We’re getting deeper into the season and a spot where the standings are starting to come into form in fantasy leagues. There are a lot of games on the schedule this week, as nine teams play four times and only three teams play two times. This means there are even more options out there that can come in handy for your teams this week and beyond.
The teams that play four games this week are as follows: Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals. On pace for the worst record in NHL history, the Coyotes’ schedule doesn’t favour them this week, as three of the teams have eight wins and another has seven. The rest of the teams have been doing well lately and you should try to ride the wave of winning with any of them.
The only three teams to play the least amount of any squad this week are the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, and Colorado Avalanche. This helps the Avalanche so they don’t play too many games without Nathan MacKinnon. But the Ducks would like to play more seeing as they have won six in a row and don’t want to lose any momentum.
(Rostered as of Nov. 14, ESPN Fantasy Hockey)
Forwards
Ryan Hartman, Minnesota Wild (13.5% rostered)
Ryan Hartman has been a big surprise for the Wild this season and it seems as though nobody has really caught on to his success this season so far. Rostered at under 15 percent still, has gone mostly unnoticed on a team where the hype is normally around star Kirill Kaprizov. Hartman is leading the team with seven goals in 14 games, plus-11, and is tied for the team lead in points (11) and shots (47) with Kaprizov. Take advantage of his hot start before he cools off.
Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils (3.6%)
With the improved play of the New Jersey Devils as of late, multiple of them appear on this week’s top waiver wire pickups as scoring has come easily. Jesper Bratt, a player that some thought might have more of a breakout season this year, got off to a slow start.
In recent games, though, he has picked up the level of play and has scored three goals and nine points in his last eight games after no points in the first five.
Andreas Johnsson, New Jersey Devils (4.8%)
Linemate of Bratt, Andreas Johnsson has also done well this season, except his start wasn’t as slow. He has 11 points in 13 games this season, the same amount as he had in 50 games in 2020-21. He has two goals and two assists in his last three games, and along with centre Dawson Mercer, this line has been producing a ton lately. Any of these three Devils’ players should be available, as they are owned a very small amount of the time. Their scoring pace probably won’t stay this good all season, so ride them out as long as you can.
Matt Duchene, Nashville Predators (49.4%)
Having an amazing start to his season and showing flashbacks of what he has done in the past, Matt Duchene is one of the players at the head of the charge for the Predators this season. He has four goals and two assists in his last three games and has helped Nashville win each of those games. He already has more goals, points, power-play points and is playing over three minutes more than last season in double as many games. He has the skill to keep this pace up for the entire season, and it looks like he has finally settled in with the Predators after signing a big contract with them.
Mikael Granlund, Nashville Predators (18.9%)
Mikael Granlund is still rostered a very little amount for having put up 16 points in 15 games, being a plus-7, playing over 20 minutes a night, and scoring at a good rate on the power play. He and Duchene’s resurgence on offence has been a big part of why the team isn’t struggling to find scoring this season. He has the 11th most points in the NHL right now, tied with Duchene and Roman Josi for the team lead as well.
If Granlund is still available in your league, which he should be in most, pick him up as soon as possible, as it seems like these three players are just building off of each other and not slowing down.
Defencemen
Shayne Gostisbehere, Arizona Coyotes (22.8%)
Though the Coyotes may seem like the last team anyone would want to add a player from for their fantasy team, Shayne Gostisbehere has been great for them after losing favour in Philadelphia. For a team that is minus-37 in goal differential, Gostisbehere is only minus-1 while having four power-play points. (“Coyotes’ Shayne Gostisbehere: Offers power-play assist”, CBS Fantasy, Nov. 14, 2021)
The Coyotes do also play four games this week, and he has managed to put up 12 points in 15 games on the season. He has always been known to score, and being on the worst team in the NHL hasn’t stopped that. His problem is that his defensive game hasn’t been up to snuff. This year he looks much better in his own end.
Moritz Seider, Detroit Red WIngs (56.6%)
Once again, this rookie defenceman appears on the list to target. Despite being an early contender for rookie of the year, he is still only owned in just over 50 percent of leagues. The Red Wings look for real this year and should continue to score with a healthy Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, and fellow rookie sensation Lucas Raymond leading the charge. If he’s not taken already, grab him because he will be on your team for the entire season.
Goalies
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (13.6%)
Jonathan Quick is the backbone of the Kings’ recent success and a seven-game winning streak that was just snapped. He has won each of his last four starts and most recently recorded his first shutout of the season and 55th of his career.
After Calvin Petersen was projected to be the starter for the Kings, his slow start has allowed Quick to step in and prove that he still has gas left in the tank to help the team back into the playoffs once again while he’s still around. Not many owners have jumped on him yet, so be the first and get the wins while they’re coming.
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins (19.5%)
Though the Bruins only have two games this week, he is splitting time with Linus Ullmark and pulling in the easier matchups. His last two starts have been against the Devils and Ottawa Senators, while Ullmark has gone up against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers. He has won his last three starts and has posted at least a .926 save percentage in each of the outings.
Alex Nedeljkovic, Detroit Red Wings (44.2%)
The backstop behind the surprisingly good Red Wings, Alex Nedeljkovic has stepped up his game immensely over the past bit. He has won each of the past three starts after losing five of the first six of the season. The way he has played as of late, he should take back the net full-time from Thomas Greiss. Nedeljkovic is seen as the goalie of the future, and his confidence is only growing.
Though it is getting deeper into the season and most of the teams’ starters have been set, there are injuries and stellar performances that have gotten some new goalies noticed who should be available on the waiver wire. This week features three pairs of players from the Devils, Predators, and Red Wings, and it comes at a great time when they’re all surging. There are lots of options out there, so stay up to date and take advantage of who’s hot right now for this week’s matchup.