We’re heading into Week 3 of the fantasy hockey season. If you’re looking for a boost to your team, you’ve come to the right place. There are still plenty of excellent assets in free agency available. I’ve highlighted a few players to target moving forward.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice (Week 3)
(Rostership percentages courtesy of ESPN)
Logan Stankoven (F – DAL) | 31.4% rostered
It almost feels criminal that Logan Stankoven is this widely available for the taking. The 21-year-old is coming off a season where he played 24 games, picking up six goals and eight assists. He has nearly matched his assists total from last year through the first six games, dishing out seven helpers (17th-most in the NHL) to start the new campaign.
Stankoven plays on Dallas’ top line alongside a couple of dynamic players in Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. The winger is averaging 2.3 shots on goal per game (SOG/G), which isn’t much. However, we will likely see the assists keep flowing since Stankoven is playing with such elite talent around him. Honestly, I look at the Stars like that adage, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” This offense, which was second in scoring last year (3.6 goals per game), has so much skill that everyone on the ice benefits from the players surrounding them. Stankoven continues to prove why he’s a solidified top-six forward in this league. I expect his breakout season to keep up.
Nick Schmaltz (F – UTA) | 24.5% rostered
Nick Schmaltz has found his home with this Utah (and formerly Arizona) organization. He’s settled onto the team’s top line and is also getting work on the top power-play unit. Schmaltz has an identical stat line to the above-mentioned Stankoven, posting zero goals and seven helpers through the first six games. Just looking back at his stats over the years, he’s averaging 58.7 points per year (19.5 goals, 39.2 assists) over an 82-game pace. This guy is a solid depth option for any fantasy team and I think his ceiling is higher.
From a streaming standpoint, Schmaltz looks like a player who could have a monster week. He’ll take on two bottom-of-the-barrel defenses in Ottawa (3.80 GAA, 28th) and Colorado (4.80 GAA, 32nd). Schmaltz is a serviceable long-term option considering his established role with the Hockey Club. If you’re only looking for a short-term gamble, he could rack up the points this week against inferior defenses.
Brandt Clarke (D – LAK) | 20.4% rostered
Speaking of defense, if you’re looking to plug a hole in your defensive core, Brandt Clarke could be the guy. Clarke has four assists in five games this year, with three of them coming on the power play. That’s the main angle with this addition of Clarke. With the injury to Drew Doughty (ankle), Clarke has been elevated to the team’s top power-play unit. He’s a crafty, former first-rounder (eighth overall pick in 2021) with a high offensive ceiling. Until Doughty returns to the lineup, Clarke’s time on ice per game of 17:17 and point production should remain aloft.
Joey Daccord (G – SEA) | 12.9% rostered
I’d like to round it out with a goaltender. One of the better netminding options available is Seattle’s Joey Daccord. The journeyman goalie just inked a five-year, $25 million contract with the Kraken, so clearly the organization has big expectations for the 28-year-old. Daccord is finally seeing steady minutes at the NHL level, where he played in 50 games (46 starts) last year, going 19-18-11 with a 2.46 GAA and .916 SV%. He’s on a similar trajectory this season, starting a perfect 3-0-0 with a 2.60 GAA (19th) and .914 SV% (17th).
Seattle has a decent goaltending duo between Daccord and Philipp Grubauer, but Daccord is undoubtedly the top option. If they keep winning with him in net, he’s going to continue to soak up the workload in the crease.
