Waiver Wire Wednesday: Week 2 Fantasy Hockey Pickups
On this week’s edition of the DFO Fantasy Show, Brock Seguin and Beebs Bondy gave their favourite waiver wire pickups from five different ownership tiers:
- 40-50% Rostered
30-40% Rostered
20-30% Rostered
10-20% Rostered
<10% Rostered
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Brock Seguin’s Pickups:
40–50%: William Eklund (OTT – LW/RW) – 46% Rostered
Eklund has averaged over 18 minutes per game through three games and got on the scoresheet with a goal and an assist on Tuesday. The early underlying metrics look great, too. He currently ranks 14th in the NHL in ixG per game (0.72), which is an encouraging development for a player who has never been much of a goal scorer.
If Eklund can add more goals to an already strong assist baseline, there could be another level to his fantasy value. He’s averaging 3.0 SOG and 5.0 shot attempts per game so far, both significant increases from what we’ve seen over the last three seasons. It’s obviously a small sample, but the increased shot volume suggests there could be more goal-scoring on the horizon.
30–40%: Zayne Parekh (CGY – D) – 31% Rostered
Parekh was a player I was very high on last year. It didn’t work out, but there’s reason to buy back in right now.
First, he finished last season with seven points (4G / 3A) in his final 14 games while averaging 2.1 SOG, 4.1 shot attempts and 19:49 ATOI. So far this season, his ice time is down slightly to 18:35, but he’s been firing the puck at an impressive rate. Through three games, Parekh has seven SOG and is averaging 7.7 shot attempts per game, sixth-most among all defensemen.
The obvious downside is that the Flames look terrible, and Parekh is already minus-6, so he can hurt you badly in leagues that count plus/minus. But if you’re desperate for a defenseman with offensive upside, Parekh is one of the more interesting options available. He currently ranks 27th among defensemen in Offence Generating Plays per game.
20–30%: Jack Roslovic (TOR – C/RW) – 22% Rostered
The sell on Roslovic is easy: he’s skating alongside two stars in Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko, and the underlying metrics have been extremely impressive. The trio has averaged 3.24 xGF/60 while allowing just 0.97 xGA/60, giving them the best xG% of any line with at least 30 minutes together so far this season.
Roslovic has picked up three points (1G / 2A) in four games, but it’s the shot volume that’s really worth buying into. He’s averaging 2.5 SOG and 5.3 shot attempts per game. Unlike Matthews and Marchenko, Roslovic isn’t generating a ton of high-quality scoring chances, but in points leagues, those shots will add up. And simply playing alongside two elite offensive players should give him plenty of opportunities to pick up points.
10–20%: Jack Quinn (BUF – RW) – 16% Rostered
I tried to refrain from mentioning the same players as last week, but I can’t do it with Quinn. I’m so in on this player right now.
Through three games, he’s averaging 20:33 TOI, 3.7 SOG and a ridiculous 9.0 shot attempts per game, tied with Matt Boldy for seventh-most in the NHL. Similar to Roslovic, Quinn isn’t necessarily generating the highest-quality looks, but that kind of volume adds up quickly.
More importantly, the ice time looks legitimate. If Quinn continues playing 20-plus minutes per game while generating shots at anywhere close to this rate, a breakout season feels like a formality.
Below 10%: Victor Eklund (NYI – RW) – 6% Rostered
I already mentioned his brother, so why not mention Victor again? I said last week that you’d probably have to be patient with him, but I might have been wrong.
Eklund has already impressed the Islanders’ coaching staff enough to move from the third line to the second line, and he’s picked up one goal and one assist through three games. He also played a season-high 15:01 last night, which could be a sign of things to come.
The underlying results have been modest so far, but that’s less important with a player like Eklund. His fantasy ceiling will continue to rise as his role expands, and we’re already seeing that happen. At just 6% rostered, he’s a perfect target in deeper leagues.
Beebs Bondy’s Pickups:
40–50%: Luke Evangelista (NJD – LW/RW) – 44% Rostered
Evangelista was an intriguing late-round pickup in fantasy drafts following his impressive breakout in 2025-26 (56 points in 81 games) and his excellent opportunity on New Jersey’s PP1 and in the top six of the Devils’ offensively gifted lineup.
