Fantasy Hockey Look at Hodgson for Kassian

The Vancouver Canucks made waves this afternoon by sending promising third-line center Cody Hodgson and spare defenseman Alexander Sulzer to the Buffalo Sabres for young players Marc-Andre Gragnani and Zack Kassian. Considering this deal is the gem of deadline day, it is only natural we take a look at its impact.

Cody Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer to the Buffalo Sabres

Hodgson, in a very surprising move, is shipped from the only organization he has even known. Once a top prospect who captained Team Canada in the WJHC, the pivot was tasked in centering the third line for most of the season. After starting the season on on the second line while Ryan Kesler was sidelined, it was clear that the Canucks would not give him the necessary offensive minutes to fully hit his potential. Instead of letting some of his value dry up due to improper usage, the Canucks get an actual need. Now, with the Sabres, Hodgson should be given every opportunity to succeed.

This season, the Sabres have struggled to find the right fit down the middle. They’ve used Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht, Luke Adam, and Tyler Ennis on the top two lines but most of those players were over their head or out of their natural position. With  Hodgson in the mix, Roy could slot down to the second line while Ennis moves back to the wing. The move also immediately gives them a center back after the team moved Paul Gaustad in a separate transaction. While Hodgson was probably not on your radar as a center to pick up, he could get a big spike in production if he sees time with Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville.

Sulzer, on the other hand, should fill Gragnani’s role as seventh defenseman. The West German defenseman played only 12 games this season, registering an assist. He clearly has no fantasy hockey value.

Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani to the Vancouver Canucks

In Kassian, the Canucks get bigger and meaner. Playing in just his first professional season, the 21-year-old scored three goals and seven points in 27 games with the Sabres. However, most of those games came while playing on the third or fourth line. When playing in all situations with the Rochester American of the AHL, Kassian scored 15 goals and 26 points in 30 games. The Canucks are hoping they see that side of his game as they try him out on their second and third lines.

Furthermore, Vancouver picks up a very underrated talent in Gragnani, who was a healthy scratch for the last month or so. After bursting onto the scene last season, the Montreal native was unable to display a similar level of play. Most of that regression, however, can be blamed on the addition of Christian Ehrhoff. Last season, Gragnani was playing on the top power play unit and was given every opportunity to produce. If a defenseman like Sami Salo goes down, the young defenseman should be able to slot right in.

After acquiring Samuel Pahlsson earlier in the afternoon, the Canucks had some extra depth down the middle. Now they have a monster on the wings and some more depth on the blue line. The biggest losers of the deal is one of Jannik Hansen, Mason Raymond, David Booth and Christopher, who figure to move down a line or surrender some playing time to Kassian.

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In summary, the Sabres got a future cornerstone while the Canucks hope they do too. The best-scenario is the Canucks get a Milan Lucic-type power forward while the Sabres get a pivot who can be considered a core player. Both of these players have very high ceilings but we probably won’t see the upside for another season or two.