We’re just shy of the season being two months old, yet every week there are still hidden gems to be found. Some familiar names mixed with newer talent can be found in this week’s fantasy hockey waiver wire report.
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Week 8 Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire
Forwards
C/LW/RW Rickard Rakell, ANA (64% Ownership): He was recently featured in the waiver wire report, but cooled off with a four-game point drought. Rakell is heating up again, but even more so this time. He has an ongoing six-game point streak in which he’s racked up five goals and seven assists. His two most recent outings were three-point nights, bringing him up to an impressive two points per game over the past two weeks. His production isn’t sustainable, but he could help your squad before his scoring starts to go back to a more expected output. He’s up to 19 points in 26 games this season.
C/LW/RW Yanni Gourde, TBL (38%): Gourde broke out with a four-point performance against Chicago on Sunday, and has eight points in his past eight games. It’s easy to look at that one game and consider it a fluke. While he surely won’t produce that much every night, he’s in a position to have success. He’s playing on a line with Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn, along with getting time on the second power-play unit. That’s plenty of talent to work with, and Gourde’s fantasy value rises as a result. He has 15 points in 24 games — a much better pace than 2019-20’s 30 points in 70 contests.
LW/RW Brandon Tanev, PIT (35%): Tanev is riding a three-game point streak, collecting four helpers along the way. He’s up to 11 points in 25 games, which is the best offensive pace of his NHL career. His biggest asset however is his hitting. He’s thrown 117 hits, the second-most in the league. If you need to add more physicality to your lineup that can chip in some secondary scoring, Tanev makes for a great fit.
C/LW Adrian Kempe, LAK (35%): Kempe has seven points in his past five games, including a hat trick against the Ducks on Monday. He’s scored 17 points in 24 meetings thus far. He plays on the Kings’ top power-play unit, generating 10 points on the man advantage. The 24-year-old is second on his team in goals, so he will continue to be given opportunities and be relied upon for offense.
RW Eeli Tolvanen, NSH (35%): The 30th overall pick from the 2017 draft has seen his expectations rise and fall drastically over the years. He appeared in three games during the 2017-18 season, and four more in 2018-19 — scoring a goal and an assist. He didn’t make an appearance last season, but he’s finally become a regular in Nashville’s lineup. In 17 contests he has eight points, 29 shots, 29 hits, while averaging 13:38 of ice time per game. He’s been playing on the team’s top power-play unit, netting himself four goals and two helpers. The rookie has points in three straight games, and could easily be flying under the radar in your league.
C/LW Scott Laughton, PHI (34%): Laughton scored his first career hat trick just over a month ago, then was sidelined for the next 20 days. Since returning, he has five points in seven appearances, with four of them scored in his past four games. Overall he has 14 points in 20 games, with a plus-8 rating and 65 hits. He’s scoring at the highest rate of his career, putting him on pace for 57 points over a full 82-game schedule.
Defensemen
D Kevin Shattenkirk, ANA (39%): Shattenkirk is coming off back-to-back two-point performances. With 10 points in 26 outings, his production has dropped from last year’s pace (34 points in 70 games). That’s to be expected when leaving Tampa Bay for Anaheim though. It also means he’s relied upon more now, as his average ice time has increased from last year’s 18:54 to 22:05. His PIM (16), hits (29), and blocks (32) will increase with more ice time, but his plus-minus suffers. He plays on the Ducks’ top power-play unit, where he’s picked up three points. The aforementioned Rakell is on the same unit, so perhaps you could pluck both from the waiver wire and have them feed each other points.
Goalies
G Brian Elliott, PHI (43%): Elliott is having his best season since leaving the Blues five years ago. He has a 7-2-0 record with a 2.29 GAA, a .919 save percentage, and a pair of shutouts. He’s outperforming Carter Hart in nearly every category. Hart was expected to be the clear cut No. 1, but his struggles open the door for crease time for Elliott. Hart got the hook after allowing three goals on eight shots versus the Sabres Tuesday night. Elliott came in for relief and closed out the contest with a comeback victory. Don’t overlook the 35-year-old netminder, as his value may continue to rise over the upcoming weeks.
Also check out last week’s Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire to see if any of those options are still available.
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