Welcome back to another edition of FantasyPros’ “Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice”!

These weekly pieces dial in on players worth adding that are being rostered in less than 50% of ESPN leagues. At the same time, we will also feature some players at very low rostership that are worth a look in weekly lock leagues based on the upcoming schedule.

Let’s dive in and see who is worth adding for Week 3 of the fantasy hockey season!

NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice (Week 3)

Evan Rodrigues (C – FLA) | 25.8% rostered

I have been chomping at the bit to include Evan Rodrigues in this waiver wire advice piece, as he needs to be added in any and all formats.

I actually included him in one of these pieces last season when he was with the Colorado Avalanche, but he is simply a must-add right now. The 30-year-old has two goals and seven points in five games while skating with Aleksander Barkov on the Panthers’ top line and power-play unit. However, he also has 21 shots on goal (4.20 shots per game), along with six penalty minutes and a plus-six rating. For good measure, he has also laid five hits or one per game.

That is some serious cross-category production while being rostered in just about a quarter of ESPN leagues. He set career highs with 19 goals and 243 shots on goal in the 2021-22 campaign, so we know he can score while getting plenty of pucks on goal. In a top-flight role in Florida, I’d be shocked if new career highs weren’t set this season.

Seth Jarvis (C, RW – CAR) | 45.7% rostered

Another low-rostered player getting top-unit power-play duties and top-six five-on-five minutes is the Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis.

Like Rodrigues, Jarvus has cashed in on an increased opportunity, as he has notched four goals and seven points in six games while also adding 18 shots (three per game), nine hits and a couple of penalty minutes in that time. Granted, his 22.2% shooting rate will regress, but there’s little denying this is a player on the rise.

His 14 goals and 39 points in 82 games last season were actually a step back from his 17 goals and 40 points from his 68-game rookie season in the 2021-22 season. He did, however, fire 187 shots on goal a season ago, with a steep increase likely this time around.

His minus-three rating won’t last long on a talented Hurricanes offense, so let’s ensure Jarvis is being targeted in any and all formats.

Jonas Johansson (G – TB) | 23.6% rostered

This one is rather obvious, yet Jonas Johansson is still being rostered in just 23.6% of ESPN leagues.

It’s not a complete shock, as the numbers aren’t great. The 28-year-old owns a 3.58 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in five games this season. That said, until Tampa finds another fill-in for the injured Andrei Vasilevskiy, Johansson is the player between the pipes for the Bolts until December.

His last outing was actually rather encouraging. He yielded four goals in a loss to the Maple Leafs but also made a whopping 48 saves on 52 shots, good for a .923 Sv%. He was the last man in the building to hang the loss on as the team in front of him let him down. He is still in line for plenty of wins as long as he is the go-to guy in goal for the Lightning.

I wouldn’t expect big numbers, and he is absolutely a stop-gap until Vasilevskiy is healthy. Still, for the time being, he is a solid option for fantasy hockey rosters.

Matthew Knies (LW – TOR) | 38.8% rostered

Matthew Knies was the hero Saturday night in Tampa Bay, as the youngster notched the first two regular-season goals of his NHL career. Both came late in the third period to send the game to overtime before John Tavares capped the comeback. Don’t be shocked if the former college star goes on a heater moving forward.

Relegates to third-line duty to begin the season, Knies will be a top-six left winger moving forward, whether alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner or Tavares and superstar William Nylander. There isn’t a bad spot to be in the Leafs’ top six, but make no mistake, Knies will be a part of that group.

The 2023 Hobey Baker finalist tallied 21 goals and 42 points across 40 games with the University of Minnesota last season. He notched a goal and four points in seven playoff games before a concussion sidelined him in the second round. He has tallied two goals and three points, along with six penalty minutes, eight shots, five hits and a plus-one rating in five professional games this season.

He won’t see first-unit power play time, but this is a player who should absolutely be targeted in dynasty leagues while being a strong option in redraft leagues, as well.

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