Goalies Galore
I'm surprised that Mike Fisher is still being overlooked by the majority of fantasy leagues on Yahoo. He only has a 14% ownership rating despite having nine goals and 18 points in 22 games. He extended his point streak to six games on Saturday with a power-play marker. Fisher is centering the second line between James Neal and Colin Wilson. He also has 44 hits and owns a 52.1 winning percentage in the faceoff circle. I've recommended Fisher plenty of times before, so I didn't include him this time around.
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This edition has a heavy sampling of goaltenders to choose from because of injuries to Pekka Rinne, Jimmy Howard, Carey Price and Darcy Kuemper, but there are some options up front and on the back end as well. You will probably notice that I didn't include Detroit 's Petr Mrazek, who is filling for Jimmy Howard, but that's just because Ryan Dadoun included him in last week's Waiver Wired. I highly recommend him as well.
Devan Dubnyk (MIN) - G - Owned in 32% of Yahoo leagues
Minnesota's struggles resulted in the team trading for goaltender. Dubnyk was acquired from Arizona in exchange for a third-round draft pick earlier this week. He made a successful debut on Thursday against the lowly Sabres when he posted an 18-save shutout and he turned aside 25 of the 26 shots he faced in a 3-1 victory over his former Coyotes teammates. Dubnyk has 11 wins to go with a .921 save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average in 21 appearances this campaign. However, he will probably have to battle for playing time with Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom, which could hurt his fantasy value. Kuemper will be motivated to reclaim his number one spot once he returns from a lower-body injury. If Dubnyk continues to play well then it will be an interesting situation because coach Mike Yeo's confidence has been shaken when it comes to trusting Backstrom and Kuemper.
Carter Hutton (NSH) - G - Owned in 25% of Yahoo leagues
Rinne is expected to miss three-to-five weeks with a knee injury. Hutton won his first game of the season in his first star after the Predators' top netminder went down. However, he didn't look good when Nashville played in the second game of a back-to-back situation on Saturday versus Detroit. Hutton was pulled after allowing three goals on just four shots in a 5-2 defeat. Nashville is a better team this year than the one that fell apart without Rinne in 2013-14. Still, if Hutton's rough performance has scared you off of him then Marek Mazanec, who is owned in 2% of Yahoo leagues, could be an option during Rinne's absence. They could end up competing for starts.
Joni Ortio (CGY) - G - Owned in 10% of Yahoo leagues
Ortio was brought up from the minors after Karri Ramo went down with an upper-body injury. He has been brilliant in his first two appearances of the 2014-15 campaign. He blanked Vancouver with 36 stops for his first NHL shutout and he allowed one goal on 28 shots in a 4-1 victory versus Arizona this past Thursday. Ortio made his third straight start for the Flames in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win versus San Jose, where he blocked 19 shots. His superb play has the Flames wondering if they should keep him around even after Ramo returns, but coach Bob Hartley has openly admitted that he's not a fan of carrying three goalies. Whether he stays or goes back to the AHL, the 23-year-old Finn has some good value as a starter right now. He's sporting a .953 save percentage and a 1.33 GAA.
Dustin Tokarski (MTL) - G - Owned in 7% of Yahoo leagues
The injury to Carey Price isn't expected to keep him on the shelf for very long, but we may not see him play before the All-Star break at the very least as a precaution. That could give Tokarski at least one more start after his 6-4 win against the New York Islanders on Saturday night. His peripherals took a hit with that performance, but has been solid this season when called upon. He owns a 5-3-1 record to go with a .917 save percentage and a 2.50 GAA. Tokarski is a capable option for fantasy owners while Price recovers from an upper-body injury.
David Pastrnak (BOS) - RW - Owned in 19% of Yahoo leagues
Boston announced during Thursday's match against the New York Rangers that the rookie winger would be staying with the big club beyond a nine-game trial. He skated in his 10th game in Saturday's loss to Columbus, which activates the first year of his entry-level contract. He has been a contributor everywhere he's played in 2014-15. He has posted 10 goals and 27 points in 24 games with Providence in the AHL and he picked up seven points in five contests with the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championship. Pastrnak has also tallied four goals and one helper with Boston. He has displayed chemistry with David Krejci and he's racked up 28 shots to go with a plus-5 rating. Obviously, there's still a chance he can be sent down, but he's a talented player who has made the Bruins better since he was recalled earlier this month. He's definitely worth picking up.
Bryan Bickell (CHI) - LW - Owned in 5% of Yahoo leagues
Bickell doesn't typically emerge from his scoring slumber until the playoffs begin, but he's been very productive lately thanks to a promotion to Chicago's second line. With Kris Versteeg injured, the Blackhawks moved Bickell to a combination with Patrick Kane and Brad Richards. He has registered five goals and two assists in his past eight contests. Bickell is also a great source of hits, where he has amassed a total of 109 in 44 games this year. He's enjoying his best offensive stretch of the year and as long as he stays in Chicago's top-six forward group, he has fantasy value.
Mikael Backlund (CGY) - C - Owned in 6% of Yahoo leagues
Backlund missed 29 games with an abdominal injury, but he's been making up for lost time since his return earlier this month. He has picked up four goals and three helpers over a five-game scoring streak. Backlund has 11 points in 16 matches this year. He's currently playing between Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau, who are Calgary's top producing forwards. Take advantage of his hot streak now and hope for some steady production for the rest of the way.
Josh Bailey (NYI) - LW - Owned in 2% of Yahoo leagues
Bailey has had the enviable position of riding shotgun with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo of late. He has collected one goal and six assists in his past five matches. Bailey has amassed 13 of his 20 points in his last 16 outings. He is a good playmaker, which makes a great compliment to goal scorers like Tavares and Okposo. His linemates like to shoot often and that should help Bailey, who had 30 helpers last year, pile up some points.
Derek Roy (EDM) - C - Owned in 3% of Yahoo leagues
Roy didn't do much during his time in Nashville, with one goal and 10 points in 26 games, but he's been much better in Edmonton. He was traded to the Oilers for Mark Arcobello, who ended up being waived by the Predators, at the end of December. Roy has generated two goals and seven points in 10 contests with his new team. He has been centering Edmonton's second line between Nail Yakupov and a red-hot Benoit Pouliot, who has potted six goals in his past five appearances.
Zach Bogosian (WPG) - D - Owned in 10% of Yahoo leagues
The third overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft hasn't lived up to expectations despite showing some flashes of his potential in the past. Injuries have been an issue for him and he missed 14 games this season because of a lower-body injury. Bogosian is in the middle of an impressive stretch that has seen him account for three goals and two assists in his past five matches. He also has a plus-7 rating and eight shots during that span as well. Bogosian has been credited with 74 hits in 31 games this year, so he can helpful in that category too.
