After seven weeks of fantasy hockey action, it can be difficult for managers to decide whether they should put faith into the stars on their team who are underperforming. Players such as Brayden Point may be worth holding out for despite his recent struggles, but listed below are three players that fantasy owners should cut loose before it’s too late.
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Week 7 Fantasy Hocley Cold List
Sam Montembeault – Montreal Canadiens
Sam Montembeault was already struggling to impress in net last month, but it’s become increasingly difficult for managers to start him throughout November. The Canadiens netminder has posted a save percentage below .900 in four of his last six games, while recording a goals against average of 3.56 on the season. Montembeault’s inability to stop pucks is largely because he’s started against the league’s best as of late, such as the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins. However, his recent struggles have led Montreal to turn to Jakub Dobes as the primary starter, meaning Montembeault is not only earning fewer starts, but isn’t performing well when he’s given the green light.
Therefore, with the 29-year-old’s trade value significantly decreasing, it’s best for managers to drop him before he continues to be the reason many are unable to win goaltending categories.
Steven Stamkos – Nashville Predators
Steven Stamkos just hasn’t been the same player since leaving the Tampa Bay Lightning two years ago. Last season was already considered a down year for him, but he’s showing no signs of improving throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Through 20 games played, Stamkos has only tallied 5 points and is currently a -8 on a struggling Predators team. Additionally, outside of face-offs, he doesn’t hit or block as much as other players, making him less valuable for most fantasy rosters. At this point, managers shouldn’t expect a resurgence out of the 35-year-old and should consider looking for a younger centerman who accumulates more points.
Aliaksei Protas – Washington Capitals
Last year, Aliaksei Protas celebrated a breakout season when he scored 30 goals for the first time in his career, but he’s been unable to replicate the same success thus far. Although he was off to a hot start in October, Protas has only recorded 2 points in his last 10 games, despite playing over 15 minutes a night. At the very least, he’s featured on the power-play, but he’s been unable to produce on the first unit with Washington having the third-worst power-play in the league. Outside of being on the right side of plus/minus, the 24-year-old is providing little to no fantasy hockey value and should be dropped without hesitation.
Although some underperforming players are worth holding on to because of their history of being productive fantasy hockey assets, Montembeault, Stamkos, and Protas are starting to pass the point of no return when it comes to turning their seasons around. Make sure to return next week for another round of the Cold List.
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