The NHL has gotten going and we can now see who is playing good or bad. There is typically a fair bit of adding and dropping in fantasy hockey near the start of the season and there have already been a lot of injuries to deal with. At forward, there are still available options that have gotten off to strong starts and have good opportunities at the moment. Even if it is only for a few games, these players are worth adding to help your team out. This is the place where you can find some good options to take advantage of before anyone else does in your league.
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Forwards to Consider for Week 2
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have gotten off to an unexpected start. This team is usually strong defensively and lacks a ton of offensive production to make many players worth rostering in fantasy. That isn’t the case this season. The team is scoring a ton of goals and Sebastian Aho has now missed three games. Jesperi Kotkaniemi was already the second-line center, but he has really stepped up recently.
Kotkaniemi already has three goals and seven points in six games. The line has really found some chemistry as all three members are at a point-per-game or better. The young centerman is also getting penalties at a good rate for fantasy hockey owners. As long as the Hurricanes are scoring lots of goals and Kotkaniemi is showing he can produce, he is a great option to add if you are in need of a centerman.
Frank Vatrano, Anaheim Ducks
You wouldn’t expect anyone on the Anaheim Ducks to appear in this group, but here we are. Frank Vatrano has had a surprisingly good start to the season. While the team has only scored 11 goals in five games, the winger has four of those goals and a hat trick already. He is a point-per-game player at the moment, even though it’s early. I don’t expect this pace to keep up, but you have to take advantage of players who are hot to get the upper hand in fantasy hockey.
Behind Leo Carlsson, Vatrano has the most ice time per game among the Ducks’ forwards. He shoots, hits, blocks shots, gets penalty minutes, and will produce on the power play when the Ducks do. Right now Vatrano is the complete package and worth adding while he’s hot, even if you don’t hold onto him for the season.
Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes
We circle back to the Hurricanes where another player is very much worth adding. Seth Jarvis has also started the season on a very good note. He has four goals and seven points in six games and is playing alongside Kotkaniemi. When Aho is back, he is the regular winger for the top line and could move back up.
Jarvis is second among the Hurricanes’ forwards in ice time from the wing behind the injured Aho. Jarvis shoots and also plays physically. As I noted above, as long as the Hurricanes are scoring at a pace higher than they normally do, more players are worth adding immediately. Jarvis is someone who will likely be a good option for the entire season due to where he plays.
Nick Paul, Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are going to have to outscore their problems in net for the first couple of months. Nick Paul has definitely already been helping out on that front. While he is technically only playing on the third line, he has been very effective on the power play already. That is something that can’t be overlooked as it is difficult to find those players on the waiver wire.
The Lightning are known to score and Paul already has three goals and five points in six games. Although he is on the third line, he has logged the sixth-most ice time among forwards. This strong defensive forward will play in all situations and has been known to be a solid pickup off the waiver wire in the past.
Players that seemed like great waiver wire pickups could fade really quickly, while others could turn out to be great for a long time. These four players appear to be the best options in Week 3 of the fantasy hockey season. Take advantage before it is too late and make sure to check in with us next week for more strong options.