NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

It's not great to start the season 0-3, but it's not an excuse to give up. 

That's my current situation in the dynasty salary cap RotoWire Staff Hockey League, where I've been a top contender the last few seasons. Most of my players are contributing, and my team finished third (out of 14) in points during two of the three weeks, though I dropped both being matched up against one of the two higher scores. Injuries haven't been an issue, as Ross Colton (the player I spent $15 of my $100 FAAB on) just became my first significant loss.

Despite the downturn, I'm ready to fight every week and do whatever it takes to improve my roster. If the struggles last for a while, I can always trade high salaries and/or expiring contracts for future considerations.

Here are some upgrades who could provide boosts right now and down the road.

(Rostered rates as of Nov. 1)

Forwards

Dylan Strome, WAS (Yahoo: 45%): Back-to-back 60-plus point hauls in Washington have provided Strome with an improved fantasy profile, and he's on pace to go three in a row having already produced three goals and 10 assists. Oh, and he just happens to be Alex Ovechkin's regular even-strength center (and sometimes on the power play). If Strome's scoring and placement haven't tempted you to pick him up, there's also the 17 shots, 17:21 average and 81 faceoff wins.

John-Jason Peterka, BUF (Yahoo: 37%): Peterka's second professional season saw him break out with 50 points while eventually becoming a mainstay in the top-six. Ssince returning from a two-game absence, he's tallied four goals, three assists, and 12 shots on almost 20 minutes a night. Peterka also skates beside Tage Thompson in all attacking areas, including the lead power play. A pure scorer, and still only 22. 60 points seems like a reasonable target.

Mason Marchment, DAL (Yahoo: 33%): Marchment just can't stop producing stats with three multi-point efforts, 18 shots and 19 hits. He joins Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin on the second line and man-advantage, where he's managed a pair of power-play assists. With Marchment logging a career-high in ice time (15:42) and firmly entrenched within the Dallas depth chart, he shouldn't be available in two of every three Yahoo! leagues.

Rickard Rakell, PIT (Yahoo: 22%): It was a big scoring dropoff for Rakell last year, so he definitely had something to prove. He's traditionally partnered with Evgeni Malkin, who's coming off consecutive seasons without missing a game. That sort of rapport helps, and so does the recent development of Sidney Crosby joining the duo at five-on-five. The prospect of sharing the ice with two future Hall of Famers in high-danger scoring situations has to be one of the all-time greatest gigs, one that Rakell took advantage of Tuesday against the Wild, when he potted two goals. While he went scoreless Thursday, he still churned out six shots and four hits while logging 22:16 of ice time.

Alex Laferriere, LA (Yahoo: 21%): I've been hesitant to discuss Laferriere in previous weeks, as I wasn't sure he was going to stay in a prominent position. But here we are 11 games in, and he continues to exceed expectations with goals during each of his last two -- and four of seven -- while doing a solid job no matter where in the lineup he's asked to play. The 26 shots and 14 hits enhance Laferriere's appeal, though his biggest bonus comes from participating on LA's first power play.

Jordan Eberle, SEA (Yahoo: 19%): Eberle is seriously trying to convince us like he's back in his Edmonton heyday -- or, more recently, the 63 points from the 2022-23 Seattle sophomore campaign. The 34-year-old has gone off for six goals and three assists, though it'd be nice if he directed a few more pucks on net. Also, getting to team up with Matty Beniers and Jared McCann will boost anyone's stat line. Eberle may not hit 60 points, but a return to the 50s is doable.

Pavel Dorofeyev, VGK (Yahoo: 11%): Let's cut to the chase by saying you need to add Dorofeyev ASAP. He closed out Wednesday's loss to the Kings by finding the back of the net twice. If we go back five appearances, Dorofeyev has accumulated four goals -- two of those PPGs -- three assists, and a whopping 22 shots on a 17-minute average. He just turned 24, boasts enough talent, and is surrounded by a bunch of experienced players who should bolster his numbers.

Filip Chytil, NYR (Yahoo: 4%): We discussed Cole Perfetti last week as being part of a strong Winnipeg forward contingent, namely the team's top-nine. If there's another club that could possibly match that -- or even surpass -- it may be the Rangers. The man down the middle of their third trio is Chytil, who lost almost all of 2023-24 to injury after setting a personal-best mark the previous year with 45 points. A goal and assist came from the first five outings, and he's since produced three and two of each on top of 15 shots and a plus-6. Chytil is only eligible on Yahoo! at center, which we all know is a very deep position. But if you're looking for a cheap way to round out your roster, he's at least worth a chance.

