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Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.com
Every Monday, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We’ll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.
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Forwards
Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings (1.50 FPPG, 34.7% available): The Red Wings are showing exactly how a midseason coaching change can go well. They are a different team with coach Todd McLellan at the helm, currently riding seven consecutive wins in eight total games since the switch. Kane is the biggest beneficiary from a purely fantasy perspective: Before the coaching change, Kane had just 30.8 fantasy points across 29 games played this season; since the change, he’s posted 24.7 in eight games played. That 3.49 fantasy points per game (FPPG) is the elite level we were used to from Kane just a few seasons ago. His rostership across ESPN leagues had dropped to 50% before the change, but has bounced back to the 65% range. Check on his availability ASAP.
Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs (1.69 FPPG, 57.3% available): There is only one thing that Knies requires to become a near-lock for fantasy hockey lineups: A healthy Auston Matthews next to him. The Leafs superstar returned to action on Jan. 4 and Knies has five goals and three assists in five games since. The only asterisk here is that Matthews has had multiple absences this season with whatever is ailing him and we don’t know when it might happen again. Knies used the first one to actually build some confidence without Matthews at his side, but during the recent six-game stretch, Knies had only 4.2 total fantasy points (0.7 FPPG).
Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators (1.76 FPPG, 45.6% available): Somewhat quietly, O’Reilly has turned around a disappointing start. In fact, it’s arguable he’s back to lineup-lock status even though he’s almost available in half of fantasy leagues. Before he missed three games in early December with a lower-body injury, O’Reilly had averaged 1.48 FPPG across 26 games; since returning from that injury, O’Reilly has 2.31 FPPG across 13 games.
Arthur Kaliyev, RW, New York Rangers (0.6 FPPG, 99.8% available): While the Rangers have somewhat stabilized a little — kinda, sorta — since a destructive losing streak in December, many question marks remain about the club turning things around. If the team continues to jettison assets, as the rumours suggested they might with key offensive players like Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, it will be worth keeping a watch on some of the talented scorers below them on the depth chart. A waiver snag from the Kings, Kaliyev has had an injury-riddled road to the NHL, but was a top-tier sniper in his junior hockey days.
See also:
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Morgan Frost, C, Philadelphia Flyers (1.46 FPPG, 96.5% available)
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Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, Calgary Flames (1.94 FPPG, 43.4% available)
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Jason Zucker, LW, Buffalo Sabres (1.67 FPPG, 74.9% available)
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Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets (2.09 FPPG, 56.5% available)
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Kaapo Kakko, RW, Seattle Kraken (1.12 FPPG, 96.1% available)
Defensemen
Jackson LaCombe, D, Anaheim Ducks (1.92 FPPG, 74.7% available): With LaCombe’s play in the past 10 games especially, it looks like he’s going to be the surprise emergence as the young new fantasy play — not Olen Zellweger or Pavel Mintyukov — from the Ducks blue line this season. LaCombe is playing on the first pair with captain Radko Gudas and holding down the top power-play unit more often than not.
Ryan Lindgren, D, New York Rangers (1.48 FPPG, 97.9% available): Jacob Trouba made his way in the fantasy world by delivering hits and blocking shots from the Rangers blue line. Someone has to continue to do those things in his absence. The Rangers spiraled for a couple of weeks after Trouba was traded to the Ducks on Dec. 8, but Lindgren has started to come around with the rest of the team. In the past eight games, Lindgren has averaged 2.41 FPPG, an absolute elite rate for any defender.
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Goaltenders
Cam Talbot, G, Detroit Red Wings (1.57 FPPG, 50.8% available): The first outing under McLellan was a rough one for Talbot, but things have become progressively better for the coach-goalie combo, who were previously paired with the Kings last season and during Talbot’s best years as an Oiler. The save percentage hasn’t been there in some of the recent wins, but the extra fantasy points from the Red Wings finally getting Talbot into the win column with frequency should be more than enough to keep this boat afloat. Step on board.
Jakub Dobes, G, Montreal Canadiens (7.73 FPPG, 93.6% available): It will be interesting to see if the rookie gets a spin in the crease during the middle of this week, when the Habs have some off days and could easily run Sam Montembeault out into the weekend. Dobes has nothing but monster fantasy showings against only difficult opponents. It would be beneficial if we could see him take on, say, Utah Hockey Club (top 10 for opposing goaltender fantasy results) during a midweek, non-back-to-back contest. Regardless, continue to monitor his progress.
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Short-term streamers
Adam Fantilli, C, Columbus Blue Jackets (1.47 FPPG, 84.9% available): With Sean Monahan sidelined for at least the rest of the week, Fantilli will continue filling in as the team’s top center. That means rolling with the red-hot Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko on and off the power play. The schedule is playing nice as the Jackets have home games against the Flyers and Sharks before they head to New York to face the Rangers — all solid fantasy opponents for top-six forwards.
Marco Kasper, C, Detroit Red Wings (1.03 FPPG, 99.5% available): The Red Wings, who also play the Sharks this week, not so coincidentally have a good schedule for top-six forwards. Kasper has been made a top-line forward by McLellan in recent outings alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and the move has started paying off with consecutive multi-point games.
Leevi Merilainen, G, Ottawa Senators (3.40 FPPG, 99.5% available): This week’s schedule for Ottawa includes the Islanders on Tuesday, who rank second for most fantasy points to opposing goaltenders, as well as the Bruins on Saturday, who rank sixth. Of course, that glosses over a Wednesday night game in between with the Capitals, who rank 32nd and are fantasy goalie killers, but let’s give Merilainen a chance here while Linus Ullmark is out for a bit. Merilainen has crested 300 minutes in the crease and may push Anton Forsberg for the backup role when everyone is healthy.
Ilya Samsonov, G, Vegas Golden Knights (2.91 FPPG, 50.9% available): If the Golden Knights hold their rotation between Adin Hill and Samsonov even, this could be a great week for Samsonov. He would get the Predators on Tuesday (4.31 fantasy points to opposing goalies) and Blackhawks on Saturday (2.32).
Petr Mrazek, G, Chicago Blackhawks (0.44 FPPG, 94.9% available): Another potential stream goalie, Mrazek and the Hawks have great matchups to start against the Flames and Predators, just make sure you get him out of the crease before the Golden Knights feast on the Blackhawks later in the week.