The 24-year-old was often viewed as little more than a streamer last season due to his lack of goal-scoring and shot volume, but he’s showing encouraging signs of improvement through his first three games with New Jersey. Evangelista has already recorded 10 SOG while averaging 18:28 TOI/GP, an increase of 1:51 from last season in Nashville.
That increased involvement has translated into three points in three games, including a two-goal performance in New Jersey’s loss on Tuesday. Evangelista was already considered a potential breakout candidate entering the season, and his early performance has only strengthened that case. He’s showing all the right signs of taking his game to another level. Grab him now before it’s too late and his roster percentage inevitably climbs above 50%.
30–40%: Jared McCann (SEA – C/LW) – 37% Rostered
McCann’s performance on Tuesday was enough to warrant an immediate add after the veteran forward recorded a game-high seven SOG and a power-play goal in Seattle’s loss.
The strong start comes after McCann finished 2025-26 with his fifth consecutive 20-goal, 20-assist season despite missing 30 games due to injuries. The 30-year-old has been a model of consistency when healthy, and he appears to be picking up right where he left off to begin 2026-27.
Through four games, McCann has recorded one goal, four assists and 15 SOG, averaging an impressive 3.75 shots per game. Seattle has notoriously been a team to avoid for fantasy assets, but the additions of Bobby McMann and Mackie Samoskevich have improved the Kraken’s overall top-six depth.
McCann’s roster percentage climbed above 60% last season when he was healthy and producing. Jump in now before that happens again during this 84-game campaign.
20–30%: Mikael Granlund (ANA – C/LW) – 24% Rostered
Granlund’s 20:35 TOI/GP is eye-opening, ranking 26th among all NHL forwards, yet he remains available in nearly 79% of leagues.
The veteran forward currently occupies a spot on Anaheim’s top power-play unit and second line in an impressive Ducks top six. He’s rewarded fantasy managers early with a game-winning goal and two points through two games, yet his roster percentage has barely moved.
With that kind of usage, the 34-year-old is likely to find his way onto the scoresheet regularly, much like he did in 2025-26, when he recorded 19 goals and 41 points in just 58 games.
If Granlund can stay healthy, he’s proven multiple times that he’s capable of reaching 20-plus goals and 60-plus points, even without providing much shot volume. Entering his 15th NHL season, we know what we’re getting. But with Granlund once again looking poised to handle significant minutes in 2026-27, I’m more than happy to have him occupying a spot near the back of my fantasy roster.
10–20%: Viktor Arvidsson (DET – LW/RW) – 12% Rostered
Despite Arvidsson’s early days in Detroit being filled with chaos, the 33-year-old veteran has been a steady source of offence through the team’s first three games. He also finds himself in an excellent fantasy position following Dylan Larkin’s much-documented return on Tuesday.
Arvidsson has already recorded two power-play goals, three points and eight SOG while averaging 18:20 TOI through Detroit’s first three games. He’s fitting in nicely after signing a two-year, $8 million contract in the offseason.
While Detroit’s overall lineup leaves plenty to be desired, its top six has some legitimate offensive potential. Arvidsson demonstrated that upside with a two-point, four-shot performance on Tuesday.
The veteran winger has delivered fantasy value throughout his career thanks to his willingness to shoot the puck and his goal-scoring ability. He’s reached the 25-goal mark twice and scored 20-plus goals in three of his last five seasons. Grab him before the rest of your league catches on to his promising lineup position.
Below 10%: Kent Johnson (CBJ – LW/RW) – 4% Rostered
Johnson has consistently been criticized for his lack of peripheral stats despite his offensive production, but he’s showing encouraging signs to begin 2026-27. He’s already recorded six SOG and finds himself alongside two talented new linemates in Adam Fantilli and Matthew Knies.
Before the season, Rick Bowness indicated that Columbus would lean heavily on Johnson as the team looks to recapture the form that saw him break out for 24 goals and 57 points in 68 games as a 22-year-old in 2024-25.
It’s rare to find a player rostered in just 4% of leagues with such a promising lineup position, especially one who also occupies a spot on the top power-play unit.
If Johnson’s five SOG and 17:14 TOI in his most recent game are any indication, the former first-round pick could be in line for a massive bounce-back campaign following a disappointing 2025-26 season.