Fantasy - Dump and Chase: 3 players to target in a trade

Every Thursday, we examine a few players you should consider acquiring on the trade front in your hockey pool.

Blue Jackets F Ryan Johansen

Real trade winds began swirling around Ryan Johansen after a recent report suggested he is "softly in play" on the NHL market as Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen fields calls from his colleagues.

Johansen's response was to spin the rumors as motivation, carving a chip in his shoulder that he can use to help turn around his season.

Despite Columbus' tough start, Johansen himself hasn't been all that bad, with four goals, 12 assists, and 46 shots on goal through 21 games. One area of real concern, however, is Johansen's ice time, which is down in recent weeks under head coach John Tortorella, who seems intent on sending a message to the 23-year-old. This, in turn, is putting him in line for under 200 shots for the season, limiting his goal-scoring opportunities in the process.

While not on pace to match the career-high 71 points he posted last season, he could still push for 20-25 goals and 60-65 points, thereby securing his status as a valuable fantasy center.

Should Johansen respond positively and indeed step up his game in response to the trade rumors and Tortorella's tough love, he could be in for a big rebound over the remainder of the season.

Bruins D Torey Krug

Well into his third full NHL season, Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug is quietly turning into a high-end option in fantasy hockey.

Averaging 0.57 points per game so far this season, Krug ranks 21st among all defensemen in that category, and is on pace for a career-high 47 points.

What's even more encouraging, however, is that Krug has recorded the fifth-highest shot total from the blue line (62), but with only one goal to show for it. On track to reach upwards of 240 shots, and based on his career success rate of six percent, Krug stands to hit a double-digit goal total over the rest of the season, with loads of opportunities to produce on the power play forthcoming.

Already the 12th-ranked defenseman in Yahoo leagues, he could very well end up in the top 10, ahead of several more known commodities. Buy now before the rest of the hockey world catches on.

Panthers G Roberto Luongo

At age 36, Roberto Luongo continues to play at a high level. Through 17 games with the Florida Panthers this season, his save percentage sits at .922 - a single-season number he's exceeded only three times since entering the league in 1999.

While he's earned only six wins, it's not due to a lack of effort on his part, as Luongo has posted the fourth-highest amount of saves to date (498). He's also only one of 12 goalies to play more than 750 minutes at even strength, and his .939 save percentage at 5-on-5 ranks him third among the most used goalies, behind only Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Jones.

The Panthers have posted a record of 8-9-4 to start the seasom, but played 10 of those games without burgeoning star center Aleksander Barkov, who brings a measure of responsibility beyond his years in his own end.

If Luongo stays healthy and the Panthers live up to expectations by making a push for a playoff spot, he could be one of the more valuable goalies in fantasy hockey as the season progresses.