NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

The 4 Nations Face-Off may have exceeded expectations, but it's time to get back to hockey's longer-term fantasy version as the NHL returns Saturday with 14 games and another 10 on Sunday.

Back to the grind for your playoff push. Or a look ahead to next season. Here are a few waiver options to get you going.

(Rostered rates as of Feb. 21)

Forwards

Connor McMichael, WAS (Yahoo: 49%): It's generally a good idea to add players who are running hot, and there probably aren't many others around 50 percent as scorching as McMichael, who has nine points in 10 games supplemented by 15 shots. He doesn't do a lot in other categories, but skating in the top-six and backup power play on the Caps' second-ranked attack should be enough to get him on more rosters.

Cole Perfetti, WPG (Yahoo: 29%): Perfetti's brief NHL career has been highlighted by decent – yet inconsistent – offense, including him only finding the scoresheet once between Dec. 23 and Jan. 22 spanning 14 contests. He fortunately turned it around by racking up four goals and five assists – four of those points PPPs on Winnipeg's strong second unit – across seven that began with a hat-trick. Perfetti is set for more scoring on a team leading the league in goals per game, though the production could ultimately drop off again.

Jeff Skinner, EDM (Yahoo: 27%): Skinner was brought in during the offseason as a veteran presence who's more than capable on the offensive end. Things may have started off promising with points from four of his first five outings, yet it quickly fell apart, which continued for most of the year. But there's hope, as Leon Draisaitl worked as Skinner's center the last two matchups that resulted in a goal, two assists and four shots. He could slip back down the depth chart, though the current placement would hypothetically allow for improved output.

Chandler Stephenson, SEA (Yahoo: 14%): Stephenson could finish this season with a personal best in scoring, and that's pretty impressive for someone who'll soon be turning 31. The numbers (40 points over 56 games compared to 65 in 81 at his peak) may not totally agree with that assessment, but the primary stats – most notably the club-leading 17 PPPs and the career-high average of 19:38 – are encouraging. Even with Seattle prone to switching up lines and man-advantage groups, Stephenson will be able to maintain a strong fantasy floor.

Yegor Sharangovich, CGY (Yahoo: 14%): There have been plenty of ups and downs for Sharangovich, though he's headed back in the right direction of late thanks to five goals, six assists and 21 shots over the last 14 contests. He earns a boost on Calgary's lead PP logging two-plus minutes a night. Sharangovich has also taken on new linemates, joining the former Flyer duo of Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost. If this unit can thrive, all three make for solid additions.

Filip Chytil, VAN (Yahoo: 10%): The J.T. Miller saga finally ended in Vancouver as he was sent to the Rangers three weeks ago, where Chytil represented the biggest tangible piece going the other way. And it didn't take him long to acclimatize himself to his new surroundings, as he skated more than 20 minutes in each of the first two games while eventually moving up to the Canucks' top man-advantage and notched a PPA there. Chytil has more or less replicated Miller's responsibilities, as he centers Brock Boeser during all scoring situations. As long as he's well-positioned, this could be the breakout we've been waiting for.

Andrei Kuzmenko, PHI (Yahoo: 10%): Speaking of recent trades, Kuzmenko has found his way to Philly. This may seem strange at first glance, since he's previously experienced drop-offs and John Tortorella isn't the most forgiving of head coaches. Kuzmenko debuted for his new team right before the break, where he played 18:53 and recorded an assist, a shot and a block. There's no guarantee he'll remain in an advanced role now that Owen Tippett is set to return, but at least it's favorable. Take a chance while it lasts.

Jackson Blake, CAR (Yahoo: 1%): Blake has gone from logging Daniel Sprong-like ice times to occupying spots within the top-six and first PP. And on the latest eight-game run, he's contributed six points, 17 shots and seven blocks on an 18:12 average. Offense has never been an issue for Blake considering he reeled off 60 points as a Hobey Baker finalist last year, yet it'll be difficult to replicate that at the pro level. The Canes have already unearthed a gem. Let's see if they keep providing him the opportunities to shine.

Defensemen

Brady Skjei, NSH (Yahoo: 41%): Skjei's overall output may not be great compared to other defenders at similar coverage levels. But to be fair, most of Nashville's lineup has disappointed this season. And Skjei's still on pace for at least 30 points, with eight coming from his last 10 in which he also registered 20 shots, 10 blocks and eight hits. He also appears on both special-teams units and has accumulated five PPPs. With plenty of responsibilities, Skjei can be a decent middle-of-the-roster fantasy blueliner.

Sean Durzi, UTA (Yahoo: 20%): After a stellar 2023-24, Durzi kicked off the current campaign with an assist in each of his first two games and 29:12 in his third before being sidelined with a shoulder injury that required surgery. It was initially expected he'd be out until April, yet he's projected to be back Saturday. There's no word on whether Durzi will reclaim a man-advantage role, though that seems likely based on past performance. Even if that doesn't materialize, he can be counted on for major minutes with sufficient scoring and shots.

