Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Report-- February 22

Published: Feb 22, 2020
Welcome to the fantasy hockey waiver wire report! As usual, every week, the weekly waiver wire report will help you target some players that you should be adding, or monitoring, on the waiver wire. You can’t win a championship with the team you drafted, which means, you’ll need to be active on the waiver wire to help replace injured players, and others who are just not getting the job done. Let’s get right into it for this week.
Jonathan Bernier - Detroit Red Wings - Goalie
It’s 2020 and we are talking about a Detroit goalie being fantasy hockey relevant. Jonathan Bernier isn’t going to pick up many wins, but his SV% and GAA aren’t as bad as they should be, and he has no competition behind him for playing time. His .908SV% is respectable, and he’s facing close to 35-shots every game. He will give up goals, but if your league focuses on saves and SV%, Bernier can be a serviceable goalie. He’s not going to win you a championship, but if you spot start him correctly, he won’t hurt your team too much. Something to consider if you need a goalie.
Jason Zucker - Pittsburgh Penguins - Winger
After being traded from Minnesota to Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago, Jason Zucker is expected to see top line minutes with Sidney Crosby, and that can only mean good things. Alex Galchenyuk was unable to take advantage of his opportunity, but Zucker has been pretty good since coming over, and that should continue until the end of the season. He’s 68% owned in Yahoo! leagues, but you might still be able to find him on the waiver wire in shallow leagues. If you need a winger with a ton of upside, he’s a player to consider.
Tyler Toffoli - Vancouver Canucks - Winger
I am super excited about Tyler Toffoli being out of Los Angeles and now in a Canucks uniform. The 27-year-old can score goals in the NHL, but the Kings were unable to use his talents correctly, and a fresh start in Vancouver should do wonders for his career. He’s going to get a chance to play on a line with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, and that can only mean good things. He picked up a point in his debut for the Canucks, and if everything goes as planned, he could average a point-per-game down the stretch. He went from 9% owned the week before to 43%, an increase of 34% in just over seven days! Everyone around the fantasy hockey universe is expecting him to perform, so if you couldn’t get your hands on Zucker, Toffoli is a nice second option.
Ondrej Kase - Boston Bruins - Winger
People forget that Ondrej Kase is only 24-year-old and is loaded with talent. Injuries have slowed him down this season, but now he’s going to Boston, and that could be the change needed to get him back to the 20-goal scorer he used to be. He’s been out of the lineup due to illness, but he should be ready to come back in the next few days. The expectation is Kase will play on the second line with Colye and DeBrusk, giving Boston another very good line. He’s 8% owned on Yahoo!, so he’s widely available if you weren't able to get your hands on the first two names. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
Andre Burakovsky - Colorado Avalanche - Winger
With the injury to Mikko Rantanen, someone is going to have to step up and play on the top line, and so far, it looks like Andre Burakovsky is going to get the first crack. He has 20-goals and 25-assists this season, but he’s only 59% owned on, which has gone up 8% over the last seven days. I still feel like that kind of low for a player that is going to eclipse 50-points, especially at this point in the season. If he’s still around on the waiver wire, it would be wise to claim him before it’s too late.
All stats provided by NHL.com
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.