It’s a condensed scoring period on return from the Olympic break, with no games on Monday or Tuesday. Most teams will still fit in three games, but 10 NHL teams will play only twice this “week.”
Every Monday, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We’ll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.
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Forwards
Alex Laferriere, RW/C, Los Angeles Kings (1.6 FPPG, 24.4% available): The Kings’ options were somewhat simplified with the season-ending injury suffered by Kevin Fiala at the Olympics. New star forward Artemi Panarin looks to debut on a top line with Adrian Kempe and Laferriere. If that trio clicks, Laferriere jumps from streamer to must-roster in standard formats.
Anthony Duclair, LW, New York Islanders (1.21 FPPG, 93.3% available): The wild ride continues. After a smoking hot January with 13 points in 13 games, Duclair was subject to a series of benchings and a healthy scratch headed into the Olympic break. Here’s hoping he and coach Patrick Roy are back on the same page, as that January production was a huge boon for fantasy managers. Thursday’s ice time versus Montreal should be telling.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Washington Capitals (1.04 FPPG, 73.8% available): Playing on a line with Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas, Dubois made a one-game return from injury before the Olympic break, picking up two points (including on the power play). The production won’t come every night, but Dubois is a fantastic late-season addition that has wide availability because of how long his injury lasted.
Eeli Tolvanen, LW/RW, Seattle Kraken (1.83 FPPG, 32.9% available): The across-the-board production is still available in about a third of leagues, so don’t sleep on Tolvanen if that includes yours. He’s like a Tom Wilson-lite when you compare their stat lines, putting up numbers in all of the standard ESPN categories. He didn’t dress for all the games, but still showed his offensive touch with a goal and two helpers at the Olympics.
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Eeli Tolvanen scores on the power play for Seattle Kraken
Eeli Tolvanen scores on the power play for Seattle Kraken
Dylan Holloway, C/LW, St. Louis Blues (1.68 FPPG, 41.7% available): After missing a month, playing one game, then missing another month, Holloway should go right to the top of the depth chart, especially if the Blues make some moves as potential trade deadline sellers in the next week. Though he is having a down season, don’t forget Holloway posted 2.0 FPPG last season.
See also:
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Matty Beniers, C, Seattle Kraken (1.65 FPPG, 59.9% available)
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Mikael Granlund, C/LW, Anaheim Ducks (1.70 FPPG, 49.7% available)
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Ivan Barbashev, LW, Vegas Golden Knights (1.60 FPPG, 45.2% available)
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Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Minnesota Wild (1.51 FPPG, 84.7% available)
Defense
Neal Pionk, D, Winnipeg Jets (1.18 FPPG, 41.0% available): We’ll find out more about how healthy Josh Morrissey is as the games get started this week, and the same is true for the status of Pionk, who was hurt in mid-January. With his return expected imminently, Pionk has some upside if the injury Morrissey suffered at the Olympics requires some time. That is especially true this week as the Jets face the middling penalty kills of the Canucks, Ducks and Sharks.
Uvis Balinskis, D, Florida Panthers (1.09 FPPG, 96.7% available): With Seth Jones unavailable, Balinskis has the point on the Panthers power play. He has been eating some minuses at even strength, so be careful depending on your league settings. But the temporary boost in power-play points might even be enough to offset those concerns.
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Goaltenders
Lukas Dostal, G, Anaheim Ducks (1.64 FPP60, 31.9% available): Earning wins in eight of his past nine appearances leading into the Olympic break, Dostal stayed busy by patrolling the Czechia crease in Milan. He comes back to Anaheim for a homestand against visiting Western Canadian clubs, which, aside from the Edmonton Oilers, are plus matchups for the Ducks.
Carter Hart, G, Vegas Golden Knights (-0.09 FPP60, 92.0% available): We haven’t had an update, but the original projection was that Hart would be out until after the Olympics. If he does return, it’ll be the first chance to see how the crease is divided between himself and a healthy Adin Hill. If Hart still carves out at least a 50-50 share, he’s worth your time in fantasy on a winning squad like Vegas.
See also:
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Joel Hofer, G, St. Louis Blues (1.41 FPP60, 93.6% available)
Short-term streamers
Ben Kindel, C/RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (1.53 FPPG, 90.3% available): Expect Sidney Crosby to miss at least a little bit of time, as you have to think he would have dressed for the Olympic gold medal game if he was close to OK. With Crosby sidelined, Kindel will shoot up the depth chart, possibly even earning some time on the top power-play unit.
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Ben Kindel tallies goal vs. Sabres
Ben Kindel lights the lamp
Matt Duchene, C/LW, Dallas Stars (1.39 FPPG, 55.1% available): On a bit of a heater before the Olympic break with six goals and three assists in a six-game point streak, Duchene might have some extra responsibility with Mikko Rantanen expected to miss some time following an injury in Milan.
Arturs Silovs, G, Pittsburgh Penguins (1.31 FPP60, 89.8% available): Silovs has played well enough to push for an equal share of the crease. The Pens have a solid return schedule, with two of their three games against teams in the top five for fantasy points allowed to opposing goaltenders (Devils and Rangers). Even if it’s just one game for him this week, Silovs has upside.
