After an exciting two weeks of play to open the 2022 NHL season, discover the best available players to stash off of league waiver wires to build roster depth and prepare for the inevitable injury bug. These are widely available players who are either progressing with their development or players that will have increased opportunity if an injury occurs.
Here are some of the best players to stash off of league waiver wires heading into Saturday’s busy 13-game slate.
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Center
Trevor Zegras (C – ANA): 23%
Trevor Zegras skates on Anaheim’s first-line and gets additional minutes on the second powerplay unit. While he has only produced one point in his first four games, Zegras has totaled four shots on goal in each of his last three outings. He isn’t consistent enough to deploy in lineups but the fact that he skates on the first line and averages four shots on goal means that positive goal regression is on the horizon. Stash Zegras, as the Ducks appear to be an improved unit from a year ago.
Charlie Coyle (C – BOS): 9%
Coyle was silent in Boston’s first two games but exploded with a three-point outing against a shockingly good Buffalo Sabres team on Friday night. The veteran center skates on the Bruins’ second-line but benefits from playing alongside Taylor Hall (LW – BOS) and Craig Smith (RW – BOS), meaning there will be games where Coyle racks up production thanks to the talent of his linemates. Boston has the luxury of a very good goaltender, so their offense doesn’t have to be one of the higher scoring units in the league. Regardless, Coyle holds enough value on a talented team to warrant stashing off of waivers.
Wing
Anthony Duclair (F – FLA): 17%
Stashing a player who skates on the first line of one of the league’s hottest teams in the Florida Panthers is exactly why Anthony Duclair is a must-stash off of league waiver wires. He has a goal in three of their four games despite only averaging 11 minutes of time on ice, so he carries a high floor despite being limited on the ice. Duclair also has a plus-minus of five, meaning he is extremely efficient when given minutes alongside Carter Verhaeghe (LW – FLA) and Aleksander Barkov (C – FLA).
James van Riemsdyk (F – PHI): 26%
Stashing a third-line skater may sound less than ideal but James van Riemsdyk is good enough to counter the skepticism. Earning additional minutes on the Flyers’ top powerplay unit and netting an assist in two of three games to start the season, van Riemsdyk is a good stash considering the high-octane offense Philadelphia has shown through the first two weeks. The team has a point differential of plus-seven, meaning van Riemsdyk will have plenty of opportunities to chip in on assists and an occasional goal moving forward.
Defense
Dmitri Orlov (D – WAS): 24%
It seems that no matter the season, the Washington Capitals are always a very talented team. This trend has extended into the beginning of the 2022 NHL season, with second-line defenseman Dmitri Orlov scoring points in each of his last two games, helping lead the Capitals to a 3-0-1 record atop the Metropolitan Division. Additional minutes on the Capitals’ second powerplay unit make Orlov a great stash and potential Utility option entering the third week of the NHL season.
Vladislav Gavrikov (D – CBJ): 0.4%
Gavrikov is earning a ton of minutes on the ice for Columbus this season despite skating on the second-line and not being featured on either powerplay unit. The 25-year old defenseman has set up several scoring opportunities for the Blue Jackets, including two assists in the opener and an assist in their recent win over the New York Islanders. He has not totaled more than two shots on goal in any game yet but Gavrikov has been involved enough thanks to the minutes he logs on an underrated offensive team.
Goalie
Cal Petersen (G – LAK): 28%
The Kings gave Cal Petersen a night off on Friday but he has looked good in both starts this year, going 1-1 but never allowing more than two goals. While he isn’t on a high-octane offense that drops his appeal a bit, Petersen is a talented netminder who should continue to play well in the crease as the Kings’ top goaltender. Stash him as injury insurance or for the possibility that the team begins to find more offensive production.
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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_.