Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.comDec 16, 2024, 02:00 PM ET
Every Monday, we'll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We'll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.
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Forwards
Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Colorado Avalanche (1.91 FPPG, 36.3% available): It's high time to get fully on board with Lehkonen across fantasy leagues. A player sharing the ice consistently with two of the top-10 (maybe top-six) players on the planet at both even strength and on the power play should not be available in more than a third of leagues. Yes, a healthy Jonathan Drouin could disrupt the consistent deployment on the top line as the Avs balance the attack, but a healthy Drouin has been a rare sight this season. The Avs four-game week includes bouts with the Canucks, Sharks, Ducks and Kraken, all great spots for top forwards like Lehkonen.
Jake DeBrusk, RW, Vancouver Canucks (2.08 FPPG, 33.9% available): Three out of the four games the Canucks play this week are actually against some of the better penalty-killing teams, but there is a gem in the middle here against the Utah Hockey Club that should help make the week for DeBrusk. But this isn't about the coming week only, as DeBrusk continues to prove himself as a smart pickup by the Canucks to settle on Elias Pettersson's wing. He's weathered plenty of lineup changes and seems to have staked a permanent claim on the top power-play unit.
Rickard Rakell, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (2.14 FPPG, 46.8% available): Respect to the Penguins for throwing all pre-existing notions to the side and mixing up the attack. A new-look top power-play unit without Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson has looked pretty darn good. Rakell has been at the center of it, while also maintaining his top-line role with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. This week might not be the best, as the Penguins play two of their three games against teams that have suppressed opposition fantasy scoring on the power play (Predators and Devils). But the medium-term outlook for Rakell is quite positive.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Seattle Kraken (1.57 FPPG, 57.4% available): The Kraken are starting to show shades of their 2022-23 form when you could never tell which line was the most dangerous. Currently, it's third line (based on even-strength ice time) is the one doing the most damage. Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen and Shane Wright have all averaged better than 2.0 fantasy points per game across their past six outings. Bjorkstrand gets the headline here as he is also the most-frequent member of the top power-play unit from this grouping, though they all get some time on the advantage as the Kraken also like to give everyone looks there, too.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Washington Capitals (1.58 FPPG, 87.4% available): With seven points across his past six games, Dubois is starting to look quite comfortable in his spot with the Capitals. As an added bonus, his recent success is not coming from an elevated lineup role that will be suppressed again when Alex Ovechkin returns - which could be this coming weekend, by the way. Dubois is putting up his points firmly from the second line and second power-play unit.
See also:
Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Colorado Avalanche (1.69 FPPG, 52.1% available)
Patrik Laine, RW, Montreal Canadiens (2.47 FPPG, 36.8% available)
Josh Norris, C, Ottawa Senators (2.15 FPPG, 37.3% available)
Trevor Moore, LW, Los Angeles Kings (1.36 FPPG, 51.2% available)
Victor Olofsson, RW, Vegas Golden Knights (2.01 FPPG, 93.5% available)
Jake Neighbours, LW, St. Louis Blues (1.70 FPPG, 84.2% available)
Brandon Tanev, LW, Seattle Kraken (1.90 FPPG, 83.1% available)
Defense
Lane Hutson, D, Montreal Canadiens (1.62 FPPG, 57.3% available): The writing was on the wall a couple of week ago, but Hutson has fully assumed the role of power-play quarterback for the Habs now. While the initial jolt from the return of Patrik Laine has subsided, the Canadiens still have a dangerous attack that should be on full display this week; The Detroit Red Wings allow the most power-play goals per game in the NHL and the Habs happen to play them twice.
Jared Spurgeon, D, Minnesota Wild (1.72 FPPG, 83.5% available): The Wild blue line has taken a hit with the loss of Jake Middleton for what sounds like the long-term. But recommending Spurgeon is more about the Wild trying to find a spark for their below average power play. Spurgeon is getting looks on the top unit in favor of Brock Faber. The Wild's one weak spot this season is that they rank tied for 24th in power-play goals. Maybe Spurgeon can get the ball rolling? If not, maybe we see David Jiricek get a callup from the AHL soon.
