Some of the most entertaining games on the entire AJHL schedule this season have been a product of a matchup between the Spruce Grove Saints and the Sherwood Park Crusaders. It shouldn’t come as a surprise either. The Saints are the defending AJHL Champions, as they reminded me earlier today on Twitter, while the Crusaders are better than they’ve been in years and currently sit atop the AJHL’s North Division.
It’s weird how things have gone for the Ottawa Senators. Less than ten months ago this organization almost made the Stanley Cup Finals, a little over three months ago they made a deal for Matt Duchene to try improve the team and then… well… %#!& hit the fan.
It’s gotten to the point where they’re set on dealing arguably the best player their organization has ever seen, and one of the best players in the league. Pure insanity.
The NHL all-star weekend is over which means it’s time to get back to business, and by business, I mean beating your friends at fantasy hockey.
Games actually won’t get back underway until Tuesday, so again another none seven day game week.
Now, until the trade deadline, you should start keeping on eye out for players that are in the trade talks. A new change of scenario could change a players season around. Also keep a look out for players returning from injury, like Max Domi
This week’s list will contain players who will help you in daily, weekly and dynasty leagues.
Let’s get going.
Jason Zucker – Minnesota Wild
ESPN Owned Percentage: 34.7%
The Minnesota Wild forward is having himself a career year racking up 33 points in 48 games. In his last 10 games, Zucker has continued to build on those numbers scoring nine points helping the Wild maintain their spot at the top of the Central. One downfall with Zucker is that he doesn’t play on the power play, obviously, you’d like to see your players play on the odd man but Zucker is still having success without that extra ice time. When I play fantasy I really enjoy to pair up linemates, if you own Mikael Granlund then you’re going to want Zucker too.
Andre Burakovsky – Washington Capitals
ESPN Owned Percentage: 24.5%
Burakovsky has made the list two weeks in a row now because he simply keeps performing at a high level. Since the last time we spoke about him, the Caps forward has scored five points in three games, maintaining his hot streak. The only issue with Burakovsky is he isn’t playing top-six minutes meaning it’s unlikely he’ll be able to continue this for much longer. We can only hope that eventually, he’ll make his way up to the depth chart and gains more minutes.
Alexander Burmistrov – Arizona Coyotes
ESPN Owned Percentage: 1.5%
Since joining the Arizona Coyotes Alexander Burmistrov has been superb. Burmistrov has scored a point in every game but one since January 16th and has been Arizona’s best forward. So far, he hasn’t been a huge contributor on the powerplay, nevertheless, at least he is getting minutes which means those points will come. Also, a big reason to pick up Burmistrov is because of the fire sale the Yotes are likely to have in the next couple of weeks. They’re allowing Hanzel, Vrbata and maybe Doan to all leave come trade deadline which would give Burmistrov the opportunity to move up the depth chart.
Dmitry Orlov – Washington Capitals
ESPN Owned Percentage: 37.6%
Despite being on pace for 41 points this season, Dmitry Orlov continues to go unnoticed by more than half of all leagues. The Caps defenseman is playing a little less than 20 minutes a night and is ranked in the top 25 for points by a defenseman. Orlov was a big contributor in both of the Caps victories last week scoring four points in only three games. Orlov is also a nice player to slip into your lineup in you’re a John Carlson owner, who is currently injured.
Every Monday, we give you the list of guys you are going to want to add from the waiver wire.
We’ll give you pickups for daily, weekly and dynasty leagues!
Also, a quick reminder that this week will be cut short due to the NHLall-star break. Therefore, make sure you check that you select your team wisely this week so that you can get your team to play the maximum amount of games.
Andre Burakovsky – Washington Capitals
ESPN Owned Percentage: 9.6%
The Washington Capitals have been on a goal scoring tear recently, scoring 52 goals in the month of January (11 games). Somebody Washington has been able to rely on over this period is has been Andre Burakovsky. Over his last five games, Burakovsky has scored seven points, 5 of which have been goals. The Austrian-born forward has scored a little over a third of his 22 points in those last five games, to put it into comparison, Burakovsky is playing much like Patrik Berglund who had a little hot streak last week but has now cooled off. The Caps forward is playing on the third line and doesn’t play many minutes so if you’re going to pick him up, make sure you monitor his form.
