NHL Week 2 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Week 2: Calen Addison and Gabriel Vilardi are Top Pickups
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 take a look at some players that are trending up the fantasy hockey rankings that 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 as the NHL fantasy hockey season rolls on! Be sure to check out the NHL injury report, our NHL daily projections, and all of our NHL seasonal tools before making roster moves or setting those fantasy hockey lineups.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups
Adam Larsson - Seattle Kraken - Defence
It takes all kinds of players to win a fantasy hockey league, including players who aren’t going to rack up a ton of points. Adam Larsson isn’t going to blow anyone away with his offense, but the veteran defenceman can do everything else to perfection. He has 12 shots on goal, 15 hits, and 11 blocked shots in just six games. He’s even managed to find the back of the net twice! All of that is very nice, but he’s also playing a healthy amount of minutes per night. Again, this isn’t a player who’s going to stuff the score sheet, but he can stuff every other category that matters, so if you need help in those areas, he should be added immediately.
Gabriel Vilardi - Los Angeles Kings - Winger
I don’t know what’s happening in Los Angeles, but Gabriel Vilardi is off to a smoking-hot start. Despite skating on the third line, he has four goals and three assists on the season and is skating on the top power-play unit. He’s making the most of his opportunity, and if he can keep up this strong play, we might see him move up the lineup and play with some really talented players. His ice time so far has been consistent, so if he’s on the waiver wire and you need some help offensively, he’s one player to consider.
Dominik Kubalik - Detroit Red Wings - Winger
With Jakub Vrana and Tyler Bertuzzi out of the lineup for an extended period of time, Domanik Kubalik is getting his chance to prove that he can get back to being a goalscorer in the NHL. He’s skating on the top line with Dylan Larkin and on the top power-play unit. He already has five points on the season and with the added ice time, those numbers could stay steady. He might not be a long-term solution, but he can certainly help in the short term.
Eric Comrie - Buffalo Sabres - Goalie
I did not think we would be talking about a Buffalo Sabres goalie as a fantasy option in 2022, but here we are. Eric Comrie has a 3.01 GAA in his three starts this season but has a .930 SV%. That means that he’s facing too many shots, which is exactly the case. He’s made over 40-saves in two of those games and still managed to pick up the win. He’s going to come back down to earth at some point, but right now, he deserves to be on a fantasy hockey roster.
Calen Addison - Minnesota Wild - Defence
Minnesota Wild are having a hard time winning games and keeping the puck out of their own net, but Caden Addison has been pretty good early on in the season. He doesn’t have a goal yet this year, but he does have six assists in five games. He’s a minus-6 in those games, but because you don’t play in a league that takes that stat into consideration, there’s no need to worry about that. He has a real chance of finishing the season with over 40-points.
All stats provided by NHL.com
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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.