The fantasy hockey playoffs are here and it’s going to be a blast. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations.

We’re at the point in the year where every decision you make can either help you win a championship or cost you one. You can’t leave anything on the table. Let’s navigate the upcoming week and see which players we need to target.

 

 

 

Fantasy Hockey Week 24 Injury Report

Connor McDavid - Edmonton Oilers - Undisclosed **UPDATE**
Mattias Ekholm - Edmonton Oilers - Undisclosed
Stuart Skinner - Edmonton Oilers - Head

We are going to give the Edmonton Oilers an entire section. There is never a good time for injuries, but key players being out of the lineup for fantasy playoffs is a mountain we sometimes can’t climb.

Let’s start with Connor McDavid, who hasn’t played in over a week. We don’t know what he’s dealing with and there is no timetable for his return. You obviously can’t drop him, so we stash him on the bench and wait for some positive news.

Mattias Ekholm has missed the last two games due to injury and will not make the trip with the team for their three-game road trip. Could he join the team at a later date? Maybe, but that just seems unlikely. If you have him on your team, cutting ties with him and looking for a replacement might be best. Other defencemen on the waiver wire can help you.

Stuart Skinner took some contact to the head against Dallas and hasn’t seen any action since. The team hasn’t confirmed that he is dealing with a concussion, only that it’s an upper-body injury. If you have him on your team, you need to look for a replacement. We’ll see if he makes the trip or not.

 

 

 

Evgeni Malkin - Pittsburgh Penguins - Upper-body

Evgeni Malkin has missed the last three games due to an upper-body injury and is still listed as day-to-day. He isn’t the player he once was, so holding onto him at this point of the year is wishful thinking. 

Pittsburgh has three games this week but only one during the week against Dallas. The matchups on paper aren’t great, so even if Malkin did return, he might not be a real factor. If you need offensive help, the waiver wire is a better solution.

 

 

 

Fantasy Hockey Week 24 Waiver Wire

Casey DeSmith - Dallas Stars - Yahoo!: 11% owned

I know lots of people want to run and pick up Calvin Pickard on waivers, but that’s just not the move. The Oilers have three road games this week and the matchups are brutal. 

Instead, Dallas goalie Casey DeSmith is the way to go. The Stars play four games this week and have a back-to-back, so DeSmith will see at least one start. All you need from him is one solid performance and I think he can deliver. 

Zach Bolduc - St. Louis Blues - Yahoo!: 7% owned

The St. Louis Blues are red hot at the best possible time. They have won nine in a row and are showing no signs of slowing down. They have three games on home ice this week against teams that allow goals, so we need to up our exposure to them. 

Zach Bolduc may be skating on the third line, but he has five points in the last six games, is shooting the puck a decent amount and throws his weight around. He is filling multiple categories, which is key at this point of the season. He’s a great addition to a team that needs some extra depth.

 

 

 

Matvei Michkov - Philadelphia Flyers - Yahoo!: 48% owned 

There is a 50/50 chance that Matvei Michkov is still on the waiver wire. Since John Tortorella was fired, the rookie has scored four goals on 11 shots and is playing over 19 minutes. This is what fans wanted to see from the beginning, but Tortorella had different plans. 

The Flyers only play two games this week, but Michkov could continue his hot streak and help your team win a championship. He’s not just here to help you this week but for the week after too. If he’s available, add him.

Mason McTavish - Anaheim Ducks - Yahoo!: 32% owned 

The Anaheim Ducks are a bad hockey team, but they have three good matchups this week and there are some players to keep an eye on. The best of the gang is Mason McTavish. His shot volume has been very good over the last few weeks, but the points and goals just haven’t followed. 

He’s still getting the opportunity to play meaningful minutes, so he’s a nice addition to a fantasy team that is looking for some depth. He also has duo-position eligibility on Yahoo!, so that gives us even more roster flexibility.