Whether you’re looking to completely tear down your current fantasy hockey team and rebuild, or simply hoping to add a few standout players to give your squad the edge moving forward, you’ve come to the right place. Below, I’ve listed four forwards who have been producing this season, but are still widely available in 60%+ of leagues. Here are my top fantasy hockey waiver wire pickups heading into Week 6.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice (Week 6)
(Rosterships courtesy of ESPN)
Ivan Barbashev (F – VGK) | 38.1% rostered
Vegas’ Ivan Barbashev is coming off a monster week, where he scored three goals and added two assists in only three games. This brings him to 15 points (six goals, nine assists) across 14 games played.
Barbashev has recently been promoted to the top line to play alongside Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, which is likely why we’ve seen his scoring production explode. As long as he continues to play with Vegas’ top talent, you’ll want him on your roster.
Tyler Bertuzzi (F – CHI)| 33.7% rostered
We call this move getting Connor Bedard-adjacent. The third-year centerman ranks second in points (25) this season, so it’s safe to say he’s finally finding his footing in the National Hockey League. And, well, someone has to be the beneficiary of his lethal wrister and crafty passing, and those are his wingers, Tyler Bertuzzi (33.7% rostered) and Andre Burakovsky (18.8% rostered).
I’m going to suggest Bertuzzi. He’s up to 14 points, which have come via nine goals and five assists. He’s averaging two shots on goal per game (SOG/G) and 1.1 hits per game. Bertuzzi’s a scrapper, and he’s not afraid to get dirty down by the blue paint and score rebounds or redirects. I think he’s worth a look at this point in the season.
Victor Olofsson (F – COL) | 19.6% rostered
Someone else who is nearly a point-per-game player out of the gate is Victor Olofsson. The third-line winger is playing with a couple of solid passers in Jack Drury and Gabriel Landeskog, and Olofsson is up to 14 points (five goals, nine assists) this season.
Olofsson is also getting time on the top power-play unit, which is where five of his points (two goals, three assists) have come. Olofsson has 45 shots on goal this year, which averages out to just under three SOG/G. I expect his production to continue, especially if he does enough to remain on this lethal Colorado power play.
Corey Perry (F – LAK) | 19.2% rostered
I highlighted Corey Perry last week when he was rostered in 7.4% of leagues. Registering a four-point week (two goals, two assists) has seen him shoot up to a 19.2% rostership heading into the new week.
I’m going to shout him out again because the 40-year-old now has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in just 10 games this season. He’s averaging 2.5 SOG/G and slotting in on Los Angeles’ top power-play unit. Perry’s a perfect addition if you need a depth forward on your roster.