Conor Sheary – Pittsburgh Penguins
ESPN Owned Percentage: 45.9%
Sheary plays on a line with Sidney Crosby. The End. It really is that simple.
In the month of January, nobody has scored more goals than Conor Sheary has. In his last 8 games, Sheary has produced 12 points whilst playing alongside Sidney Crosby. Sheary is much like what I have noted about Patrick Maroon due to the fact Maroon, in the sense that he’s playing with the best player in the world. Don’t get me wrong, Sheary is extremely talented but he becomes significantly better when he plays with Crosby.
Nick Leddy – New York Islanders
ESPN Owned Percentage: 56.9%
Nick Leddy has been in top form for the Islanders since the start of the year, scoring nine points in as many games. He’s the offensive guy on the backend for New York, Leddy leads them both in 5 on 5 and powerplay points. The Islanders seems to be going under the radar whilst having a decent season, especially as of late. You’re not going to find many defensemen around the league who are still available and producing like Leddy has been.
Matt Dumba – Minnesota Wild
ESPN Owned Percentage: 46.9%
Dumba has most definitely got his offensive game flowing this season, scoring 21 points which is only five points off his career best. The Wild defensemen is currently playing on the top powerplay unit, which he actually leads with eight powerplay points so far this year. ESPN projected that Dumba would only score 24 points in the 2017 regular season” and as you can see he’s only three points away from that projection with 36 games left. Dumba can only improve upon that projection meaning he’s just going to get better as the season goes on.
Mike Condon – Ottawa Senators
ESPN Owned Percentage: 37.7%
Mike Condon has been solid for the Senators since his move over from the Penguins. The Sens netminder ranks in the top 10 for save percentage, goals-against average, and shutouts, it’s fair to say Ottawa are not going to turn their backs on Condon when Anderson returns. It has been reported that Craig Anderson will be returning late January or early February. Despite these reports, you’ll still have Condon for this next week when he faces Florida, Tampa Bay, and Buffalo who all rank in the bottom half of the league regarding goals for.
Waiver wire pickups are back!
We took a little break over the holiday season but now we are back and ready to go!
For one week at least…
As of next week, we’ll be changing up the way we bring you fantasy news in a much more depth way.
As for right now, though, let’s get underway with this week’s fantasy pickups.
Patrik Berglund – St Louis Blues
ESPN Owned Percentage: 2.7%
Now Berglund may seem like a bit of an odd pick considering he only has seven goals this season. Well, if you’ve any Blues games recently you would know that six of those goals have come in his last ten games, meaning he is a hot scoring right now. Don’t get me wrong, Berglund won’t be scoring at this rate for much longer but if you take a look at his schedule next week then it just might continue. The Blues take on Boston, LA and San Jose which may seem pretty intimidating until you realize they all rank in the bottom 10 for goals against. If the hot streak ends then drop him but this part of the schedule may help you win your fantasy week.
Patrick Maroon – Edmonton Oilers
ESPN Owned Percentage: 27.3%
Two more goals last night against the Senators made Patrick Maroon the top goalscorer on the Edmonton Oilers. Who would’ve thought he would be this great for the Oilers. Maroon should be in your fantasy lineup every single week with no questions asked. With Maroon playing alongside Connor McDavid, the league’s leading point-getter, you can almost guarantee a good amount of points each week.
Vincent Trocheck – Florida Panthers
ESPN Owned Percentage: 53.3%
With the recent injured to top line centre Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck has been asked to replace him on the top line where he had done a nice job. Trocheck has six points (three goals and three assists) in as many games for the Panthers whilst averaging over 20 minutes of ice time. This period for him will be short lived but as of right now, the centreman has been leading the way for Florida and could be doing so for your fantasy team.
