If you are looking to make a trade, no deals are more impactful than those involving netminders. Unless you've got Lundqvist and Rinne on your team, take a good hard look at how you might improve between the pipes.

Two possible "Sell High" candidates include Jonathan Quick and Tim Thomas. Both are noted in Cam's Second Half Stinkers post. It might seem strange to consider, but the potential return could be just what you need going forward.

On the flip side, there are several goalies who have had down seasons, recently hit rough patches, or are otherwise potentially undervalued, that may nonetheless be primed for strong, championship winning finishes. Cam Ward and Antii Niemi are both tabbed by Cam as Second Half Stars, Ryan Miller and Jonas Hiller appear to be returning to their All-Star form, an always stout though underutilized Cory Schneider could get moved at the deadline, and Jimmy Howard just saw his value take a hit due to his recent injury. All may be had at a discount.

NOTE: This will be the final month for in-season rankings as next month we'll only have a few weeks left in the regular season schedule. We hope these rankings help you negotiate deals ahead of the trade deadline. Remember: If you're not in 1st place any deal that doesn't get done only helps the #1 team stay ahead of the pack.

Goaltender Rankings -->> Top 30

1. Henrik Lundqvist (1): Last month, I wrote, "The undisputed #1 heading into December, he also posted the #1 best numbers last month. It is no wonder they call him 'King.'" Ditto. Best numbers yet again this month. Barring a catastrophic collapse, the Vezina will finally belong to Lundqvist. If you own him, count your lucky stars.

2. Pekka Rinne (4): An 11-game win streak and a history of finishing strong vaults Rinne into the #2 spot. On the season, has a 2.41 GAA, .924 Save%, and 31 wins (just 1 behind Howard for the NHL lead). He's a workhorse on a defensively-minded playoff team. Hope you acquired him earlier this season during the short stretch in which he struggled because his price is likely prohibitively high at this point.

3. Jonathan Quick (2): Quick maintained his sparkling .934 Save% and actually lowered his GAA from 1.93 to 1.91 last month, however, he's only won 5 of his last 11 starts. Expect Lombardi to be a buyer at the deadline (Jeff Carter?) in order to bolster the team's offence. One word of caution: Quick has a history of fading down the stretch as his numbers have deteriorated after the break in each of the prior three seasons.

4. Tim Thomas (3): Sell Tim Thomas? Are you mad? Perhaps, but here's the facts: Historically, TT is better before the All-Star break (and in the playoffs) than he is after the break. Not sure why, but the trend is clear and his recent struggles again this season are consistent with that trend. Since 12.31.11, Thomas is 7-6-0, with a 2.77 GAA, and .906 Save%. However, coming off a Stanley Cup victory and two Vezinas in three years, there is no doubt that you could land a handsome return if you decide to move him.

5. Marc-Andre Fleury (8): Fleury dropped last month due to the fact that his team "leads" the league in man games lost to injury. Last month, Crosby, Letang, and Staal were all on IR. This month, Letang and Staal are both back and there is an increased chance that Crosby will return (in a few weeks?). Additionally, Fleury's D-corps is healthy, and the best month of his career is March.

Continue reading this post »

Kovalchuk Rockets into Top 3; Hartnell into Top 10; and Pacioretty Sizzles

Over the past month, no LW has been hotter than James Neal. He's now surpassed Daniel Sedin as the #1 LW based on YTD numbers, and his trajectory is up whereas Sedin is sort of flat to declining a bit. No knock on Daniel Sedin, but Neal has earned this after sitting in the 2-hole for several months.

This will be the final month for in-season rankings as next month we'll only have a few weeks left in the regular season schedule. We hope these rankings help you negotiate deals ahead of the trade deadline. Remember: If you're not in 1st place any deal that doesn't get done only helps the #1 team stay ahead of the pack.

