It’s a pretty typical NHL week from a fantasy perspective. There are at least four games per night, ranging to Saturday’s high of 13.
All weekday start times are the expected 7 p.m. Eastern, with games starting around the lunch hour on the weekend.
Only the Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils are in the two-game club for this week. Jack Hughes, Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko can arguably stay in lineups regardless, thanks to their consistent fantasy production. You can make a judgement call on benching others in leagues with weekly lineup locks.
The Chicago Blackhawks‘ schedule makes them ideal for daily lineup streaming, as their four games fall on nights with relatively fewer other teams in action, averaging 9.5. For comparison, the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars also have four games, but they coincide with busier nights, averaging 19.0 teams in action.
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
Marcus Johansson, LW, Minnesota Wild (1.74 FPPG, 93.1% available): Get Johansson into lineups while the getting’s good. His top-line stint with Kirill Kaprizov won’t last forever — Mats Zuccarello could be back within a week — but Johansson’s made the most of it with points in five straight.
Andre Burakovsky, RW, Chicago Blackhawks (1.68 FPPG, 95.3% available): Connor Bedard may have found his ideal linemates in Ryan Greene and Burakovsky. The trio is dominating 5-on-5, combining for five goals for and one against in nearly 36 minutes together. Burakovsky has also posted multi-point efforts in two of his last three games.
Jaden Schwartz, LW, Seattle Kraken (2.17 FPPG, 61.9% available): Schwartz kicks off a four-game week against Chicago, who allow the most power-play chances in the league, followed by favorable matchups versus the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues, and a finale against Dallas. He’s rolling on Seattle’s top power-play unit, and his per-game fantasy average remains above 2.0.
Leo Carlsson, C, Anaheim Ducks (2.80 FPPG, 31.1% available): Consider this a final, Hail Mary check for Carlsson in your league, as his rostership has already climbed past two-thirds of leagues. He’s taken the next step and deserves a spot on any fantasy roster. Excluding a slow season opener, Carlsson has averaged a formidable 3.04 FPPG across the past 10 games.
Josh Doan, RW, Buffalo Sabres (1.82 FPPG, 90.0% available): This isn’t just about Doan’s power-play opportunities. His 5-on-5 line with Alex Tuch and Ryan McLeod has already combined for 10 goals this season. Among the 44 lines averaging at least five minutes per game at 5-on-5, this Sabres trio ranks second in shot attempt rate.
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Leo Carlsson notches short-handed goal for Anaheim Ducks
Leo Carlsson notches short-handed goal for Anaheim Ducks
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Defense
Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes (1.95 FPPG, 70.0% available): If you were on the fence about this 24-year-old rookie, now’s the time to jump in. His role with the Hurricanes keeps expanding, and he’s contributing on the scoresheet. Don’t overlook his 11.4 fantasy points just from hits and blocks. This week’s four-game slate includes favorable matchups for defense against Minnesota and Toronto.
Ian Cole, D, Utah Mammoth (1.94 FPPG, 81.2% available): With four games on tap, including two against fantasy-friendly offenses in Montreal and Toronto, Cole’s value spikes this week. Still, his 15th-place standing in points from hits and blocks (15.6) shows he’s contributing well beyond the scoresheet.
Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings (1.82 FPPG, 39.7% available): Clarke isn’t seeing the power-play time we hoped, with Los Angeles running a five-forward unit, but he’s still making fantasy noise. At 5-on-5, he and Joel Edmundson have been on for nine goals for and five against, posting a solid 55.1% shot attempt share.
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Jake McCabe, D, Toronto Maple Leafs (1.96 FPPG, 84.1% available)
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Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues (1.99 FPPG, 77.7% available)
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Brayden McNabb, D, Vegas Golden Knights (1.83 FPPG, 59.3% available)
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John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks (1.64 FPPG, 94.7% available)
Goaltenders
Arturs Silovs, G, Pittsburgh Penguins (2.71 FPPG, 84.6% available): While Jarry leads in fantasy points, Silovs is the one to target this week. If Pittsburgh sticks to a strict 50-50 rotation, he should draw both of the team’s softer matchups (Capitals and Kings) across their four-game slate.
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Short-term streamers
Vitek Vanecek, G, Utah Mammoth (2.87 FPPG, 98.8% available): The Mammoth have not one, but two back-to-back sets this week, meaning Vanecek could start twice as the team rests Karel Vejmelka. Just beware the matchup against Montreal, who have forced -1.22 fantasy points per game upon opposing goalies.
Easton Cowan, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs (1.01 FPPG, 98.7% available): With William Nylander questionable, Cowan should remain alongside John Tavares in the top six. He’s been active offensively, firing seven shots on goal over his past two games.
Alex Iafallo, LW, Winnipeg Jets (1.42 FPPG, 97.3% available): Two of Winnipeg’s three games this week come against soft penalty kills, and with Cole Perfetti not expected back until mid-month, Iafallo should remain on the top power-play unit.
Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Boston Bruins (1.13 FPPG, 99.5% available): Arvidsson is a shooter, and with Elias Lindholm out for a few weeks, he’ll see plenty of opportunity on Boston’s top power-play unit. He is among the top 50 NHLers this season in shots per minute.
Cam York, D, Philadelphia Flyers (1.92 FPPG, 72.8% available): Philadelphia has three favorable matchups this week for both defenders and top power-play options — Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and Ottawa Senators — and York qualifies as both.