Mattias Ekholm – Nashville Predators
ESPN Owned Percentage:
Much line Trocheck, Ekholm’s value has risen significantly with the absence of his teammate, PK Subban. While Ekholm is no point per game defensemen, he does chip in every now and then with a point or two. The Swede does have 14 points, as of right now, with that number likely to improve with more ice time and the no Subban. Subban is likely going to miss another week or so why not ride the Ekholm train until then.
Nathan Beaulieu – Montreal Canadians
ESPN Owned Percentage: 14.7%
Five points in his last three games including three powerplay points. I’ll take that thank you very much. He made not be having the most successful season offensively but as of right now the kid is hot, if somebody is hot then we ride the streak! Since the injury to Markov, the Canadians defensemen has been in his best form of the season whilst getting more than 22 minutes a night. With the recent form, we shouldn’t be surprised by it as Beaulieu does have plenty of offensive talent. Hopefully, when Markov returns we don’t see him dropped down the third pairing again.
Brian Elliott – Calgary Flames
ESPN Owned Percentage: 53.8%
A lot of people expected big things from Elliott this season but were very mistaken. However, in his last six starts, Elliott has won five of those games with a goal against average of 2.16. Along with that, the Flames other goaltender, Chad Johnson, has not been as impressive losing four of his last six. As for right now, it does seem like Johnson is still the guy for this team but if the form continues for both of them don’t be surprised if Elliott passes him.
Every Monday, we give you the list of guys you are going to want to add from the waiver wire.
We’ll give you pickups for daily, weekly and dynasty leagues!
As for this weeks pickups, we’ve selected a group of players who have been surprisingly good the first quarter of the NHL season.
FORWARDS
Sam Gagner – Columbus Blue Jackets
ESPN Owned Percentage: 30.8%
Gagner has been the biggest surprise on a surprise team this season. The Blue Jackets forward has scored 19 points in 25 games which has been a huge shock to the whole league. To make things even crazier, Gagner is only averaging 13 minutes per game yet he is still performing at quality level despite the lack of minutes. On the schedule next for Gagner and the Blue Jackets they play three teams in the top 10 for goals against, Edmonton (8th), Calgary (5th) and Vancouver (6th). At least for the next little while it is likely that Gagner’s form will continue. Also, if he his form does start to die off, Gagner will still have high trade value so you may get something nice in return.
Tomas Plekanec – Montreal Canadians
ESPN Owned Percentage: 49.5%
With all the injuries that have happened in the past week or so for the Canadians, Plekanec’s has been looked upon more to perform and he has done so. Since Galchenyuk went down with his injury against the Kings, the Czech forward has assisted on five goals and grabbed one for himself. He didn’t start off the season too strong with only one goal and six assists but in just three games he pretty much matched those numbers. The injuries and form should be what encourages you to add Plekanec’s, even if it’s only until Galchenyuk and others return.
Viktor Arvidsson – Nashville Predators
ESPN Owned Percentage: 29%
A player that has been consistently good all season but yet not getting the recognition. Second on the Predators for points for with 17, Arvidsson, much like Gagner, has been surprising this season and has already surpassed his point total from last season, 16. The Preds forward is averaging around 16 minutes a night whilst playing on the top line with all-star centre Ryan Johansen, however, he is currently not a part of Nashville’s power-play. As for Arvidsson’s upcoming schedule, it is not looking in his favour, he goes up against St Louis, Minnesota and the New York Rangers with both the Wild and Rangers averaging less than 2.5 goals against per game. Despite the schedule, he is absolutely worth the pickup due to his consistency. The Swede is playing with talented players and he is skilled enough to grab points in these tough games.
DEFENSE
Justin Schultz – Pittsburgh Penguins
ESPN Owned Percentage: 25.8%
Justin Schultz might actually be becoming the player all Oilers fans hoped he would be, obviously not as a Penguin but still. Sadly, Schultz was held pointless Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning meaning his five-game point streak was snapped. Over his hot streak, Schultz put together three goals and five assists for eight points, something Oilers fans are upset to see. It now seems that the defender is finally getting into the NHL groove and will more than likely continue this trend. The Penguins defensemen isn’t playing on the power-play with the superstars but with one injury to Letang we should see him get pushed up. As of right now, Schultz is the hottest blue-liner on the market.
