The NHL season is in full swing and that means so is fantasy hockey! It’s a long grind to get to the playoffs, and an even tougher challenge to win it all. Like every year, injuries are going to happen to key players, which means we need to be active on the waiver wire. The waiver wire can help you win a championship, so it’s important to add the right players at the right time. Let’s take a look at which players are worth looking adding for the upcoming week.

 

Dylan Strome - Chicago Blackhawks - Center

It has not been a great start to Dylan Strome’s career. The former third overall pick in was never able to find a home in Arizona, but maybe a chance of scenery will do him some good. The 21-year-old is skating on the second line with Alex Debrincat and Patrick Kane, two very talented forwards who should help Strome pick up some points. At this point, it’s a buy-low risk that can only go up. The Blackhawks aren’t very good, but they still have players who can score goals and rack up points. It can’t hurt the kid to be playing alongside a sniper like Kane. He’s 10% owned on Yahoo!, so take the risk and let’s hope it works out nicely.

Jimmy Vesey - New York Rangers - Winger

The Rangers have been hit with a serious case of the injury bug. With so many players on the shelf, Jimmy Vesey has found himself skating on the top line over the last couple of games, and that could translate into an increase in offensive production. The 25-year-old already has 12 points this season (8G, 4A), which would put him on pace for about 40-points, a career high. Even if the Rangers are a terrible team offensively, Vesey is going to get lots of ice time, and that’s good enough for most fantasy owners. It’s a short-term solution that could turn into something very nice.

Colby Cave - Boston Bruins - Center

With Patrice Bergeron out of the lineup, there has been a rotation of centerman on the top line, and now it looks like Colby Cave will get his chance to showcase his skill. The 23-year-old is expected to skate between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, so he could find a way to pick up his first NHL point, or better, first NHL goal. There’s no guarantee that he’s sticks on that top line, but at less than 1% owned on most sites, he’s worth picking up until he’s demoted. Again, more of a short-term solution, but maybe he collects a couple of points this week and keep your fantasy team alive.

Justin Faulk - Carolina Hurricanes - Defence

It kind of feels like Justin Faulk has fallen off the fantasy hockey radar over the last two seasons, but he’s still a pretty good hockey player. His point totals won’t blow you away, but he’s taking a bunch of shots per game and he’s blocking over one shot per game. He’s also the quarterback on the top power play unit, so the opportunity for him to rack up points is still there. For whatever reason, Faulk is only 20% owned on ESPN. The fear will always be Dougie Hamilton taking his spot on the power play, but it hasn’t happened so far this season. The 26-year-old might look like a short term solution, but he’s probably a permanent player in depper formats.

Alexander Edler - Vancouver Canucks - Defence

Alexander Edler must be one of the most underrated fantasy players on this planet. The 32-year-old is back from injury and has collect seven points (1G, 6A) in 13 games. He’s skating on the top power play unit and he’s an excellent shot blocker. The veteran defenceman is only 4% owned on ESPN, which seems really low for a player that can do more than just block shots. Edler isn’t going to rack up the points, but he’s a shot blocking machine and he’s playing over 24 minutes a night, so it can’t hurt his value moving forward. If he’s available on the waiver wire, it would be a good idea to pick him up.

Curtis McElhinney - Carolina Hurricanes - Goalie

Looks like Curtis McElhinney is starting to run away with the starting goalie job. He’s been much better than Petr Mrazek this season, and with Scott Carling in the AHL, there’s really no competition behind him. McElhinney has been solid in his last two games, especially the one in Montreal where he stopped 48 out of 49 shots in a 2-1 victory. He’s only 15% owned on ESPN, so he’s still widely available in most leagues. The veteran goalie is a perfect short-term solution for fantasy teams that are in need of a starting goalie. He’s also on a hot streak, so soak it up before he goes back to being average.

Thomas Greiss - New York Islanders - Goalie

For some reason, Thomas Greiss is only 8% owned on ESPN. That’s a huge gap from his 51% ownership on Yahoo!. The veteran goalie is stuck in a timeshare with Robin Lehner for the starting job, but so far this season, 32-year-old has been the better goalie, which should translate into more starts sooner rather than later. In leagues where wins are important, Greiss has been able to pick up eight of them in 15 games, compared to just four for Lehner. Wins aren’t a great way to evaluate goalies, but it’s still a category in fantasy hockey that you need to win. In the long run, Greiss should pick up the majority of the starts for his team.