The Las Vegas NHL All-Star Weekend is now in the rearview. Teams will now rally together to mount a push in hopes of earning a playoff berth in the second half of the 2022 season. One example of a team kicking it into a higher gear is the Calgary Flames. The Flames are the only team in the Pacific Division who have over five wins across their last ten games played. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom (G – CGY) is a monster defending the crease, which allows their offense to become potent with the likes of Johnny Gaudreau (LW – CGY), Matthew Tkachuk (RW – CGY), and Elias Lindholm (C – CGY) leading the first-line attack.

This doesn’t mean that teams with less than stellar outlooks should be ignored. These teams often contain first and second-line skaters who get high exposure but may be available on fantasy waiver wires due to their recent lack of production. That being said, the majority of players I’m focusing on for Week 18 waiver wire acquisitions do skate on upper-tier teams. High-floor prospects with sustained success, whether earlier in the season or right now, are the way to make an immediate improvement to your fantasy hockey rosters.

Let’s find out who and why each of these players warrants serious consideration off the waiver wire entering Week 18 of the 2022 NHL season.

Rostered percentages courtesy of ESPN. 

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Center

Jordan Staal (C – CAR): 15.9%
This season, Carolina is a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, and their depth is a big reason for their winning. Veteran third-line center Jordan Staal is sporadic in scoring and dishing assists. However, he’s heating up with three points in his previous two games. Staal earns additional minutes on the second powerplay unit and has increased his shots on goal, which is an encouraging sign for his future fantasy outlook. The All-Star Weekend gave players time off, and Staal appears to be a massive beneficiary of this rest mid-season. As the Hurricanes attempt to lock up the top seed in the Metropolitan Division, Staal will be leaned on to supply points. Hit the waiver wire and add Staal to upgrade the quality of your bench. During emergencies, he is also deployable due to racking up hits and the occasional blocked shot.

Colton Sissons (C – NAS): 1%
In their previous ten games, Nashville has faltered a bit with a 4-4-2 record, meaning the pressure is building for a franchise that has yet to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup after an unsuccessful trip back in 2017. Third-line center Colton Sissons has racked up 15 assists across 44 games played and is a reasonably reliable force for the Predators to spell their top two attack lines. He does not attempt more than one or two shots on goal, but Sissons is hyper-efficient despite being excluded from both powerplay units. With Minnesota and St. Louis breathing down their neck, Nashville will need to keep their foot on the gas on all four lines to avoid plummeting down the Central Division. Sissons can be acquired in 99 percent of ESPN leagues and is an upgrade to any other player clogging a roster spot at the moment.

Wing

Michael Bunting (LW – TOR): 14.2%
I was shocked to see one of Toronto’s first-line wingers sitting on the waiver wire. 26-year old Michael Bunting is only in his third year in the league and first with the Maple Leafs, but he has contributed frequently all season. Bunting is seventh in total points (30) and fifth in total goals (14) scored, with five of these goals occurring in his previous five games played. He earns additional minutes on the second powerplay unit and will attempt from one to seven shots on goal, as he buried three goals against Detroit on January 29th. If he is available, add Bunting immediately. Bunting is talented and used enough to feel confident inserting him into lineups.

Mason Marchment (LW – FLA): 17%
Florida has talented veterans and youth throughout their roster, but Mason Marchment is an intriguing prospect. Skating on the Panthers’ third-line, the 26-year old has been lighting up the lamp with frequency since returning from a six-game stint in the league’s Covid-19 protocols. Marchment has six goals in his previous five games, including an absurd six-point outing against the Columbus Blue Jackets a couple of weeks ago. His shots on goal fluctuate between two and six, but if your league awards points for hits, Marchment is a solid investment, racking up at least two per game. He may not be on every league’s waiver wire at the moment after his six-point burst but if he’s available, stash him on the bench. Marchment can be deployed as needed in most matchups.

Defense

Oliver Kylington (D – CGY): 10.1%
24-year old defenseman Oliver Kylington has been a pleasant development project for Calgary since they drafted him in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Kylington finally surpassed his previous career point total of eight points, set in 2019, weeks ago, as he now has 23 points with more on the horizon. The Flames’ second-line defenseman is one of the more active pieces to the offense despite anchoring the second-line attack, finishing with a point in each of his previous four games played. Additional minutes on the second powerplay unit extend plus-man advantage opportunities for Kylington to continue assembling points consistently. He’s worth stashing and can be inserted into lineups if necessary.

Noah Hanifin (D – CGY): 6.2%
Moving up to Calgary’s top defensive line, we find Noah Hanifin. The 25-year old first-line defenseman is now in his fourth year with the Flames after spending his first three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. However, a recent surge in production has elevated Hanifin up the point leaderboard, as he currently occupies the seventh spot for most points (22) on Calgary through 43 games played. He scored his fifth goal against Toronto on Thursday and has four assists in his previous four games. In addition, one to three blocked shots per game is a nice bump in Hanifin’s floor once he finally ends his point streak. He’s a quality player who should be added to most fantasy rosters. At the very least, he’s an excellent insurance policy if you prefer a current defenseman in your lineup.

Goalie

Matt Murray (G – OTT): 6.1%
The transition from Pittsburgh to Ottawa has been rough for 27-year old goaltender Matt Murray. He has been less than stellar for long periods in his two seasons with the Senators, but he appears to have turned the corner in recent games. Murray has now allowed more than two goals in his last five starts, including his first shutout of the season. These aren’t cupcake opponents either. Murray has 30-plus saves against Edmonton and Pittsburgh, which has led to three of the five wins he’s totaled defending the crease for the Senators this year. It may not feel like a significant investment due to the team’s struggles as a collective, but Murray shows why he was once a hot commodity during his previous years in Pittsburgh. Add him off the waiver wire, and don’t look back.

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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.