Oscar Klefbom – Edmonton Oilers
ESPN Owned Percentage: 22.9%
Klefbom is making his second appearance on the list which can only mean nobody reads my articles or that Klefbom doesn’t get enough recognition. The Oilers blueliner is riding a three-game point streak right now after extending it with a goal against the Winnipeg Jets Sunday night. Klefbom leads all Oilers defensemen with 73 shots on goal and is playing top minutes on the power-play, however, unfortunately not with McDavid. He is the go to the defender for the Oilers and is in top form, along with the minutes he is playing we could see this trend continue for the next week or so.
GOALTENDER
Steve Mason – Philadelphia Flyers
ESPN Owned Percentage: 37.7%
Ride the streak! Steve Mason and the Flyers are hot right now and beating everyone in their path over the past nine games. Over these past nine games, Mason has only given up more than two goals on one occasion where he let in five against the Oilers. This form will not end soon, especially over his next two games, since he plays the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars two teams who struggle to find the net. Since the injury to Michael Neuvirth, Mason has been phenomenal and actually picked up himself a player of the week award. The goaltender situation around the league has been odd this season, so, if you’re having issues in the net then Mason is your guy.
It’s that time of the week again where you’re either thinking, “wow, my team sucks” or “another week, another win”. I genuinely hope you’re all saying the second one but for the sake of the others, I am here to lend a hand.
I’ve got players on this list that are going to help you in all league formats including weekly, daily and dynasty.
This week’s list is going to include plenty of players who are returning from injury along with a defenseman who’s having a surprising year.
Here we go!
Bryan Little – Winnipeg Jets
ESPN Owned Percentage: 36.1%
In his return to the Jets lineup this past week, Little started out in excellent form recorded four points in as many games. The Jets forward can be dangerous and is also an extremely consistent player. To prove his consistency, over the past three seasons Little has averaged around 0.74 points per game. Little will slide right back into the Jets top six and the powerplay, so, go get him before his stats gets better and his ownership goes up.
Sam Reinhart – Buffalo Sabres
ESPN Owned Percentage: 26.9%
Since the return of former second overall pick Jack Eichel, the Buffalo formed has found some great form. Reinhart produced one goal and three assists last week now putting him at just over a point every other game player. Now that Reinhart is playing alongside both Kane and Eichel, it’s safe to say that his points tally will be rising. Reinhart is a top six forward with plenty of talent, if himself and his linemates can stay healthy he can be a solid player for your team.
Marian Gaborik – LA Kings
ESPN Owned Percentage: 11.2%
Gaborik seems to have become a forgotten man after suffering a broken foot back at the World Cup. The Slovakian has now made his return to the Kings lineup along with picking up his first couple of points this season. The 34-year-old has played four games, since his return, registering a grand total of 14 shots which is nice if you get points for shots. Gaborik is the third forward on this list to be playing top six minutes and on the powerplay. After last night’s game, Gaborik was on the first line for the Kings alongside their captain, Anze Kopitar, but for right now he is on the second powerplay unit. If you’re debating whether or not to pick up Gaborik just remember he is a former seven time 30 goal score, he definitely knows how to find the net.
Charlie Coyle – Minnesota Wild
ESPN Owned Percentage: 44.3%
Now this guy is somebody I have wanted to add to this list for many weeks now. You may be thinking, “but Liam, Coyle on had a goal and an assist this week,” and you’d be right to say that. This was exactly a highlight week for him but he’s going really under the radar for how good of a season he is having. Coyle, so far, has nine goals and 8 assists in 24 games along with being a contributor on the powerplay with three points. The Wild forward is playing alongside two veteran players in Zach Parise and Eric Staal who are both offensively gifted. Right now, Charlie Coyle is on pace for 56 points which would be a career year for him and honestly we shouldn’t be shocked if he surpasses that.
