This article is part of our NHL Waiver Wire series.
A noticeable trend in this space through two months is the lasting availability of young players who have pedigree and are scoring. The waiver-wire "last-calls" for Mathew Barzal and Brock Boeser, for example, lasted far longer than they should have.
Perhaps there are a lot of shallow leagues. Still, make no mistake, the salary-cap era and refocus on speed and talent across the NHL has tilted the ice in favor of young scorers.
Kevin Fiala has been a lock in this column all year, and Jesse Puljujarvi could be on the verge of exploding. These are high-end talents playing in top-six roles, so don't be afraid to take a chance on them.
Here's the schedule for the next scoring period from Dec. 18-24:
Two games: Flames, Blackhawks, Golden Knights
Four games: Ducks, Bruins, Blue Jackets, Flyers
All other teams play three games next week
Ensure to keep tabs on who is cut in your leagues, and also remember to check the handful of the previously covered players listed below.
Forwards
Tyler Johnson, TB (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 56%, CBS: 69%): A return to a top-six role has led to an uptick in offense for Johnson. He's a proven scorer and has now recorded three goals, six assists and four multi-point showings during an active five-game point streak. He has the potential to score at a point-per-game pace moving forward.
Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM (Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 7%, CBS: 37%): A holdover from last week, the Finn is still skating
A noticeable trend in this space through two months is the lasting availability of young players who have pedigree and are scoring. The waiver-wire "last-calls" for Mathew Barzal and Brock Boeser, for example, lasted far longer than they should have.
Perhaps there are a lot of shallow leagues. Still, make no mistake, the salary-cap era and refocus on speed and talent across the NHL has tilted the ice in favor of young scorers.
Kevin Fiala has been a lock in this column all year, and Jesse Puljujarvi could be on the verge of exploding. These are high-end talents playing in top-six roles, so don't be afraid to take a chance on them.
Here's the schedule for the next scoring period from Dec. 18-24:
Two games: Flames, Blackhawks, Golden Knights
Four games: Ducks, Bruins, Blue Jackets, Flyers
All other teams play three games next week
Ensure to keep tabs on who is cut in your leagues, and also remember to check the handful of the previously covered players listed below.
Forwards
Tyler Johnson, TB (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 56%, CBS: 69%): A return to a top-six role has led to an uptick in offense for Johnson. He's a proven scorer and has now recorded three goals, six assists and four multi-point showings during an active five-game point streak. He has the potential to score at a point-per-game pace moving forward.
Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM (Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 7%, CBS: 37%): A holdover from last week, the Finn is still skating with No. 1 center and reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Connor McDavid, so Puljujarvi is a worth a roster spot in most settings for that reason alone. The fourth overall selection from the 2016 draft has also chipped in while skating atop the depth chart with three goals and five points through his past five contests.
Kevin Fiala, NSH (Yahoo: 17%, ESPN: 16%, CBS: 40%): For whatever reason, Fiala remains available in oodles of leagues. He's currently riding a five-game point streak with four goals, three assists and 21 shots, and his 2.97 points per 60 minutes is a rock-solid mark. Scoop him up, folks. The Swiss native is a legit talent.
Mathieu Perreault, WPG (Yahoo: 20%, ESPN: 28%, CBS: 39%): There's nothing to like about Perreault's fourth-line assignment at even strength. Yet, he's still marked the scoresheet in nine of his past 14 games for eight goals, seven assists and six power-play points. The 29-year-old veteran can also help in the PIM category. Additionally, he's posted four consecutive 40-point campaigns despite missing at least 11 games in each of those seasons.
Evgenii Dadonov, FLA (Yahoo: 24%, ESPN: 46%, CBS: 67%): After missing eight games with a shoulder injury, Dadonov is back on the waiver wire in plenty of leagues. He returned to the lineup Tuesday and has recorded seven goals, 18 points and 58 shots through 23 games for the season, so he projects to pick up where he left off and provide serviceable offense in the majority of settings moving forward.
Phillip Danault, MON (Yahoo: 8%, ESPN: 10%, CBS: 12%): The 24-year-old center is currently centering Max Pacioretty and Paul Byron and has collected three goals and three assists through his past six contests. Danault certainly isn't a universal asset, but he's provided respectable offensive numbers dating back to the midway point of last season. There's potential here in deep leagues.