Left Wing Rankings -->> Top 30

1. James Neal, LW/RW (2)

2. Daniel Sedin, LW (1)

3. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW (9)

4. Patrick Sharp, LW/C (3)

5. Alex Ovechkin, LW (4)

Continue reading this post »

Letang Returns; Doughty, Pietrangelo, and Streit Heat Up

The big movers this month, at least in the top portion of the rankings, are: Kris Letang (returning from injury), and Mark Streit and Alex Pietrangelo (who turned in their strongest months to date). Jake Gardiner, who has appeared on/off the rankings this season, is back on again--and makes the biggest jump among the unranked to grab a spot at #48.

This will be the final month for in-season rankings as next month we'll only have a few weeks left in the regular season schedule. We hope these rankings help you negotiate deals ahead of the trade deadline. Remember: If you're not in 1st place any deal that doesn't get done only helps the #1 team stay ahead of the pack.

Defenceman Rankings -->> Top 60

1.Zdeno Chara (1)

2. Erik Karlsson (2)

3. Shea Weber (3)

4. Alexander Edler (5)

5. Nicklas Lidstrom (6)

Continue reading this post »

Right Wing Rankings -->> Top 30

1. Corey Perry, RW (2)

2. Claude Giroux, RW/C (1)

3. David Backes, RW/C (8)

4. Phil Kessel, RW (4)

5. Marian Hossa, RW (12)

Continue reading this post »

1. Henrik Lundqvist (1): The undisputed #1 heading into December, he also posted the #1 best numbers last month. It is no wonder they call him "King."

2. Jonathan Quick (5): Quick leads the NHL with 6 shutouts, has a 1.93 GAA and .934 Save%, good for 4th and 5th best in the league, and his winning % should only improve.

3. Tim Thomas (2): The Bruins are annihilating the league right now and Thomas is still the clear #1. He may be rested more down the stretch though, so keep that in mind.

4. Pekka Rinne (4): Rinne has won 5 of his last 6 starts and has put his mid-season blues in his rear view.

5. Jimmy Howard (7): Howard is #1 in the league in Wins with 24 and sparkling peripherals to boot: 2.05 GAA and .924 Save%. Yes, please.

Continue reading this post »

Karlsson and Del Zotto Zooming Up

Young rearguards Erik Karlsson, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Michael Del Zotto are three of the biggest + movers this month. And injuries to established stars like Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Letang, Chris Pronger, Christian Ehrhoff, and Mike Green, have opened opportunities for other players as well.

Defenceman Rankings -->> Top 60

1.Zdeno Chara (1)

2. Erik Karlsson (4)

3. Shea Weber (2)

4. Dion Phaneuf (7)

5. Alexander Edler (3)

Continue reading this post »

As we near the halfway mark of the NHL season, some centres who were highly ranked have disappointed so far (Getzlaf, Briere) while others have been held back by injuries (Crosby, Carter). Moving up this month: The Bruins (Bergeron, Krejci), Pavel Datsyuk, and Logan Couture.

Centre Rankings -->> Top 30

1. Steven Stamkos, C (1)

2. Henrik Sedin, C (3)

3. Evgeni Malkin, C (4)

4. Jonathan Toews, C (5)

5. Nicklas Backstrom, C (6)

Continue reading this post »

We're almost at the halfway point in the NHL season, and some pre-draft darlings just aren't cutting it. I'm looking at you Bobby Ryan, JvR, and, to a lesser extent, Rick Nash. Jeff Skinner gets bumped down because of the dreaded "C" word.

Moving up: "Fat" Ovi. You're welcome, owners of #8. Nothing like calling out someone as a fat ass to get 'em back in gear. Scott Hartnell. Dude just keeps producing. I had him much higher than consensus pre-draft, but he's bested even that. Brenden Morrow. When healthy, he's a Top 15 option.

Left Wing Rankings -->> Top 30

1. Daniel Sedin, LW (1)

2. James Neal, LW/RW (2)

3. Patrick Sharp, LW/C (3)

4. Alex Ovechkin, LW (6)

5. Ryan Kesler, LW/C (7)

Continue reading this post »