Fantasy hockey managers looking to tinker with their rosters will benefit from zeroing in on specific categories. Whether you are looking for long-term fits or short-term options, there should be a plethora of potential pickups to help your fantasy squad.
Let’s get into this week’s suggested waiver wire pickups for your consideration.
Alex Laferriere, RW, Kings (28% rostered)
Categories: Goals/Shots/Hits/PP
Laferriere’s fantasy stock is rising rapidly following his red-hot start to the 2024-25 campaign. He has eight goals, 29 shots on net and 24 hits through 12 outings. He has potted four tallies during his three-game goal spree, including one on the power play. Los Angeles has struggled on the man advantage this season, sitting 21st in the league with a 16.7 percent success rate, but Laferriere could provide a boost as a net-front presence on the top unit. A regression in his 27.6 shooting percentage could result in consistency issues, but the 23-year-old forward has made tremendous progress during his sophomore season. He could surpass 150 shots and 120 hits while becoming a valuable depth scorer on one of the team’s top three lines.
Gustav Nyquist, LW, Predators (21%)
Categories: Assists/Points/Shots
Nyquist didn’t have a point in three games to begin the 2024-25 campaign, but he has heated up offensively since then. Entering Monday’s matchup against the Kings, he has supplied four goals, three assists and seven shots across seven contests. Nyquist has been clicking again on Nashville’s top line alongside Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly. The trio was excellent in 2023-24, and Nyquist rode that success to a career year offensively, producing 52 assists and 75 points in 81 games. The Predators play four times this week, making the 35-year-old forward a great pickup option.
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Wild (18%)
Categories: Starts/Saves
Fleury has won his last two outings while stopping 50 of 55 shots. His value in fantasy hockey leagues has been limited because Filip Gustavsson has bounced back nicely in 2024-25. Still, the 39-year-old Fleury could be an outstanding pickup this week. Minnesota plays four times, including favorable matchups against San Jose, Anaheim and Chicago. He should play against the Sharks on Thursday or the Ducks on Friday and could get an additional start if the Wild split the appearances between both netminders evenly.
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, Golden Knights (14%)
Categories: Goals/Points/Shots/PP
Dorofeyev has seven goals, 10 points and 35 shots across 12 appearances this season. He has found the back of the net five times in his past six outings, and has added three helpers and 25 shots during that stretch. He is skating on the second line with Tomas Hertl and is also getting valuable exposure to Jack Eichel and Mark Stone on the Golden Knights’ top power-play combination. Even though Vegas has only two games on tap this week, the 24-year-old Dorofeyev is poised for a breakout season and should be scooped up by fantasy managers seeking an offensive spark.
Aliaksei Protas, C/LW, Capitals (13%)
Categories: Assists/Points/Shots
Protas has accounted for four goals, seven assists and 18 shots through 11 games this season. He has impressed on Washington’s top line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Protas’ three-game multipoint streak ended in Sunday’s 4-2 loss to Carolina, and he doesn’t see time on the top power-play unit. However, he remains a viable fantasy forward because of his successful run with the top two producers of the Capitals.
Marco Rossi, C, Wild (12%) for
Categories: Assist/Shots/Faceoffs
Rossi has provided 10 points, including seven helpers, across 11 outings this season. He has failed to earn at least one point on just two occasions in 2024-25. He is riding a three-game assist streak going into this week’s action. Rossi also ranks second on the Wild with 65 faceoff wins and has a career-high 52. 9 winning percentage on 123 draws.
Rossi has played well between Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov (Kaprizov has a share of the league lead with 21 points: seven goals, 14 assists) despite playing in fewer contests than his counterparts. It took some time, but Rossi is getting a chance to live up to his billing as the No. 9 pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He has long-term fantasy appeal and makes a worthwhile addition during Minnesota’s busy four-game week.
Conor Garland, RW, Canucks (12%)
Categories: Assists/Shots/PP
Garland has eight points, including five assists, through 10 appearances this campaign. He has been held off the scoresheet three times while averaging a career-high 18:07 of ice time per game. Garland has been skating in the top six alongside Elias Pettersson. The 28-year-old Garland also is working on the first power-play unit. He is on pace to reach the 60-point plateau for the first time in the NHL after hovering under the 50-point mark for two straight seasons. His production could slow, but his lineup roles and high-shot volume make him an intriguing fantasy addition.
Jake Allen, G, Devils (10%)
Categories: Starts/Saves
Allen’s 2-1-1 record, 3.25 goals-against average and .876 save percentage in four games may scare away some potential fantasy managers, however, the veteran netminder could be a successful spot starter for fantasy managers this week. Allen has struggled in his last two outings after playing superbly in his first two appearances. He should get opportunities to get back on track during a four-game week for the Devils. After visiting Edmonton on Monday, New Jersey plays against the Canadiens, Islanders and Sharks. Allen might start versus San Jose in the second half of a back-to-back, and he could face his former Montreal teammates on Thursday.
Ryan Donato, C/LW, Blackhawks (9%)
Categories: Goals/Shots/Hits
Donato has been rolling offensively to begin the 2024-25 campaign, and he has been rewarded for his production with a spot on a line with Connor Bedard and a role on the top power-play unit. The 28-year-old Donato leads Chicago with seven goals and nine even-strength points despite being a healthy scratch for two outings. He has six markers and eight points in his last seven contests, including five tallies and two helpers over a five-game point spree. Donato has made the most of his minutes, averaging 13:07 of ice time per game, but maintaining this level of offensive consistency likely will be difficult. Still, he is a great value pickup in deeper leagues during his red-hot start.
Jason Zucker, LW, Sabres (3%)
Categories: Assists/Points/PP
Zucker has been a productive addition to the Sabres, generating much-needed offense outside of the top line. He has three goals, six assists, 17 shots and seven hits through 12 appearances. Zucker had been skating in a middle-six role until a recent promotion to the first line alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. The 32-year-old Zucker also has had two tallies and one assist while working on the power-play combination. His shots and hits per game are down in 2024-25, but he can surpass the 100 mark in both categories.
