Fantasy hockey league general manager’s added Mika Zibanejad’s name to the list of prominent forwards that suffered long-term injuries this week after Steven Stamkos, Johnny Gaudreau and Taylor Hall were all sidelined. That means one more GM in your league will be scouting the waiver wire this week looking for a capable injury replacement. There should still be some solid options on the wire in most fantasy hockey leagues so the opportunity is there to boost your lineup regardless of whether you have an injury or just want to take a chance on a hot hand. Here is a look at the best NHL fantasy waiver wire options for this week.
W: Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues
Fabbri started the season ice cold but has put together a four-game point streak since he was a healthy scratch last week with three goals and two assists over that span. The 2014 first-round pick has all of the tools to produce at a high level and his insertion on a line with Vladimir Tarasenko should help him maximize his potential. Fabbri has excellent fantasy value in both the short and long-term so it is definitely worth taking a chance on him in NHL fantasy leagues.
W: Patrick Eaves, Dallas Stars
The fact that Eaves has hasn’t played more than 54 games since the 2010-11 season could put a cap on his long-term potential this season but it’s hard to argue against his production right now. Eaves has nine goals and 15 points through his first 18 games including eight powerplay points. Factor in that he is skating on the Stars’ top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin right now and it’s clear that Eaves is worth grabbing off the waiver wire right now based on his immediate scoring potential.
C: Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames
The Gaudreau injury opened up a spot on the Flames’ top line for Bennett, who has joined Sean Monahan and Troy Brouwer as part of Calgary’s best offensive line. Bennett snapped a scoring drought with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday and while he didn’t find the score sheet in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Detroit he has averaged three shots per game over his last two contests. The added opportunity on the top line and top powerplay should boost his stock so Bennett might be worth picking up if he is still available.
C: Martin Hanzal, Arizona Coyotes
Hanzal is another player that could produce at a high level when healthy but has trouble staying in the lineup. He missed a couple of games for the Coyotes with a hip injury but returned this week to produce three points in three games. Hanzal can’t be trusted in the long run but considering he is skating on a line with Max Domi and Radim Vrbata he might be worth adding right now, especially in deeper leagues that count faceoff wins as a category.
G: Chad Johnson, Calgary Flames
Calgary’s early season struggles forced Glen Gulutzan’s hand in terms of making a goaltending change as he went to Chad Johnson last week to replace Brian Elliott as the team’s No. 1 at least for now. Elliott is 3-8-1 with a 3.36 goals against average and .882 save percentage while Johnson is 5-3-1 with a 2.31 goals against average and .911 save percentage. The numbers support the idea that Johnson deserves to be the starter at least for now so Johnson could be an option for NHL fantasy league GM’s looking for goaltending help.
LW, RW: Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes
Teravainen was an asset with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Carolina Hurricanes were hoping that they’d be getting an offensive weapon when they acquired him from there. However, a seven-game scoreless drought but a damper on those plans. He’s woken up since then, though, collecting three goals and three assists in his last four games. What you have to like about him in NHL fantasy is the fact that he is getting time on the ice with Victor Rask, who is Carolina’s points leader this season and arguably their best offensive player. They played together on November 12th when Teravainen picked up a four-point night against the Washington Capitals. If he continues to play with Rask, he’s going to be relevant in NHL fantasy and he’s only owned in about 20% of leagues.
