The NHL season is in full swing and that means so is fantasy hockey! It’s a long grind to get to the playoffs, and an even tougher challenge to win it all. Like every year, injuries are going to happen to key players, which means we need to be active on the waiver wire. The waiver wire can help you win a championship, so it’s important to add the right players at the right time. Let’s take a look at which players are worth looking adding for the upcoming week.

 

Dominik Simon - Pittsburgh Penguins - Winger

After missing an extended period of time due to a lower-body injury, Dominik Simon is back healthy and ready to be a force for the Penguins and fantasy owners. The 24-year-old is skating on the second line with Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin, which should help his fantasy production. So far this season, Simon has record four goals and nine assists in 28 games. He isn’t seeing any power play time, but that could change over the next couple of weeks. He’s 1% owned on Yahoo!, so he’s widely available and should be able to pick up some points playing with Malkin & Kessel. Worth a shot if you are desperate for some offence.

Alex Iafallo - Los Angeles Kings - Winger

Alex Iafallo has found himself playing on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The New York native is also skating on the top power play unit, so there is a ton of potential for him to rack up the points if can hold onto that spot moving forward. The 25-year-old has recorded 19 points (8G,11A) in 36 games this season, which puts him on target to surpass his total from last season (25 points). For fantasy owners, this is a depth move in deep leagues. As long as Iafallo is playing on the top line, he’s worth a roster spot. When he gets demoted down to the third line, he can be dropped again.

Filip Chytil - New York Rangers - Winger

It’s hard for a 19-year-old to play in the NHL, let alone have any kind of success, but so far this season, Filip Chytil has proven that he can keep up with the big boys. The former first-round pick in 2017 has collected 13 points (6G, 7A) in 34 games, and that total could continue to increase over the next few weeks. The Czech Republic native is skating on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello and on the second power play unit. In his last five games, the rookie has collected four points (1G, 3A) while averaging close to 16 minutes per game. He’s only 2% on Yahoo!, so if you need some depth due to all the injuries, Chytil is a nice option to consider.


Rasmus Dahlin - Buffalo Sabres - Defence

We’ve already talked about adding Rasmus Dahlin a couple of weeks ago, but if you didn’t do it, now is your last chance. The first overall pick in 2018 hasn’t taken the league by storm, but it looks like he might be starting to find his groove. In his last five games, the 18-year-old has collected six points (2G, 4A) while averaging close to 23 minutes per game. That has caused his ownership to jump 18% in the last couple of days on ESPN to 66%. If he’s still available in your league, you must add him before it’s too late!

Jeff Petry - Montreal Canadiens - Defence

The hype at the beginning of the season was all about Jeff Petry being the go-to defenceman while Shea Weber was out, and that was the case. Fast forward to December and the veteran defenceman is still fantasy relevant even with Weber in the lineup. His ownership at the beginning of the season was very low, so if you added him like we told you to, congratulation. His ownership now sits at 67%, which means you still have time to add him to your team if you haven’t done so. There is more than enough ice time to go around for Weber and Petry to coexist and rack up the points.


Carter Hart - Philadelphia Flyers - Goalie

Welcome to the show, Carter Hart! The 20-year-old is getting his first taste of the NHL thanks to a ton of injuries, and so far, he’s been pretty good. Hart is a short-term solution for fantasy owners who are desperate for some help in the blue paint. Once Brian Elliott comes back, Hart will head back to the AHL to continue to work on his game, but it looks like as long as the kid is in the NHL, he’s going to get the bulk of the starts. In three games this season, the rookie is 2-1, with a 2.36 GAA and a .904 SV%