It’s been nearly six months since the first fantasy hockey matchup of the 2022 NHL season. With the final regular-season matchup this weekend, improving your rosters remains essential. Of course, goals and assists are the metrics to chase. However, don’t discount blocked shots, hits, and powerplay usage.

Goaltenders are another massive aspect of fantasy hockey that often gets overlooked. The scoring discrepancy between good and bad netminders is enormous. Each goal allowed deducts two points, which requires ten saves to erase the deficit. Goaltender wins yield four points, which is a considerable number in comparison to two points per goal and one point per assist from skaters. Shutouts are lucrative, awarding three points onto a four-point win and however many saves were collected. An elite goaltender can produce three to four skaters on a good night, so don’t ignore the quality of your netminders, regardless of whether they’re inserted into lineups or stored on the bench.

I hope my advice has led you to success and the potential to make the fantasy hockey playoffs. I’ve gathered seven of the best available waiver wire prospects to strengthen your lineups in the final weekend before playoff seeding is determined. So let’s jump into the outlook for each prospect in the last edition of this season’s fantasy hockey waiver wire series.

Rostered percentages courtesy of ESPN.

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Center

Robert Thomas (C – STL): 14.6%
St. Louis has struck gold with their former 2017 first-round draft pick, Robert Thomas. The 22-year old centers the Blues’ second-line attack and earns additional minutes on the second powerplay unit, where he’s collected ten of his 53 points this season. It’s been a career season for Thomas, who is third on the point leaderboard and strengthens the depth chart, making it more challenging for teams to handle the Blues. He has five points across his previous three games, including two multi-assist finishes, so adding him to a roster will immediately strengthen it. Thomas can be deployed into lineups as needed, but he’s a low-volume shooter and lacks aggression to manufacture points in other defensive categories, so his floor is pretty low.

Pius Suter (C – DET): 2.4%
Detroit has had a relatively disappointing year, but Pius Suter has performed well during his first season in the Motor City. The 25-year old skates on the Red Wings’ third-line attack, earning around 17 minutes average time on ice per game. Suter has been heating up lately, scoring a goal against a gritty New York Islanders team and managing assists against Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers, who have some of the best goaltending personnel in the league. Suter is available on nearly every league’s waiver wire, so add him as an upgrade to your bench. It’s risky to roll Suter into lineups, but he’s a good option to plug in during emergency scenarios.

Wing

Mason Marchment (LW – FLA): 18%
Florida has a ton of depth on its roster, allowing many talented skaters to remain available on the waiver wire. Mason Marchment is a rising talent on the Panthers’ third-line attack, where he’s managed to score 15 goals and dish 23 assists in only 42 games this season. The 26-year old does earn additional minutes on the second powerplay unit, but he’s been increasingly active in the offense regardless, attempting 11 shots across his last two games. As a result, Marchment has an assist and a goal entering this weekend while racking up a couple of hits per game. Marchment is the complete package and available on the waiver wire in over 80 percent of leagues, so add him and deploy him as a strong Utility option in lineups.

Ilya Mikheyev (LW – TOR): 5.3%
In his third year with Toronto, Ilya Mikheyev has finally found his stride. He regressed last season, so it’s encouraging that Mikheyev has developed his ability to contribute to the Maple Leafs’ offense. The 27-year old winger earns most of his minutes on the second-line attack and accumulates additional time on the second powerplay unit, where he’s scored two goals in plus-man situations. Mikheyev just ripped off a monster performance against Winnipeg with just two shots on goal, netting two assists and scoring his 15th goal of the season. Mikheyev has scored five goals since March 15th, which is an impressive stretch, albeit with a few games mixed in without a point. Overall, Mikheyev is heating up in the final period of the regular season, so adding him ahead of the fantasy playoffs is a significant investment. Mikheyev is an asset and is available to roster in nearly all leagues. He can be inserted into the majority of fantasy lineups moving forward.

Defense

Hampus Lindholm (D – BOS): 12.4%
Hampus Lindholm was traded to a contender at the NHL trade deadline a couple of weeks ago, where he’s been a significant contributor on Boston’s first-line defensive pairing. The 28-year old was not an attractive option on a spiraling Anaheim Ducks team, but he’s been revived on the Bruins. Lindholm has two assists in four games with Boston and is attempting two to four shots per game while adding blocked shots and hits on the boards. Lindholm is a perfect fit for the Bruins and already earns additional minutes on their second powerplay unit. He’s not going to set the world on fire with his play, but Lindholm is a solid asset to invest in ahead of the fantasy playoffs.

Adam Pelech (D – NYI): 3.3%
Adam Pelech is in his seventh year in the NHL and has spent his entire career with the New York Islanders. He’s comfortable and accustomed to his role on the second defensive line, where he’s managed to set a career-high in points (24) with 21 assists. It’s an impressive feat, especially considering Pelech earns around 21 minutes of average time on ice per game without skating on either powerplay unit. He’s netted an assist in every other game since March 24th and has increased his shots on goal in the last two games, attempting at least three in both contests. In addition, Pelech has at least one blocked shot in four of his previous five games and occasionally adds a hit or two along the boards, making him a great value and a vital asset on fantasy benches.

Goalie

Pavel Francouz (G – COL): 12.8%
Yes, Pavel Francouz is a talented goaltender. However, a lot of credit also needs to go to his teammates, who collectively form the most potent offense in the entire NHL. The Colorado Avalanche have had quite a bit of success with the 31-year old netminder defending the crease this season, as he’s 17-13-3 with a 2.50 GAA and .918 save percentage. Francouz has yielded a win or an overtime loss in his last five starts while surrendering more than three goals on just one occasion. In addition, he’s rattled off four consecutive wins and faces at least 25 to 30 shots in most games, adding a lot of appeal to an already intriguing prospect. Stash Francouz as a strong netminder on fantasy benches. He’s seen his playing time increase in the last week, so expect more starts in the final month of the NHL regular season. This makes Francouz one of the hottest waiver wire goaltenders to acquire before next week’s fantasy playoffs.

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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_.