EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsIt's going to be a busy offseason in the NHL, with many notable players swapping one jersey for the next. As teams around the league fill in their rosters and trade players and picks, it's fair to ask how everyone will fit in with their new teams, and who will replace them on their previous ones.Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash are here to break where every player fits with their new teams and whether they should be a part of your fantasy hockey draft strategy.More: Offseason trade grades | Free agency preview | Fantasy rankingsBrady Tkachuk, LW, Florida Panthers: Tkachuk joins his brother Matthew in Florida after requesting a trade out of Ottawa, and he steps into a loaded top-nine that will also get a healthy Aleksander Barkov back. Even in a shortened 60-game season, Brady posted 22 goals, 37 assists and 162 hits, and the move to a deeper roster only raises his ceiling. He remains a premier source of points and hits in one package, with 30 to 35 goals and 250-plus hits realistic. Draft him early as a near-elite power forward that gives you a leg up on the competition in the less-heralded hits category. -- AllenJacob Markstrom, G, Florida Panthers: As with several other fascinating transactions this offseason, this swap offers plenty of fantasy intrigue. Navigating a wide-looping and meandering U-turn, Markstrom finds himself back with the team that drafted him 18 years ago. A reunion the veteran netminder should embrace.Playing behind the Panthers' imposing defense, and one of the league's nastiest collection of opposing skaters altogether, the veteran's numbers will improve over last year's dud of a ride in New Jersey. Remember, only one year removed from a solid season with the Devils, Markstrom was superb in representing Sweden at the Olympics this past winter. He's hardly washed-up yet.But can he play 55 games? Will the Panthers expect as much from the 36-year-old? Assuming Sergei Bobrovsky is gone elsewhere, GM Bill Zito could still add another semi-significant netminder to his goaltending gaggle. Otherwise, pencil in Markstrom for a good number of wins, a save percentage upward of .900, and goals-against average in the 2.65 range. All goes really well, and he could serve as a Top-12 fantasy netminder with the Panthers. -- MatiashJordan Kyrou, RW, Washington Capitals: Kyrou heads to Washington after a down year in St. Louis where he managed just 18 goals, half his total from 2024-25. He slots into a refreshed top-six for the Capitals attack and probably lands on the top power-play unit, whether Alex Ovechkin re-signs with the Capitals or not. Target him as a bounce-back buy-low pick given he scored 30-plus goals in three straight seasons before this blip. -- AllenMason McTavish, C, St. Louis Blues: The Blues have a new second-line line center. Acquired from the Ducks to slide in behind Robert Thomas, ahead of Dalibor Dvorsky, the third-overall draft selection (2021) is getting a much-needed change of scenery. Often in coach Joel Quenneville's doghouse, and vocal himself about having to improve parts of his game, the 23-year-old is now in position to make the most of a clean slate. Much like his former teammate Trevor Zegras did in joining the Flyers this past season.McTavish is a 60-point player who has yet to meet that mark. Following a summer of working to become quicker, and inspired by wanting to make a good first impression in St. Louis, he finally breaks through with 60-plus -- including 25 goals -- in 2026-27. Centering a second line and secondary power play, and with much to prove, McTavish certainly merits rostering in deeper ESPN fantasy leagues. -- MatiashWilliam Eklund, LW, Ottawa Senators: Eklund lands in Ottawa to fill the exact void left by Brady Tkachuk's departure, with a real shot at top-line minutes alongside Tim Stutzle and reunited buddy Fabian Zetterlund. He's coming off a steady 53-point season in San Jose and is just 23, so there's growth left in his game. The upgrade at center (he didn't play with Macklin Celebrini much at five-on-five) should boost his assist totals. Treat him as a strong value pick who could push for a 70-point season in a featured role. -- AllenJJ Peterka, RW/LW, Boston Bruins: "That would be pretty cool," Peterka responded when asked about the opportunity to play on a forward line with David Pastrnak. We would suppose so. Following a near-70 point campaign the previous season in Buffalo, the former Sabre never really jived with the Mammoth. So turning the page once more, he now finds himself joining pal and countryman, Lukas Reichel, while playing under German head coach Marco Sturm. But it's the prospect of competing on a top line and power play with Pastrnak, who's passing the puck more than ever, that's most enticing. Thirty goals plus 40 assists - with a good fraction of those points counting with the extra skater - is no big fantasy ask from the (still only) 24-year-old. -- MatiashPavel Dorofeyev, RW/LW, New York Rangers: They call him Scorofeyev for a reason (or maybe that's just a few of us). A darling with the analytics crowd, the former Golden Knight led everyone not named Wyatt Johnston in power-play goals this past season (18th in power-play points). He also finished with 37 total goals and 230 shots, good for 20th in the league. Projected to line up with No. 1 center Mika Zibanejad, and joining Adam Fox on the Rangers' top