NHL Fantasy Hockey Week 19 Waiver Wire: Ryan O'Reilly Looking For New Life in Toronto

Welcome to another edition of the Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Report. The only way to win a championship in any fantasy league is to be active on the waiver wire. If you aren’t checking the wire at least once a week, then you’re doing it wrong. Each week, we’ll look at some players you should be adding to your watch list, or adding right away. Let’s take a look at who we are keeping an eye on for this week.
Fantasy Hockey Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups
Ryan O’Reilly, Toronto Maple Leafs - Center
There is a 50% chance that Ryan O’Reilly is still on the waiver wire in your fantasy hockey league. In his first game with his new team, he skated on the second line with Mitch Marner and John Tavares. O’Reilly only has 12 goals on the season, but he’s moving from a terrible St. Louis offence to one of the best-scoring teams in the league. By default, he’s going to get more chances to rack up points, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him flirt with a point-per-game pace down the stretch.
Ivan Barbashev, St. Louis Blues - Center/Wing
There’s no question that Ivan Barbashev is having a season to forget, but there is still some hope for him to at least finish the year on a positive note. The Blues have moved on from O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, so there is more ice time to go around. Barbashev could see a bump in ice time, maybe see some extra minutes on the power play, or get traded to a better hockey team. The last option is probably the best, but in any case, things can’t get much worse for the Blues' wing.
Jake McCabe, Chicago Blackhawks - Defence
Don’t look now, but Jake McCabe is starting to make a case for being a player your fantasy hockey team needs full-time. He only has two goals on the season, but he has five assists in the last six games, can put up a few shots on goal, throws his weight around pretty well AND can also block shots. In short, he can help fill a couple of categories that other players may not be able. He’s 4% rostered in Yahoo! leagues and is worth taking a risk on, especially in a categories league.
Kevin Mandolese, Ottawa Senators - Goalie
Last week, it was Mads Sogaard and now, it’s Kevin Mandolese. The rookie goalie has been impressive in his two starts this season and he could at least earn a split share of the starts until the end of the season. He’s only an option in deeper formats because even if he does play enough, Ottawa is a below-average team that is going to lose more games than they win.
Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights - Goalie
I’ll add a second goalie this week because I don’t think enough people are talking about Adin Hill. Logan Thompson is still out due to injury and Hill has gone 4-0-0 in his past five games. He may be relegated back to the bench once Thompson is ready to return, but for now, he should be rostered closer to 80%, not 50% like currently. If he keeps up this strong play, he may even steal a few more starts down the line.
All stats provided by NHL.com
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.