It’s a new year and the NHL is back to business. The holidays, Olympic team selections and Winter Classic are behind us, and we can settle into a solid stretch of hockey before the actual Olympic break begins in February.
This is as typical as a week can get. It’s a busy Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with lighter slates of five games or fewer on the other days. Weekday puck drops are 7 p.m. ET or later, with weekend starts in the early afternoon.
That’s right, it’s back to the grind.
The Utah Mammoth and Washington Capitals are your best options for streaming into daily lineups. They both have four-game weeks on the lightest of nights, averaging only eight other 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
Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Colorado Avalanche (1.65 FPPG, 60.3% available): Back on the top power-play unit, and likely to have less competition to stay there while Gabriel Landeskog is sidelined, Nichushkin could be primed for one of his patented streaks of value. Just make sure you are acquiring him via free agency and not trading away active starters for an unreliable fantasy player.
Alexander Wennberg, C, San Jose Sharks (1.66 FPPG, 83.6% available): With his play picking up of late, the Sharks rewarded Wennberg with a three-year extension and fantasy managers should consider following suit. The Sharks power play gives Wennberg consistent access to Macklin Celebrini, but even without scoring on the advantage a lot (one point in 12 games), his even-strength numbers have sustained a 2.13 FPPG for the past 10 games.
Blake Coleman, RW, Calgary Flames (1.70 FPPG, 66.2% available): Coleman and Mikael Backlund have cycled through a series of wingers this season, but have remained a consistent source of 5-on-5 scoring for the Flames. With Connor Zary or Samuel Honzek, the line is 16-15 on goals scored-against, but with Matt Coronato, who is the current winger du jour, the line is 4-0 in 58 minutes of action. Coleman has 2.14 FPPG over his past 10 games.
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Jordan Eberle nets goal for Kraken
Jordan Eberle nets goal for Kraken
Jordan Eberle, RW, Seattle Kraken (1.77 FPPG, 70.0% available): With a six-game point streak going, Eberle is scoring at 5-on-5 and on the advantage. His current line with Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko is 4-2 for goals at even strength since coming together following the Mason Marchment trade.
See also:
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Eeli Tolvanen, LW/RW, Seattle Kraken (1.90 FPPG, 47.7% available)
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Igor Chernyshov, LW, San Jose Sharks (2.06 FPPG, 81.9% available)
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Mason Marchment, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets (1.33 FPPG, 49.1% available)
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Anthony Mantha, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (1.66 FPPG, 74.5% available)
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Ivan Demidov, RW, Montreal Canadiens (1.58 FPPG, 43.9% available)
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Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Carolina Hurricanes (1.50 FPPG, 38.2% available)
Defense
Sean Durzi, D, Utah Mammoth (1.88 FPPG, 49.8% available): The positives are outweighing the negatives with Durzi of late, but there are a lot of negatives. He and Mikhail Sergachev are being lit up as defense partners this season, getting outscored 6-15 at even strength across 192 minutes. But if your league doesn’t use plus/minus, it’s a little more palatable to soak up the assists and blocked shots that have fueled Durzi to 2.33 FPPG across his past 10 games.
Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings (1.73 FPPG, 41.2% available): The power-play stats are starting to flow for Clarke now that the Kings have started to lean on him as the primary quarterback. Drew Doughty still gets his looks, but Clarke has pulled ahead as the choice. The Kings have seven power-play goals in their past 10 games and Clarke has been on the ice for six of them (Doughty for zero).
See also:
Goaltenders
Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets (1.45 FPP60, 0.6% available): It’s a strange time when we need to highlight the fact that starting Hellebuyck is a good call, but eight consecutive losses will do that to a reputation. The early week remains a little rough with the Golden Knights and Oilers on tap, but the week closes with the third-best (Kings) and second-best (New Jersey Devils) matchups for goaltenders in fantasy. Hopefully this is when he turns the corner.
Karel Vejmelka, G, Utah Mammoth (1.55 FPP60, 64.4% available): Speaking of good matchups, but from a goaltender that’s been a little more consistent. Three of the four games for the Mammoth this week come against teams in the top-10 matchups for fantasy goaltenders (the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Blue Jackets).
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Darcy Kuemper makes beautiful save
Darcy Kuemper makes beautiful save
Darcy Kuemper, G, Los Angeles Kings (2.39 FPP60, 13.3% available): Just a fair warning that there isn’t a huge rush to get Kuemper back in your lineup even though he is healthy. The Kings have a tough week, as the Wild, Sharks and Oilers can be pretty punishing to opposing goaltenders. The Jets game on Friday is the only potential reprieve.
See also:
Short-term streamers
Ryan Leonard, RW, Washington Capitals (1.51 FPPG, 87.2% available): If Tom Wilson and/or Aliaksei Protas end up missing games, Leonard moves up both at even strength and on the power play. He has a three-game point streak and five in his past six.
Jeremy Lauzon, D, Vegas Golden Knights (1.50 FPPG, 97.0% available): With Shea Theodore already out and now Brayden McNabb considered week-to-week, there are more minutes available for Lauzon. More minutes for Lauzon means he can get enough hits to be a lineup lock for fantasy.
Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers (1.64 FPPG, 70.0% available): Seth Jones left Friday’s Winter Classic with an injury. If he misses some games this week, Ekblad is elevated to the top power-play unit.
Calvin Pickard, G, Edmonton Oilers (-1.00 FPP60, 98.3% available): It doesn’t look like Tristan Jarry will be back this week and whatever magic Connor Ingram had on callup has waned. As streaming choices go, he is a good one this week for the depleted Oilers. They face the Predators, Jets and Kings. While the Predators are improving quickly all three opponents are still top-10 matchups for goalies.
Fraser Minten, C, Boston Bruins (1.30 FPPG, 98.7% available): The two-goal outburst in Vancouver wasn’t a fluke, it was a product of Minten playing on the top line. He has now played 50 minutes with David Pastrnak and Marat Khusnutdinov, and they have combined for Minten to collect four points in his past two games.
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Tom Willander tallies goal vs. Flyers
Tom Willander tallies goal vs. Flyers
Tom Willander, D, Vancouver Canucks (1.06 FPPG, 99.8% available): Is the Zeev Buium honeymoon over? Maybe. Willander has been getting more power-play time of late with the top unit. He was on the ice for the two PP goals by the top unit against the Kraken on Friday.
Arturs Silovs, G, Pittsburgh Penguins (0.75 FPP60, 90.0% available): Rotating the crease with Stuart Skinner, Silovs is likely only getting one start this week. But it’s likely to be the best of the bunch if the rotation holds. Silovs is due to face the Flames on Saturday, which is the best matchup for fantasy goaltenders (2.85 FPPG).
