NHL Fantasy Hockey Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups: Chandler Stephenson Ready for Expanded Role
Welcome to another edition of the Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Report. The NHL season is in full swing, which means we need to start looking at the waiver wire. This part of the year is critical to be able to claim players that might have been missed in drafts. Some of these players will help you win a championship, so make sure you aren’t asleep at the helm of your fantasy team. Let’s take a look at some players worth targeting this week.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Pickups
Pontus Holmberg - Toronto Maple Leafs - Winger
The Toronto Maple Leafs decided to shake up their lines recently and Pontus Holmberg is the player who could benefit the most. The winger is skating on the top line with Auston Matthews and William Nylander and scored a goal in his first game on the top line. He played just under 13 minutes but was still able to be productive. He doesn’t have a ton of upside, but the increased opportunity is something to keep an eye on. As long as he’s seeing an expanded role, he can be an option in deeper formats.
Ross Colton - Colorado Avalanche - Centre/Winger
The Colorado Avalanche are desperate for some secondary scoring. Valeri Nichushkin is stepping away from the team to deal with some personal matters, so there is a spot available on the top power play unit. Ross Colton is going to get the first crack at showing he deserves to be there. He played a season-high 19 minutes against the Leafs and finished with a goal and an assist. His offensive stats aren’t going to blow anyone away, but the increased ice time certainly won’t hurt him. Colorado can’t roll their top line up for 30 minutes a game, so they need others to start picking up the slack. Colton is a nice add in all formats for at least the next couple of weeks.
Chandler Stephenson - Vegas Golden Knights - Centre
With Jack Eichel on IR, the Golden Knights need someone to step up and take over the top centre role. Chandler Stephenson can be that guy and really produce. He scored a goal in his last game and has played over 20 minutes in multiple games this season. He’s also going to get a chance to play on the top power play unit. His numbers this season haven’t been elite, but he has proven the he can contribute offensively at a high level. He’s 18% owned in Yahoo! leagues and is a great way to get some offence on your fantasy team.
David Savard - Montreal Canadiens - Defence
Don’t look now, but David Savard is actually fantasy relevant. We know that he is really good at blocking shots, but he’s also decent at shooting the puck and he has ten points in 20 games this season. That is elite for a defenceman that doesn’t generate much offence. He’s still a stay-at-home defenceman that is going to focus on blocking shots, but Montreal leads the league in points from defencemen and Savard is part of that. He may not win you a fantasy hockey championship, but he certainly won’t hurt your chances.
Nico Daws - New Jersey Devils - Goalie
The New Jersey Devils are looking for any kind of consistency in goal and they may have found it with Nico Daws. The kid is getting a chance to play some meaningful games and has performed pretty well. He’s only started five games this season, but he has three wins and a solid GAA and SV%. As long as he continues to play well, the Devils are going to give him every opportunity possible to shine. He’s a great pick up if your fantasy hockey team is desperate for a goalie.
All stats provided by NHL.com