Ian Cole – Pittsburgh Penguins
ESPN Owned Percentage: 4.2%
Cole may be a bit of a wildcard but so far this season he’s being playing decently offensively. The Pens defenseman is only three points shy of last season’s total, 12, which was also his career high. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that Cole is going to be some fantasy stud but you should be riding this hot streak he’s on. As of right now, Cole is playing on Pittsburgh’s third pairing and is not playing on the powerplay. However, if Cole can keep this up I am sure it won’t be long before he gets an opportunity on the powerplay.
Troy Stecher – Vancouver Canucks
ESPN Owned Percentage: 1.9%
His numbers may not be jumping out of the page right now but with the injury, to Edler, we could see this improve. Stecher is going to have step up whilst Edler is out which means he’ll be getting more playing time. Stecher is actually third in points for Vancouver Canucks which may seem surprising since he only has five points. He has already found his way onto the Canucks powerplay, even though they are ranked 26th in the league it’s nice to see that he is getting top minutes. I don’t think Stecher will blow everybody away this season but since he has already registered 48 shots so he is clearly getting the opportunities.
Chad Johnson – Calgary Flames
ESPN Owned Percentage: 48.7%
Coming into the season, Chad Johnson was supposed to be the backup to off-season signing Brian Elliott. If you have been keeping track of the Flames this season you will know that is slowly changing. Johnson registered his third shutout of the season last Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, in comparison Elliott has 0. Johnson has a significantly better goal against with 2.11, Elliott has a 3.31. If you have Elliott you need to drop him then pick up Johnson, he has been the much better netminder this season and I believe he will continue this form.
Another week, another waiver wire list!
Each week we try to help you and your fantasy team improve. Whether you’re in a weekly, daily or even dynasty format.
This week we’ve chosen quite the variety of players: emerging rookies, veterans stealing jobs and also players who will be benefiting from a returning player.
If you have an extra second or two leave us a comment to let us know what you think and if you were helped.
Now on with the show!
Mike Cammalleri – New Jersey Devils
ESPN Owned Percentage: 52.1%
After missing six games in a row, Cammalleri came back with a bang scoring an unbelievable eight points in three games. The 34-year-old is leading the Devils with seven goals this season but let’s keep in mind that Taylor Hall has been out, however. Going with that, if Cammalleri can be half as good as he is right now when Hall returns he could be a must-start every week. The Devils forward is a big factor on the powerplay having racked up four points so far this season.
Jake Guentzel – Pittsburgh Penguins
ESPN Owned Percentage: 5.7%
Just like we all predicted, Guentzel has come into the league and become a point per player. We all thought that right? The young Penguin has got four points in as many games, this shouldn’t be too surprising considering he’s playing on a like with Malkin and Kessel. For me his line mates are his selling point, the talent that he’s with will help him along this season. Another thing, Guentzel has been a point getting his whole career having scored 17 in 16 for the Pens minor team and 14 in 10 during last seasons playoffs.
Evander Kane & Sam Reinhart – Buffalo Sabres
ESPN Owned Percentage: 30.2% & 19.8%
These two guys didn’t make the list due to there recent performances, but for the fact that Jack Eichel is expected to make his season debut on Thursday. Having a talent like Eichel back in the lineup is going to improve anybody’s game. Reinhart does have a respectable ten points whilst Kane only has two, with Eichel back with them you can almost guarantee that their numbers will get better. Both forwards had 20 goals last season, they are defiantly more than capable of doing the same this year.
Anthony DeAngelo – Arizona Coyotes
EPSN Owned Percentage: 17.9%
The former Tampa Bay first-round is making himself right at home in the desert. DeAngelo has found his way onto the top power play unit, scoring three points on the man advantage. The young defensemen has scored nine points altogether and has become a very productive so far in his young career. DeAngelo will be a solid addition to your lineup.
