With the second week of fantasy hockey officially over, now is the time where some necessary waiver changes will start to take place. Which five players should be on your radar, and who is one sleeper pickup that could be a solid addition?
Frank Vatrano, Forward
Frank Vatrano has had a hot start to the season, scoring four goals and an assist in his first five games. The reason for adding him off of waivers is not solely because of his scoring output, but the opportunities that this has granted him. He is an obvious add, but also a sneakily good one at the same time.
Since he has been bumped up to a second-line role as opposed to his first season with the Anaheim Ducks, where he was limited to a third-line role, he can now be an excellent fantasy player even if the goals start to die down. With an average ice time of 19:11 so far this season, Vatrano is due for a great campaign.
With 20 shots on goal, 12 penalty minutes, 11 hits, eight blocks, and a plus-2 rating on the season, Vatrano is making owners across all formats happy. Doing all this in just five games, he has been extremely productive thus far. His fantasy hype might die down as time passes, but the Ducks are using him heavily, so a dramatic drop-off is unlikely to occur right away.
James van Riemsdyk, Forward
For the Boston Bruins, veteran winger James van Riemsdyk has done exactly what they have signed him to do. The ice time certainly hasn’t been there, averaging under 13 minutes per game on the season and mainly playing third-line minutes, but he has been a goal-scoring machine to this point. With three goals in just five games in limited action, he could be a candidate to move up the lineup if there are any injuries.
Signed in the offseason to a one-year, $1 million contract, van Riemsdyk didn’t have extraordinarily high expectations entering the season. Nonetheless, he has been a great scorer for them. He was playing under 12 minutes each game early on, but has more recently begun to play around 15. If that stands, he can be a good player in fantasy, albeit more practical in deeper leagues.
Jaccob Slavin, Defenseman
If there was ever a player who defined consistency, Jaccob Slavin certainly classifies as such. He is generally a much better defenseman in the real hockey world than in the fantasy world, but he is scoring points at the highest rate of his career to this point. More known as a shutdown defender, the three goals and four assists he has scored thus far in just six games have been a bit of a surprise.
For a Carolina Hurricanes team that is generally known for its defense, getting some offensive upside out of a player like Slavin has been a nice treat. He has never truly been a high-volume blocker or hitter, so his offense is really the only thing making him worth a roster spot. The scoring will die down, but it might be a good idea to ride with him while he’s hot.
Evan Rodrigues, Forward
Evan Rodrigues has been a nice emerger for the Florida Panthers after he was given a four-year, $12 million contract in free agency. Playing on the top line of a strong offense, he is bound to produce consistently. With seven points in his first five games, he is a must-grab in almost all formats.
On the season, Rodrigues is averaging 18:30 of ice time. As long as he is playing with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, he will be a relatively consistent scorer throughout the entire season. There has really been no reason for him to be played lower in the lineup given how dominant he has been. Expect him to continue racking up points on a stacked Panthers’ offense.
Dylan DeMelo, Defenseman
Much like Slavin, Dylan DeMelo has had some good output offensively despite being known as a defensive defenseman in the NHL. He has done it all for the Winnipeg Jets thus far this season, and he is getting the ice time to go along with it. In leagues that value blocks and hits highly, he could be a decent option for the entire 2023-24 fantasy season.
DeMelo has typically been a fine fantasy hockey player in his recent past, but nothing too spectacular. This is primarily the case because he is never really a candidate for more than third-pairing minutes with some time on the penalty kill. This season, he is averaging 21:50 of ice time, which is the highest total of his career by a decent amount. If that were to stand, his blocks and hits alone might make him a roster-worthy player in deeper leagues, even if the four points he has scored in the first five games of the season aren’t an indicator of him providing a bit more offensively than he is used to.
Sleeper Pickup: Oliver-Ekman Larsson, Defenseman
Oliver-Ekman Larsson is a defender that should be available across a majority of leagues, yet only 12 skaters in the NHL are averaging more ice time on a per-game basis than him. As long as the Panthers’ blue line is banged up, he should feast on the top pair for fantasy owners.
Related: Panthers Sign Oliver Ekman-Larsson to 1-Year Contract
Ekman-Larsson was brought in on a one-year deal after they lost defenseman Radko Gudas in free agency. He will have a role reduction at some point, but for now, he remains a pretty solid option. His two points on the season in five games are more than manageable, and his 10 blocks and five hits on the year aren’t unsustainable either. He will continue to be a good option in most fantasy formats, especially considering he has room for more.
In fantasy hockey, waivers usually aren’t a place to find league-winning talent. However, a good snag or two can help make the difference in a specific matchup. With it being so early in the season, this is the best time to find some undervalued talent.
