The waiver wire is an excellent place to find players each week who will help your fantasy hockey team, whether it be for the short term or the long term. You have likely already taken advantage of this through the first 20 weeks of fantasy. Even if you have, there will still be strong options on the waiver wire at forward that we will look at again for this week. Whether it is only for a few games, these players are worth adding to help your team out. This is the place where you can find great options to take advantage of before anyone else does.
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Forwards to Consider for Week 21
Shane Pinto, Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators may be out of the race for the playoffs this season, but that hasn’t stopped some of the players from continuing to put up points and do all they can. Among this group is Shane Pinto who has really picked up his game now that he has gotten some reps this season. With Josh Norris out of the lineup with an injury for the time being, Pinto seems like a great player to add to your fantasy team due to the opportunity to play higher and the production that is coming with that.
Pinto is now centering the second line and has two goals and four assists in his previous four games. The 23-year-old is up to six goals and 16 points in 18 games and he should only stay on this pace given his opportunity. Pinto has been shooting a lot and he will also add hits and blocked shots to the mix. He does have limited opportunity on the power play but is playing well and playing more. The Senators play three games this week and two of them come against bottom-feeders in the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. Pinto will have a great opportunity to keep it going.
Dylan Strome, Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals have gone in a very clear new direction at center this season and it has given Dylan Strome a great opportunity to solidify his spot in the top-six. He has spent time on both the top line and the second line, but regardless of where he has played, he is producing.
Strome has points in seven of his past eight games, totaling two goals and 12 points. He leads the team with 22 goals and 47 points, plus he is on the top power play where he has six points over this eight-game span. Strome hasn’t been shooting a lot lately because he has been setting up so many goals, but he is capable of doing so. He isn’t great for all areas on your fantasy team, but he has proven to do what he is good at well and consistently.
Nick Schmaltz, Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes don’t have much to offer in the way of players for fantasy, but Nick Schmaltz is a solid player to keep an eye on. When he gets hot, he is a big contributor in the points department. He isn’t the most physical player, but he is on the top line and top power-play unit. Now that the Coyotes are out of their losing streak, the team is scoring more and winning games. This is partially due to Schmaltz.
Over his last five games, Schmaltz has four goals and seven points. Four of those points have come on the power play and he is shooting more. Surprisingly, he has picked up his overall game and contributed some hits and blocked shots. This isn’t something to expect at all times, but he can help out in those areas from time to time. Once Clayton Keller returns to the lineup, Schmaltz will get an even bigger boost to his output as well.
Related: Fantasy Hockey Week 21 Goalie Streams – 03/04/24
Players that may seem like great waiver wire pickups could fade quickly, while others could turn out to be great for a long time. These three players appear to be strong options in Week 21 of the fantasy hockey season among those who should be available. Take advantage before it is too late and make sure to check in with us next week for more strong options.