NHL Waiver Wire: Picks of the Week

Halloween may have been yesterday, but we can still look at some of the scarier players from the opening few weeks. They won't be judged based on physical appearance, but rather for their frightening ineptitude so far. Here's an "All-Star" lineup of those who have given us the most fantasy nightmares:

F: Anze Kopitar, LA – Sure, the Kings are awful. But you'd still expect the big Slovenian to notch more than four points.

F: Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG – Lots of talent, so be patient. At least he's firing enough pucks on net.

F: Anthony Beauvillier, NYI – Sophomore slump? Expect a rebound if he remains in the top six.

D: Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF – The poor plus-minus was a given, but the four points in 12 games has owners worrying.

D: Aaron Ekblad, FLA – Great real-life NHLer, mediocre fantasy D-man.

G: Sergei Bobrovsky, CLS – Sigh. At least Tuesday's loss against Detroit proves Columbus can't defend regardless who's in net.

And now that you've seen the tricks, here are this week's treats:

(Ownership rates/stats as of November 1)


Forwards

Jason Pominville, BUF (Yahoo: 29%, ESPN: 11%, CBS: 40%): Age is just a number. The soon-to-be 36-year old winger not only skates on Jack Eichel's right side at 5-on-5 but also occupies the same role on Buffalo's mega-talented first power-play unit. Pominville has turned this favorable placement into five goals and five assists through 12 games. The end to his good luck may end at any time, but you might as well ride the wave before Sam Reinhart or Kyle Okposo kicks the old guy down the depth chart.

Alex Galchenyuk, ARI (Yahoo: 46%, ESPN: 49%, CBS: 47%): Galchenyuk may have missed the first seven games for his new club, but he's looked great since returning by racking up four points in as many appearances. The third selection from 2012 is centering Arizona's first line and is being eased onto the power play. Grab Galchenyuk before someone else does.

Dustin Brown, LA (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 69%, CBS: 60%): The 33-year old shocked the fantasy world in 2017-18 with 61 points – including 15 with the man advantage – to go along with 222 shots and a plus-31. Unfortunately, Brown couldn't continue his momentum after breaking a finger during the preseason. The Ithaca native impressed in his debut Sunday by potting a power-play marker and logging over 22 minutes, so we'll deem him safe for acquisition.

Artem Anisimov, CHI (Yahoo: 7%, ESPN: 4%, CBS: 13%): It's like old times for Anisimov and Patrick Kane – minus Artemi Panarin – with the duo clicking again (although Kane is currently day-to-day). The veteran Russian pivot is helping us forget about the 31 points from last season by tallying eight in 13 to start. Anisimov hasn't recorded a point yet on the power play, although he's averaged 2:21 with the extra man.

Alex Tuch, VGK (Yahoo: 19%, ESPN: 6%, CBS: 49%): Add Tuch to the list of those who have impressed soon after coming back from an early absence. After sitting out the first eight contests, the power forward followed up a power-play assist last Friday with a two-goal, eight-shot performance Sunday. As Vegas' valued net presence, Tuch should easily surpass the 15 goals he posted last year.

Nolan Patrick, PHI (Yahoo: 29%, ESPN: 5%, CBS: 42%): Patrick may not have experienced the same success as Nico Hischier during their first pro tour, but he did notch more than half of his 30 points over the final 25 games. Last summer's second pick went scoreless in his first three to start this season, got injured in the fourth, and missed the next three. In five appearances since, Patrick has struck for three goals and a helper while averaging around 2:30 on the power play.

Brock Nelson, NYI (Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 2%, CBS: 13%): After three consecutive campaigns in the 40-45 point range, Nelson slipped to 35 in 2017-18. The latest numbers – five goals over his last five – suggest a resurgence in his play. And as long as Nelson continues to be flanked by capable fantasy forwards like Josh Bailey and Anders Lee, his outlook appears promising.

Jakub Vrana, WAS (Yahoo: 12%, ESPN: 1%, CBS: 29%): A pair of seasons in the AHL helped the first-rounder develop his North American game. Vrana's skills haven't significantly transferred to the NHL scoresheet, but he's seen a significant jump in ice time from last year. In addition to tallying two goals and two assists over the last four outings, the Czech youngster now finds himself on the Caps' top even-strength unit with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Defensemen

Oscar Klefbom, EDM (Yahoo: 24%, ESPN: 10%, CBS: 56%): Klefbom took a step back last year following a 38-point effort. And while he went scoreless in the first three appearances, he's managed five assists over the next eight. The Swedish rearguard quarterbacks the Oilers' big-name first power play and has fired 37 pucks on net – ranking him third on the team.

Jamie Oleksiak, PIT (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 2%, CBS: 31%): If you're looking for the hottest waiver flavor, Oleksiak's your guy. His Yahoo! ownership has more than doubled in the last week, mainly in part to recording six points, nine PIM, and a plus-10 during a four-game stretch. Oleksiak should continue to receive sufficient minutes with Justin Schultz gone until February, but the 6-foot-7 defender surely can't keep this run going for the long haul without any special-teams duty.

Cam Fowler, ANH (Yahoo: 40%, ESPN: 52%, CBS: 76%): For someone who's generally been known for his offensive talent, it's amazing Fowler has never topped 40 points in any season. And even though his main stats – five assists through 13 – don't look like much, the dual citizen is regularly seeing over 25 minutes per outing with more than two of those on special teams.

Jared Spurgeon, MIN (Yahoo: 14%, ESPN: 47%, CBS: 78%): Spurgeon fell all the way to the sixth round in 2008, and he's used the motivation of that snub to propel his career. Last year, the Edmontonian supplied his best effort with 37 points in only 61 appearances. He's currently on pace to break that point-per-game mark after registering two goals and five assists from the opening 12, though his scoring services should be slightly stunted by teammates Mathew Dumba and Ryan Suter.

Goaltenders

Jimmy Howard, DET (Yahoo: 20%, ESPN: 8%, CBS: 41%): For a side that's struggled to a 3.75 GAA, it may be difficult to sell someone the idea of picking up one of their goaltenders. In the case of Detroit, though, that number has improved over the last few efforts. Jonathan Bernier was brought in to compete with Howard, but the former has looked shaky with a 4.21 GAA and .861 save percentage over four appearances. That has obviously motivated Howard, who has logged five straight respectable starts while stopping 170 of 182 shots.

Laurent Brossoit, WPG (Yahoo: 10%, ESPN: 7%, CBS: 13%): Don't worry, Connor Hellebuyck owners; your boy is doing just fine. It's just that he occasionally needs a break, and Brossoit has supplied superb coverage to date. The former Oiler has won all three of his starts while boasting a sizzling 1.68 GAA and .957 save percentage. Brossoit ranks as one of the league's premier backups behind a strong Jets squad, so he makes for a nice spot play when your other goalies are off or slumping. And even with the news that Jack Campbell (Yahoo: 36%, ESPN: 1%, CBS: 37%) will oversee the bulk of the Kings' starts while Jonathan Quick recovers from knee surgery, I'd still recommend Brossoit due to L.A.'s suspect defense.


Players to consider from past columns: Mika Zibanejad, Tyler Johnson, Matt Duchene, Ryan Kesler, Jonathan Drouin, David Perron, Max Domi, Chris Tierney, Kevin Labanc, David Krejci, Vince Dunn, Neal Pionk, Dennis Cholowski, Josh Morrissey, Damon Severson, Brent Seabrook, Craig Anderson, David Rittich