The past couple of weeks saw an extended Holiday break with many postponed games. Now that we’re back to seeing something close to a typical NHL schedule, the fantasy hockey waiver wire is back in business to help you find valuable players available in your league.
Week 13 Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire
Forwards
Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers (47% Rostered)
Lundell is quietly having a solid rookie campaign. Through 29 contests he has seven goals, 10 assists, and a plus-9 rating. A sound two-way player, Lundell brings some help in other areas with his 15 hits and 30 blocks. He has fit in quite nicely as the Panthers’ third-line center, although the suspension to Sam Bennett has Lundell temporarily playing second-line duties. He did just fine in that role, notching an assist, hit, block, two PIM, and a plus-2 rating in 19:25 of ice time. He’s riding a four-game point streak in which he’s scored a pair of goals and added three helpers.
Alexander Barabanov, LW/RW, San Jose Sharks (31% Rostered)
After scoring seven points in nine games once acquired by the Sharks last season, Barabanov was a surprising scratch to start the campaign. The 27-year-old sophomore has since worked his way back into the lineup and has become a mainstay in the team’s top-six forward group. He has 19 points in 29 matchups while averaging 16:30 of ice time including 1:35 on the power play. He doesn’t offer much peripheral value, so he’s mainly a target in middle to deep offense-heavy leagues. The Sharks don’t have much support in terms of top-six wingers at the moment, so despite the earlier scratches, Barabanov’s role should be considered secure.
Calle Jarnkrok, C/LW, Seattle Kraken (9% Rostered)
For a player that tallied 28 points in 49 contests last year, and has many times scored 30 to 35 points, his rostered percentage is quite low. This is partly a result of being removed from a stronger Nashville team during the Seattle expansion draft, then missing the start of the season with an injury. The beginning of his Kraken tenure was tough, as he started with a 12 game point drought. Recent times have been kinder to Jarnkrok, who has two goals and three assists in his past three contests. All 10 of his points have been generated in his past 10 appearances. Note that the Kraken don’t play until Monday, January 10, so you may want to wait until the weekend to make your waiver claim.
Trevor Moore, C/RW, Los Angeles Kings (5% Rostered)
Moore has never been the biggest offensive threat at any point during his NHL career. However, he has found chemistry on the Kings’ second line with Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson. Moore is coming off a very strong performance in his last matchup, posting a goal, three assists, four shots, and a plus-4 rating. He’s scored seven points in his past eight appearances and has 11 points in 33 contests on the year. Deeper leagues often don’t have players in top-six roles readily available. For a player with such a low roster percentage rate, Moore could be a nice find on the waiver wire.
Defense
Zach Whitecloud, D, Vegas Golden Knights (36% Rostered)
Whitecloud continues to show progression each year. He had one point in 16 games in 2019-20, then scored 12 points in 51 contests last year — his first season as a regular in the lineup. This year he already has 11 points in just 24 outings, putting him on pace to double his point total. Five of his points are goals, including a short-handed tally. He has 37 hits, 56 blocks, and a plus-13 rating. Averaging 18:34 of ice time, he’s doing well in a top-four defensive role. With Alec Martinez having been sidelined for almost two months, Whitecloud is taking on some of his responsibilities, most notably the shot-blocking.
Goaltending
Kaapo Kahkonen, G, Minnesota Wild (51% Rostered)
Cam Talbot is out with an injury, and the expected amount of time he’ll miss is undetermined at this point. That leaves Kahkonen as the defacto starter for the Wild. He has a 4-2-1 record with a 2.67 GAA and .906 save percentage. Not great numbers, but he’s been better as of late. In his past three starts, he posted a .935 save percentage or better. He’s shown stretches of brilliance throughout his career, but consistency has been an issue. With the increase in expected starts, he’ll have an opportunity to build on his recent success.
Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites of 2020, and we’re not stopping now. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.