This article is part of our NHL Waiver Wire series.
We may be three weeks in, yet it's still too early to make any definitive statements. But that's not gonna stop me from making a few anyway. The Preds really need to start scoring more goals. The Avs should be trying to let fewer in. And there are already way more injuries than there should be.
Of course, we can't control what happens in real-life hockey. That's where fantasy comes in. It represents the dream job we say we'd like to have but really wouldn't want. Because there's no way an individual could possibly keep it together being an actual owner, general manager and head coach all at the same time.
With that said, here are 14 NHLers who can help your rosters. Whether they succeed is somewhat under their control, though outside factors often change expected outcomes. So be ready for anything and adjust if necessary.
(Rostered rates as of Oct. 18)
Forwards
Logan Stankoven, DAL (Yahoo: 43%): Last chance to get on the Stankoven train before his coverage goes above the 50 percent threshold. The 2022 CHL Player of the Year earned his shot with the Stars last season after going off for 57 points in 47 AHL games. Stankoven would go on to pot five goals in his first six contests with Dallas and would add another marker alongside eight assists before tallying another eight playoff points. Although he hasn't found the back of the net, it'll come eventually. And the five helpers and 11
We may be three weeks in, yet it's still too early to make any definitive statements. But that's not gonna stop me from making a few anyway. The Preds really need to start scoring more goals. The Avs should be trying to let fewer in. And there are already way more injuries than there should be.
Of course, we can't control what happens in real-life hockey. That's where fantasy comes in. It represents the dream job we say we'd like to have but really wouldn't want. Because there's no way an individual could possibly keep it together being an actual owner, general manager and head coach all at the same time.
With that said, here are 14 NHLers who can help your rosters. Whether they succeed is somewhat under their control, though outside factors often change expected outcomes. So be ready for anything and adjust if necessary.
(Rostered rates as of Oct. 18)
Forwards
Logan Stankoven, DAL (Yahoo: 43%): Last chance to get on the Stankoven train before his coverage goes above the 50 percent threshold. The 2022 CHL Player of the Year earned his shot with the Stars last season after going off for 57 points in 47 AHL games. Stankoven would go on to pot five goals in his first six contests with Dallas and would add another marker alongside eight assists before tallying another eight playoff points. Although he hasn't found the back of the net, it'll come eventually. And the five helpers and 11 shots will do enough to earn more attention.
Pavel Zacha, BOS (Yahoo: 26%): Zacha set a personal-best last season with 59 points, two more than his first campaign in Boston. Part of that was due to assuming a more prominent offensive capacity after the departures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Zacha has built a great chemistry with linemate and fellow Czech David Pastrnak, and both feature as the wingers on the top even-strength trio and power play. He hasn't managed anything yet while up a man, but don't be surprised if he breaks his high of 15 PPPs or finally reaches the 60-point plateau.
Martin Pospisil, CGY (Yahoo: 24%): This column has been known to highlight a few players who do more with limited ice time. Daniel Sprong is probably the most frequent recent example, as he's been able to produce consecutive 40-plus point campaigns while skating less than 12 minutes a night. Pospisil averaged 12:43 across 63 appearances last year and still accumulated eight goals, 16 assists, 117 shots, 107 PIM and 238 hits. The involvement remains similar, yet he's already at five points and finds himself between Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Mantha on the second five-on-five line. Combine that scoring boost with the usual physical edge, and there's the potential for a really good fantasy player.
Josh Norris, OTT (Yahoo: 18%): There's no hiding Norris's injury history, as he's missed large chunks of a few seasons due to three separate shoulder surgeries. But when available, he's usually surrounded by top talent and frequently involved in attacking opportunities. In the three years in which Norris logged double-digit games, he tallied at least 12 PPPs. He's also a regular participant on both lead special-teams units. Norris got to work on Monday, as he posted two goals (one of them a PPG), a PPA, three shots, five hits and 10 faceoff wins. A top-six center with that type of range shouldn't be available in roughly four of every five Yahoo! leagues, right?
Yegor Chinakhov, CLS (Yahoo: 15%): Chinakhov showed glimpses of brilliance last season in an all-Russian trio including Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov. And as a result of a depleted Columbus forward contingent, he's getting a major boost on the lead line and power play where he's already recorded two goals (one PPG), four assists (two PPAs) and 13 shots on 18:44 a night. Even when others return, Chinakhov should hold onto his prime placement.
Evan Rodrigues, FLA (Yahoo: 13%): I'm not picking favorites. Honest. Rodrigues is here due to Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk being sidelined, which leaves vacancies on Florida's still-stellar first man-advantage. While Rodrigues may not be the most potent scorer, he can average a couple shots, a hit and enough minutes within the top half of the depth chart to fit somewhere on your roster. And this latest break only enhances his appeal, as he's likely to compile a third straight season of double-digit PPPs.
