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.

 

Alex Chiasson - Edmonton Oilers - Winger

Let’s start with this week’s segment of “Who’s Playing LW for the Oilers”. Alex Chiasson has once again found himself on the top line with Draisaitl and McDavid. Honestly, he’s probably the best fit for that line than any other player on the team. The young players (Rattie, Yamamoto, etc.) just haven’t seize the opportunity when given the chance to play with those two, but Chiasson has done his part, totaling 17 goals in 39 games. For whatever reason, the Montreal native is 11% owned on Yahoo!, so if you need a winger who can score goals and is getting every opportunity to do that, he’s your guy.

Anthony Mantha - Detroit Red Wings - Winger

I know Mantha missed some time due to injury, but there is no reason for his ownership to be 25% on Yahoo!. Despite being on a terrible team, he’s a talented winger that can score goals at this level. He’s playing on the second with Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen, but it’s only a matter of time before he takes Tyler Bertuzzi’s spot on the top line. Mantha is 55% owned on ESPN, but that’s a 18% drop from the previous week. Moral of the story here-- add Mantha if you need scoring help!

William Nylander - Toronto Maple Leafs - Winger

It’s been a disaster of a season for William Nylander. After missing the start of the season due to his contract holdout, the 22-year-old has managed to score just one goal in 19 games. It’s become so bad that head coach Mike Babcock has demoted the winger to the fourth line on multiple occasions. That has also caused his ownership to drop to 70% on Yahoo!. We all agree that Nylander is too talented to be this bad, so he’s going to turn his season around. Fantasy teams that are trying to fight for a playoff spot don’t have time to wait for Nylander to figure it out, but if you find him on the waiver wire, he needs to be added. The kid is going to turn it around, and when he does, look out. The Leafs are going to give him every chance to do it, and at some point, the puck is going to start going into the net.

Nino Niederreiter - Carolina Hurricanes - Winger

The Carolina Hurricanes made a splash this week when they traded Victor Rask for Nino Niederreiter. On paper, that is a steal for Carolina, but Nino is now going to have to prove to the team that he can play at a consistently high level. He’s expected to play on the top line for the Hurricanes, which is excellent news for fantasy owners. He’s only scored nine goals this season, but we can expect those totals to increase over the next couple of weeks with his new team. At 25% ownership on Yahoo!, if you see him floating around on the waiver wire, take a chance and add him.

Brandon Pirri - Vegas Golden Knights - Winger/Center

Guess who’s back, back again, Pirri’s back, don’t tell your friends. The Golden Knights have recalled Pirri (again) from the AHL and this time, it looks like he will be staying for good. The 27-year-old has 13 points in only 12 games this season, including eight goals. He’s getting a chance to skate on the top line and top power play unit, so fantasy owners may want to jump on the waiver wire and add him before it’s too late!

Jonathan Quick - Los Angeles Kings - Goalie

It’s understandable if you don’t want to be a Jonathan Quick owner. The Kings have been a dumpster fire since puck drop on opening night and Quick hasn’t been the elite goalie we all know him to be. That being said, 80% ownership for a goalie that is statistically having the worst season of his career is too low. The 32-year-old isn’t going to lose starts to Jack Campbell and if you spot start him against weaker Western Conference teams, he could be an asset. Quick has also battled injuries this season, so that’s probably the biggest factor into why he hasn’t been elite.  All that to say, if you need a goalie and Quick is floating around on the wire, add him. Still time for him to turn his season around and help a fantasy team make a push towards the playoffs.

Jaroslav Halak - Boston Bruins - Goalie

Starter Tuukka Rask left yesterday’s game after a collision with Rangers’ forward Filip Chytil and did not return to the game. The team later confirmed that Rask suffered a concussion and that there was no timetable for his return. This means that Jaroslav Halak will be taking over the starting job duties while Rask is out, and Halak is only 54% owned on ESPN. The veteran goalie has been very good this season, posting a 13-9-2 record with a 2.47 GAA and a .919 SV% in 26 games. Halak’s ownership has jumped 24% over the last seven days, so you might want to stop reading this and go add him right away!