Evan Rodrigues, BUF (Yahoo: 0%, ESPN: 1%, CBS: 1%): The Boston University standout is still finding his way at the highest level, but the results have been noticeable of late. Rodrigues has been skating on the No. 1 power-play unit and picked up two goals and an assist through his past three games. His ceiling is low and expectations should remain in check, but there's appeal in cavernous settings.
Michael Raffl, PHI (Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 2%, CBS: 3%): At this stage of Raffl's career, you know what you're getting from the 29-year-old winger. He's a streaky scorer who shouldn't be counted on as a year-long contributor in most settings. Raffl is currently receiving top-six minutes on a line with Jakub Voracek and Valtteri Filppula and has notched five goals and three helpers through his past nine contests, so the Austrian is worth a look until the offense dries up.
Defensemen
Tyler Myers, WPG (Yahoo: 43%, ESPN: 48%, CBS: 78%): A mainstay in this space over the past month, Myers' fantasy value might receive an added boost with Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom both nursing lower-body injuries. Considering the Texas native has three goals, 10 points, 27 shots and 12 PIM through his past 15 games, he projects to continue posting solid numbers with the uptick in ice time.
Matt Niskanen, WAS (Yahoo: 43%, ESPN: 33%, CBS: 66%): Good players on good teams usually provide good fantasy numbers, and Niskanen has done just that since returning from an upper-body injury. His offense doesn't jump off the page, but with two goals, seven points, 34 shots, 23 hits, 18 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating through his past 14 contests, there's a lot of cross-category appeal here.
Sami Vatanen, ANA (Yahoo: 13%, ESPN: 14%, CBS: 43%): Without a point through his first five games with New Jersey, this could prove to be a buy-low spot for Vatanen. While Taylor Hall's knee injury could hurt the Devils' attack, this is still one of the better offenses in the league, albeit somewhat surprisingly. Expect Vatanen's role and talent will lead to offensive production sooner than later.
Vince Dunn, STL (Yahoo: 0%, ESPN: 1%, CBS: 6%): With Alex Pietrangelo (foot) on injured reserve, Dunn has skated with the No. 1 power-play unit the past two games. It's been a quiet debut for the rookie with just two goals and assists through 30 games. He had 50 shots on goal and 45 points in his first AHL season last year, so there is some upside in cavernous settings for the 2015 second-round selection.
Goaltenders
Antti Raanta, ARI (Yahoo: 23%, ESPN: 11%, CBS: 45%): With just a single start since Nov. 22, there's a reason Raanta is so wildly available. However, his .919 save percentage and 2.68 GAA are solid marks, and he's going to see the bulk of starts moving forward. Injuries have hurt his value to this point, but there's a slim chance Arizona will turn things around enough for the Finnish netminder to post respectable numbers moving forward.
James Reimer, FLA (Yahoo: 24%, ESPN: 12%, CBS: 14%): The veteran has allowed three goals or more in seven of his past eight games for a 3-2-3 record, .897 save percentage and 3.34 GAA. Those are underwhelming numbers, but with Roberto Luongo (lower body) out of action, Reimer should be owned and can be turned to with modest confidence in favorable matchups.
Philipp Grubauer, WAS (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 7%, CBS: 17%): There have been some disappointing starts from the German this season, but at this stage of his career, his track record outweighs any blip on the radar. Grubauer's stopped 66 of 68 shots (.971 save percentage) through his past three appearances and owns a career .920 mark with a 2.36 GAA through 77 games. At worst, he's a goalie to monitor and stream when he gets the starting nod.
Players to consider from past columns: Josh Anderson, Kyle Connor, Alex DeBrincat, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Pavel Buchnevich, Marian Gaborik, Sam Bennett, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alex Galchenyuk, Nick Bjugstad, Adam Henrique, Nick Schmaltz, Derek Stepan, Jesper Bratt, Artem Anisimov, Tom Wilson, Mikko Rantanen, Jakub Vrana, Reilly Smith, Tomas Hertl, Micheal Ferland, Craig Smith, Mathew Dumba, Erik Johnson, Johnny Boychuk, Shea Theodore, Brady Skjei, Darnell Nurse, Noah Hanifin, Alexander Edler, Esa Lindell, Jakob Chychrun, Jacob Markstrom, Thomas Greiss, Aaron Dell, Steve Mason, Darcy Kuemper, Malcolm Subban