Jaccob Slavin, CAR (Yahoo: 15%): Slavin has reached the 30-point plateau on six occasions throughout his career and should once again hit that this season, though he's often overlooked due to a lack of power-play work and better offensive linemates. At the same time, it's hard to ignore a defender who's produced seven points over his last 12 contests while supplying 18 shots and 26 blocks – or at least it is for the 85 percent of Yahoo! leagues in which he's still available. And anyone who watched Slavin excel at the 4 Nations Face-Off might be tempted to pick him up.

Lian Bichsel, DAL (Yahoo: 4%): The previous column discussed Esa Lindell as someone who's been benefiting from Miro Heiskanen's absence, and we're going right back to that situation with Bichsel. The giant Swiss D-man has never been much of a scorer, yet he's starting to receive attention for his physical contributions – namely the 64 hits during his 16 NHL matchups in between AHL call-ups. Bichsel should stay on the parent club with Heiskanen out and will keep laying out opponents while chipping in with a few points and some pucks on net. (Just don't expect many two-assist, five-shot efforts like he had last time out.)

Goaltenders

Samuel Ersson, PHI (Yahoo: 24%): Ersson put a shaky start and a couple injuries behind him with a 2.26 GAA and .920 save percentage over 14 outings heading into the break. He also looked solid against a slightly weakened US side in the 4 Nations Face-Off, as he stopped 32 of 33 shots (with some help from the posts/crossbar). As Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have both struggled, expect Ersson to assume the bulk of Philly's goaltending duties the rest of the way.

Marc-Andre Fleury, MIN (Yahoo: 19%): Even after 22 seasons, Fleury continues to be fantasy-relevant. Since the calendar flipped to 2025, he's posted a 2.24/.926 line that included a shutout over the team (Montreal) he cheered on as a youngster. During that same stretch, Filip Gustavsson has managed a 3.48 and .896 while allowing at least three goals seven times across 11 appearances while also being pulled in his second game at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He shouldn't experience much fatigue when the Wild resume play, though he may not be able to immediately take on his usual heavy workload – and that would leave Fleury with enough opportunities.

Players to consider from past columns: Macklin Celebrini, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Buchnevich, Bryan Rust, Logan Stankoven, Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Guenther, Rickard Rakell, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Schmaltz, Marco Rossi, Dylan Strome, Jonathan Huberdeau, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Brock Nelson, Kent Johnson, Josh Norris, Adam Fantilli, Logan Cooley, Pavel Dorofeyev, Matthew Knies, JJ Peterka, Pavel Zacha, Matty Beniers, Nino Niederreiter, Troy Terry, Sean Monahan, Patrick Kane, Nazem Kadri, Jamie Benn, Elias Lindholm, William Eklund, Jake Neighbours, Trevor Moore, Dylan Cozens, Vladislav Namestnikov, Stefan Noesen, Connor Zary, Ross Colton, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Donato, Marco Kasper, Leo Carlsson, Casey Mittelstadt, Blake Coleman, Kyle Palmieri, Yegor Chinakhov, Will Smith, Michael Bunting, Brayden Schenn, Ryan Strome, Anthony Cirelli, Viktor Arvidsson, Dawson Mercer, Dmitri Voronkov, Eeli Tolvanen, Anton Lundell, Dylan Holloway, Matthew Coronato, Jake DeBrusk, Teuvo Teravainen, William Karlsson, Shane Pinto, Jaden Schwartz, Conor Garland, Tyler Toffoli, Quinton Byfield, Mason Marchment, Ryan O'Reilly, Morgan Geekie, Mason McTavish, Jack Roslovic, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Pius Suter, Patrik Laine, Bobby McMann, Kaapo Kakko, Barrett Hayton, Alex Killorn, Jack Quinn, Anders Lee, Jiri Kulich, Tyler Bertuzzi, Alex Laferriere, Maxim Tsyplakov, Fabian Zetterlund, Brett Howden, Aliaksei Protas, Scott Laughton, Aaron Ekblad, Neal Pionk, Jackson LaCombe, Luke Hughes, Brandt Clarke, Seth Jones, Filip Hronek, Lane Hutson, Tony DeAngelo, Bowen Byram, Jordan Spence, Travis Sanheim, Cam Fowler, Matt Grzelcyk, Justin Faulk, Mason Lohrei, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Ryker Evans, Samuel Girard, Owen Power, Radko Gudas, Esa Lindell, Erik Gustafsson, Jamie Drysdale, Darren Raddysh, Declan Chisholm, Dante Fabbro, Alex Vlasic, Alexander Romanov, Damon Severson, Ivan Provorov, Cam Talbot, Ilya Samsonov, Mackenzie Blackwood, Lukas Dostal, Kevin Lankinen, Yaroslav Askarov, Scott Wedgewood, Jake Allen, Tristan Jarry, John Gibson, Sam Montembeault, Jonathan Quick, Karel Vejmelka, Dan Vladar, Connor Ingram, Calvin Pickard, Joel Hofer, Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo, Spencer Knight