Fantasy Hockey Top 5 Waiver Wire Claims of 2025-26 Season

The Fantasy Hockey Top 5 Waiver Wire Claims of the 2025–26 Season weren’t just lucky pickups—they were the moves that separated contenders from the pack. This season’s wire was loaded with breakout performers, injury replacements who became automatic starts, and under‑the‑radar steals who swung playoff matchups. These five players delivered the biggest impact, the best value, and the kind of production that wins leagues.

Top 5 Waiver Wire Claims of the 2025-26 Season:

5. Anthony Mantha (LW/RW, Pittsburgh Penguins)

Entering the season, Mantha was an afterthought. Seen as a legitimate band-aid player, most poolies steered clear of drafting or owning him. He’s found his way on sleeper lists year over year – largely due to the injury concern. Even then, he was left undrafted more often than not.

Playing only 13 games for the Calgary Flames in 2024-25, his name was dropped from sleeper lists.

The .79 points per game was the second-best 82-game pace of his career (.88 in 2019-20 with the Detroit Red Wings). His 81 games played were just the second time since 2018 that he has managed to play more than 67 in a season.

After signing a one-year $2.5 million contract with the Penguins, Mantha finds himself in a position for a big raise in free agency. Whether he re-signs in Pittsburgh or signs elsewhere, health will remain the biggest concern. Moreso with Mantha than with most any other player. I am willing to take a flier on him repeating his 60-plus-point season if he re-signs in Pittsburgh. If he goes elsewhere, I lose confidence that he will repeat. After all, there aren’t too many places he’ll be able to replicate 2:30 of ice time on the power play or 20 power-play points.

4. Dan Vladar (G, Philadelphia Flyers)

Most of us saw the Vladar signing in Philadelphia as an afterthought. The tandem of Vladar and Samuel Ersson would find themselves near the bottom of the league for team goalie stats. Instead, the Flyers ranked 9th in goals against per game.

Even more surprising, Vladar himself finished tied for 16th in the NHL, with Ilya Sorokin in save percentage (SV%) with .906. More impressively, he finished 10th in goals saved above expected in 55 games.

Sure, someone took a flyer on him late in a draft, but that’s the exception, not the norm. Finding a stat-line of 29-14-7 with a 2.42 GAA (Goals Against Average), and .906 SV% saved more than a few seasons.

3. Mattias Samuelsson (D, Buffalo Sabres)

Nope, I did not have this on my pre-season BINGO card. I mean, who saw this kind of production coming? Samuelsson produced big hits (132) and blocks (153), which were predictable, if not expected.

But the 13 goals and 42 points? No. Especially the goals. He was reliable, too. Through the first three quarters of the season, he basically maintained a .5 point per game (PPG) pace. He did drop off over the final 18 games of the year (.33 PPG).

He finds. himself at number three on my list because there were no signs of this kind of offensive breakout over the first five years of his career. Yes, he did start the year at the traditional breakout threshold at 212 games. However, his career high in points came last year, with 14, and he had never averaged more than .24 PPG in a single season.

He found chemistry with Rasmus Dahlin and played the majority of his five-on-five minutes with the Norris Trophy finalist. That helped.

I don’t expect a 40-point repeat in 2026-27, but I don’t expect him to regress back to a 20-point defenceman either. I see him as an Adam Larsson type that will produce 30-35 points a year. Not great, but it won’t leave your offensive categories barren while chasing hits and blocks.

2. Jacob Dobes (G, Montreal Canadiens)

Yeah, I know, Vladar’s numbers for the year were better. Dobes posted a 29-10-4 record, with a 2.78 GAA, and a .901 SV%. His SV% was below .900 through his first 29 starts of the season. Sub-par at best.

Jacob Fowler was called up from the Laval Rocket of the AHL (December 11) in his first pro season because neither Dobes nor Samuel Montembeault could make a save.

So, why the hell do I have him at number two? Simple. In his final 14 starts, he held a 10-4 record, with a 2.27 GAA, and a .924 SV%. Ten of those starts were quality starts, and he saved 12.1 goals above average. Those 14 starts equate to the final four to five weeks of the season.

Teams needing a goalie to make the playoffs or to win a round scooped Dobes and reaped the rewards.

1. Darren Raddysh (D, Tampa Bay Lightning)

There’s no debating the best waiver claim of the year. When you claim a 70-point defenceman post-draft, that’s a win.

A breakout with 50-point potential should have been expected. His first two pro seasons saw him put up 33 and 37 points, respectively. Entering 2025-26, he was approaching his 200-game breakout threshold. Still, playing behind Victor Hedman on the depth chart, his opportunities were limited. Heck, even if we knew his opportunities weren’t limited entering the season, no one predicted the explosion we witnessed.

When Hedman went down with an injury, Raddysh went off. In the second and third quarters of the season, he produced 47 points in 40 games. Hedman was absent for most of these games. His offensive production rivalled the elites, such as Cale Makar, Evan Bouchard, and Zach Werenski, during this stretch. This is what we call ‘found money.’

I find myself hesitant to predict a repeat of 70 points next year if he is wearing a different uniform. As an unrestricted free agent, Raddysh is going to be swamped with offers. Those teams won’t have a Nikita Kucherov to share the power play with, so we should temper expectations. If he leaves, he will be hard-pressed to break 60 points. If he stays, a healthy Hedman will also cut into his production.

Entering drafts next year, don’t reach based on this year’s production. Some will see him as a one-hit wonder, and he should slide, allowing you to take him a round or two later than other defencemen that hold 60-plus point potential.

Honourable Mention

Victor Arvidsson (LW/RW, Boston Bruins)

He had hot stretches, but limited power-play production kept him out of the top five.

Josh Doan (LW/RW, Buffalo Sabres)

A great season for the young player, but his production slowed in the fourth quarter of the season.

Brandon Bussi (G, Carolina Hurricanes)

Bussi’s success this season was a legitimate shocker. His 31-6-2-2 record speaks for itself. But so does 4 quality starts in his final 10 starts of the season and an .870 save percentage. He fell apart when teams needed him the most – the playoffs. For that reason, he slipped outside my top five, record be damned.

When the dust settles on the 2025–26 fantasy hockey season, these five waiver‑wire gems serve as a great reminder that leagues are won on the margins.