Jonas Brodin – Minnesota Wild
ESPN Owned Percentage: 7.4%
Despite not have a point for a nine-game stretch, Brodin has started to put together some excellent performances scoring six points in as many games. During this stretch, the 23-year-old was playing on the power play for the wild where he collected three out of his six points. Brodin is being given every opportunity to make your team better and will add some solid depth to your roster.
Oscar Klefbom – Edmonton Oilers
ESPN Owned Percentage: 20.2%
Klefbom is easily the Oilers best offensive defensemen and is finally hitting the net. The Oilers is hot right now, scoring all three of his goals in the past six games. Much like the other players on this list, Klefbom can be found on the top power play unit with the league’s top scorer, Connor McDavid. The Swede leads Oilers defensemen with shots on goal so if your league that adds points for that then Klefbom is your guy.
Chad Johnson – Calgary Flames
ESPN Owned Percentage: 29.3%
Originally suppose to be the backup to Elliott, Johnson is becoming the number one goalie in Calgary. Johnson has much better numbers than Elliott, currently holding 2.23 goals against whilst having 348 shots against, Elliot has a 3.43 with 346 shots against. If you have Elliott it’s time to say goodbye and allowing Johnson to fill his spot.
photo via: .todaysslapshot.com
We’ve been hit by the injury bug!!
The list of players that were injured this week is endless! There’s Bobby Ryan, Steven Stamkos, Taylor Hall and Johnny Gaudreau, just to name a few.
This may be the most important waiver wire list I’ll have to do all season, so no pressure on my part.
Alrighty then! Here we go.
Brandon Sutter – Vancouver Canucks
ESPN Owned Percentage: 8.2%
First up we’ve got the Vancouver Canucks forward Sutter who had an excellent past week putting up a point in every game. The forward was recently moved up to the top line replacing winger Loui Eriksson. The Canucks likely won’t stay this hot for long, the most points he’s ever had in a season was way back in 2009 when he scored 40 points. Right now he has 11 points so enjoy the ride whilst you can.
Jesse Puljujarvi – Edmonton Oilers
ESPN Owned Percentage: 7.3%
I put out a tweet earlier this week saying how Puljujarvi should be picked up in all leagues and I still stand by that. The rookie was moved to the top line to play alongside Mr. Connor McDavid, in his first game beside him, the young Fin grabbed himself two assists. This is much like the situation we’ve had with Maroon the last couple of weeks where you’re picking him up because he’s playing with McDavid. However, Jesse is a much more talented player than Maroon is, we should expect him to pick up plenty of points in his new role. The Fin is a player you’ll be able to play for weeks to come if all stays as is.
Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning
ESPN Owned Percentage: 37%
I don’t really know what’s going on with the goalie situation in Tampa, but what I do know is that Vasilevskiy just had back to back shutouts making him a must-add this week. In seven games this season, Vasilevskiy had recorded five wins with two shutouts and 1.43 goals against. It’s safe to say he’s been a brick wall for Tampa, but yet still owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues. If the Russian continues this form it won’t be long before he starts to get the bulk of the games, pick him up whilst you can.
Cam Ward – Carolina Hurricanes
ESPN Owned Percentage: 25.6%
The second goalie on our list, Cam Ward didn’t start the season strongly but seems to be picking it up. Four straight wins in four straight starts for the Canes netminder, exactly what we want to see as fantasy owners. The goalie market isn’t the greatest if there is a netminder playing this way he deserves to be on your roster. His schedule does get tougher but due to his recent form that shouldn’t be an issue.
Mitch Marner – Toronto Maple Leafs
ESPN Owned Percentage: 62.1%
The hottest rookie in the league right now, Mitch Marner has had a surprising start to the season. Tied for 8th in scoring, the young Maple Leafs forward hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down after putting up four points in his last three games. Compared to other leafs rookies, I think Marner will find it easier to stay consistent throughout the season due to playing with two veteran players, James Van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. Over the past week, the youngsters owned percentage has increased by almost 20%, pick him up before it’s too late.
