The New York Rangers have acquired Ryan Strome from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Ryan Spooner.

The amount of similarities between these two players is startling. In short, both are natural centres named Ryan with one goal and two points this season despite seeing time on the power play. 

But has this trade made either player fantasy relevant? Both are less than one percent owned making them very deep sleepers.

Let’s start by looking at Ryan Strome. The only consistent winger he’s had this year is Milan Lucic while the other side of his line has been occupied by a carousel of young players featuring Drake Caggiula, Jesse Puljujärvi, and Kailer Yamamoto. 

So where does he fit into the Rangers’ lineup? Ideally, he would slot into second line duties between Chris Kreider and Vladislav Namestnikov. Kreider has been on fire so far posting ten goals and five assists through 19 games; however, Namestnikov hasn’t been nearly as hot (seven points through 18 games). 

If not with the second unit, Strome could potentially find his niche on the third between Jesper Fast and Jimmy Vesey. Fast is speedy (as his name implies) and Vesey is a goal-scorer who struggles to create his own offence; therefore, a playmaker like Strome could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Another imperative factor to consider with sleepers is projected power play time. The Rangers are 15th in the league on the power play and could potentially slot in Strome on the second unit as opposed to rookie Brett Howden. 

Now let’s flip things over and talk about Ryan Spooner. Although he’s listed as a pure centre by fantasy eligibility standards, he’s spent a great portion of this season on the wing. His versatility may end up paying off in spades if he ever gets to play with Connor McDavid.

The chances of that happening are actually a lot better than most would expect. Wingers who play with McDavid are often criticized for their lack of footspeed; however, being fast just so happens to be one of Spooner’s calling cards. 

He’s also been somewhat of a power play specialist during certain stages of his career. He’s recorded 17 or more points on the man advantage in two different seasons and would be a welcomed addition to the Oilers’ 16th-ranked power play.

Strome used to centre the second power play unit; therefore, it would appear as though it’s Spooner’s spot to lose. What’s even more appealing for Spooner’s fantasy value is Edmonton’s inability to decide how to deploy their top-six. As usual, they’ve tried out several different combinations leading to limited success. Draisaitl is currently on McDavid’s wing so if they decide to try Spooner on the other side, he should naturally be picked up immediately.

Even if he’s placed on the second or third line, there’s still a lot to like about his scenario. The Oilers’ middle-six currently includes players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Milan Lucic, and Ty Rattie.

Lucic in particular is coming off a down year that saw him score less than 17 goals over a full season for the first time since 2009-10. He was never able to find much chemistry with McDavid; however, a quick centre with good playmaking ability like Spooner could benefit both parties.

Both Ryan Spooner and Ryan Strome are headed to their second team in three seasons in hopes of finally unlocking their full potential. Each player should be monitored closely in coming weeks although Spooner is in more of a favourable situation.