See also:
Mattias Ekholm, D, Edmonton Oilers (1.57 FPPG, 40.5% available)
Chris Tanev, D, Toronto Maple Leafs (1.85 FPPG, 65.8% available)
Ryan Pulock, D, New York Islanders (1.77 FPPG, 76.2% available)
Adam Larsson, D, Seattle Kraken (1.59 FPPG, 45.0% available)
Goaltenders
Darcy Kuemper, G, Los Angeles Kings (2.83 FPPG, 81.3% available): The Kings could do Kuemper a huge favor this week given the schedule. They play three teams all ranked in the top 10 for fantasy points per game given up to opposing goaltenders - and then they face the team that is the worst for opposing goaltenders to close the week with a back-to-back set. If the Kings were feeling generous, they could start Kuemper for all three soft matchups and then throw David Rittich to the wolves against the Washington Capitals on Sunday. Sure sounds like I started Kuemper in a weekly-lineup league, doesn't it? But with three consecutive wins with only three total goals allowed since returning to action, there is plenty of reason to get Kuemper into lineups.
Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Colorado Avalanche (1.9 FPPG, 70.4% available): Blackwood stood tall in his Avalanche debut earning 7.4 fantasy points ... against the team that allows the most fantasy points to opposing goaltenders. I'm not trying to rain on any parades here - and I would absolutely burn the No. 1 waiver priority on a chance to get Blackwood - but it's worth tempering expectations just a little until Blackwood faces some more daunting opponents than a Roman Josi-less Predators lineup. The Canucks actually offer a great barometer on Monday as they rank 28th in fantasy points to opposing goaltenders (just 0.65 FPPG). But the rest of the week looks great with games against the Sharks, Ducks and Kraken.
Alex Lyon, G, Detroit Red Wings (2.22 FPPG, 95.6% available): With Cam Talbot aggravating his injury and back on the sidelines, it's a great time for Lyon to get healthy. If he's back in time on Wednesday, the Wings have three above-average goaltenders matchups this week with the Flyers and two games against the Habs on tap.
See also:
Dustin Wolf, G, Calgary Flames (3.31 FPPG, 62.0% available)
Sam Montembeault, G, Montreal Canadiens (1.43 FPPG, 70.9% available)
Short-term streamers
Alex Turcotte, C, Los Angeles Kings (0.86 FPPG, 99.8% available): The Kings elevated Turcotte to the top line on Saturday against the Rangers and he responded by scoring the first goal of the game. He finished with 17:07 (his most ice time of the season by almost two minutes) and two points after spending the game with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. This is especially relevant because of the coming week, in which the Kings have one of the better fantasy schedule for forwards with four games. The Penguins, Flyers and Predators allow plenty of fantasy points to opposing forwards with the Capitals the only tough matchup on tap.
Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres (1.81 FPPG, 48.4% available): We still don't have a precise timetable on Rasmus Dahlin's injury, from which he was originally projected to return from this past weekend. In the meantime, Power's scoring has been increased as he takes on the role of top defender with Dahlin on the sidelines. It's a risky move to pull him into lineups without a clear answer on Dahlin's status, but the floor for failure isn't terrible. Power still manages to flirt with fantasy relevance even with Dahlin in the lineup.
Jeff Skinner, LW, Edmonton Oilers (1.12 FPPG, 63.7% available): Nudged out of the top six by his own infrequent scoring, Skinner hasn't been a fantasy roster mainstay this season. While he may be putting in bottom-six minutes lately, he's still a part of the secondary power-play unit. If ever there was a week to consider that relevant, it would be this one. The Oilers play the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks and Senators in a four-game week, and those middle two opponents are particularly susceptible to giving up both power-play opportunities and goals.
Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers (1.65 FPPG, 60.3% available): The Panthers are slumping again and there is a chance Aleksander Barkov is sick, but in daily-lineup leagues, they are the best team this week. The Cats play Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, meaning they are in action on the off-days for 11 other teams. Pair Ekblad with Jake Walman, Alex Vlasic, Vladislav Gavrikov or Thomas Chabot and you'll have a D roster spot active every day this week. Other combinations of two teams that get you seven days of action include: Canucks with the Hurricanes, Rangers or Capitals; the Stars with the Kings, Senators or Kraken; the Capitals and Flyers; or the Avalanche and Jets.
J.T. Compher, RW, Detroit Red Wings (1.19 FPPG, 96.3% available): The Red Wings have had the lines in a blender of late as they look to spark the offense. Compher has been getting looks on the top power-play unit as part of it. That's particularly interesting for the coming week as the Red Wings play the Canadiens twice, a team that ranks among the most power-play opportunities allowed and gives up plenty of power-play goals in the process.
