NHL Waiver Wire: Picks of the Week

Ten NHL clubs just completed their mandatory rest period, with the rest facing an abbreviated break after the All-Star Game. While this respite will undoubtedly rejuvenate the players, it could also cause havoc in weekly fantasy formats. Imagine going head-to-head without 10 or more starters and not being able to sub out everyone. Sure, you could swap out the rest for those available and active, but you're not going to do this if the existing players are decent.

What options do you have? First off, don't do anything rash. If you're in contention, you should be looking toward the rest of the season and not panicking over a few weeks. So you may endure a brief downturn, but the goal is to come out on top at the end. Sacrificing solid skaters for temporary inferior ones won't help in the long run.

But cheer up! Some of your stars will soon return. Also keep in mind that of the 10 teams that were off this week, three of them – Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Winnipeg – will be playing four times next week. And there are quite a few top NHLers among that group.

As the point of this intro was to advocate rational decisions, the examples listed below do not take any of the bye schedule into account — because we only want to provide the best recommendations for our readers.

(Ownership rates/stats as of Jan. 24)


Forwards

Frank Vatrano, FLA (Yahoo: 23%, ESPN: 9%, CBS: 11%):: Vatrano showed early promise during his time with Boston, but mainly found success in the AHL and was subsequently shipped south. The 5-foot-9 winger potted five goals over the opening 13 games but only recorded his first assist on Nov. 13 – and then finally hit his second helper 17 days later. However, Vatrano has broken out since mid-December by posting 16 points, 60 shots, and 31 hits in his last 19 contests – including a four-point effort against the Sharks on Monday.

Jordan Eberle, NYI (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 40%, CBS: 52%):: Way back in the first half of the 2010s, Eberle was considered a standout fantasy performer. But after a couple dips in production and as one of the casualties of Edmonton's budget cuts, he was ultimately dealt to the Island. The opening campaign saw Eberle perform at an adequate level, thanks to a role alongside John Tavares. But with the ex-captain's departure in the summer, the 2012 Lady Byng runner-up struggled to start the season with only seven points in 16 appearances. Even though Eberle has gone scoreless in his last three, he did put up four goals and two assists through the previous seven and has averaged over three minutes on the power play this year.

William Nylander, TOR (Yahoo: 69%, ESPN: 85%, CBS: 80%):: Nylander's holdout generated sufficient press, and the contract elicited opposing viewpoints as to its merit. A lack of scoring caused him to be relegated to Toronto's fourth line., so why is the young Swede being promoted here? Quite simply, Nylander's talent should be able to overcome the four points from his initial 20 outings. If he can consistently rediscover his offensive touch like the three assists from Wednesday night, he should eventually return to the upper half of the depth chart.

Nick Bonino, NSH (Yahoo: 8%, ESPN: 7%, CBS: 9%):: Since peaking at 49 points with Anaheim in 2013-14, Bonino hasn't displayed much in the way of fantasy worth. That trend continued in the fall as he registered two assists over his first 13 games. But since Kyle Turris succumbed to a lower-body injury at the end of December, the 30-year old has broken out for 13 points - which includes two PPGs – to go along with a plus-12. Turris is slated to reappear sometime in February, but Bonino can handle the former Senator's offensive role until then.

James Neal, CGY (Yahoo: 14%, ESPN: 16%, CBS: 24%):: The veteran's plight and promise of a turnaround was covered in an earlier edition, with the latter possibly becoming a reality. While Neal has only managed five points in 16 contests, he's fired 35 shots on net over that stretch and struck for a power-play goal and assist last Friday versus Detroit. Despite the lack of scoring, the one-time 81-point man is creating plenty of scoring chances but isn't finding any luck – as the 4.6 shooting percentage will confirm.

Pavel Zacha, NJ (Yahoo: 1%, ESPN: 1%, CBS: 6%):: For someone who was picked No. 6 in 2015, Zacha has never really fulfilled on his promise with 49 points in 135 regular-season encounters heading into this season. The Czech pivot didn't find the scoresheet until Game 13 and proceeded to post 13 consecutive zeros soon after. But in his last 12, Zacha has chipped in with six points while serving as a regular member on the top power-play unit. The 21-year old should eventually usurp Travis Zajac as the Devils' second center, but he'll first need to string together a few more decent performances.

Pontus Aberg, MIN (Yahoo: 3%, ESPN: 5%, CBS: 12%):: Aberg became a sensation early this year after rattling off 11 goals and nine assists over a 24-game span in Anaheim. But after seven consecutive scoreless achievements with a minus-10 total and three shifts in the press box, the Stockholm native found his way to Minnesota. Aberg only accumulated an assist in his first three contests with the Wild, but he broke through Wednesday with two assists on the No. 1 power play.

