With the first few weeks of the 2017-18 NHL season in the books, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from several teams and players moving forward this season. While you don’t want to give up on some of the elite talents that are off to slow starts, you also likely can’t afford to overlook some underrated players that have produced early on and could provide some immediate help for your lineup. Here is a look at the best NHL waiver wire picks for this week.
RW: Evgeni Dadonov, Florida Panthers
Dadonov was a prime sleeper candidate heading in to the season. He has lived up to that billing early on with the Panthers. The former KHL star has five goals and 11 points in his first 10 games to match Jonathan Huberdeau and Vincent Trocheck for the team scoring lead. Dadonov has been given every opportunity to prove his worth on Florida’s top line and top powerplay unit along with Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. If he is still available in your league, then try to grab him now before somebody else does.
LW/RW: Jason Zucker, Minnesota Wild
Injuries have opened the door for Zucker to play more minutes for Minnesota this season. He has rewarded the team’s faith in him by delivering three goals and seven points in nine games this season. Zucker has skated alongside Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu, so he should have every opportunity to continue to produce for the Wild this season.
LW/RW: Josh Bailey, New York Islanders
As is the case with Zucker, Bailey has dual eligibility at both left wing and right wing in fantasy hockey leagues. That flexibility makes him even more appealing as a waiver wire option. Bailey had 13 goals and 56 points in 82 games last year. He has two goals and seen assists during his current six-game point streak. Bailey should see regular time in the Islanders’ top-six forward group along with prime powerplay minutes. He could be worth taking a chance on if you need some scoring help on the wings.
He’s owned in just under 20% of leagues in Yahoo and ESPN, so he’s worth considering as a cheap pickup off the waiver wire.
G: Oscar Dansk, Vegas Golden Knights
While Dansk isn’t an excellent long-term solution, he could be a good fit for any fantasy hockey league manager that is looking for an immediate fix in goal. Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban are both out for the Golden Knights. That means Dansk is the No. 1 goalie in Vegas for the time being. Dansk has turned aside 71 of 74 shots that he has face this season including a shutout win over the Colorado Avalanche. The Golden Knights play four times this week so Dansk should see plenty of action.
D: Colin Miller, Vegas Golden Knights
Speaking of Vegas, their surprising start has resulted in them producing several potential waiver wire pickups for this week. Miller is one of them. The veteran defenseman has one goal, four assists and six shots on goal over the course of a four-game point streak heading in to this week. While he might not be able to maintain his current pace over the course of an entire season, Miller is a capable option that could help provide your fantasy hockey league team with a boost on the back end in four games this week. The Knights continue to be one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season.
RW: Josh Anderson, Columbus Blue Jackets
We’re going to dive deep in this spot. However, Anderson is a name you’ll want to keep your eye on. The key for any player in NHL fantasy is opportunity. For now, Anderson is skating on the top line with Nick Foligno and Artemi Panarin, and that’s important. Anderson didn’t register a point in his first two outings of the season but he does have three goals and a pair of assists in his last seven outings. As long he’s getting burn on the top line for the Blue Jackets, he’s someone you’re going to want to own.
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