Fantasy Hockey: Waiver Wire Pickups (Oct.11)
With the 2022-23 season roaring and underway, thanks to the Global series in Prague over the weekend, fantasy owners are making roster moves to shape their teams and ensure success for the season ahead. Below are some waiver wire targets you can plug into your lineup for the extended week 1 of fantasy hockey to get off to a strong start.
Categorized by Rostered Percentage on Yahoo:
Under 50% Rostered
Boone Jenner (C) – Columbus Blue Jackets – 43% Rostered
Jenner finds himself in a very fantasy favourable position to start 2022-23 as he will begin the season centring newly acquired superstar Johnny Gaudreau (115 Pts in 2021-22) and sharpshooter Patrick Laine (56 Pts in 56 GP in 2021-22) on the Blue Jackets’ top line and power-play unit. Jenner makes an effective addition to any fantasy team as he contributes across all categories. Using last season as evidence, he ended with 23 goals and 44 points in 59 games while adding 80 hits, 160 shots on goal and averaging the 15th most time on ice for forwards with 20:28 ATOI. The Blue Jackets’ 29-year-old captain should be a lock for top-6 minutes throughout the season, as Columbus is weak down the middle, with only Jack Roslovic and Cole Sillinger threatening him for minutes. Jenner is a 200-shot threat again this season, as he has surpassed the feat twice in his nine-year career.
Under 40% Rostered
Chandler Stephenson (C/RW) – Vegas Golden Knights – 40% Rostered
Stephenson enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2021-22, finishing with 21 goals and 64 points in 79 games to place second on the Golden Knights in team scoring. The 28-year-old finds himself in a very fantasy-friendly position yet again, skating on the top power-play unit and centring a line with Mark Stone.
Thinking back to this sequence from Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/EkyblD4bDh
— NHL (@NHL) August 20, 2022You can rarely acquire a player after the draft on a borderline playoff team who also goes out first for every power-play alongside three All-star linemates (Shea Theodore as well). Stephenson’s dual position eligibility makes him a nice bottom of the roster piece.
Shayne Gostisbehere (D) – Arizona Coyotes – 37% Rostered
It is not often you can get one of the highest goal-scoring defensemen in the NHL for free off the waiver wire before the season starts making Shayne Gostisbehere a premium waiver selection. Gostisbehere finished 2021-22 seventh among all defensemen in goals (14), 18th in points (51), and 38th in total shots (151), making him worthy of much more than his current 37% ownership. He enters the season in the same spot he found himself a year ago, leading the Coyotes’ back end with no threat to take his coveted power-play time as Jakob Chychrun is both sidelined indefinitely and asking for a trade out of town. If you have room for the defenseman now, he may hurt your plus/minus, but his elite contributions across the board in all other categories make him a more than justifiable fantasy option.
Andrei Kuzmenko (LW) – Vancouver Canucks – 37% Rostered
The Fantasy buzz surrounding Kuzmenko has steadily grown throughout the preseason, but he still remains available in 63 percent of leagues. Kuzmenko was attached to Elias Pettersson’s hip all preseason and will open the season on his line and potentially with the top power-play unit. Kuzmenko led the Canucks with six points (3G / 3A) in three preseason games, so it’s worth taking a shot at his unknown upside before it’s too late.
Under 25% Rostered
Kaapo Kakko (RW) – New York Rangers – 11% Rostered
Kakko gets the distinct early season honour and fantasy privilege of lining up alongside Mika Zibanejad (81 points in 2021-22) and Chris Kreider (52 goals in 2021-22) on the Rangers’ top line, making him one of the most sought-after waiver wire scoops heading into the 2022-23 fantasy season. The 21-year-old excelled throughout the preseason, collecting three goals and 10 shots in four. He currently finds his fantasy potential capped due to the Rangers’ top power-play having no room for him, but still finds himself in the next best situation alongside his two all-star linemates. He’s worth a flier while he’s on NYR1, and he’ll try to surpass 23 points for the first time in his young career while proving the talent that got him selected No.2 overall in the 2019 draft. He is also one lineup shuffle away from losing seemingly all fantasy relevance so keep an eye on where the young winger lines up as the season progresses.
Under 10% Rostered
Marco Rossi (C) – Minnesota Wild – 10% Rostered
Rossi led all NHLers in points during the 2022-23 preseason as he amassed nine points (2G / 7A) in five games. He was drafted No.9 overall by the Wild in 2020 and has excelled at every level since coming to America in 2018-19 and collecting 185 points in his 109 career OHL games. The Austrian will start the year centring the Wild’s fourth line making him less fantasy relevant than most of the names on this list, but he finds himself on the Wild’s second power-play unit and is likely one injury or slow start away from finding himself in a top-9 role. However, if he can continue the success he found in the preseason, he could make both a Calder and fantasy favourite as you grab onto one of the leagues’ exciting young talents before the rest of the fantasy world catches on.
Dylan Holloway (C) – Edmonton Oilers – 9% Rostered
Holloway has been a revelation for the Oilers throughout the preseason leading the team with four goals and six points through the five games.
here's a look at all three of dylan holloway's goals. pic.twitter.com/WQLGTSk2Wq
— zach laing (@zjlaing) October 4, 2022This early success has earned the 21-year-old a spot on Edmonton’s second line alongside 50-goal, 110-point man Leon Draisaitl and the scrappy Zach Hyman. Holloway will look to keep his top-6 spot for Wednesday’s opening game against Vancouver and beyond as he proves what made him a first-round pick (14th overall) for the Oilers in 2020. The rookie makes a sneaky waiver option as he should eventually gain left-wing eligibility, a bonus to the already high upside he carries as a member of one of the league’s best top-6 forward units.
Jack Quinn (RW) – Buffalo Sabres – 8% Rostered
Quinn has also been gaining some steam in fantasy circles over the last couple of weeks. Still, he’s under 10% rostered and is ripe for the picking. Quinn dominated the AHL last season, was a 50-goal player in the OHL and had 16 shots in five games during the pre-season. Quinn will open the season in the Sabres’ top-6 and could quickly move up to the top power-play unit. He’s a favourite to lead all rookies in goals this season and seems to have a higher ceiling than some that are much higher owned than he is.
Jaden Schwartz (LW) – Seattle Kraken – 2% Rostered
Schwartz enters 2022-23 in a fantastic fantasy position as he is currently lining up on Seattle’s top line and their top power-play unit. Schwartz was limited to only 37 games by injury in his inaugural season with the Kraken, finishing with eight goals and 23 points. Schwartz was a fantasy staple from 2014-to-2018, averaging 64 points per 82 games. He has the potential to get back to those marks if he can stay healthy, so take a flier on him if he’s cleared for Game 1 of the season–he picked up a lower-body injury in last Friday’s preseason game.