The Olympic Break is right around the corner, making this an interesting week from a fantasy hockey standpoint. Some leagues have a separate matchup that will be played across only the four days leading up to break, while others combine the upcoming four days with the February 25th through March 1st return from break, ultimately equaling nine days of action.
This article, at least in terms of streaming, will be more tailored toward leagues that have a full matchup dedicated to the upcoming four days. For example, Boston only plays one game before the Olympic Break, so I’d stay away from Boston players over the next few days. Either way, I’ll try to be as specific as possible in pointing out my thoughts on short-term streaming versus mid- or longer-term holds in each breakdown. Here are my top fantasy hockey waiver wire pickups for Week 18.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice (Week 18)
(Rosterships courtesy of ESPN)
Anthony Mantha (F – PIT) | 24.3% Rostered
The Penguins are one of seven teams that play three games before the league disbands for the 2026 Winter Olympics. One player who makes a great fit for a mid-term flier is Anthony Mantha. He’s buried on the third line, but this Pittsburgh offense has proved to be fairly deep with the emergence of his young linemates, Ben Kindel (12 goals, 13 assists) and Rutger McGroarty (two goals, two assists).
Mantha enters the new week with 40 points, and his 19 goals are the second-most on the team. My big draw to the veteran winger is that he’s listed on Pittsburgh’s top power-play unit. Mantha joins the stars of this roster, who have combined for the third-best power-play in the NHL at 26.95%. As long as he keeps getting work on the man advantage, he’s worthy of a roster spot.
Oliver Kapanen (F – MTL) | 16% Rostered
Montreal’s Oliver Kapanen is currently driving the second line, having a couple of top-of-the-draft goal scorers on his wing in Juraj Slafkovsky (21 goals, 23 assists) and Ivan Demidov (11 goals, 34 assists).
Kapanen himself has tallied a respectable 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists), and he’s averaging 1.7 shots on goal per game (SOG/G) and one shot blocked per game. He’s also logging time on the second power-play unit, signaling that his role continues to grow in this potent Canadiens offense.
Anthony Duclair (F – NYI) | 6.9% Rostered
New York’s Anthony Duclair had a very nice offensive January, where he racked up 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 13 games. Four of those points (three goals, one assist) came on the power play, and Duclair is now a part of the top unit for the Islanders.
Duclair doesn’t do much aside from score goals, but he does boast an impressive 18.2% shooting rate. If the second-line winger continues capitalizing on his opportunities, he could be an integral part of the Islanders’ offense for their postseason run.
Ryan Pulock (D – NYI) | 9% Rostered
An additional piece of data for Anthony Duclair, as well as defenseman Ryan Pulock, is that the Islanders will play three games before the league breaks for Italy.
I was looking at Florida’s Gustav Forsling for this defenseman recommendation, but I think Pulock’s underlying metrics make him a better option. The 31-year-old defenseman has two goals and 20 helpers in 53 games, but he ranks 30th in the NHL in blocked shots (97).
Pulock is Matthew Schaefer‘s defensive partner on the top pairing, and he’s second on the team only to his partner in time on ice per game (TOI/G) at a rate of 21:05.
