Welcome to the last installment of the Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire before the Holiday break. There will be no NHL games from December 24-26, so make sure your pickups can make an immediate impact!
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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire for Week 12
Forwards
C Calle Jarnkrok, NSH (41%): Jarnkrok has a surprising nine points in his last eight games — including a three-point night during Nashville’s blowout win over the Islanders. He’s up to 25 points in 33 appearances, bringing him one point shy of last year’s total. He’s scoring at a 62 point pace over a full season. While it’s unlikely he cracks 60 points, he’s clearly in line to smash his career-high of 35 points. Nashville hasn’t played up to expectation so far this season, but Jarnkrok has been thriving despite their placement in the standings.
LW Alexandre Texier, CBJ (39%): While very few (if anyone) predicted Texier to be a Calder Trophy finalist, there was some expectation of him having a productive rookie campaign. He didn’t find success right away but has begun to heat up lately. He has six points in his last six contests, which is more than half of his total points on the year (11). He’s playing in the Blue Jackets top six, on Pierre-Luc Dubois’ line, giving the rookie an opportunity to flourish.
RW Tyler Toffoli, LAK (27%): Toffoli is currently riding a five-game point streak, collecting three goals and five assists in the process. He’s red hot right now, despite playing on the Kings third line. While that’s normally a deterrent, that also means he sees easier defensive matchups. He could be worth taking a flier on until the holiday break, or until he cools down.
RW Warren Foegele, CAR (12%): The energetic winger is playing on a line with Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov. Foegele is the type of player that can play anywhere in the lineup, and he’s been making the most of his opportunity. Six points in as many games, including a pair of shorthanded goals. He’s tied the career-high 15 points he set last year, but he’s done it in 43 fewer games. He’ll contribute in hits as well, as he has 41 on the year. A far cry from the 126 he posted in 2018-19, but that’s the result of focusing more on offense.
RW Oskar Sundqvist, STL (12%): Sundqvist has four points in as many games since returning from a lower-body injury. The Blues have injuries in their forward group, allowing Sundqvist to slot into their top six. He’s playing on a line with Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron, giving Sundqvist some under the radar value.
C Chandler Stephenson, VGK (6%): When Vegas acquired Stephenson from Washington, I’m sure many thought the Golden Knights would use him in a depth role. Instead, they’ve slotted him on a line with Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. Given that Pacioretty has been the hottest player in the league this past week, Stephenson naturally benefits from being on this line. He has points in four straight contests and makes for a sneaky add in deep leagues.
Defensemen
D Connor Murphy, CHI (8%): There aren’t many quality options available on defense this week. Five of Murphy’s seven points have been generated within the past eight contests. He’s not going to wow you with his offense, but he can provide some value to other categories. He has 19 hits over that span, as well as 22 blocks — the second-highest of any defender.
Goaltenders
G Tristan Jarry, PIT (66%): This is well over the standard 50% threshold used for the Waiver Wire Report, but to see that 1/3 of all leagues still have Jarry available is simply unacceptable. If you happen to be in one of those leagues, do yourself a favor and pick him up. His .940 save percentage and 1.85 GAA lead the NHL in both categories. He has 10 wins in 15 games. Meanwhile Matt Murray also has 10 wins but in 21 games. Jarry has played the past four Penguins games and is the clear cut starter.
G Pavel Francouz, COL (42%): The Avalanche backup netminder has filled in admirably during Philipp Grubauer’s absence. Grubauer is healthy again, but Francouz continues to excel. His 2.16 GAA and .934 save percentage rank fourth and third in the league, respectively. He has a 10-2-1 record while earning wins in six of his last seven appearances. His play should force the coaching staff to put him between the pipes more often than previously thought.
Also, check out last week’s waiver wire picks to see if any of those players are still available.
Got another name or two for the fantasy hockey waiver wire? Let us know in the comments below. We promise we won’t tell anyone in your league.
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