With the NHL season into March, there are a number of players picking up steam. Some are on pace for career years, and could be worth scooping up from your fantasy hockey waiver wire before everyone else takes notice.
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Week 7 Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire
Forwards
LW/RW Kasperi Kapanen, PIT (55%): In his first season with the Penguins, Kapanen is off to a nice start. He has 12 points in 18 games, along with a team-best plus-10 rating. He’s bound to remain in the top six, therefore playing with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. Any player that gets to spend most of the season with one of those two is sure to see his value spike. The shortened season will make it difficult for him to top his career-best 44-point campaign, but he’s currently scoring at a higher rate than ever before.
C/LW Pavel Zacha, NJD (41%): The 2015 sixth overall selection has only once eclipsed 30 points in a season, scoring 32 in 65 games last year. Nico Hischier has struggled to remain in the lineup, and Zacha is taking full advantage. He has 14 points in 18 games, and just recently had a 10-game point streak snapped. He’s playing on New Jersey’s second line and top power-play unit. The 23-year-old is in a prime situation to succeed and is having a breakout campaign.
RW Oliver Wahlstrom, NYI (25%): The 11th overall pick from the 2018 draft has taken his time to arrive. Wahlstrom appeared in nine games in 2019-20 for his first taste of NHL action, going pointless. This year, he’s worked his way into 15 games and has eight points. He’s currently riding a five-game point streak, scoring four power-play points along the way. He’s playing on the Islanders third line and second power-play unit, in both cases with Jean-Gabriel Pageau (who is also thriving). Wahlstrom is only averaging 10:51 of ice time per game, but he can still provide quality scoring in deeper leagues.
LW/RW Marcus Foligno, MIN (13%): Foligno scored a career-high 25 points in 59 games last year, and is continuing that success in 2021. He has 11 points in 17 games, including a three-point effort against Vegas Monday night. He’ll help out in other areas, with a plus-10 rating, 22 PIM, a short-handed goal, and 45 hits. He’s bound to cool off offensively, but he’s worth plucking from the wire if you’re in a deep league and need a player to chip in for a few categories.
C/LW Zach Sanford, STL (9%): Sanford has five points over his past two contests, including both power-play and short-handed tallies Monday versus Anaheim. The Blues are ravaged by injuries, resulting in Sanford playing on the top line with Ryan O’Reilly. Overall he has nine points in 21 outings. Not an eye-catching total, but he did have 30 points in 58 games last year. He could end up surpassing this should he remain on the top line for a considerable amount of time. Until some Blues return to the lineup, he makes for an appealing under-the-radar pickup.
Defensemen
D Mattias Ekholm, NSH (56%): After missing six meetings, Ekholm has had a pair of two-point nights in three appearances. He had been off to a slow start with just three points in 12 games, and his ownership dropped. His recent turnaround, along with Ryan Ellis being sidelined four to six weeks, gives Ekholm increased value. He’s likely to play a few more minutes per night, potentially on the man advantage as well. He surprisingly only has one recorded hit thus far. That’s sure to change, and perhaps he’ll bring a bit more physicality in those extra minutes.
D Ryan Lindgren, NYR (15%): Lindgren is playing on the top pairing alongside Adam Fox. With both players at 23 years of age, the Rangers are heavily relying on their youth to shut down the opposition. Lindgren had 14 points in 60 points in his rookie season last year. He’s showing he can provide a little more offense, with eight points in 20 games so far. With Jacob Trouba out of commissioner for at least a couple more weeks, Lindgren will continue to see plenty of ice time (and that will likely be the case even when Trouba comes back). Lindgren’s 17 PIM, 38 hits, and 20 blocks, making him a sound source of secondary fantasy points.
Goalies
G Michael Hutchinson, TOR (8%): With Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell both unavailable, Hutchinson is in charge of Toronto’s crease. He hasn’t disappointed, as he’s gone 3-1-0 with a 1.77 GAA and .943 save percentage. Most recently he pitched a 31-save shutout Monday against the Oilers, who have 79 goals for — second in the NHL. Andersen may be ready to return soon, but the Leafs have a set of back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday. Hutchinson is sure to play one of those, and possibly earn some more starts if he continues to play this well.
Enjoy this week’s Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire? For more help in optimizing your fantasy hockey team check out Mark Hillier’s Week 7 Goalie Streams!
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