The fantasy hockey season churns ahead, and we’ve nearly reached the halfway point of the 22-week campaign. If you’re looking to reshape your squad, I’ve got you covered. Below, I’ve listed four players who check a majority of the boxes for a free agent signing. Here are my top fantasy hockey waiver wire pickups heading into Week 10.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice (Week 10)
(Rosterships courtesy of ESPN)
Aliaksei Protas (F – WSH) | 42.3% Rostered
I’ve been screaming about Aliaksei Protas since last season, because all he does is rack up points. He’s coming off a 2024-25 campaign where he amassed 30 even-strength goals and 36 total assists across 76 games.
So far in 2025-26, Protas has 10 goals and 10 helpers, and the second-line winger is averaging 2.1 shots on goal per game (SOG/G) and 0.8 blocks per contest. The only downside is that Protas isn’t getting power-play chances. But with the way he’s scoring during 5-on-5 play, I think he’s worth a flier.
Josh Norris (F – BUF) | 35.5% Rostered
Buffalo’s Josh Norris is back in action following an upper-body injury that he suffered on opening night. The second-line centerman has played three games this month, putting up five points (two goals, three assists) and three power-play assists.
Norris was thrust right back into a pivotal role, logging first-unit power-play minutes and driving a line featuring Zach Benson and Josh Doan on his wings. An added short-term bonus is that the Sabres are slated to play four games this week, so this acquisition could start paying dividends rather quickly.
Jordan Eberle (F – SEA) | 16.1% Rostered
Jaden Schwartz (eight goals, seven assists) was Seattle’s top scorer about a week ago, but he’s currently sidelined with a lower-body injury. Someone has to step up in his absence, and it’s looking like it may be Jordan Eberle.
In two games this month, Eberle has two points, and he has now taken the team lead in scoring (eight goals, eight assists). He’s on the top line with the crafty Matty Beniers, and is also logging top-line power-play time. One other interesting data point is that the winger ranks 36th in the NHL in expected goals (11.1), suggesting positive regression could be on the horizon.
Ivan Provorov (D – CBJ) | 21.3% Rostered
If you’re looking to bolster your blueline, consider Ivan Provorov. He’s eerily similar to Devon Toews in terms of his role and offensive upside, where he’s a great second fiddle behind a superstar defenseman. If you buy into my theory, then there appears to be some value here, as Provorov is only rostered in 21.3% of leagues, while Toews is on 55.5% of ESPN rosters.
From a statistical standpoint, Provorov has more points (11 vs. 10) than Toews, shots on goal (56 vs. 43), blocks per game (1.6 vs. 1.2) and hits (16 vs. 12). The Columbus blueliner is also logging an impressive 25:41 time on ice per game (TOI/G) and getting time on the second power-play unit. With a talented top-six forwards group combined with the sheer volume of time spent on the ice, Provorov is bound to run into more secondary assists.
