A new week of hockey is upon us, meaning it’s an opportunity for a fresh start for our fantasy hockey teams. I’ve got you covered if you’re looking to improve your squad and make a late playoff push. Here are my top four fantasy hockey waiver wire pickups heading into Week 17 of the season.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice (Week 17)
(Rosterships courtesy of ESPN)
Mason Marchment (F – CBJ) | 47.1% Rostered
Columbus’ Mason Marchment is back in the lineup following his upper-body injury, and he has looked elite in this high-octane Blue Jackets offense. After getting blanked by the Stars with just one shot on goal (SOG) in his return, Marchment logged a hat trick and a helper on three SOG in his second game against the Lightning.
The 30-year-old left winger has thrived since coming over to Columbus, amassing 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in eight contests. Being that he’s a top-liner and a first-unit power-play contributor alongside Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko in both scenarioss his production should continue.
Emil Heineman (F – NYI) | 34% Rostered
The overall offensive production hasn’t been there for the Islanders’ Emil Heineman. However, some of the underlying metrics suggest that the top-line right winger could be worth a flier in fantasy hockey.
For starters, Heineman is constantly ripping pucks on net, ranking fourth on the team in SOG (113) across 51 games. Additionally, he’s always laying the lumber, ranking 10th in the NHL in hits (165). Although he only has 22 points (14 goals, eight assists), Heineman could see his offensive numbers increase, considering how many shots he’s putting on net.
Pavel Zacha (F – BOS) | 32% Rostered
Boston’s offense has been rolling recently, ranking third in the NHL in goals per 60 minutes (G/60 minutes) with a mark of 4.1 over the last 10 games. Pavel Zacha is averaging a point-per-game during the sample size, registering four goals and six assists. He’s up to 14 goals and 22 points on the season, while ranking fourth on the Bruins in SOG (83).
Zacha should also make a good streaming option this week, as he’s a member of one of the seven teams that are playing four games this week. Let’s ride the hot hand and give one of Boston’s top-unit power-play skaters a shot.
Nikita Zadorov (D – BOS) | 29.9% Rostered
Boston’s Nikita Zadorov (one goal, 16 assists) is a solid defenseman who’s floating around in a lot of leagues’ free agency pools at the moment. I like Zadorov because he’s still going to contribute even if the offensive numbers aren’t there for the Bruins as a team.
The defenseman enters the new week ranked 10th in the NHL in hits (130) and 56th in blocked shots (76). Furthermore, Zadorov is averaging 1.2 shots on goal per game (SOG/G) and 3.2 shot attempts per contest, suggesting he is looking to get involved offensively.