Seth Jones – Columbus Blue Jackets
ESPN Owned Percentage: 62.9%
After suffering a hairline fracture in his foot, Seth Jones has been removed from the IR. Jones was off to a hot start scoring six points in ten games until his unfortunate injury. There is no guarantee that the Blue Jackets d-man will be put right into the lineup for Monday’s game against Colorado, however, we will be seeing him back on the ice shortly. When healthy, Jones is arguably the best young defensemen in the league and if his momentum continues from before his injury he’ll be back on track for a career year.
The NHL world was hit with three major injuries last night. Superstars Taylor Hall, Johnny Gaudreau, and Steven Stamkos all will be spending significant time on the sideline
Not only is this a huge blow in the real world but also in the fantasy world. If you don’t find the right solution for these injuries, your fantasy season could be over.
I’m going to be taking at look at players to add from the injured players NHL team, basic waiver wire pickups, and deep wire pickups.
Team Replacement
Sam Bennett – Calgary Flames
ESPN Owned Percentage: 36%
Bennett seems to be the guy stepping up as the replacement for Gaudreau. Coach Gulutzan has slotted the young forward onto the first line alongside Monahan and Brouwer, Bennett is going to be playing on the first powerplay unit too. The Flames forward has put together a half decent season so far, scoring seven points at almost the quarter way mark. Bennett definitely has the ability to put up good numbers in Gaudreau’s absent.
P.A. Parenteau – New Jersey Devils
ESPN Owned Percentage: 48%
Parenteau is not technically filling the missing hole that Taylor Hall has left but could be relied on more often. Like Sam Bennett, the Devils forward has seven points whilst playing on the first line with Taylor Hall. Now that Taylor is out, the Devils are going to need Parenteau to produce more for them which is not unreasonable. Whilst with the Maple Leafs last season, Parenteau racked up 20 goals along with 21 assists. These obviously aren’t mind-blowing numbers but he can be good enough for a short period of time in fantasy.
Jonathan Drouin – Tampa Bay Lightning
ESPN Owned Percentage: 69%
There two questions you might be asking yourself about Drouin.
The answer to both of those questions is yes. However, Drouin is expected to return before the end of Tampa Bay’s five-game road trip, so not too far away. The majority of Drouin’s success in his young career has come without Stamkos anyways, shouldn’t expect to see a drop in his numbers. His ownership seems to be dropping week by week if you see that he is available in your league pick him up.
Waiver Pickups
Alexander Wennberg
ESPN Owned Percentage: 51%
Much like my waiver wire article I wrote earlier this week, Wennberg makes the list. The talented Swedish forward is having a phenomenal season yet still only owned in just over half of leagues. In my opinion, he is the best player on the waivers, Wennberg is scoring at a top 20 pace right now and is somebody you’ll want to keep on your team even after the injured player’s return.
Mitch Marner
ESPN Owned Percentage: 45%
“I’ve never coached a kid that good this young” is how Mike Babcock described Mitch Marner. Marner has been exceptional this year, surprisingly, averaging just under a point per game player. He’s playing on the second line with JVR and Tyler Bozak, two veterans who have really helped Marner exceed expectations. I fully expect Marner to continue his good form for the near future if he does you should even consider trading him away to pick up a more experienced NHLer.
Deep Pickups.
Matt Beleskey
ESPN Owned Percentage: 5%
Another player from waiver wire pickups makes the list. Beleskey has not exactly had the hottest start to the season but it does seem like that he’s picking up form, scoring three points in his last six games. Since the recent improvement in form, Beleskey has seen an increase in playing time now playing 15 minutes a night. The Bruins forward is inconsistent but could a few more points to your team every week.
Paul Bryon
ESPN Owned Percentage: 7%
Byron has started out the season excellently! Currently ranked 24th among forwards on ESPN, he has scored 11 points and is playing top-six minutes beside Galchenyuk and Gallagher. Byron only had 18 points last season, we shouldn’t expect him to maintain this form for the whole season but if you want a short term solution then Byron is your answer.
With all these solutions, let’s keep in mind that the deep pickups are for 12 or more team leagues.
Hopefully one of these players can help you fill the void left on your team.