Here are your fantasy hockey waiver wire report streams for week 3. From Wednesday to Sunday, every team has two games remaining. In balanced weeks such as this, we need to look a bit deeper to find a streaming advantage. Home versus Away, and strength of schedule are two of the surest ways to dig out that advantage.
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Week at a Glance
We’ll use those to identify players to target heading toward the weekend.
Two Games Remaining This Week: Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings.
Best Off-Night Schedule: Colorado Avalanche (2) – Wednesday and Friday. No team plays Friday and Sunday.
This is a bit of an odd week, with so few off-night games. Outside of the Colorado Avalanche, you will be hard-pressed to find many waiver claims that will add more than a single-game difference to your matchup.
Thursday has 11 games scheduled and Saturday 14. The off-nights are really off-nights this week, with only two games scheduled for each of Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Only the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames play on both Thursday and Sunday. Since Thursday is the slowest of the busy nights, you may be able to squeeze two extra games from players from either team into your match.
Waiver Wire Streams for Week 3:
Jaden Schwartz (LW/RW, Colorado Avalanche) Rostered 35%
Schwartz is receiving limited ice time (12:59) in a third-line role with the Avalanche. Yet, he’s making the most of it, with six points in six games. This will dip significantly as the season progresses. As long as you accept he’s a short-term, ‘on-again, off-again ‘ option, you’re good. He’s also averaging 1:42 on the second power-play unit. With both of the Avalanche’s games coming on off nights, Schwartz slides will see action in your matchup in both games.
Reason to add: Two off-night games, 2nd power-play unit. Early season point-per-game pace.
Maxim Shabanov (LW/RW, Minnesota Wild) Rostered 36%
Shabanov is currently on the Wild’s second line alongside Danil Yurov (C) and Blake Coleman (LW). It’s a far cry from the training camp fuss about taking the other wing opposite Kirill Kaprizov (LW). The Wild have been loading up their top line early in the season, which, as thin as scoring is in this lineup, is not something you think can last. It’s only a matter of time before the Wild throw their lines in a blender. Shabanov will see more time with Kaprizov.
He’s also playing 2:58 per game on the Wild’s first power-play unit. This alone is a reason to consider adding Shabanov.
Reason to add: Thursday & Sunday games, on a top-six line, first power-play unit.
Michael DiPietro (G, Boston Bruins) Rostered 17%
The Bruins play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. This early in the year, don’t expect Jeremy Swayman to play both ends. DiPietro will see action in one of these two games.
Teams increasingly prefer to start their backup in the first game of back-to-backs. This allows them to play their number one goalie behind tired legs. Not all teams do this, and not all teams follow this strategy all the time. You’ll need to keep a close eye on which goalie Boston names for which game before making the claim.
Reason to add: Bruins play back-to-back; two weaker opponents, Kings, Ducks
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