Weekly Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Schedule-Savvy Targets by Team Need

This week’s waiver wire is all about squeezing value out of schedule quirks and role changes. Rather than a flat list of names, we’ll sort the key options by what your roster actually needs: scoring, power-play juice, peripherals, or short-week streaming help. With players like Valeri Nichushkin and Connor Hellebuyck sitting on some wires, there’s real upside available if you time your moves around favorable matchups.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The biggest development is Nichushkin’s return to the top power-play unit in Colorado, a direct result of Gabriel Landeskog’s continued absence. Any winger stapled to that Avalanche man-advantage immediately jumps into must-roster territory in most formats. In Los Angeles, Brandt Clarke is emerging as the primary power-play quarterback, giving managers access to a blue-line ceiling that’s rarely available on waivers mid-season.

Up front, Alexander Wennberg is quietly thriving in San Jose as a top-six center with access to Macklin Celebrini on the power play, while Jordan Eberle is riding a six-game point streak in Seattle with both even-strength and power-play contributions. In goal, Hellebuyck’s recent struggles have spooked some managers, but the upcoming slate offers favorable matchups later in the week, making him a high-upside streaming play rather than an automatic sit.

Layer in schedule considerations—Utah’s Karel Vejmelka reportedly drawing a favorable run, and teams like Winnipeg and Colorado offering strong late-week spots—and you have a waiver environment where timing matters as much as talent.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-only formats, you’re chasing deployment and offensive talent above all else. Nichushkin checks every box: top-six role, prime power-play exposure on a loaded Colorado unit, and a clear path to sustained opportunity while Landeskog remains out. He should be treated as a high-priority add wherever he’s still floating on waivers.

Wennberg’s value in San Jose comes from volume and situation. As a top-six center with steady power-play usage alongside Macklin Celebrini, he offers a stable floor of assists and secondary scoring, ideal for managers who need a low-drama plug-in at C. Eberle’s six-game point streak suggests he’s locked in, and his role with Seattle’s top-six and power play makes him a short- to medium-term scoring boost while the heater lasts.

On the back end, Clarke’s emergence as Los Angeles’ primary power-play quarterback is a classic inflection point. Once a defenseman seizes that role on a strong offense, they often don’t give it back quickly. In points-only leagues, that kind of PP1 quarterback is often rostered everywhere; if Clarke is still available, he’s one of the best upside bets this week.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat formats, Nichushkin’s value extends beyond points. His role in Colorado’s top six typically comes with strong shot volume and some peripheral help, so he can chip in across the board while riding the PP1 wave. Eberle is more scoring-focused but still contributes in shots and power-play points, making him a nice short-term add if you’re chasing goals and PPP.

Wennberg is less of a banger but can stabilize assists and PPP if your build already has enough grit. He’s more of a glue piece than a category-winner, best for managers who need a safe floor at center rather than hits or PIM. Clarke, meanwhile, is all about offensive categories: power-play points, shots from the blue line, and the occasional block. He’s not a heavy banger, but the PP exposure alone can swing weekly matchups in leagues that count PPP.

In net, Hellebuyck’s recent downturn hurts ratios, but the upcoming schedule offers a window to recoup value. In categories leagues, he’s a calculated gamble: you sit him in tough early-week spots if you can, then deploy him aggressively for those softer matchups against teams like the Kings and Devils when Winnipeg’s schedule turns in his favor. If your league counts saves and wins heavily, that late-week run is exactly the kind of spot where a high-volume starter can swing your matchup.

Dynasty / Keeper

Dynasty managers should view Clarke as the headline. A young defenseman already trusted as a primary power-play quarterback for the Kings is a premium asset. Even if the production is a bit streaky this season, the role itself is a strong signal for long-term upside, and he’s the kind of player you stash before the breakout is fully priced in.

Nichushkin is more of a win-now piece than a long-horizon stash, but his multi-year relevance in Colorado’s top six makes him a solid hold in deeper keeper formats. As long as he’s attached to the Avalanche’s core and seeing PP1 time, he profiles as a reliable mid-tier wing with periodic spikes when the team is rolling.

Wennberg and Eberle are more situational in dynasty. Wennberg’s value is tied to his current deployment in San Jose; he’s a useful depth piece in very deep formats but not a cornerstone. Eberle’s age and streaky nature make him more of a short-term production rental than a long-term building block. Hellebuyck, on the other hand, remains a high-end starter whose short-term struggles shouldn’t dramatically change his multi-year outlook; if anything, this is the kind of moment where you can explore buy-low opportunities using tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Valeri Nichushkin (COL – F) – Add: Top-six winger back on Colorado’s PP1 with a clear path to sustained scoring and strong schedule leverage.
Brandt Clarke (LAK – D) – Add: Emerging as Los Angeles’ primary power-play quarterback, offering rare blue-line scoring upside off waivers.
Alexander Wennberg (SJS – C) – Add in deeper leagues: Top-six center with steady even-strength production and PP time alongside Macklin Celebrini.
Jordan Eberle (SEA – F) – Short-term stream: Riding a six-game point streak with both even-strength and power-play contributions; ideal while hot.
Connor Hellebuyck (WPG – G) – Late-week stream: Recent struggles mask a favorable upcoming schedule with matchups worth targeting later in the week.
Karel Vejmelka (UTA – G) – Short-week streamer: Utah’s schedule lines up well for streaming, giving him sneaky value for managers chasing volume starts.

Fantasy Takeaways

Nichushkin’s return to Colorado’s top power-play unit makes him a priority add for managers needing scoring and PPP.
Clarke’s rise as Los Angeles’ power-play quarterback offers rare mid-season blue-line upside, especially in points-only and PPP-heavy formats.
Wennberg and Eberle are strong, role-driven adds for managers seeking short-term scoring help, with Eberle particularly useful while his point streak lasts.
Hellebuyck is best used as a schedule-based streamer this week: avoid early landmines and attack his favorable late-week matchups.
Vejmelka’s favorable schedule gives him under-the-radar value as a short-week goalie streamer for volume and potential wins.

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