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.

 

Justin Dowling - Dallas Stars - Center

 

This is a reaction add to the fact that Dowling is seeing time on the top line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. There’s no telling how long this experiment will last, but he’s free on both sites and it’s much of a risk. Any points out of Dowling is a bonus, so if the injury bug has hit your team hard, this is a good short-term solution.

 

Dustin Brown - Los Angeles Kings - Winger

 

Look who’s back for the Los Angeles Kings! Dustin Brown is now healthy and it couldn’t come at a better time for the Kings, who are playing some terrible hockey since the beginning of the season. Anze Kopitar hasn’t been himself since the start of this season, and maybe that has something to do with Dustio ‘GOAT’ Brown. He’s only 33% owned on Yahoo! and he’s seeing top PP minutes. Brown is more than just a replacement level player, so if he’s still around on the waiver wire, good idea to grab him now!

 

Ryan Donato - Donato - Winger

 

It’s always nice when you can add a player off the waiver wire that is playing top power play minutes. Donato isn’t going to tear up the league, but he’s a depth player that can contribute. As long as he sticks on the that top unit, he’s worth a roster spot. Maybe he won’t be a long-term add, but he won’t hurt your team. He’s only 6% owned on Yahoo! so he’s widely available.


Neal Pionk - New York Rangers - Defence

 

Here’s another name that should be monitored closely over the next couple of weeks. Pionk is seeing time on the Rangers’ top power play unit, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change. He’s not going to make a huge difference to a fantasy team, but he won’t hurt it. He’s a fill in player if your fantasy team is hurt by injuries, but if Kevin Shattenkirk doesn’t take that top PP spot back, Pionk could be a nice depth add.

 

Mike Green - Detroit Red Wings - Defence

 

The veteran defenceman is back from injury and ready to take control of a terrible Detroit blue line. He’s not the player he once was, but he’s the only defenceman that’s worth a look. He’s going to get all the top power play minutes, which is what we are looking at here. Volume is key, and Green is going to get a lot of volume. He’s a depth player right now just because Detroit is so bad, but if he can rack up 40-points by the end of the season, that’s not so bad for a waiver wire player. He’s only 2% owned on ESPN, so take a risk on him and see how it plays out.



Semyon Varlamov - Colorado Avalanche - Goalie

 

Can’t believe we are talking about Semyon Varlamov as a goalie that needed to be added to your roster four weeks into the season, but here we are. He’s owned in just 44% of ESPN leagues, which is absolutely criminal. In eight games this season, Varlamov has a 1.61 GAA and a .950 SV%. If you are playing in an ESPN league and Varlamov is still there, scoop him up and laugh all the way to a championship.

 

David Rittich - Calgary Flames- Goalie

 

This is less about David Rittich being a good goalie and more about Mike Smith being a terrible goalie. At some point, Calgary is going to give Rittich the net, and you can’t wait till that happens to grab him. Smith has a 3.81 GAA and and a .869 SV% in eight games. Those are some terrible numbers for a goalie. It’s no secret that Smith isn’t getting any better, so why give him the starting job? Rittich has played well this season, posting a 2.37 GAA and a .933 SV% in five games. Lets not pretend that he’s going to keep that pace up, but he can’t be worse than Smith, right? Grab Rittich now and let’s hope that Calgary makes the right decision here.