Welcome back for more fantasy hockey waiver wire thoughts. This week there are a pair of Penguins, Islanders, and Sharks worth taking a look at. Some of which are making an impact after returning from injury.
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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire for Week 7
Forwards
C Jared McCann, PIT (41%): The 23-year-old has seven points in his past six games, after having a slow start to the year. Sidney Crosby is out for at least six weeks due to surgery to rectify a sports hernia. This means McCann will center one of the top two lines and is set to skate on a line with Alex Galchenyuk and Jake Guentzel. He also sees time on the power play, making him an easy choice to pick up.
RW Martin Necas, CAR (42%): The rookie has seven points in his last seven contests while playing on the Canes third line and second power-play unit. He’s up to 13 points on the campaign. He’s tied for second in rookie scoring and is quietly working his way into the Calder Trophy discussion.
RW Bryan Rust, PIT (35%): A hand injury has limited Rust to just seven games so far, but he’s made those games count, as he has seven points. He’s back to playing on Evgeni Malkin’s wing, giving him a great opportunity to produce. It’s inevitable that he’ll be moved around the lineup, but as long as he’s in the top six, he’s worth taking a look at.
C Barclay Goodrow, SJS (17%): Goodrow has seven points in his last seven outings, giving him 10 points on the year. He’s on pace to easily surpass his career-high 17 points set last season. He’s playing on San Jose’s second line, alongside Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl. Goodrow could be in line for a breakout season if he can stick there. Note that he’s also eligible for all three forward positions.
C Derick Brassard, NYI (15%): Last week I had Jean-Gabriel Pageau as a player to target and his ownership soared from 29% to 61%, and rightfully so. However, Brassard has also been lighting it up, and despite mentioning him last week too, his ownership hasn’t changed. He has 10 points in his last nine games and he’s playing on the top power-play unit. What more does he need to do? He’s even eligible at left wing, so you don’t need to burn a center slot.
C Casey Cizikas, NYI (9%): The Islanders keep rolling and that’s largely due to getting production from every line. Cizikas quietly delivered 20 goals and 33 points last year and is on pace for 41 points in 2019-20. He has three goals and a pair of helpers in his last four contests, despite leaving one of those early with a knee injury. He’s back to full health though, so don’t let that scare you off. Even if he isn’t scoring, he’ll always produce elsewhere. He has 30 hits, 13 blocks, plus a shorthanded goal and assist.
Defensemen
D Mark Borowiecki, OTT (27%): The rugged blueliner has a surprising seven points on the year, which is already two more points than last season. Six of those seven tallies have been generated in his past 10 contests, and while he isn’t likely to keep that production up, he’s showing he can chip in some offense. His main value comes from his peripherals. He has 29 PIM, 33 blocks, and 71 hits.
D Radim Simek, SJS (9%): Here’s a name you don’t hear often, but might start to more and more in the coming weeks. Simek has played just five games, but has a goal and an assist to go with his 16 hits and 14 blocks. He looks comfortable playing on the top pairing with Brent Burns, who could easily prop up Simek’s point total. The Sharks have won every game he’s been in the lineup and must be pleasantly surprised by what he’s brought to the table so far.
Goaltenders
G Corey Crawford, CHI (42%): Crawford is looking more like his old self recently, going 2-0-1 in his last three starts. His save percentages in those games were .929, .935, and .947 respectively. The Blackhawks are starting to find their way after a rough start to the campaign. Crawford makes for a good spot start whenever he’s in the crease.
G Jonathan Bernier, DET (13%): Bernier is on a 3-0-1 in his last four appearances and even has a couple of assists to go with it. Jimmy Howard has been struggling, currently riding a three-game losing streak. The net is Bernier’s for as long as he can run with it. Detroit’s next five opponents are currently not in a playoff position, giving Bernier a good shot at earning a few more W’s.
Also, check out last week’s waiver wire picks to see if any of those players are still available.
Got another name or two for the fantasy hockey waiver wire? Let us know in the comments below. We promise we won’t tell anyone in your league.
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