The NHL trade deadline is quickly approaching and, as always, there will be no shortage of roster moves by the 30 NHL teams which will have significant impacts on the fantasy landscape.

We will spare you the fool's errand of trying to predict the minds of NHL general managers and then, in turn, predicting the fantasy outcomes of those predictions -- we'll have a rundown of the fantasy spin on all the trades in next week's special Tuesday edition of "Open Ice."

Instead, let's approach this week from a perspective of who to target in fantasy for your own trading purposes.

These aren't necessarily players likely to be dealt in the NHL; in fact, some aren't going anywhere for years to come. These are the players who you should target in your own fantasy negotiations as we approach the stretch run.

Steven Stamkos, F, Tampa Bay Lightning: No. 24 among skaters on the ESPN Player Rater this season and No. 85 on the same list for the past month, Stamkos' value may be at a low point. That's the definition of when you should target a fantasy star. But before jumping in with both feet, you might want to know why a 90-point player is on pace for only 73 points. The absence of Martin St. Louis is a big difference, but so is the presence of a second line that has been the most productive unit in the NHL this season as a trio. Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov have kept the pressure off the Stamkos line (in its varying forms) when it comes to scoring. The production, however, has ebbed and flowed between the two lines as opponents rework their coverage to try and account for both scoring units. Most months this season, it is either Stamkos or the second line scoring better than a point per game -- not both. Stamkos is an offensive catalyst, and his team will lean on him when scoring matters most during the push toward the top of the standings. We are not saying the bloom will completely fall off the Palat-Johnson-Kucherov rose, just that Stamkos will be the star he is down the stretch. At the very least, there are no other players with as much game-changing fantasy potential that you could potentially net in trade while their value is somewhat suppressed. Stamkos should be target No. 1 for those owners looking to make a big change for the final few weeks of the fantasy season.

Pavel Datsyuk, F, Detroit Red Wings: There is a fragile tag here, but no one is currently doing more for fantasy owners while not getting the full respect afforded to his peers. Playing with Tomas Tatar and Darren Helm, Datsyuk is thriving in an offensive role, while Henrik Zetterberg's line works on shutting down opponents. It's a bit of a switch from how the duo usually operate when on separate lines, which is perhaps where some of the hesitation surrounding Datsyuk comes from. But his paces are much different than they usually are for his career. For example, Datsyuk's goal pace would easily eclipse his career high of 32 tallies if he hadn't missed more than 10 games earlier this season. As it stands, he is on pace for 29 goals in 71 games, with better than a point-per-game production at 73 points. He has seven shots on goal in one game on four separate occasions this season. He achieved that five times during the past three seasons combined. But is Datsyuk being treated as a high-octane scorer by his fantasy owner in your league? Or have they not had a closer look and are still considering him as a top-30 fantasy forward that is heavy on the assists? So long as the aging Red Wings veterans can stay healthy for the stretch run, Datsyuk should close out one of his best offensive seasons. Here's hoping Zetterberg's upper-body injury Saturday doesn't upset the delicate ecosystem in which Datsyuk is currently thriving.

Injured defensemen: Take your pick here from Dion Phaneuf, Erik Johnson or Kevin Shattenkirk. Phaneuf, Johnson and Shattenkirk have been out long enough now, without firm timetables for their imminent return, that their owner will surely part with them for less than they are worth. Especially in head-to-head leagues, injured players are terrific targets for shrewd fantasy owners that can limp through the remaining injury time and get back an elite player. Phaneuf is getting much closer to a return than the others and has been a No. 2 fantasy defenseman this season, while Johnson's timetable included a return any time between now and mid-March. They are safer targets to be sure, but they don't have the upside of Shattenkirk. With Shattenkirk, you would be chasing after the best fantasy defenseman in the league prior to his injury. But, again, if you can get him now and hobble through, he could win you your league in the final weeks.

Jonathan Quick, G, Los Angeles Kings: Quickly now, as the buy-low ship may already have set sail. After an extended rough patch, Quick has won seven games in a row and allowed fewer than three goals in four straight. Where have we seen this Jekyll and Hyde first and second half of the season before? Oh, right, it's what Quick did last season. He closed last season as one of the best fantasy goaltenders during the final months and went on to win the Stanley Cup. Fantasy owners aren't really concerned with his playoff success, but the fact Quick has a history of closing strong and is on a hot streak should make him one of the top fantasy trade targets.

