With the trade deadline approaching, we’re seeing players held out of the lineup. This, along with injuries, is leading to other players getting newfound opportunities. Whether you need to replace an injury, a slumping player, or just want to give yourself a boost, the fantasy hockey waiver wire is here to assist you.
Week 19 Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire
Forwards
Ondrej Palat, LW, New Jersey Devils (51% Rostered)
Signing with the Devils after a successful tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Palat didn’t get much of an opportunity with his new team right away. He played six games before going down with an injury. Upon returning, he initially started off slow, being held off the scoresheet for four games. After that, he finally got going. He has 11 points in his past 11 games. He’s playing on the top line and top power-play unit. Palat was brought in to be a key piece to the New Jersey offense. He should not be available in nearly half of the leagues on Fantrax. Pick him up if you can.
Dillon Dube, C/LW/RW, Calgary Flames (34% Rostered)
Dube has been moved to the top line and first power-play unit. His production has seen a jump as a result. He has five goals and five assists in his past eight matchups. Through 54 games he has 33 points, setting a career-high. He’s laid out 87 hits and is capable of racking up the PIM on any given night – as he picked up 17 PIM a few games ago. His ice time is all over the map though. One night he’ll play 12 minutes, another night 20 minutes. As long as he’s on the top line with Elias Lindholm, the minutes shouldn’t be much of a concern. Dube’s triple position eligibility makes him an appealing waiver wire addition so you can move him around your lineup to maximize games played.
Phil Kessel, RW, Vegas Golden Knights (32% Rostered)
With Mark Stone injured, Vegas has spread the offense out across three lines. One of those is Kessel playing with Chandler Stephenson on the third line. It’s worked out, as Kessel is arguably playing his best stretch of hockey as a Golden Knight. He has seven points in his last seven games. 25 points in 54 games on the season. The 35-year-old is still a solid secondary scorer in the NHL, and can play the same role for your fantasy team too.
Defense
Michael Matheson, D, Montreal Canadiens (44% Rostered)
Matheson has missed much of the season, but he’s been productive when he’s been able to play. In 20 games he has 11 points, 46 shots, 21 PIM, 27 hits, 25 blocks, four power-play points, and a plus-2 rating. He’s averaging 23:24 minutes per game, and 3:47 on the man advantage. Matheson would be considered Montreal’s No. 1 defenseman. He’s capable of being a top 50 fantasy defenseman when he’s on top of his game.
Juuso Valimaki, D, Arizona Coyotes (30% Rostered)
Jakob Chychrun is being held out of the lineup as the Coyotes look to trade him. Shayne Gostisbehere is injured. That leaves Valimaki as the top defenseman for Arizona at both even strength and on the power play. He has six points in his last five games, which includes a four-point performance. He has 18 points in 51 games on the year. The Coyotes are getting a lot of mileage out of a player they claimed off waivers at the start of the season. Perhaps he can be just as good of a waiver wire add for your fantasy team too.
Goalies
Adin Hill, G, Vegas Golden Knights (53% Rostered)
With Logan Thompson out week to week, Hill takes over as the starter in Vegas. Hill sports a 12-5-1 record with a 2.55 GAA and a .909 save percentage. He’s won his last two starts and has already set a career-high in wins, with plenty of time to build on that total. Two of the Golden Knights’ next three games are against the struggling San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. Anytime you can grab a starting goalie on a quality team from the waiver wire, it’s worth doing.
Mads Sogaard, G, Ottawa Senators (24% Rostered) and Kevin Mandolese, G, Ottawa Senators (6% Rostered)
The Senators have been hit hard with injuries in the crease. Cam Talbot is out for a couple more weeks. Anton Forsberg is likely out for the remainder of the season. That leaves the Senators with a tandem of Sogaard and Mandolese for the time being. Sogaard started one game this season, stopping 34 of 37 shots in a victory. Meanwhile, Mandolese saved 46 out of 48 shots to earn a win in his first appearance. Both rookie netminders are doing well when called upon. It remains to be seen how they will be deployed, but it’s worth keeping an eye on both to stream them whenever they’re getting the start. Seven of the next 10 Ottawa games are against teams outside the playoff picture. That could help Sogaard and Mandolese pick up some more wins.