Waiver Wire Goalie Fixes and Skater Streams After the Shesterkin Injury

Igor Shesterkin going down for the season forces fantasy managers to rebuild their crease on the fly. The good news: there are viable stopgaps and some sneaky skater adds who can soften the blow. Instead of a generic ranking, this breakdown groups options by what your roster actually needs — scoring, power-play help, peripherals, or short-week streaming — while keeping schedule edges in mind.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The biggest shift is in the New York Rangers crease, where Dylan Garand steps in as the primary replacement for Shesterkin. He’s expected to get a real audition as the starting goalie before Joonas Korpisalo is ready to challenge for work. Any time you can grab a potential volume starter on a strong team off waivers, it’s a priority move.

Beyond New York, Stuart Skinner is pushing for a bigger role with the Winnipeg Jets after a strong early run. He’s not as clean a one-for-one Shesterkin replacement as Garand, but he offers meaningful save volume and win potential if he holds the crease.

Up front, Cole Perfetti has seized a top-line winger and PP1 role for Winnipeg, giving him immediate scoring and power-play appeal. On Long Island, Brayden Schenn brings multi-category production for the New York Islanders, especially in leagues counting hits and PIM. On the blue line, Jared Spurgeon is riding shotgun with Quinn Hughes on the Vancouver Canucks top pair, making him a strong short-term stream while that deployment lasts.

All of these shifts create pockets of value that line up differently depending on your format and schedule. Targeting the right category mix — and teams with heavier game counts on lighter nights — is how you turn an injury crisis into a standings gain.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

If your league only cares about points, prioritize skaters with prime offensive roles and power-play exposure. Perfetti is the clear headliner here. He’s locked into a top-line role with PP1 time in Winnipeg, and early returns show that he can convert that deployment into real production, especially with multiple points already coming on the man advantage. In points-only formats, that combination of usage and early success makes him a near must-add wherever he’s available.

Spurgeon is your next-best short-term option. Skating on the top pair alongside Quinn Hughes in Vancouver gives him access to high-quality breakout passes, offensive-zone starts, and secondary assists. Even if he’s not the focal point on the power play, the offensive environment is strong enough that he can chip in at a useful pace while he’s in this role.

Among goalies, Garand’s value in points-only leagues depends heavily on whether your format rewards wins and saves or just team success. On a Rangers squad that should still be competitive, a starting run for Garand can translate into enough wins to justify the add. Skinner is more of a volume and stability play; if he cements himself as the Jets’ primary option, his counting stats can quietly stack up over the season.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-category leagues, you’re not just replacing Shesterkin’s ratios; you’re also chasing volume and peripheral coverage. Garand is the priority if you need saves and wins, because a starting role on the Rangers should provide both. Just be prepared for some volatility as he adjusts to the workload. Skinner is a strong alternative if you prefer a slightly more proven option with starter upside in Winnipeg.

For skaters, Schenn is tailor-made for bangers formats. In a middle-six role for the Islanders, he brings hits and PIM with enough secondary scoring to avoid being a drag in offensive categories. He’s especially useful in weeks where the Islanders have a favorable schedule, giving you multiple chances to bank peripherals on lighter nights.

Perfetti still matters in categories leagues, but his value leans more toward points, power-play production and shots rather than hits or PIM. If your team is already strong in banger stats but needs help in goals, assists and PPP, he’s the better fit than Schenn. Spurgeon offers a balanced profile: modest offense, some blocks, and decent plus-minus upside while riding with Hughes, making him a solid plug-in for managers needing a little bit of everything from the blue line.

Dynasty / Keeper

In longer-term formats, your priorities shift from pure short-term volume to sustainable roles and development curves. Perfetti is the clear long-view prize. A young winger already trusted with top-line and PP1 duties on the Jets is exactly the kind of player you want to stash and be patient with. Even if there are cold stretches, the role and skill set suggest a rising long-term asset.

Garand is a more speculative but intriguing dynasty add. Any goalie getting a real starting audition for the Rangers is worth monitoring closely. If he performs well enough to carve out a meaningful share of the crease even after Korpisalo returns, his long-term fantasy stock jumps significantly. In deeper keeper and dynasty leagues, this is the kind of bet that can pay off big if you have the bench space.

Skinner’s dynasty value hinges on how firmly he can grab the Jets’ starting job. If he continues his strong early performance and keeps a hold on the crease, he becomes a stable long-term option. Schenn and Spurgeon, by contrast, are more win-now pieces: useful in the short term, but less likely to gain long-term value given their age and current roles.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Dylan Garand – Add (all formats): Direct Shesterkin replacement with a real shot at volume starts on a strong Rangers team; prioritize if you need wins and saves.
Stuart Skinner – Add (standard and deep): Early strong play for Winnipeg gives him starter-upside; a solid alternative if Garand is gone or you want a second goalie.
Cole Perfetti – Add (points-heavy): Top-line winger and PP1 exposure for the Jets makes him a high-upside scoring and power-play add, especially in points-only and bonus-PPP leagues.
Brayden Schenn – Add (bangers): Middle-six role with the Islanders plus hits, PIM and secondary scoring; ideal for shoring up physical categories.
Jared Spurgeon – Short-term stream: Temporary top-pair role with Quinn Hughes in Vancouver offers a nice blend of assists, plus-minus and light peripherals while the deployment lasts.

Fantasy Takeaways

If you lost Shesterkin, prioritize Dylan Garand as a direct volume replacement on a competitive Rangers squad.
Stuart Skinner is a strong fallback or second goalie add, with starter potential if he keeps his early-season form in Winnipeg.
Cole Perfetti should be scooped in any league that rewards scoring and power-play production thanks to his top-line, PP1 role.
Brayden Schenn is a premium bangers add, delivering hits and PIM with enough offense to stay rosterable in multi-cat formats.
Jared Spurgeon is a smart short-term stream while he’s paired with Quinn Hughes, especially in weeks where Vancouver has a favorable schedule.
Match your waiver targets to your category needs and schedule gaps, and use tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer if you need to rebalance your roster beyond the wire.

Source: RotoWire. See the original for full details.