Fantasy Hockey: Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

Injuries are starting to pile up in the NHL. Josh Norris, Nikolaj Ehliers, Pavel Buchnevich, Quinn Hughes, and Aaron Ekblad are among the names who landed on injured reserve in the last week or so and replacing them or finding hidden gems to help you struggling team can go a long way in building a Fantasy Hockey Championship team. Below are some waiver wire targets that are under-owned:

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*in order of Yahoo Rostered Percentage*

Chandler Stephenson (VGK – C/RW) – 49% rostered

• 8 GP – 3 G – 4 A – 7 Pts – 16 SOG

Looking for players who occupy both top lines and power-play is a clear indicator of a waiver target you want to add. With seven points (3G/4A) through his first eight games, Stephenson has become that exact waiver target as he lines up with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone at 5v5 and on the top power-play unit. Stephenson has yet to record a point on the PP but is tied for third in the NHL in 5v5 scoring with seven points (3G / 4A) in right games. The 28-year-old has been incredibly consistent, collecting points in all but two games this season and five of his last six games. His heavy usage (18:29 ATOI) should allow him to continue at a near-point-per-game pace. He should have another season where he approaches 25 goals with 40-plus assists. He’s heavily rostered, but if he’s available in your league, he makes a reliable bottom-of-your-roster option and a suitable replacement for Norris.

Martin Necas (CAR – RW) – (44% Rostered)

• 6 GP – 3G – 5 A – 8 Pts – 6 PIMs – 15 SOG

Necas’ roster percentage is quickly rising game-by-game, and deservedly so, as he has a point in five of six games to start 2022-23, collecting eight points (3G/5A) and 15 SOG. Necas’ production has been capped in previous seasons because his role was rarely consistent. However, in 2022-23 he’s been a permanent fixture on the Hurricanes’ second line with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and the red-hot Andrei Svechnikov. As a result, he’s seen a massive increase in usage, leading all Hurricanes’ forwards in ATOI (19:44). In addition to his prominent 5v5 role, Necas is also on the top power-play unit. Jump on his hot start while you can, as he will not be on waivers long if he continues to produce at this impressive rate.

Vince Dunn (SEA – D) – (32% Rostered)

• 8 GP – 1 G – 4 A – 5 Pts – 11 SOG – 3 PPP

If some of your early-season fantasy defensemen selections are not working out, now is the time to fix the problem before it becomes a glaring hole on your roster and you are forced to make a trade down the line. Dunn is surprisingly still very low-owned, considering he plays on both Seattle’s top defensive and power-play units. Dunn has been heating up in his last two games, collecting a goal and two assists as the Kraken have scored nine goals as a team. He is just below a point per game on the season with six points (1G/5A) and three power-play points through the first eight games. The defender has proven he can efficiently get pucks on the net, as he has four or more shots in two of the eight games this year. As Seattle continues to prove they are much improved offensively, Dunn’s ownership will rise.

Danton Heinen (PIT – LW/RW) – 27% Rostered

• 7 GP – 3 G – 3 A – 6 Pts – +4 – 18 SOG – 2 PPP

With Jake Guentzel (ear) and Jason Zucker (undisclosed) both sidelined, Heinen has moved into the Penguins’ top-6. He’s played with both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in recent games, posting two goals on eight shots in 16:02 ATOI. Guentzel and Zucker are listed as day-to-day, so it’s unclear how long Heinen will be in the top-6, but he’s a solid short-term addition. The Penguins have great matchups in Vancouver and in Seattle on Friday and Saturday. If the injuries linger into November, they have a schedule that will allow you to easily get Heinen into your lineup.

Nicholas Robertson (TOR – LW) – 24% Rostered

• 3 GP – 2 G – 1 A – 3 Pts – 1 GWG – 7 SOG

As long as Robertson has a spot in the Maple Leaf’s top-6, he is worth at least a look in any fantasy league. Currently excelling on a line with John Tavares (3G/5A in 7 GP) and William Nylander (4G/3A in 7GP), Robertson has shown incredibly impressive flashes just three games into his 2022-23 season by scoring two goals (including a GWG) and adding an assist while averaging a nice 2.33 shots per game. Robertson has excelled at every level. He scored 55 goals in 46 OHL games in 2020 and has been at a point-per-game in the AHL over the last two seasons, scoring 17 goals with 13 assists (30 points) in 30 games. The Maple Leafs shuffled their lines on Wednesday, but Robertson remained with Tavares and Nylander, suggesting he could be their long-term solution in that role. As a trio, they’ve averaged 3.4 xGF/60 and 43.4 ScoringChancesFor/60, so the points should start to pile up for Robertson.

Cole Perfetti (WPG – C/RW) – 18% Rostered

• 6 GP – 2 G – 3 A – 5 Pts – 9 SOG

Following the theme of highly touted prospects, Winnipeg’s No.10 overall pick, Perfetti, may be one of the better waiver wire options on this list while also being the lowest owned. The rookie is locked into a top-6 role alongside Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler and has collected five points (2G/3A) in his last four games while also getting nine SOG. Like Robertson, Perfetti’s profile at lower levels is impressive. He had 111 points (37G / 74A) in 61 OHL games in 2020 and 41 points (15G / 26A) in 49 career AHL games. Perfetti-Dubois-Wheeler are averaging 2.8 xGF/60 and 34.1 SCF/60, so they should continue their recent success, and the Jets’ roster construction should allow him to play in the top-6 for the entire season.

Matt Grzelcyk (BOS – D) – 8% Rostered

• 3 GP – 0 G – 3 A – 3 Pts – +3 – 8 SOG

Grzelcyk quietly returned to Boston’s lineup a week ago after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and immediately found himself manning the Bruins’ top defensive pairing. The 28-year-old has not missed a beat, collecting a point in all three of his games (3A) while getting eight SOG to go along with a plus-3 rating. Charlie McAvoy is still expected to be out until late November, making Grzelcyk a sneaky defensive filler as he should continue to play big minutes on the Bruins’ blueline. He’s currently on the second PP unit, but he’s seen PP1 usage before, so there’s a chance he swaps spots with Hampus Lindholm at some point. The Bruins sit third in the NHL in GF/gm (4.14), so Grzelcyk should continue to have plenty of chances to pick up points. He’s been on the ice for four of the Bruins’ nine goals since returning to the lineup.