Defensemen

Travis Sanheim, PHI (Yahoo: 42%): You wouldn't normally be able to get a defenseman for free who posted 44 points last season and is at five through 11 games. Sanheim may be left out of Philadelphia's power play, and the team isn't consistent at scoring, yet he logs major minutes (23:47 average) while registering 28 shots and 22 blocks. He could also eventually reclaim a man-advantage spot with Cam York on IR, Jamie Drysdale injury-prone, and the rest of the blue line fairly thin offensively.

Jacob Middleton, MIN (Yahoo: 29%): Middleton was primarily known for his physical stats the previous three years, though he's recently received more opportunities to find the scoresheet thanks to an even-strength partnership with Brock Faber. Middleton has responded with a goal, five assists, and six shots from his last four contests. Even if Middleton's offense drops off -- and it probably will -- he'll still supply sufficient blocks and hits as long as he's healthy and in the top-four.

Philip Broberg, STL (Yahoo: 28%): The Blues pried Broberg away from the Oilers during the summer via an offer sheet with a significant pay raise. He didn't waste any time helping his new team, as he produced a point in each of his first six outings. Broberg is also taking on a much larger role in St. Louis, as he's skating 20-plus minutes a night while being involved on both sides of special teams. He recorded his first PPP on Tuesday and should stay involved while up a man alongside other decent category contributions.

Simon Edvinsson, DET (Yahoo: 5%): Detroit's been inconsistent on the back end -- and that's not due to their top D duo. Moritz Seider has been great over his brief career, though he's occasionally struggled defensively. Since being drafted sixth overall in 2021, Edvinsson got a little work on the parent club over the last two seasons while starring in the AHL, as he racked up a combined 57 points. Paired with Seider, he's averaging 22:17 of ice time across seven matchups in addition to seven shots, 12 hits, and 20 blocks. While it may be unfair to expect a lot from a 21-year-old, Edvinsson has already displayed enough skill and poise to be a decent fantasy player.

Goaltenders

Elvis Merzlikins, CLS (Yahoo: 11%): A lower-body injury kept Merzlikins out for four games before he returned Monday to stop 31 of 32 shots against an Edmonton front line that lost Connor McDavid early on. He'd follow that up by shutting out the Isles on Wednesday. While those two performances are great, it's important to realize they came against the two lowest-scoring offenses in the league. Columbus has a back-to-back Friday vs. Winnipeg and Saturday at Washington, so it might be best to avoid Merzlikins for whichever one of those he starts. However, it'd be wise for fantasy managers to then add him for a stretch that includes matchups against a few weaker attacks (Ducks, Sharks) and defenses (Penguins, Habs).

Casey DeSmith, DAL (Yahoo: 9%): Jake Oettinger is one of the few fantasy netminders you can call upon for at least 60 appearances per season. While it's good to have a true No. 1, a reliable backup is essential in case of injury. DeSmith performed decently as a secondary goalie during stints in Pittsburgh and Vancouver, and he now plays behind one of the league's top defensive units. He's made three outings so far, and all have been solid -- including blanking the Kraken and beating the Bruins on the road last Thursday. Expect DeSmith to get around 20 outings, with his next one probably coming against Florida on Saturday.

Players to consider from past columns: Logan Stankoven, Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Guenther, Jonathan Huberdeau, Teuvo Teravainen, Josh Norris, Cole Perfetti, Pavel Zacha, Jake Neighbours, Dylan Cozens, Connor Zary, Leo Carlsson, Casey Mittelstadt, Yegor Chinakhov, Brayden Schenn, Anthony Cirelli, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Reilly Smith, Kirill Marchenko, Marco Rossi, Chandler Stephenson, Conor Garland, Morgan Frost, Justin Faulk, Brandt Clarke, Lane Hutson, Jordan Spence, Adam Boqvist, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Owen Power, Ryker Evans, Neal Pionk, J.J. Moser, Jamie Drysdale, Hampus Lindholm, Matt Grzelcyk, Charlie Lindgren, Kevin Lankinen, Lukas Dostal, Justus Annunen