Fantasy Hockey: Waiver Wire Replacements for Oettinger/Swayman

With the announcement Monday that Jake Oettinger will be out for at least a week and Jeremy Swayman leaving Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury, Fantasy Managers will be on the hunt for goalie replacements this week while they wait for healthier days between their pipes.

Below is a list of goaltenders who make solid fill-ins while you wait and are less than 40% owned in Yahoo Leagues:

Stuart Skinner (EDM) – 39% Rostered

4 GP – 2-1-0 .955 SV% and a 1.59 GAA

Skinner is flourishing playing for his hometown Oilers, having started two of the teams’ last four games and putting up an NHL-leading .955 SV% and second-ranked 1.59 GAA. As much as Skinner has been shining, his counterpart Jack Campbell has been struggling. Since signing with the Oilers in the offseason, Campbell has failed to impress, posting a 3.91 GAA and .881 SV% while luckily carrying a 5-2-0 record due to the Oilers’ elite offensive attack. With Campbell allowing four or more goals for a second straight start Tuesday, Skinner’s chances of taking more starts increased, making him a player to consider in all fantasy formats. At this point, the best we can hope for is a 50/50 split with Campbell, but considering Edmonton ranks third in the NHL in goals per game (4.1), the ones he does start are far more valuable than owning a player on a bottom 10 team who hurts your fantasy stats nightly.

Adin Hill (VGK) – 26% Rostered

4 GP – 4-0-0 – .940 SV% and 1.72 GAA

Hill has been perfect (4-0-0) in his first four starts with the Golden Knights after being acquired from San Jose in the offseason. The 25-year-old’s roster percentage is rather shocking, considering he plays for the team that is at the top of the NHL standings and ranks fourth among all goalies with a 1.72 GAA and fifth with his .940 SV%. If Logan Thompson was not playing equally as incredibly (5-2-0, .938 SV%, 1.73 GAA), Hill would certainly be earning more starts. For now, he settles for the lesser half of the Golden Knights’ goaltending splits, but even then, he may have more valuable starts than goalies on lesser teams, even with the limited playing time. Vegas is not the same team that missed the playoffs in 2021-22, as shown by their league-leading 9-2-0 record early on this season. He’s not going to be a No.1 fantasy netminder, but you can rely on him to get wins and not crater your splits at the moment.

Mackenzie Blackwood (NJD) – 23% Rostered

6 GP – 4-2-0 – .879 SV% and 2.67 GAA

Rostering the Devils’ netminders is a good idea right now. Vitek Vanecek is likely the better option, but he’s already 47% rostered. Blackwood is widely available and has played well since his stinker on opening night. In his last five starts, he’s gone 4-1-0 with an .890 SV%. His SV% is a bit misleading because he allowed five gaols vs. The Capitals but has held opponents to two or fewer in the other four games. New Jersey currently ranks first in the NHL in 5v5 xGA/60 and PK xGA/60, so they’re doing an outstanding job protecting their goalies. They’re also sixth in goals per game (3.6), so they’re also providing outstanding goal support.

Scott Wedgewood (DAL) – 13% Rostered

4 GP – 1-2-1 – .895 SV% and a 3.65 GAA

What better replacement for an injured goalie than the guy who is replacing them? Wedgewood proved he more than has what it takes to hold down the pipes for Dallas Tuesday, stopping 30 of 32 shots to earn his first win in a 5-2 victory over Los Angeles. Wedgewood’s numbers look inflated due to his tough fill-in game last Saturday after he replaced Jake Oettinger and allowed four goals on 17 shots (.765 SV%) in a loss to the Rangers. The Stars are in the top half of the league in All Situations xGA/60, so Wedgewood should be fairly well protected. The best part about adding Wedgewood now is the Stars’ upcoming schedule. They’ll face his former team in Arizona on Thursday, and they’ve got the Jets, Sharks and Flyers next week. If Oettinger is forced to miss some time, he can be the perfect band-aid to help your team in the meantime and the second-best option on this list. He holds a career save percentage of .905 across 82 games played.

Casey DeSmith (PIT) – 14% Rostered

3 GP – 0-2-1 – .913 SV% and a 2.97 GAA

When DeSmith plays, he’s very good. His issue for fantasy owners the last few years is he is firmly entrenched in the Penguins’ backup role. With Pittsburgh heading on a Southern Ontario road trip next week (Nov 11,12) they run into a back-to-back against Toronto and Montreal. DeSmith being the backup will likely draw the second start meaning a date with the Canadiens and their 25th-ranked offence (2.8 GF/GP) should lead to some positive results. If you hurry, you’ll get him for tonight’s start vs. the Sabres as well. He is more a stash for the weekend, but considering he has an incredibly consistent .915 career SV%, he is a great play whenever he gets the green light for Pittsburgh, who ranks fourth in the NHL in goals per game (3.7) and shots per game (37.3).