Marco Rossi, MIN (Yahoo: 10%): Rossi tailed off last season, as he only registered seven points in his final 26 games. While he went scoreless in the opener, he's since notched a goal and three assists centering Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Rossi's spot on the top PP may be over, due to Joel Eriksson Ek being ready to rejoin the lineup Saturday, but Rossi will pick up enough overall offense by sharing the ice with two highly skilled wingers.
Morgan Frost, PHI (Yahoo: 5%): Last week, we discussed Jamie Drysdale as someone who could benefit from Matvei Michkov's arrival, since the Philly man-advantage just finished last in the league. The first unit got on the board Saturday and tripled their output Tuesday. Michkov played a key role in the excitement, and so did Frost, as he supplied three PPAs. He's also joined forces with Michkov and Owen Tippett at even-strength, while averaging three shots and nine faceoff wins on a career-high ice time (18:12).
Defensemen
Kaiden Guhle, MON (Yahoo: 38%): Following a promising sophomore season consisting of 22 points, 116 hits and 178 blocks, Guhle should be in for major minutes alongside Mike Matheson at five-on-five while leading the way shorthanded. And he's already excelling with a goal, three assists, 20 blocks, seven hits and a plus-4 on 21:45 a night. The physical stats are a given, and the scoring will increase, though don't expect a huge haul from the latter, as he wasn't a big producer in junior.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, TOR (Yahoo: 28%): In case you haven't been watching Leafs hockey, you may have missed the switch-up the last couple games where Ekman-Larsson replaced Morgan Rielly as the PP1 quarterback. While the Swede hasn't yet registered any points in that group, his defensive skills have allowed the stars on that unit to thriv, as Toronto was successful on two attempts Wednesday. If OEL can hang around any of the man-advantage units and perform like he did in Florida last year, 30-plus points shouldn't be a problem.
Hampus Lindholm, BOS (Yahoo: 18%): Even into his 30s, Lindholm is being asked to undertake a major role by skating in all situations. Charlie McAvoy will operate as the lead power-play blueliner while healthy, but Lindholm -- alongside youngster Mason Lohrei -- can do some damage after notching 17 PPPs a couple seasons ago. He's fairly one-dimensional in fantasy as a D-man due to his offensive-centric contributions, so his value would significantly decrease if his scoring goes south.
Juuso Valimaki, UTA (Yahoo: 0%): Sean Durzi is out indefinitely and isn't expected to return anytime soon. That leaves a huge hole on the Utah defense, as Durzi took on multiple responsibilities while averaging in the 22/23-minute range. Maybe one person can't completely cover, though Valimaki can at least fill in on the second power play based on his 12 PPPs from 2022-23. With the relocated franchise racking up 20 goals from their first five outings and converting four of those while up a man, Valimaki is at least worth a flyer.
Goaltenders
Lukas Dostal, ANH (Yahoo: 24%): John Gibson has been the face of Anaheim hockey for a decade, though his stats have sharply declined in recent years. The 31-year-old is currently recovering from an emergency appendectomy and won't be back until at least November. Dostal finally received a larger share of the starts last season and pretty much outperformed Gibson in every relevant category. He kicked off the campaign with a shutout over the Sharks and then won at home against Utah. With the Ducks' youth core ready to emerge, Dostal could get another extended opportunity as the club's No. 1 even after Gibson returns.
Joel Blomqvist, PIT (Yahoo: 8%): It's been a rough go for Tristan Jarry as he's allowed 12 goals across two-plus games, and he was pulled 11 minutes in on Wednesday after the Sabres put three past him. Alex Nedeljkovic is working his way back from a lower-body issue and is slated to get an AHL start this weekend. Blomqvist has admirably stepped in as Pittsburgh's backup, with solid road efforts in his first two NHL contests at Detroit and Toronto, followed by a relief appearance Wednesday (see above) where he displayed strength and calmness throughout. He seems destined to take over as the starter, but may not be staying with the Pens unless either Jarry or Nedeljkovic is traded/demoted. You can add Blomqvist to use him the next week or so, and then stash him for his inevitable return.
Players to consider from past columns: Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Guenther, Jonathan Huberdeau, Teuvo Teravainen, Jake Neighbours, Connor Zary, Leo Carlsson, Casey Mittelstadt, Anthony Duclair, Anthony Cirelli, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Reilly Smith, Chandler Stephenson, Andrew Mangiapane, Justin Faulk, Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence, Adam Boqvist, Owen Power, Jamie Drysdale, Sam Montembeault, Kevin Lankinen