Richard Panik, ARI (Yahoo: 3%, ESPN: 4%, CBS: 6%):: The Coyotes are running hot, with their success partially attributable to balanced scoring. Other lesser-known forwards like Vinnie Hinostroza and Christian Fischer have excelled during this streak, but Panik earns the nod for his heavier workload and special-teams duty. Like with Jonathan Toews in Chicago, the seventh-year pro looks to be benefiting from skating in the desert with a competent center like Derek Stepan. In his most recent 16 outings, Panik has notched 11 points and complemented the attack with 33 shots and 29 hits.


Defensemen

Aaron Ekblad, FLA (Yahoo: 74%, ESPN: 84%, CBS: 83%):: A first-overall selection should never appear need to appear in this column, but Ekblad merits his place thanks to never turning into the dominating two-way defenseman he showed in his junior days. It's amazing to realize the 2015 Calder winner is already in his fifth season at 22, and it appears his offensive side is beginning to develop. Since Dec. 31, Ekblad has compiled a fantasy smorgasbord of eight points, 23 shots, and 19 hits on a regular 25-minute-a-night shift.

Will Butcher, NJ (Yahoo: 28%, ESPN: 54%, CBS: 49%):: Another example of someone who was pegged for an improvement in 2019, Butcher hasn't necessarily wowed anyone during the first month with five assists over 10 games. Still, his ice time continues to increase and his job as the Devils' power-play quarterback remains intact. And with 10 PPAs so far, Butcher should be given the opportunity to at least approach the 20 he posted last year.

Tim Heed, SJ (Yahoo: 0%, ESPN: 0%, CBS: 1%):: After being taken by Anaheim in 2010, Heed remained in Sweden for another six seasons. But upon arriving in North America, he would go on to rack up 56 points in 55 contests with San Jose's AHL affiliate. Despite a couple flashes of fantasy flair, Heed was left out of the lineup for 35 of the Sharks' first 38 matchups, and he has only produced a pair of assists over 10 appearances. But as long as Erik Karlsson is still hurting, Heed will continue to slot in to San Jose's second power-play quintet.

Lawrence Pilut, BUF (Yahoo: 0%, ESPN: 0%, CBS: 3%):: Like his fellow Swede above, Pilut has enjoyed enough offense in the minors after a prolonged stay overseas. The undrafted blueliner exploded for 22 points over 16 outings at AHL Rochester and has followed that up with five in 16 for the parent club. And similar to Heed, Pilut has experienced a few healthy scratches. But there's no denying the 23-year old's high skill level, and he's learning the ropes by being paired with Rasmus Ristolainen on Buffalo's top even-strength duo and has jumped immediately on the second man-advantage grouping.


Goaltenders

Petr Mrazek, CAR (Yahoo: 26%, ESPN: 7%, CBS: 20%):: The former Red Wing has vaulted to the top of the Carolina goalie heap thanks to a few wins and the absence of incumbent Curtis McElhinney. In fact, the Czech netminder has picked up six victories over his last 11 starts. The 2.85 GAA and .897 save percentage over that stretch may not be ideal, but Mrazek should serve as the primary handler between the pipes unless Alex Nedeljkovic gets an extended look.

Thatcher Demko, VAN (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 3%, CBS: 19%):: Nothing against Jacob Markstrom and his 19-13-5 record, 2.84 GAA, and .908 save percentage, but the Canucks will never excel or go far in the postseason without an elite goaltender. That's where Demko and his stellar college/AHL record come in. The 2014 second-rounder may finally be earning his chance to take the lead role in Vancouver after the Anders Nilsson trade. And if Friday's solid season debut against the Sabres meant anything, Demko could be in line for more action.




Players to consider from past columns: James van Riemsdyk, Nino Niederreiter, Jeff Carter, Alex Galchenyuk, Nico Hischier, Brandon Pirri, Mikael Backlund, Jonathan Drouin, Max Domi, Paul Stastny, Jaden Schwartz, Gustav Nyquist, Jake DeBrusk, Dustin Brown, Mats Zuccarello, David Perron, David Krejci, Kevin Fiala, Conor Garland, Ondrej Palat, Travis Zajac, Brendan Gallagher, Sam Reinhart, Brock Nelson, Alex Tuch, Carl Soderberg, Dylan Strome, Andreas Athanasiou, Darnell Nurse, Mikhail Sergachev, Nate Schmidt, Alexander Edler, Kevin Shattenkirk, Erik Gustafsson, Miro Heiskanen, Jacob Trouba, Jared Spurgeon, Ivan Provorov, Ryan Pulock, T.J. Brodie, Will Butcher, Jaccob Slavin, Brandon Montour, David Rittich, Jacob Markstrom, Robin Lehner, Jordan Binnington, Carter Hart, Mikko Koskinen, Curtis McElhinney, Anders Nilsson