With the NHL regular season winding down, this week represents a critical point in the fantasy hockey league season. If you are still alive in your league, you are either battling for a championship in the final or trying to get that far with a win in the semi-final. There is no doubt about the fact that your core roster was good enough to carry you this far. However, it’s important to keep an eye out for some potential waiver wire gems that could help put your team over the top this week. Here is a look at the best NHL fantasy waiver wire picks for this week.
G: Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Saros is 8-7-3 this season but his peripherals as the Predators backup netminder are outstanding. The 21-year-old has a 2.29 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Hockey fans in Nashville have called for Saros to get more starts but for now he firmly locked in as the backup behind Pekka Rinne. However, with the Predators set to play five games this week including two sets of back-to-backs there is no doubt that Saros will be called on. The young goaltender already has wins over Boston and St. Louis this season and those could be the two teams that he starts against this week.
C, LW: Brandon Dubinsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
It might surprise you that Dubinsky has registered 20 points over his last 25 games, including eight points in his last 11. The veteran center has stepped up big time for the Blue Jackets as they chase the Washington Capitals at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Columbus has a favorable schedule this week with four games, including dates with the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes to start. Dubinsky should continue his late-season surge. He might be a solid waiver wire option for your club.
LW: Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay Lightning
Nikita Kucherov’s brilliance has rubbed off on his linemate Palat. The latter has benefited tremendously from playing on the same line. Palat has 10 points over his last nine games while skating on a line with Kucherov and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay has four home games scheduled for this week so Palat should be a quality option at left wing.
D: Andrej Sekera, Edmonton Oilers
Sekera has eight points including seven assists over his last seven games. The veteran defensemen has three powerplay points over that span including two multi-point efforts in his last two games. Sekera offers some intrigue if you need help on the back end in your fantasy hockey league. Edmonton has been scoring goals in bunches so Sekera could be an intriguing waiver wire option.
LW, RW: Magnus Paajarvi, St. Louis Blues
Paajarvi hasn’t exactly had the opportunity some NHL fantasy experts thought he’d get but he has played well of late. That could lead to more playing time down the stretch for him. He’s found himself on a line with Patrik Berglund and David Perron, and as a result, has been more productive recently. He’s quite under the radar in NHL fantasy but keep in mind that he has four goals and six points in his last eight contests. If you’re in a deep NHL fantasy league, he’s a sneaky add.
RW: Alex Hemsky, Dallas Stars
Hemsky has been out for most of the season, so he has been a bit of a forgotten commodity. However, he’s been back for about a month and needs to be on your NHL fantasy radar. He has three goals and three assists in his last eight games. More importantly, he’s playing alongside Jamie Benn, who is among the best offensive weapons in the NHL.
C, RW: Elias Lindholm, Carolina Hurricanes
Lindholm has four goals and seven assists on his 10-game point streak. With 42 points in 63 games, his overall numbers don’t look too impressive. However, he has 20 points in his last 24 games and could finish the season on a high note with Carolina set to play four games this week. Lindholm is currently slotted with Victor Rask and Sebastian Aho on the Hurricanes second line while also playing on the top powerplay unit.
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