The 2024–25 NHL season has officially begun, sort of. With a couple of games in Prague this weekend before the rest of the league starts their season next week, the first fantasy week is upon us. With drafts completed and rosters set, it’s already time to start looking to the waiver wire to see how you can improve your team.
While it’s too early to start dropping players who were just drafted, below are some widely undrafted players worth keeping an eye on should you be looking to the waiver wire as the season kicks off.
Lukas Dostal, G – Anaheim Ducks
The odds of a big year for Lukas Dostal went up after it was announced John Gibson would be out for the first month of the season due to appendectomy surgery. Dostal has quietly played more and more every year since joining the Ducks in 2021–22, going from four games to 19 and finally a full-on split with Gibson last year with 44. With Gibson now out and no one else ready to steal starts, it’s Dostal’s net in Anaheim for the time being.
This presents a massive opportunity for the youngster who outplayed Gibson last year by a wide margin on a poor Ducks team. The Ducks should be improved and healthy this year, which presents a great chance for Dostal to earn fantasy relevance. It’s still a tad early to use a roster spot on him, but it’s certainly worth monitoring how Dostal and the Ducks start the season off.
Brandt Clarke, D – L.A. Kings
A popular breakout pick this season, Brandt Clarke’s chances to finally pop in the NHL went way up after Drew Doughty’s long-term injury in preseason. Clarke now has an easy path to NHL minutes to start the year and could earn plenty more in Doughty’s absence. No defender on the Kings roster has the skill or ability that Clarke does, and on paper, he’s a perfect candidate to step in and replace Doughty’s offensive capabilities at even strength and the power play.
He’s currently already skating on the team’s top power play unit, but Jordan Spence is skating in Doughty’s spot on the top pairing for now while Clarke is stuck on the third pair. With some strong play to start the season, Clarke would almost certainly start to see more minutes at even strength and maybe even earn a top pairing role. It’s still up for debate if he’s ready to finally become a producer at the NHL level, but the opportunity is staring him in the face with Doughty’s injury. Keep an eye on how he performs and how the Kings lineup over the first couple of weeks.
Nick Robertson, W – Toronto Maple Leafs
Maybe, just maybe, this is finally the year Nick Robertson has a breakout year in the NHL. Robertson earned 56 games last season, producing 27 points, but the hope is he can become a mainstay in the Leafs’ lineup this year right from the get-go. If preseason play is any indication, Robertson is fully ready to make that a reality. Before going down with a minor injury, Robertson totalled five goals in four games, good for second in preseason action.
Unfortunately with his injury, it’s hard to predict where he’d fit in the Leafs lineup, although a spot on the third line to start the year is likely. With that said, if Robertson can continue to play like he did in preseason once back from injury, he could earn a much larger role as well as power play time. For now, he’s best left on waivers, but once he’s healthy and playing again it’s worth watching his performance.
Arturs Silovs/Kevin Lankinen, G – Vancouver Canucks
The goaltending situation in Vancouver is currently a mess. Starter Thatcher Demko won’t be ready for the start of the season due to an incredibly unique and rare injury, with no timetable for his return. On top of that, the Canucks threw a wrench into everyone’s fantasy plans when they went out and signed veteran goaltender Kevin Lankinen to compete for starts. The once-assumed starter in Demko’s absence was youngster Artus Silovs, but he is now locked in a battle to earn the starter’s role.
Both goaltenders have struggled thus far in preseason with no one taking a claim to the starter’s job. Now with the preseason wrapped up, who the Canucks primary starter will be is anyone’s guess. On what should be one of the West’s best teams, it’s an incredibly valuable role and certainly one worth monitoring as the season gets underway.
