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

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

Is your fantasy team proving to be a giant lump of coal? 

Do you have stars shining brightly that you're convinced will fade over time? 

As the NHL's holiday break approaches, here are three players worth making a play for in fantasy leagues this week.

F Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers

Slot this guy in both the dump and chase categories.

On one hand, it's very tempting to sell high on a player tracking for 100 points when his previous career high sits at 62. If you can flip Voracek for a player or two with a more proven track record, there's no better time to play that hand, especially considering he's recorded only two goals and three assists in seven December games (production more in line with his career rates).

Having said that, let's say Voracek's 30-goal, 70-assist pace is legitimate, or at least close to it (a point per game player, for example). Smart fantasy owners might be able to craft a modest proposal, parting ways with a couple decent (but not great) players while banking on his owner being convinced he'll regress, as described above.

Either way, Voracek could prove to be a difference-maker for both sellers and buyers. The trick is coming out on the right end of that gamble.

F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Convince this young player's current owner that the sophomore struggle is real, and you could be laughing down the stretch this season.

MacKinnon, the NHL's reigning rookie of the year, has scored only five goals through 30 games after notching 24 for the Avalanche last season. His 19 total points put him on pace for 52, well short of the 63-point mark he reached in his first NHL season.

However, MacKinnon recorded only 21 points before Christmas last season, really breaking out once the calendar turned on the New Year. On top of that, he's on pace to fire 243 shots on goal, which would eclipse his rookie total, and his shooting percentage sits at 5.6 after hitting an even 10 last season.

Add it all up, and MacKinnon is primed to start rolling sooner than later.

G Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

After being the second-ranked goaltender on draft day, the Rangers ace ranks 10th, meaning he's right on the cusp of disappointing his owners.

Still on pace to push for 40 wins on the season, it's Lundqvist's .912 save percentage that's hurting his overall value. That number, however, is being dragged down by a forgettable October, when he posted an .891 mark through his first eight games.

Since then, he's returned to his more kingly ways, with save percentages of .927 and .917 in November and December, respectively.

It's definitely worth floating an offer or two involving a lesser goalie with better numbers to date, with the very likely probability that Lundqvist will be one of the top five goalies by season's end.