There are some strong and sneaky potential streaming options on defense for one of the last weeks in fantasy hockey this year, so you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity if you are in need of some help on the back-end. Defensemen on the waiver wire aren’t usually easy to come by, but if any of the following are available to plug into your lineup for the remainder of the week, take that bet.
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Defensemen to Target for Week 23
Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim Ducks
Jackson LaCombe is a name that has appeared on these weekly stories for defensemen to stream a lot, and for good reason. The Anaheim Ducks aren’t the best team, but he has been a breakout player and the best defenseman on the team since Cam Fowler was traded. That is more than three months now, and great for you if you took advantage early and held on.
LaCombe has been especially hot lately, recording two goals and seven points in the last five games, notching a point in every one of those games. When the Ducks score on the power play, he is more than likely involved as he is on the top unit. The young d-man also plays on the top pairing and logs a lot of minutes. The Ducks still have games this week against the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
Nick Blankenburg, Nashville Predators
Unfortunately, you might have missed adding Nick Blankenburg on Monday before the team played back-to-back games, but the Nashville Predators still have two more games to go this week. With the injuries and Blankenburg being the team’s best defenseman since Roman Josi went down, he is a very sneaky option that is very likely available in your fantasy hockey league unless it is extremely deep.
Heading into action on Tuesday, Blankenburg has recorded three assists in the last six games, two coming on the power play, and has done everything in between that you could ask for from a defenseman on the waiver wire. While not even on the roster at the start of the season and first playing games at the end of November, Blankenburg has earned more and more playing time, and is on the top pairing and top power-play unit now. There is no reason for him to take a step back for the rest of the season either. The Predators play the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens to close out the week.
Jake Walman, Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have been dealing with more injuries than they would like, and one of the key ones has been Mattias Ekholm, who has missed some games. When he is out of the lineup, Jake Walman gets a much bigger role. Even if Ekholm is back, Walman still makes an impact and is a great puck-mover with strong offensive instincts. He has three assists in the last five games, blocks a lot of shots, and will either shoot a lot or not very much.
Walman is noticeable every night and logs 21+ minutes per game. The Oilers are a good team, and there are some finishers he can get more points on for the rest of the week. While you are reading this after the game against the Vegas Golden Knights, you can still take advantage of picking him up before the games against the San Jose Sharks and the LA Kings.
Related: Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Week 24 Forward Streams
The hope is that any and all of these defensemen widely available in fantasy hockey leagues will make a difference in your playoffs if you take a chance on them. If you’re still in the battle next week, be sure to come back for more.