Steve Mason, G, Philadelphia Flyers: We could have put Henrik Lundqvist here and were hesitant to consider Sergei Bobrovsky given his current campaign. But Mason has lower value and, dare we say, higher upside than the other two injured starters. Mason has been exceptional between the pipes while wearing a Flyers jersey -- the problem with his value is that he has also been hurt a lot. His save percentage as a member of the Flyers is .922, which is bordering on elite. Mason is on the current road trip with the Flyers and a Saturday return to action is being discussed. In the five games before his most recent injury, Mason posted a .960 save percentage. He could be a top-10 goaltender, maybe even a top-five goaltender if he returns in the same form he was in before the injury. Mason is not even owned in 70 percent of ESPN leagues, which is an argument you could use in your trade negotiations.

Forwards rising and falling

Derick Brassard, F, New York Rangers (up 10 spots to No. 81): There are only two games in the 11 that the Rangers have played in February in which Brassard has not found the scoresheet. He has 12 points and 31 shots on goal -- with 11 of those points coming as assists to his high-scoring linemates Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello. This line is on fire for the Rangers, and is nicely offset by the combination of Martin St. Louis, Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan, so opponents can't fully concentrate on shutting down just one of the lines.

Patrick Sharp, F, Chicago Blackhawks (down 10 spots to No. 41): Relegated to the third line with the return of Kris Versteeg, Sharp's struggles go beyond the health of Versteeg in the top six. He is pointless in eight games with a minus-6 rating. On the month as a whole, Sharp has one assist and is a minus-8 in 10 games. His production picked up significantly in January with Versteeg out of the mix, but so long as he has third-line duty, Sharp is not worth starting in your fantasy league. We can't give up on him completely, since he has potential to be an elite fantasy forward, but a benching is in order.

Kyle Turris, F, Ottawa Senators (up 38 spots to No. 142): It took removing Turris from Clarke MacArthur's side to spark him back to action. After excelling thanks in large part to chemistry with MacArthur last season, Turris slumped pretty badly in December and things got even worse in January, when he had six points in 12 games. Of all wingers, it was the previously left-for-dead Milan Michalek that has resurrected Turris. The pair have combined for 17 points in the past six games, and are more than deserving of some extra attention from fantasy owners. Michalek may even still be available in your league since he had zero fantasy value two weeks ago.

Defensemen rising and falling

Keith Yandle, D, Arizona Coyotes (down 19 spots to No. 64): Yandle's stats aren't all that different from last season's numbers, so why the sudden dip from mid-tier to low-tier No. 1 fantasy defenseman? Because one element that is different from last season is Yandle's plus/minus. He has taken last season's terrible minus-23 and already blown past it on the way to a new low. How low will he go? Certainly low enough to do some damage to your fantasy team's fortunes if you don't account for his poor plus/minus elsewhere in your planning. If the Coyotes further tank with some deals at the trade deadline, things could get even worse.

Goaltenders rising and falling

John Gibson, G, Anaheim Ducks (up 56 spots to No. 221): With Ilya Bryzgalov going on waivers on Sunday, it likely signifies that Gibson will stick around a little longer and settle back in to his role as backup to Frederik Andersen. That said, Gibson has potential to push for a bigger share of the starting pie than most backup goaltenders. There is value enough here to deposit him on your bench even after Andersen returns.

Quick Hits

• Ryan Miller going for an MRI is concerning for both the Vancouver Canucks and his fantasy owners. While Eddie Lack is in line to be the starter, if Miller's injury is calling for more than a couple weeks off, that is enough time for Jakob Markstrom to work his way into a larger role. Lack has consistency issues -- with wild swings in his month-to-month ratios -- and hobbled to a 6-7-1 record, 2.98 goals-against average and .889 save percentage as the starter last March. Markstrom is the high-upside prospect and has been dominating the AHL this season.

• With no exact word on what is ailing David Krejci, owners will want to play it safe and keep him out of weekly lineups.

• There is definitely enough upside to warrant a pickup of Kimmo Timonen in all but the shallowest of leagues. As discussed in

Updated top 250 rankings

Here is the updated version of our top 250, rest-of-season rankings for forwards, defensemen and goaltenders, including positional ranks: