Another week of fantasy hockey has wrapped up. If you need a scoring boost, you’ve come to the right place. Below I’ve listed four potential waiver wire players I believe are primed to continue producing at a fantasy-worthy level in the NHL.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Advice (Week 14)
(Rostership percentages courtesy of ESPN)
Troy Terry (F – ANA) | 29% Rostered
The Ducks are no longer the punching bag of the Pacific Division, as they’ve improved to 17-18-4, courtesy of a recent 4-1-0 stretch of play. They’ve seen their offense come to life (finally), and Troy Terry has been a major driving force of the recent success.
The first-line winger and power-play contributor has logged eight points (five goals, three assists) in his last six games, bringing him to 33 points on the season. Those 33 points are the 53rd-most in the NHL. His 14 goals and 19 helpers are 53rd and 72nd, respectively. If you’re in a deeper league and are looking to gamble on a player with a potentially high ceiling, Terry could be your man. He leads the team in points, goals and assists, and sits second in shots on goal (SOG) with 102. It’s safe to say Anaheim’s offense runs through him.
Jason Zucker (F – BUF) | 21.5% Rostered
Buffalo’s Jason Zucker has been on an absolute tear over the last two weeks, racking up 10 points (seven goals, three assists) over his last seven games. I’m not sure if they shook up the lines in Buffalo, but whatever they’re doing has been working (at least from an offensive perspective).
Zucker’s now up to 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists), which is second on the Sabres roster. He also leads the team in power-play points with 14 (eight goals, six assists). The Sabres have evolved into a full run-and-gun style team. As long as Zucker plays alongside Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens on the first line, I expect the veteran winger to keep contributing.
Aliaksei Protas (F – WSH) | 19.7% Rostered
I’m going to keep shouting Aliaksei Protas’ name as loud as I can until he’s rostered in more than 50% of leagues. The Washington winger has been a 5-on-5 scoring machine this year. He’s 13th in the NHL in 5-on-5 scoring, where 25 (11 goals, 14 assists) of his 33 total points (17 goals, 16 assists) have occurred.
The 24-year-old is quickly cementing himself as a top-six forward in the NHL. I believe he’s logging fantasy-worthy numbers. Protas is also sixth on the team in SOG (70), averaging 1.8 shots on goal per game (SOG/G). He’s worth a look if you need a depth forward.
Chris Tanev (D – TOR) | 34.9% Rostered
If you’re in a league that rewards blocked shots, Toronto’s Chris Tanev is a must-have player on your roster. On a personal level, I picked him up a few weeks back, and he’s made a massive impact on my team.
The defenseman leads the league in blocked shots (111), and his 2.8 blocked shots per game are fourth-most in the NHL. On the offensive side, you’ll get an occasional assist, where he has 12 helpers (and 13 total points) on the season. With Coach Craig Berube implementing his sound defensive style in Toronto, I expect Tanev to continue amassing blocked shots.
