Many fantasy hockey leagues have entered the final quarter of the season, and with teams on the brink of a playoff birth, holding onto underperformers could be a mistake that costs managers the opportunity to compete for a championship. Listed below are three players who fantasy owners should part ways with in order to improve their team heading into the Olympic break.
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Week 16 Fantasy Hockey Cold List
Valeri Nichuskin – Colorado Avalanche
Since he scored a hat trick on New Year’s Eve, Valeri Nichuskin has provided little to no value for fantasy managers in 2026. In his last 7 games, Nichuskin has only recorded 1 point while being a -6 on the Colorado Avalanche’s second line. Additionally, his shot volume has significantly decreased since last year, and he doesn’t contribute much in the way of hits or blocks. For managers still rostering Nichuskin, it’s best to drop him to the waiver-wire in exchange for wingers with more consistency to their game.
Timo Meier – New Jersey Devils
Ever since Timo Meier returned from his leave of absence to tend to a family matter, he has unfortunately struggled to find himself on the scoresheet for the New Jersey Devils. In his last 15 games, Meier has only tallied 3 points, and continues to be on the wrong side of plus/minus. In addition, Meier isn’t throwing the body as much as he did earlier in the season and hasn’t been contributing to the Devils’ power-play. Managers can try to convince others to take a chance on Meier, but it’s best to offload the left winger who is failing to produce on New Jersey’s top line.
Sergei Bobrovsky – Florida Panthers
It’s hard to believe that a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion would be featured on the Cold List, but Sergei Bobrovsky has been one of the league’s most unreliable goaltenders as of late. Throughout his last 11 games, Bobrovsky has been unable to post a save percentage above .900, and has only picked up 2 wins since the beginning of the new year. The Florida Panthers’ recent struggles have also contributed to Bobrovsky’s poor play, but fantasy managers can’t take a risk on losing goaltending categories because of one bad performance from the 37-year-old.
Moving forward, if fantasy hockey owners choose to bet on underperformers, it could be the difference between winning and losing a week with the playoffs on the horizon. Therefore, it’s best to drop those who are no longer producing for players who are continuing to showcase consistency. Make sure to return next week for another edition of the Cold List.
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