power play, Dorofeyev should replicate, if not better, his numbers from this past season in Vegas. Turning 26 in October, and just entering his prime, the winger sports 70-point potential as soon as 2026-27. -- MatiashSimon Nemec, D, Calgary Flames: New Jersey moved on from Nemec, sending him to Calgary after he was blocked from the Devils' top power-play role by same-aged Luke Hughes. We haven't really seen him stretch his legs yet, as Dougie Hamilton was also in the mix for the Devils. In Calgary's rebuild, he should get every opportunity to beat Zayne Parekh for the right to run a top power-play unit and log heavy minutes as a cornerstone piece. Stash him in dynasty and deeper leagues as a former No. 2 overall pick who finally gets a clear runway. -- AllenValeri Nichushkin, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets: As factors, the where and with whom have played less into Nichushkin's fantasy value than individual issues. When healthy and/or not dealing with off-ice concerns, the power forward serves as a fantasy gem. He shoots, scores, hits, and provides extra scoring jam on the power play. But the winger must be available to compete to share all that fantasy love, which, before banging out 72 games with Colorado this past season, remains an enduring worry.Then there are questions about whether Kirill Marchenko -- a potential playing partner for Nichushkin -- will remain in Columbus next season and beyond. Or defenseman Zach Werenski, who just makes the whole team better. Although a fantasy wild card with tons of upside, as we head into proper summer, the 31-year-old best presents as a mid-to-late round gamble in deeper ESPN leagues. -- MatiashDarren Raddysh, D, Toronto Maple Leafs: Raddysh heads to Toronto after a breakout 22-goal, 70-point campaign in Tampa Bay that came almost entirely on the strength of power-play usage. Last season likely represents his career high, as the Lightning's power play was among the league's best and Toronto's was a step down - though the Leafs have shown they can run a dangerous unit when clicking. He needs the PP1 role to retain his fantasy stature and should claim it from Morgan Rielly, but Toronto's power play must also bounce back. Don't pay full price based on his 2025-26 season, but also don't let him slip too far past the top 15 defenders. -- AllenAlex Tuch, RW, Washington Capitals: Understandably, the 30-year-old is rather excited about the prospect of competing on a line with Alex Ovechkin. Who wouldn't be? What's more surprising, at least through last month's lens, is this relationship could actually spell out.At the time of this writing, the league's greatest goal-scorer has yet to announce his decision about returning for another year or not. But even if Ovi chooses to call it an NHL career, Tuch could still end up in great company on Washington's top line, playing on his off wing, alongside Dylan Strome and fellow Caps newbie Jordan Kyrou. Or on another scoring unit with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson. The Capitals aren't paying him $84-million to skate in the bottom-six.Toss in solid minutes with the extra skater, and Tuch should replicate this past season's impressive fantasy showing in ESPN standard leagues (2.3 FPPG). Considering his proclivity for blocking shots and producing on the penalty kill, Tuch runs neck and neck with Wilson as the club's top two fantasy forwards. -- MatiashJoseph Woll, G, Philadelphia Flyers: Woll moves from Toronto to Philadelphia, and he arrives to a tandem situation behind presumptive No. 1 Dan Vladar. His last season with the Leafs was rocky (.899 save percentage, 3.34 GAA) on a team that allowed plenty of goals, so a true 1B role behind a structured Rick Tocchet defense could help his numbers. Treat him as a streaming/depth option until his workload is clearer. -- AllenBowen Byram, D, Chicago Blackhawks: Wish granted. Wanting out from under the shadow cast by Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo, the 25-year-old defenseman now finds himself the guy in Chicago - a role that will afford him the opportunity to see upwards of 25 minutes/game when competing on the Blackhawks' top pair and anchoring the No. 1 power play. While he'll register more than his career-high of 42 points amassed with the Sabres this past season, the pressing question is how much more.GM Kyle Davidson still has work to do this summer in improving his roster around star forward Connor Bedard. How successful Davidson performs in that regard will go a long way in projecting Byram's ceiling in Chicago. We'll get a much better sense of where the fourth-overall draft selection (2019) -- entering the final year of his current contract -- ranks amongst NHL fantasy defenders nearer the start of camp. -- MatiashSebastian Cossa, G, Utah Mammoth: Cossa escapes a crowded Detroit goaltending pipeline, where he was competing with prospect Trey Augustine, and heads to Utah to pair with Karel Vejmelka. He has minimal NHL experience but dominated the AHL last season (26-8-4, .915 save percentage, five shutouts), suggesting real spike potential as a tandem partner. If Utah leans into more of a two-man crease approach, Cossa has a legitimate path to starts. He's a dynasty/deep-league stash with breakout potential if he performs. Think of Vejmelka and Cossa like a discounted version of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt from last season in Minnesota. -- Allen
