2018 Fantasy Hockey: Waiver Wire Report November 18
Published: Nov 18, 2018
The NHL season is in full swing and that means so is fantasy hockey! Itâs 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 itâs important to add the right players at the right time. Letâs take a look at which players are worth looking adding for the upcoming week.
Ryan Spooner - Edmonton Oilers - Winger
Maybe a fresh start will help Ryan Spooner become a more fantasy relevant hockey player. The 26-year-old was traded from the Rangers to Edmonton for winger Ryan Strome. Both players needed a change of scenery, and Spooner could benefit greatly from playing with some elite centerman. Heâs expected to skate on the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkin and Ty Rattie, but donât be surprised if he gets a chance to play on the top line with McDavid. Heâs 2% owned on Yahoo!, so if you need a depth forward with some upside, Spooner is a great option.
Tanner Pearson - Pittsburgh Penguins - Winger
Hereâs another player looking to have a strong season with a new team. Tanner Pearson was traded from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh, with Carl Hagelin going the other way. Pearson is going to get the opportunity to skate on the top line with Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist, which can only boost his fantasy value. Heâs collect only one point this season, but that could all change over the next couple of weeks now that heâs playing on a high power offensive team. Heâs under 10% owned on ESPN Â and Yahoo!, so heâs a look at in deeper leagues.
David Krejci - Boston Bruins - Center
It was confirmed Saturday that Patrice Bergeron would head back to Boston to be re-evaluated by team doctors for his upper-body injury. This isnât the news fantasy owners wanted to hear, but this does give David Krejci a chance to thrive on the top line for Boston. Heâs going to get a chance to also play on the top power play unit, which is a nice added bonus. Heâs 26% owned on ESPN, so heâs a nice short-term option for Bergeron owners who need a body while we wait for more information about his injury.
Brandon Montour - Anaheim Ducks - Defence
Cam Fowler is expected to miss a significant amount of time with a facial injury and news has also come out that Hampus Lindholm is heading to the IR. We donât know much about Lindholmâs injury, but this now opens the door for Brandon Montour to step up and log some heavy minutes over the next couple of weeks. Heâs 43% owned on Yahoo!, but his ownership should jump in the next few days with this news. Heâs going to be the top defenceman every night and heâs going to log some heavy minutes on the power play. In fantasy hockey, volume is key, and Montour is going to get an increase in ice time with all these injuries. If heâs still available, scoop him up!
Damon Severson - New Jersey Devils - Defence
Speaking of defenceman hitting the IR, Sami Vatanen will also be missing the next couple of days due to a lower-body injury. This opens the door to Severson seeing an increase in ice time and a spot on the second power play unit. Most people will run out and grab Will Butcher, but on paper, Severson is having a better season (points wise) and he should be seeing the biggest increase in minutes. In New Jerseyâs last game, Severson was skating on the top pairing with Andy Greene and he log just over 26 minutes. If that trend continues, then itâs only a matter of time before he starts racking up the points.
Cal Petersen - Los Angeles Kings- Goalie
It seems like we spend a lot of time talking about the Los Angeles Kings and which goalie you should add next. That trend will continue this week. With Quick and Campbell out for the foreseeable future, itâs up to Peter Budaj and Cal Petersen to lead the team. Budaj has the most experience of the two, but Petersen has way more talent, so heâs the player to be owned. He fell apart in the third period on Saturday night against the Nashville Predators, but itâs was only his second NHL game and he was pretty good in his previous start. There is a lot of risk that comes with adding a rookie goalie, and the Kings are a terrible hockey team, but Petersen can really be a bright spot on an otherwise terrible team. Heâs not a long-term solution, but with so many goalies going down due to injury, itâs better to have an unproven rookie goalie on your team than no goalie at all.
Louis Domingue - Tampa bay Lightning - Goalie
Hereâs another reaction add to a goalie going down due to injury. Andrei Vasilevskiy is going to miss the next four-to-six weeks with a fractured foot, so Louis Domingue is going to see a lot of action in that span. The Lightning donât have many back-to-back games in that span, so Domingue will most likely start all the games from now till up to when Vasilevskiy should be back. Domingue isnât a great goalie, but itâs unlikely that the Lightning go out and acquire a goalie. For now, heâs the best option the team has. As a short-term solution, the 26-year-old is a good enough option for fantasy owners in desperate need of a starting goalie