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.

Alex Galchenuk - Pittsburgh Penguins - Winger

With Jake Guentzel done for the season, Alex Galchenuk is going to get another opportunity to show management that he can be a top-6 forward in the NHL. The American winger played a season-high 20-minutes against the San Jose Sharks, registering one assist and four shots on goal. If he continues to see that kind of ice time, he’s going to start to rack up points. Galchenyuk is 14% owned on Yahoo!, so fantasy owners who need some scoring help shouldn’t wait to add him off the waiver wire. 

Jimmy Vesey - Buffalo Sabres - Winger

With the news that Victor Olofsson is expected to be out of the lineup five-to-six weeks due to a lower-body injury, Jimmy Vesey now has a clear path to the top line with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. The former college standout hasn’t been able to find much success in the NHL. He’s been bouncing up and down the lineup for most of the season, including being a healthy scratch. Even with the addition of Frolik, Vesey is the best left winger on the team, and if he does get the chance to play on the top line, he could become a hot add in fantasy hockey. He’s widely available across most platforms, so in deeper formats, Vesey is worth considering. 

Kevin Stenlund - Columbus Blue Jackets - Winger

We are going really deep in this week's waiver wire report. As we all know, the Blue Jackets just can’t stay healthy. They have eight players out of the lineup due to injury, and that number will probably increase before the end of the week. With so many injuries, some players are finding themselves with expanded roles, one being Kevin Stenlund. The 23-year-old is skating on the second line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and on the top power play unit. Over the last six games, he’s played over 16-minutes five times. The volume is there, and Columbus has been a decent team this season. If you have a free bench spot, Stenlund is worth the risk. He won’t win you a fantasy hockey pool, but he won’t hurt your chances either.

Ilya Samsonov - Washington Capitals - Goalie

We might be on the cusp of a goalie controversy in Washington, and should one arise, you’ll want to be on the Samsonov side. Even if Holtby doesn’t lose his starting job, we can’t deny that Samsonov has been the better goalie this season. The rookie has a 2.28 GAA and a .918SV% to go along with his 10-2-1 record. On the flip side, Holtby has posted a 2.99 GAA, a .902SV% and a 17-7-4 record. He’s winning games, but it’s more luck than skill at this point. If anything, he’s a better version of Martin Jones. Samsonov has at least proven to management that he deserves to see more starts, and he may end up getting more down the stretch. If you need to add another goalie, this is the goalie to target. 

Kailer Yamamoto - Edmonton Oilers - Winger

The Kailer Yamamoto experiment is back in Edmonton for a third season, but this time, things could work out very nicely for the 21-year-old. He’s currently skating on the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl, and that can only mean good things for his production. In his two games this season, he has two points, which is the same amount he has last season in 17-games. It’s no secret that the Oilers need help on the wing, and Yamamoto is a talented kid who can help them immediately. If he can stick in the top-6 with other talented players, he could easily finish the season on a point-per-game pace. I know it’s bold, but he has the supporting cast to get it done. 




 

All stats provided by NHL.com