With the first three weeks of the NHL season in the books the time is now to be aggressive and make the necessary roster moves to help establish a team capable of contending for a championship this season. While you don’t want to give up your stars that are off to slow starts, it’s important to be able to identify capable injury replacements and cut players that will only disappoint in the long term. We came up with a list of capable options that could be available on the waiver wire in your league. Here is a look at the best potential waiver wire picks for this week in fantasy hockey leagues.
LW: Alex Killorn, Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning are scoring goals in bunches and while you won’t find Nikita Kucherov or Steven Stamkos on the waiver wire you could find Killorn. The veteran winger has a goal and eight points including three powerplay points so far this season. Killorn has skated on a talented third line next to Tyler Johnson at even strength while also seeing time on Tampa Bay’s top powerplay unit next to Kucherov and Stamkos. As long as he remains in that role he should continue to produce.
C: Derick Brassard, Ottawa Senators
Brassard disappointed in his first season in Ottawa but he has been significantly better out of the gate with the Senators in his second year. Brassard has six goals and 10 points through his first eight games of the season. Bobby Ryan suffered a broken finger and will miss at least a month, but Brassard is still skating with Mark Stone so he should continue to produce. If you are looking for help at the center position then Brassard is worth taking a chance on.
The Senators are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference with 11 points through eight games. They have scored 30 goals while allowing 21 through eight games so far this season.
RW: Derek Dorsett, Vancouver Canucks
While it might seem like a stretch to include the veteran grinder on this list the reality is that he has been very productive early this season for the Canucks. Dorsett has four goals in his last three games and is up to five goals and 42 penalty minutes this season.
Vancouver owns one of the best fourth lines in hockey and as long as Dorsett continues to perform at a high level next to Brandon Sutter and Jake Virtanen he is worth a roster spot. Dorsett’s value is even higher in leagues that count penalty minutes. The Canucks are currently in third place in the Pacific Division.
G: Oscar Dansk, Vegas Golden Knights
The jury is out on the Golden Knights new No. 1 goalie, who will take over as the starter following injuries to Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban. The former second round pick made his first NHL appearance in relief of Subban the other night and stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced in a 3-2 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues. Dansk will see a ton of shots when he makes his first NHL start on Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. While it’s hard to trust an unknown commodity like Dansk in fantasy hockey leagues, the reality is that Vegas has been a lot better than expected and the same could have been said about Subban before he impressed for the Golden Knights. Dansk is definitely worth a flier if you need help in deep fantasy hockey leagues.
D: Mikhail Sergachev, Tampa Bay Lightning
Speaking of potential waiver wire additions that have benefited from all of the talent in Tampa Bay, Sergachev has become a viable option at the defense position following a strong start. Sergachev has three goals and eight points including three powerplay points for the Lightning this season. While his minutes have been sheltered at five-on-five, Sergachev is getting powerplay time on the second unit. As long as he continues to see minutes with the man advantage he should continue to produce as another capable option on a loaded Tampa Bay roster.
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