Waiver Wire Targets by Team Need: Scoring, PP Upside, Peripherals and Streams

This week’s waiver wire is all about matching the right add to the right roster hole. Using EDGE-style indicators like high-danger chances, offensive-zone time and usage, we can separate short-term heaters from sustainable help. Below, we group the top options by team need—scoring, power-play exposure, peripherals, and short-week streaming—while keeping an eye on schedule edges to squeeze every game out of your pickups.

What’s New & Why It Matters

Kiefer Sherwood has landed with the San Jose Sharks and is immediately flashing high-danger goal scoring and a heavy shot from a top-six role. That combination of opportunity and shot quality is rare on the wire, especially when it comes with physical play. In Dallas, Matt Duchene is quietly riding a multi-game point streak from the third line while still seeing second-unit power-play time for the Dallas Stars, giving him sneaky schedule and depth-line value.

Under new coaching in Columbus, Charlie Coyle has been elevated into a top-six role with top power-play (PP1) exposure for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the production has followed. In Seattle, Jordan Eberle is leading the Seattle Kraken in scoring while locked into a top-line, PP1 role—ideal for managers chasing pure points.

On the back end, Zayne Parekh is showing promising offensive-zone metrics for the Calgary Flames, hinting at future fantasy relevance even if the current sample is limited. In net, rookie Jakub Dobes is emerging as a viable streamer for the Montreal Canadiens, leading rookie goalies in wins and benefiting from solid team support. All of these shifts create exploitable edges for fantasy managers who move quickly.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

If you’re chasing pure offense, Eberle and Duchene are the priority adds. Eberle’s combination of top-line deployment and PP1 time on Seattle gives him the cleanest path to sustained goals and assists; he’s already leading his team in scoring, which is exactly what you want in points-only formats. Duchene’s production from Dallas’ third line is backed by power-play involvement, and the Stars’ generally strong offense means his counting stats should remain steady as long as he stays in the mix.

Coyle is a strong secondary option for points-only leagues thanks to his PP1 exposure in Columbus. His role under the new coach suggests this isn’t a fluke usage bump. Sherwood can help in points-only as well, but his real edge is in multi-cat formats; in pure scoring leagues he’s more of a depth add or schedule streamer when San Jose has extra games.

Parekh is more of a stash in points-only, particularly in deeper leagues. His offensive-zone dominance hints at a future power-play quarterback profile, but with a limited sample and uncertain short-term role, he’s better suited to benches than starting lineups right now.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-category formats, Sherwood jumps to the top of the list. His blend of goal scoring, high-danger shot generation and physical play makes him a rare waiver find who can swing both scoring and peripherals in a single roster spot. If your league counts hits alongside goals and shots, he’s a priority add.

Coyle’s value rises in categories as well, because PP1 time should translate into power-play points while his top-six role adds shots and some secondary peripherals. Eberle is more of a finesse scorer, but his heavy involvement in Seattle’s offense means strong contributions in goals, assists, shots and power-play points, even if he doesn’t bring much in hits or blocks.

On defense, Parekh’s upside lies in offensive categories—points, shots from the blue line, and potentially power-play production if he earns more responsibility. He’s not a classic banger, but in leagues that reward offensive defensemen he’s worth monitoring closely. Dobes offers wins and potentially save volume when streamed on good schedule spots, though his category impact will depend heavily on matchup quality.

Dynasty / Keeper

Dynasty managers should pay particular attention to Parekh and Dobes. Parekh’s early offensive-zone metrics for Calgary suggest a long-term trajectory toward being a fantasy-relevant puck-mover. Even if he’s not yet locked into prime deployment, this is the kind of profile you want to stash before the breakout, especially in deeper keeper formats.

Dobes, leading rookie goalies in wins with strong recent support from Montreal, profiles as more than just a short-term streamer in long-term formats. If he continues to solidify a starting role, his value could spike quickly; this is a good time to add or acquire him before that happens, potentially using tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer to gauge fair value.

Among the forwards, Sherwood’s combination of goals and hits could make him a long-term depth piece in multi-cat dynasties if he maintains a top-six role in San Jose. Coyle and Duchene are more win-now pieces; their value is tied closely to current deployment and coaching usage rather than long-term upside, making them better fits for contenders than rebuilding squads.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Kiefer Sherwood – Add (categories, schedule edge): Top-six role in San Jose with high-danger goal scoring and hits makes him a multi-cat gem when the Sharks have busy weeks.
Jordan Eberle – Add (points-only): Leading Seattle in goals and points with top-line, PP1 usage; ideal for teams needing reliable scoring volume.
Matt Duchene – Add / Short-term stream: Riding a point streak on Dallas’ third line with PP2 time; great to exploit when the Stars have extra games on light nights.
Charlie Coyle – Add (balanced formats): Thriving under new coaching in Columbus with PP1 exposure, giving him a strong mix of points and special-teams value.
Jakub Dobes – Short-term stream: Leading rookie goalies in wins for Montreal; stream him in weeks where his projected starts line up with favorable opponents.
Zayne Parekh – Watchlist / Deep-league stash: Promising offensive-zone metrics in Calgary suggest future PP value; stash in deep or dynasty leagues before the breakout.

Fantasy Takeaways

Sherwood is a priority add in categories leagues, combining goal scoring with strong peripheral production from a top-six role.
Eberle and Duchene are prime scoring adds, especially when their teams offer schedule advantages with extra games on light slates.
Coyle’s PP1 deployment under new coaching in Columbus makes him a high-leverage pickup for managers chasing power-play points.
Parekh and Dobes are key long-term targets: Parekh for offensive blue-line upside, Dobes as a potential long-term starter in Montreal.
Match your waiver moves to specific needs—scoring, PP exposure, peripherals or streaming volume—to maximize the impact of each roster spot.

Source: NHL.com. See the original for full details.