We’re onto Week 11 of the fantasy hockey season. If you have holes to plug in your team’s lineup, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are four players who could be worth a flier heading into your next matchup.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice (Week 11)
(Rostership percentages courtesy of ESPN)
Bryan Rust (F – PIT) | 58.8% Rostered
The Penguins have a severe lack of scoring depth. Couple that with their 32nd-ranked defense (3.53 GAA) and it’s easy to see why they’re in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division. However, the goals that they do score need to come from someone, and Bryan Rust is one of their top contributors this season.
Rust has missed seven games this year, but he’s back and fully healthy at this point. The first-line winger has 20 points (12 goals, eight assists) in 25 games. His 12 tucks are second to only Rickard Rakell (13) on the Pens. He also has 70 shots on goal (SOG) in just 25 games (2.8 shots per game). The 32-year-old logged a hat trick and an assist against the Habs on Thursday. He now has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last four games. Rust makes a solid long-term depth piece for any fantasy team in need of a boost.
Jonathan Huberdeau (F – CGY) | 38.8% Rostered
Calgary’s Jonathan Huberdeau isn’t going to light the league on fire, especially with the talent surrounding him. However, the natural centerman is still producing some offense this season, where he has a team-leading 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in 31 games played.
Huberdeau’s 11 goals lead the Flames’ 27th-ranked offense (2.6 goals per game). Huberdeau also gets time on the top power-play unit, where six of his points (two goals, four assists) have come from this season. If you’re in a deeper league and the free-agent shelves are bare, Huberdeau makes a decent option to consider.
Dylan Holloway (F – STL) | 22.2% Rostered
Since Jim Montgomery took the reins of the Blues, they’ve gone 5-2-2 and are averaging 3.1 goals per game. During the same nine-game stretch, second-line winger Dylan Holloway has accumulated 11 points courtesy of six goals and five assists. He has climbed to fourth on the team in scoring with 19 points (10 goals, nine assists). His 71 SOG (2.3 shots on goal per game) are second on St. Louis’ roster.
With Montgomery at the helm and top-line center Robert Thomas (68.5% rostered) back in the mix, I expect the Blues to continue producing roughly three goals per game. A shoot-first forward like Holloway should see his offensive production stay constant moving forward.
Scott Wedgewood (G – COL)/Mackenzie Blackwood (G – COL) | 9.7%/26.3% Rostered
The Avalanche are trying desperately to address their goaltending issues, and their latest attempts have seen them trade for both Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. They’re dubbing it “Team Wood” in net.
This is a goaltending situation we should monitor moving forward. If these guys start posting shutouts regularly, then it might be time to pounce and add them. I like Wedgewood’s upside more than Blackwood’s because he’s been with sound defensive teams like Dallas and Nashville in the past. He’s a veteran journeyman who has shown promise at times. In five games with Colorado, the 32-year-old owns a 1.92 GAA and .931 SV%, while also logging two scoreless appearances.
