still has two goals and eight points in 10 games in the month, so fantasy managers aren’t likely going to let you pry him away rather easily. However, if you can find a fantasy manager with an itchy trigger finger, the time is now to make a deal. Despite the six-game scoreless streak, he likely isn’t going to be available in dynasty pools. But if you were to trade a red-hot veteran or two for Michkov, it might just work. The window won’t likely stay open very long, so get moving. As soon as he starts playing up to his potential again, the price tag will rise rather rapidly.
The Rangers are an absolute mess, and it’s hard to figure out why. This is a team that looks the part of a contender, as it has a tremendous forward, a solid veteran defenseman and a world-class goaltender. But something is missing right now for the Blueshirts. Perhaps it’s a morale issue, as the team traded Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko was sent packing, and there are rumblings a piece like Chris Kreider could be next. It just doesn’t seem like it is fun lacing up the skates for the Rangers right now. Like Michkov above, the 31-year-old Swede is on a 6-game scoreless skid. However, unlike Michkov, since he is 11 years older, the price tag is likely to be substantially cheaper. Zibanejad has a God-awful minus-19 rating on the season, too, and that is a huge deterrent in leagues penalizing the category. This is a guy with three consecutive seasons with 72 or more points while hitting that mark in five of the past six NHL campaigns. The lone exception was a 50-point season in 56 games during the weird COVID season. We know he is capable of racking up big points in bunches, and that hot streak might be right around the corner. Act now!
Sell
Vilardi is having a tremendous season, but not a lot of fantasy managers have taken notice thus far. The Winnipeg forward has managed 14 goals and 31 points with a plus-3 rating and six PIM through just 36 games, and he has six power-play goals with 14 points on the man advantage. Vilardi is 45th in the NHL in points, and he has one more point than Boston’s Brad Marchand, two more points than Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin, etc. It seems Vilardi is flying under the radar, but he is on pace for 32 goals and 71 points. He managed 45 goals and 77 points in 110 NHL games across the past two seasons. Heck, if he is on the waiver wire, you might want to scoop him up and ride him for a while. But, if you are one of the handful of fantasy managers who had the foresight to grab him in the past couple of weeks, make that deal now. His 71-point face is not sustainable, and a cold streak is likely coming down the pike.
Voronkov heads out of the Christmas/holiday break with three goals and seven points in a five-game point streak, and he has a solid plus-3 rating with a power-play goal and two points in the span. The 24-year-old Russian winger has shown he can pick up points in bunches, then disappear for a few games at a time. Remember, he is on a Columbus team not expected to contend, and his plus/minus rating is likely to take a hit down the stretch. Right now, he has 10 goals and 19 points with a plus-5 rating. He also has 27 PIM, which is good news in fantasy pools rewarding bad behavior. After posting 18 goals and 34 points in 75 games last season, he is on pace for 23 goals and 45 points. That’s entirely possible. However, that plus/minus rating is expected to go south soon, and that will eat into his fantasy appeal. The time is now to shed him from your roster.