Fantasy Hockey: Weekend Streaming Targets – Week 20
Our Weekend Streamers series aims to help you steal your matchup by getting the most value possible out of the limited transactions in your fantasy league. Every Friday morning, we will break down the teams and skaters with the most streamer-friendly schedules over the weekend. We will also look at the best spot starts in goal each weekend, highlighting the widely-available goaltenders that could provide the boost and edge you need to win your matchup.
This weekend features three games on Friday, 13 on Saturday, and six on Sunday, so as per usual, we are going to target the skaters playing on those two quieter nights. We have four teams to dig through this week, so let’s get into it. Happy streaming!
Anaheim Ducks–vs. NJD (Fri), vs. VAN (Sun)
Mason McTavish (C/LW) – 46% owned
McTavish is red-hot of late and his ownership is back up as a result, but he still remains available in over half of Yahoo! leagues. The third-overall pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft has four goals, four assists and 19 shots on goal in his last seven games while featuring primarily on the team’s second line and power-play unit. He is as talented as anyone on this Anaheim roster and continues to earn himself more minutes. Do not be surprised if he is skating alongside Frank Vatrano on the team’s first power-play unit before the end of the weekend.
Adam Henrique (C/LW) – 33% owned
Henrique has provided steady production for the better part of the last two months, scoring seven goals and adding 15 assists in his last 21 games, including a three-point performance against the Sharks on Thursday. He is being heavily-utilized in all situations, locking down a spot on the Ducks’ first line and top power-play unit. It is worth noting that trade rumours continue to swirl around Henrique, and he could be a victim of being scratched for precautionary reasons ahead of next week’s trade deadline, just as we saw with Ilya Lyubushkin prior to last night’s trade with the Maple Leafs.
Ryan Strome (LW/RW) – 8% owned
Though he does not offer nearly as much upside as his two teammates mentioned above, Strome still makes for a solid consolation prize in deeper leagues. He is limited to a role on Anaheim’s third line at 5v5, but continues to be heavily-featured on the top power-play unit. He is averaging a point per game over his last nine contents, with seven of those nine points coming on the power-play. It is worth nothing that a lack of shot volume caps any potential goal-scoring upside, but Strome is still a solid bet to pad your assist totals this weekend.
Arizona Coyotes–@ OTT (Fri), @ WSH (Sun)
Nick Schmaltz (C/RW) 21% owned
A regular on the weekend streamers segment, Schmaltz has been heating back up of late with two goals and two assists in his last five games, though it looks like he will have to do the heavy lifting himself this weekend as Clayton Keller continues to be sidelined with an upper-body injury. Keller’s absence is certainly a hit to Schmaltz’s potential production, but his ideal usage and a pair of above-average matchups against the Senators and Capitals means Schmaltz is still a more than viable streaming target this weekend.
Matias Maccelli (LW) 7% owned
Unlike Schmaltz, Keller’s absence actually aids Maccelli’s potential production as it frees up a spot on the top power-play unit for one of the most under-utilized playmakers in the league. Maccelli is in the midst of a four-game point streak and has averaged over 20 minutes of ice-time since Keller exited the lineup. He also has ten shots on goal across that stretch, suggesting his production may not be as one-dimensional as it typically is for the play-making winger. He is available in 93% of leagues and is as likely as anyone in this article to add to your assist totals this weekend.
New Jersey Devils–@ ANA (Fri), @ LAK (Sun)
As is often the case when some of the more talented teams find themselves with a streaming-friendly schedule, the Devils do not actually have a lot of quality options to offer us on the waiver wire due to their primary producers being so heavily owned. Your best bets are Dawson Mercer (C/RW – 21% owned) and Ondrej Palat (LW – 3% owned), but there almost certainly better options available in your free agency pool this weekend. The two have combined for just three points in their last five games, neither are heavily-featured on the man advantage, and Mercer was recently dropped back down into New Jersey’s bottom-six.
Washington Capitals–vs. PHI (Fri), vs. ARI (Sun)
Dylan Strome (C) 37% owned
Strome has quietly been one of the hottest players in the league over the last month, racking up five goals, ten assists, and 33 shots on goal in his last 13 games while playing over 18 and a half minutes a night. He is cemented on the Capitals’ first line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson and is a staple on the team’s first power-play unit. His ownership continues to rise, but he is unquestionably one of the top streaming targets on this weekend’s slate if you are in one of the 63% of leagues where he is still available.
Max Pacioretty (LW) 14% owned
Pacioretty is quietly starting to find his form, albeit in a limited role with the Capitals. He has two goals and three assists in his last six games and has managed to fire 16 shots on goal in that span despite playing less than 13 and a half minutes a night. I would expect him to start earning more ice-time and potentially a spot on that first power-play unit sooner than later, but I am happy to bet on that shot volume this weekend either way.
Goaltenders
Given the busier-than-usual size of Sunday’s six-game slate, there are a handful of teams rocking the Saturday/Sunday back-to-back this weekend, but there appears to be just two backup goaltenders that could draw a premium matchup on Sunday.
Laurent Brossoit – 17% owned
The Jets are in Carolina on Saturday before travelling to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Sunday. Connor Hellebuyck will almost certainly get the Canes on Saturday, leaving Brossoit to face the Sabres in an ideal matchup on Sunday. It is as good of a matchup as you could hope for when looking for a Sunday spot start. The Jets are one of the best defensive teams in the NHL and Brossoit has been outstanding when called upon this season. He owns a 9-4-2 record to go along with a 2.26 GAA and a .922 SV% and has been even better of late, posting a .936 SV% since the turn of the calendar year. Stash him on your roster as soon as you can, because his ownership is sure to sky-rocket on Sunday.
Calvin Pickard – 7% owned
At a cursory glance, Pickard looks set to face the Penguins on Sunday, though the way the Oilers decide to deploy their goaltenders this weekend is much less of a certainty. Edmonton has an afternoon game in Seattle on Saturday, and it is not uncommon for coaches to elect to start their backup for the front-end of a weekend back-to-back when it is an afternoon affair. The Oilers will be sizable favourites over the Penguins on Sunday regardless of who is in net, but I would wait to make sure Stuart Skinner is confirmed on Saturday before moving to grab Pickard.