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Victoria Matiash
After last week’s relatively balanced schedule, we’re back to the NHL’s more common feast/famine rhythm, featuring three or fewer games on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and 14 or more on Thursday and Saturday. On one end of the busy spectrum, the Penguins, Senators and Flames play only twice, while the Kings compete on five dates. Considering that volume of opportunity, forwards Trevor Moore and Corey Perry could prove useful for managers in deeper fantasy leagues.
Losing most of January to an upper-body injury, Moore scored in his first game back in St. Louis over the weekend, while Perry is skating on a top Kings’ line and power play with Adrian Kempe. Both remain widely available. In net, Anton Forsberg has been strong of late, and is rostered in less than two percent of ESPN.com leagues. He should start at least twice this week.
The Columbus Blue Jackets also merit attention as a team sporting a favorable fantasy schedule. Before visiting St. Louis on the weekend, Rick Bowness’s club competes on three of the week’s four lighter nights, versus the Kings, Flyers and Blackhawks. Recovered from a recent upper-body injury, Mason Marchment banged out a hat-trick and contributed an assist against the Lightning on Saturday. Skating a top line and power play with Kirill Marchenko — and rostered in approximately half of ESPN leagues — the winger has been highly effective for the Jackets since his trade out of Seattle in December.
Veteran Boone Jenner is another figure worth looking at in leagues that reward physical play along with production. Averaging 0.68 points and 2.3 hits/game, the Jackets captain also leads all Columbus forwards in the blocked-shots department (and it isn’t close). Managers with goaltending issues might also give Jet Greaves a look this week. Widely available, the young goalie is 4-0 in his past five appearances.
Every Monday, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We’ll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.
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Forwards
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Mats Zuccarello scores his 2nd goal of the 3rd period for the Wild
Mats Zuccarello scores his 2nd goal of the 3rd period for the Wild
Mats Zuccarello, F, Minnesota Wild (1.8 FPPG, 65.8% available): Sharing the ice with Kirill Kaprizov and defenseman Quinn Hughes certainly has its privileges. An underrated fantasy gem, Zuccarello is on a tear right now, with three goals and six assists in five games. Grab him up before competing managers take notice.
Lawson Crouse, F, Utah Mammoth (1.6 FPPG, 82.9% available): Before falling ill over the weekend, the towering winger was on a nice little post-Christmas run with four goals and seven helpers in 11 contests. When competing on a scoring line with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, Crouse definitely merits consideration in deeper ESPN fantasy competition.
Anthony Cirelli, F, Tampa Bay Lightning (1.7 FPPG, 44.0% available): Following a minor lull in mid-January, Tampa’s current top center has a pair of goals and four assists in his past three contests. Cirelli’s spot alongside Nikita Kucherov should remain secure at least until Brayden Point returns to action. Which doesn’t feel at all imminent.
See also:
Defense
Cam York, D, Philadelphia Flyers (1.8 FPPG, 66.3% available): Averaging 2.02 blocked shots and 0.49 points/game, the Flyers defender currently serves as the team’s top fantasy defender in ESPN.com conventional leagues. Philadelphia plays four times this week, including against the Islanders and Blue Jackets on lightly-scheduled evenings.
Erik Gudbranson, D, Columbus Blue Jackets (1.2 FPPG, 97.7% available): Along with his aforementioned teammates, the Columbus defender faces a potentially fruitful week against the Kings, Flyers and Blackhawks, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when most of the league is off. (Also Saturday against the Blues.) Back in action after losing almost three months to injury, Gudbranson has two assists, 10 hits, and 12 blocked shots in five games. Pop him in your lineup this week, then take it from there.
Goaltenders
Lukas Dostal, G, Anaheim Ducks (1.4 FPPG, 44.4% available): After losing seven in a row, the Ducks’ No. 1 netminder has won six straight. Assuming Ville Husso is penciled in to face the Oilers Monday, Dostal should be on track to battle the Canucks Thursday and Vegas on Sunday.
Short-term streamers
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Anthony Duclair nets power-play goal
Anthony Duclair scores power-play goal vs. Kraken
Anthony Duclair, F, New York Islanders (0.2 FPPG, 93.9% available): Skating on a scoring line and power play with Mathew Barzal, the winger has eight goals in his past nine games. One of the streakiest performers in the biz, Duclair should add to that running total when the Isles face the Flyers, Rangers (twice) and Predators this week. New York (4.60), Philadelphia (4.00), and Nashville (3.75) rank 32nd, 30th and 29th rank in GA/GP since Jan. 1.
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, San Jose Sharks (1.2 FPPG, 98.4% available): Rocking a 5-1 record, .913 SV% and 2.37 GAA since the start of 2026, Nedeljkovic appears entrenched in a rhythm of playing every second game. Which means we might expect to see the Sharks’ current 1b patrol the crease against the Canucks and Flames this week. Which could realistically extend his record to 7-1 this calendar year.
Joonas Korpisalo, G, Boston Bruins (1.4 FPPG, 97.7% available): If he earns the start over Jeremy Swayman, play the Bruins’ other netminder against the Rangers Monday and Thursday versus the Flyers. Korpisalo is 4-0, with a .948 SV% and 1.42 GAA in 2026.