NHL Waiver Wire Heroes from 2025-26 Season

Even with strategic planning and adept drafting, players slip through the cracks. Fantasy managers need to adjust quickly and scoop up talent that may have been overlooked on draft day because those players could be major difference-makers in determining championship depth. The players below represent waiver wire pickups who delivered better-than-expected seasons and could have given your team a meaningful edge.

Scott Wedgewood, G, Avalanche 

Wedgewood was selected in just 15 percent of leagues at the start of the year and had an ADP (average draft position) of 118.8. He was rostered in only 33 percent of leagues in the first week of the season. However, he became a popular pickup after a lower-body injury kept Mackenzie Blackwood sidelined until November. Wedgewood remained a solid option once Blackwood returned. The 33-year-old Wedgewood tied for fourth in the league with 31 wins while making a career-high 45 appearances. He led the league with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 save percentage. He was also tied for third in the NHL with four shutouts. 

Darren Raddysh, D, Lightning 

Raddysh was chosen in three percent of leagues, and his ADP was 76.9. Following a sluggish start, he ended the season 84 percent rostered and was one of only seven defenders in the league to reach the 70-point plateau. He also finished third among all blueliners with 22 goals and tied for seventh with 26 power-play points. He also added 212 shots on net, 67 hits and 69 blocked shots in 73 appearances en route to becoming a tremendous value pickup.

Matthew Schaefer, D, Islanders 

Despite the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, fantasy managers took a cautious approach to Schaefer out of the gate. He was drafted in 36 percent of leagues, and his ADP was 119.5 in all drafts. However, it didn't take long for his stock to rise, and a six-game point streak to kick off his career served as a precursor to an impressive showing. He tied Brian Leetch for the most goals (23) in a season by a rookie defenseman in NHL history. The 18-year-old Schaefer had 59 points, 222 shots on net, 111 blocked shots and 18 power-play points in 82 appearances. 

Cutter Gauthier, C/LW/RW, Ducks 

Gauthier was selected in just 20 percent of leagues at the start of the year, and his ADP across all drafts was 110.0. However, he remedied that situation shortly afterward, scoring 11 goals on 62 shots and adding seven assists in his first 13 appearances. He jumped from 20 goals and 44 points in his rookie campaign to 41 markers and 69 points over 76 contests during his sophomore season. He also amassed 285 shots in 2025-26, which placed him sixth overall in the league. Gauthier's high-volume shooting and ability to light the lamp should make him a fantasy mainstay going into next season.

Nick Schmaltz, C/RW, Mammoth 

Schmaltz has rarely been a popular choice for fantasy managers on draft day, but he typically becomes a well-received option from the waiver wire. He was picked up in a mere seven percent of leagues at the beginning of the season, and his ADP was 122.6 across all drafts. However, he was rostered in 82 percent of leagues by the end of the campaign. He had a career year offensively, collecting 33 goals and 74 points in 82 outings. He also posted a new personal best with 206 shots on net. His performance helped him cash in with an eight-year, $64 million contract extension in March.

Evgeni Malkin, C/LW/RW, Penguins 

Malkin was largely an afterthought at the start of the 2025-26 campaign. He was selected in only 10 percent of leagues, and his ADP in all drafts was 127.1. His rostered percentage going into the first week of the season was 21 percent, but it didn't take long for fantasy managers to correct that mistake. Despite being limited to 56 games, he provided plenty of bang for the buck to his fantasy managers. He registered 19 goals, 61 points and 147 shots on net. He also finished fourth on the team with 22 power-play points.

Dan Vladar, G, Flyers 

Vladar was selected in two percent of leagues and had an ADP of 131.4. He started a career-high 51 times in 2025-26, earning a 29-14-7 record with a 2.42 GAA and a .906 save percentage over 52 games. After five seasons of serving as a backup, the 28-year-old netminder emerged as Philadelphia's go-to option in the crease. He also became a reliable fantasy contributor. 

Beckett Sennecke, RW, Ducks 

Sennecke's surprised look after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft was an instant viral moment. The offensive upside and talent were clearly there, but the speed at which he became an impact performer probably surprised fantasy managers as well. Sennecke had two goals and two assists over a three-game point streak to begin his NHL career. He was rostered in only five percent of leagues in the second week of the season. However, his blend of scoring, shots and hits quickly made him a popular addition in standard leagues. Sennecke tied for the league lead among first-year players with 23 goals and finished second with 60 points in 82 games. He also added 97 hits and 197 shots on target. 

Trevor Zegras, C/LW/RW, Flyers 

Zegras was drafted in four percent of leagues, had an ADP of 131.5 and was rostered in 16 percent of pools going into the final week of October. He rode a hot start to his tenure in Philadelphia to a career-high 67 points (26 goals, 41 assists) in 81 contests. He also led the Flyers with 23 power-play points. Zegras' efforts made him integral to the team's return to the playoffs. 

Brock Nelson, C, Avalanche 

Nelson was drafted in 29 percent of leagues to start the season and had an ADP of 128.4 across all drafts. He was 35 percent rostered as of Nov. 17, and that is when he began to ramp up offensively. He operated at nearly a point-per-game pace from late November until the end of the year, finishing with 33 goals and 65 points in 81 appearances. Nelson was rostered in 82 percent of pools by the end of the 2025-26 campaign.