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.

 

Ty Rattie - Edmonton Oilers - Winger

The Edmonton Oilers are a joke. They are terrible offensively and head coach Ken Hitchcock can’t commit to a line for more than two periods. It’s been a carousel of wingers playing with McDavid and it doesn’t seem like that will end anytime soon. Next to get his chance with McDavid (again) is Ty Rattie. He’s barely fantasy relevant, but on the top line, he holds some value. To be honest, any player who’s getting a chance to play on the top line is fantasy relevant. McDavid and Draisaitl will be reunited at some point, but if you can keep up with whatever terrible winger joins them, you’ll be ahead of the pack. For now it’s Rattie, but tune in next week to see who will be taking his spot.

Ondrej Palat - Tampa Bay Lightning - Winger

Over the last couple of season, Palat has become the forgotten man on a very good team. Once part of the “Triplets”, Palat has seen his point totals decrease from 63 in 2014-15 to just 35 last season. To his defence, he only played 53 games, and again this season, injuries have limited him to just 29 games. That being said, the 27-year-old is skating on the top line with Steven Stamkos and Yanni Gourde. He’s now scored in back-to-back games since being promoted to the top line and he should continue to have success if he can stick on that top line. At 9% ownership on Yahoo!, Palat is a safe pickup.

Tage Thompson - Buffalo Sabres - Winger

If you have no idea who Tage Thompson is, get out a pen and paper and start taking some notes. The former St. Louis first round pick in 2016 has found his way onto the top line in Buffalo, and that’s not a bad thing. The 21-year-old has six goals this season and he should be able to rack up some points playing with Eichel and Skinner. DFS players have gotten to know Thompson over the last couple of days because of his cheap salary price, but he could also be useful in season-long. As long as he’s skating on the top line, he’s worth the risk. The Arizona native isn’t going to win you a championship, but he won’t hurt your team either.

 

Mike Green - Detroit Red Wings - Defence

 

We’ve already talked about Mike Green and adding him off the waiver wire, but now is a good time to remind everyone that he’s healthy (for now) and that he’s the best offensive defenseman on the team. The veteran defenceman has been plagued by injuries this season, but he’s been able to collect 17 points (3G, 14A) in 25 games. That’s not too bad considering how terrible the Red Wings are. As long as he’s healthy, the 33-year-old is going to get every opportunity to put up points, and that’s important in fantasy hockey. He's 6% owned on ESPN, so if you need some help on the blue line, Green is a nice option.

Jordie Benn - Montreal Canadiens - Defence

I can’t believe it’s 2019 and I’m writing about Jordie Benn being a good fantasy hockey waiver wire add. The veteran defenceman has collect seven points (3G, 4A) over his last ten games. What’s really been the difference for Benn is the return of Shea Weber. The veteran defenceman isn’t known for his offensive abilities, but he’s finding ways to collect points playing about 17 minutes per night with no power play time. At this point, he’s a short-term solution for a fantasy team that is desperate for some offence from the blue line. He’s 1% owned on both sites, so he’s widely available if you want to take the plunge.

Jordan Binnington - St. Louis Blues - Goalie

 

If Jake Allen was hoping to rebound from a tough first half of the season, he should forget about it. If the Blues were smart, they would ride Binnington till the end of the season. Since his debut on January 7, the rookie has posted a 3-0 record, a crazy 0.67 GAA and a .974 SV%. It’s only three games and regression will happen, but those are crazy numbers for a rookie goalie. What’s even crazier is that Binnington is only 16% owned on Yahoo! Fantasy owners need to have Binnington on their team. Let’s see how long this kid can stay hot for.

Collin Delia - Chicago Blackhawks - Goalie

With Corey Crawford out due to injury, Collin Delia is getting a chance to lead the Blackhawks. There’s no fear that Cam Ward will steal any starts from the 24-year-old, because Ward is #NotGood. Delia has been decent so far this season, posting a 2.70 GAA and a .932 SV%. The GAA isn’t anything to write home about, but his SV% is very respectable consider how medicore the Blackhawks are on defence. The rookie is only 3% owned on ESPN, which is very low considering how much better he is that Cam Ward. He’s a short-term option that can help a fantasy team pick up some wins.