Another week has gone by which means there are some new players who might be worth adding to your roster. With it almost being February, we are that much closer to seeing a jam-packed schedule as the NHL is using what was the Olympic break to catch up on previously postponed games. This could be the perfect time to pick up some new pieces as they could provide some real value once game numbers start picking up. Let’s take a look at who is out there.
Jeff Skinner – LW – Buffalo Sabres
Look, is he worth $9M on an NHL roster? No, but luckily there is no salary cap in fantasy hockey.
It’s no secret that Jeff Skinner had a really bad season last year, but believe it or not, he is actually on pace for 32 goals and 56 points this year. Picking up some quality goal scoring like that off the waiver wire is really hard to pass up on, especially if your league doesn’t account for plus-minus. Skinner is only 17% owned and should be on many more teams.
| Period | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | SOG | Hits | Blocks |
| Season to date | 40 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 120 | 12 | 10 |
| Month of January | 10 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 2 |
Anton Lundell – C – Florida Panthers
Anton Lundell has honestly been on a tear this month on an incredible Florida Panthers team.
The 2020 first-round pick played at a point per game pace through 15 games. Despite being on the team’s third line, it seems like Lundell has really found his stride in Florida and could carry over his solid play for the rest of the season. With a player like him who has so much potential, it is important to grab him early before it is too late. Lundell is only 22% owned.
| Period | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | SOG | Hits | Blocks |
| Season to date | 40 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 72 | 19 | 40 |
| Month of January | 13 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 22 | 5 | 12 |
Brandon Saad – LW,RW – St. Louis Blues
This is a player that I honestly don’t think is getting enough attention right now.
Saad has only been averaging 0.26 points per game, which is a slight improvement of his 0.20 points per game last year. However, last month he averaged 0.64 points per game and seems to be contributing as a solid depth piece for the Blues. If this continues, look for him to potentially boost that production, especially with line mates like Perron and Schenn. At just 14% owned, why not pick him up and see what happens?
| Period | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | SOG | Hits | Blocks |
| Season to date | 39 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 88 | 12 | 12 |
| Month of January | 11 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 3 | 4 |
Mark Borowiecki – D – Nashville Predators
If you are looking for points, I recommend completely skipping this section. Mark Borowiecki won’t really get you any of those, however he could be an extremely valuable piece of your team.
Borowiecki has been a hitting machine recently. Throughout the past month, he has recorded 55 hits, and 15 of those hits are from just two games. Having solid category coverage is one of the keys to winning your fantasy matchups, and at just 7% owned, Borowiecki might be the perfect piece to fill that requirement.
| Period | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | SOG | Hits | Blocks |
| Season to date | 37 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 28 | 122 | 50 |
| Month of January | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 50 | 24 |
Cal Peterson – G – Los Angeles Kings
Don’t get me wrong, this is still very much Jonathan Quick‘s net. However, Cal Peterson has really started to put up some solid numbers throughout his past six starts. With the exception of a rough loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he has managed to put up at least a 0.920 save percentage and has won all those games. At 36% owned, Peterson could be a solid third goalie for your team while the Kings are vying for a playoff spot.
| Period | Games Played | Wins | Saves | SV% | SO |
| Season to date | 17 | 10 | 455 | .901 | 1 |
| Month of January | 6 | 5 | 136 | .919 | 1 |
Advice
Honestly, the waiver wire isn’t as full of hidden gems as it usually is. However, with February being right around the corner, this will definitely change. With more and more games being played in such a compact schedule, it will be really important to keep on eye out on who might be on a point streak, or who is just playing well in general. Picking them up early will give you as much value as possible.
Ahead of tonight’s nightcap on Hockey Day in Canada, the bookies have predicted a close favourite, with Betway Sports pricing the Calgary Flames at -120 and the Vancouver Canucks at +2w0 to win the game in regulation, with an overtime decision being priced at +330.
