The waiver wire is a great way to add hidden gems and overlooked players to your fantasy hockey club. This remains true whether you plan to have them as short-term or long-term parts of your fantasy hockey roster. Now that we are three months into the season, we better understand which waiver-wire defensemen are worth snagging. As a result, here are three waiver-wire defensemen to add to your roster in Week 16.
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Defensemen to Consider for Week 16
Arber Xhekaj, Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens made a big roster move yesterday. Young defenseman Arber Xhekaj was called back up to the NHL roster. After getting injured in November, Xhekaj was sent down to the AHL in early December after recovering. With the Laval Rocket, he performed well, posting 11 points in 17 games. Due to this and his call-up, he is a waiver-wire defenseman to consider in Week 16.
Xhekaj has always been a solid player to have in fantasy hockey, as he is one of the league’s top hitters. However, if he can translate some of the offense he puts together with Laval during his return to Montreal, he would be a big-time waiver-wire addition. Due to this, he is a player to keep an eye on this week.
Egor Zamula, Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers have been the NHL’s biggest surprise this season. After entering the season viewed as one of the worst teams in the league, they have been far from it. They currently hold a playoff spot, and it’s because several of their players have been surprises. One of them is Egor Zamula, and he has been heating up lately. Because of this, he is a waiver-wire addition worth making this week.
In Philadelphia’s last game against the Ottawa Senators, he had two goals and an assist. It was a big offensive game for the 6-foot-3 defenseman. It improved his season totals to five goals and 15 points in 38 games. Overall, he has been solid defensively and giving them some offense in the process. Thus, what’s the harm in bringing him in as a waiver-wire addition this week?
Alexander Romanov, New York Islanders
Another waiver-wire defenseman whom fantasy managers should consider adding this week is Alexander Romanov. The 24-year-old is quietly having a strong season with the Islanders. He has five goals (a new career-high) and 12 points in 46 games. However, he has been flexing his offensive muscles a bit more lately, posting an assist in each of his last two games.
Romanov has always had the potential to produce offense from the potential, and we are starting to see it more. Perhaps playing in new head coach Patrick Roy’s offense-heavy system will lead Romanov to continue improving on his offense. Because of this, he is another solid waiver-wire candidate to contemplate adding to your fantasy hockey roster in Week 16.
Overall, Week 16 offers fantasy hockey managers some pretty strong options to work with on defense. Xhekaj will be fired up due to his recent call-up, while Zamula and Romanov are starting to produce offensively. Let’s see how these three perform from here.