Fantasy Playoffs have begun. Hopefully some savvy waiver wire claims last week helped your playoff seeding. With your season on the line, finding a quality streaming option is more important than ever. Whether you need to replace an injured or slumping player, or just want to give yourself a boost, the fantasy hockey waiver wire is here to assist you.
Week 24 Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire
Forwards
Jakub Vrana, LW, St. Louis Blues (54% Rostered)
Vrana’s time in Detroit came to a bitter end, but thankfully he was given another opportunity in being traded to St. Louis. He has newfound life with the Blues, posting five goals and six points through eight games. He’s playing on the top line with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou while receiving secondary power-play time. A fresh start has given Vrana a much-needed boost to his Fantasy value.
Matias Maccelli, LW, Arizona Coyotes (36% Rostered)
Oftentimes rookies will fade in their scoring near the end of a season. The opposite is happening for Maccelli. He has 10 points in his past 10 matchups, and he’s up to 40 points in 54 games on the year. That puts him third in rookie scoring. I can’t help but wonder if he’d be in the lead had he not missed time with injury. Maccelli is playing on the Coyotes’ second line and second man-advantage unit. He could have some keeper value as well.
Calle Jarnkrok, C/RW, Toronto Maple Leafs (17% Rostered)
Jarnkrok has spent much of the season in a middle-six role but is currently playing on a line with Auston Matthews. The offense has increased as expected, posting six points in his past five games. Anyone playing with Matthews is worth consideration if on the waiver wire. Even if he gets bumped off that line, there is still plenty of talent to go around the lineup. Jarnkrok has found success wherever he’s asked to play, as he has 17 goals and 35 points this season. The 17 goals are a career-high, and the 35 points are tied for a career-high.
Denis Malgin, C/LW/RW, Colorado Avalanche (13% Rostered)
The Avalanche continue to be pelted with injuries, with Artturi Lehkonen the latest to be sidelined. Colorado has had to jumble the lines quite often. The latest outcome is Malgin on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. This is of course a huge opportunity for Malgin, getting to play on a line with two superstars. Malgin has four points in his last three games, including a three-point night. His ice time has gone up from single-digit minutes to 14-15 minutes per game. He’s definitely worth a waiver wire chance in deeper leagues for the opportunity alone.
Alex Chiasson, RW, Detroit Red Wings (5% Rostered)
Chiasson has been a regular in the NHL for nine years, but he spent the majority of this season in the AHL. He earned another NHL contract and has been doing well with Detroit. Through nine games he has four goals and two assists. All four of his goals and one of his assists were scored on the power play. He’s had success on the power play throughout his career, so if you need a few power-play points, he’s your guy.
Defense
Mattias Ekholm, D, Edmonton Oilers (50% Rostered)
Ekholm has proven to be an excellent trade deadline acquisition. He has nine points in 11 games since joining the Oilers, including five points in his last three outings. While his average time on the power play has dropped from 1:30 to 0:40 per game, playing on an offensively gifted Oilers team more than makes up for it. Finding defensemen that can contribute offensively at this time of year can be tricky. Hopefully, Ekholm can still be found on your league’s waiver wire.
Goalies
Joel Hofer, G, St. Louis Blues (26% Rostered)
Hofer got the call-up when starting goalie Jordan Binnington received a two-game suspension. Hofer has filled in admirably, going 2-0-1 with a 1.32 GAA and .959 save percentage. Binnington is back from suspension, but Hofer has not been sent back down. Both Binnington and regular backup Thomas Greiss have underperformed this season, so it looks like Hofer will get some more playing time as he’s been the best option lately. St. Louis has back-to-back games on March 25 & 26, so look for Hofer to get a game there, if not sooner. It is difficult to find a starting goalie that will be available in a sizable amount of leagues. If you need to rely on streaming from the waiver wire, Hofer makes for a good option when he’s given the nod.