Waiver Wired: Hamilton Rising
Significant injuries to Victor Hedman and Zdeno Chara likely have led to several fantasy GMs searching for help on the back end. Hedman (hand) and Chara (knee) are both expected to miss the next four-to-six weeks. In this week's edition of Waiver Wired, I'm going to go over some blueliners who could step up in their absences and other players who are worth targeting.
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Dougie Hamilton (BOS) - D - Owned in 57% of Yahoo leagues
The 21-year-old defender's availability is obviously much less than your typical waiver wire player, but the window to add him if he's unclaimed probably won't be open much longer. With Zdeno Chara injured, Hamilton is slated to absorb more power-play minutes and he'll continue to see plenty of action in other situations as well. He enjoyed a memorable game against Toronto on Saturday night, where he notched four shots, a goal and two assists in 22:31 of ice time. Hamilton was already pegged to take big strides forward this season, but Chara's injury could accelerate the process especially if his recent work is any indication. Look for him to step up in a big way during the Boston captain's absence.
Mike Ribeiro (NSH) - C - Owned in 29% of Yahoo leagues
Ribeiro was tossed out by the Arizona Coyotes after a chaotic 2013-14 campaign. He appears to have put his personal issues aside this year and he's off to a very good start with the Nashville Predators. Ribeiro has produced three goals and three assists in eight games. He recorded all of his points during a five-game point streak, which came to an end on Saturday night. Ribeiro has been playing alongside James Neal, who has started to heat up with five goals in his past five outings. Ribeiro excels as a playmaker, but he can score when give the opportunity. Unfortunately, he hasn't been shooting much so far with only 11 credited shots on opposing goalies.
Trevor Daley (DAL) - Owned in 33% of Yahoo leagues
Daley hasn't hit the 30-point mark his career, but the 2014-15 season is shaping up to be different. His ice time has climbed to an average of 25:13 per contest and he's already registered six points in eight matches. Daley has three goals and all of them have come on the power play. He's been getting significant time on the man advantage, but he has shared action on the top unit with Alex Goligoski. Daley has also been credited with 14 shots and 18 blocks. He has the makings of a solid depth defender on your fantasy squad and Dallas' power play has the potential to turn him into a 35-40 point blueliner this season.
Anton Stralman (TBL) - D - Owned in 24% of Yahoo leagues
When Stralman went from the New York Rangers to Tampa Bay in the off-season, some wondered what kind of point production he was capable of with his new team. Many pundits looked at his one goal and 12 assists in 81 games last year and didn't think much of his scoring ability. Others figured he wouldn't get much power-play time with Victor Hedman and Jason Garrison in the fold. Well, now Hedman is injured for a while and Stralman is getting plenty of chances with the man advantage. He has picked up just one point on the power play, but he has one goal and six helpers in nine games. Stralman will also enter Sunday's action in a four-way tie for first in the NHL with a plus-9 rating. He's worth considering if your back end is looking for a new addition, as Tampa Bay's power play has plenty of offensive weapons.
Adam Henrique (NJ) - C - Owned in 32% of Yahoo leagues
Henrique enjoyed a scoring surge (11 goals and five assists in 15 games) last season after the Olympic break and he's carried that successful play into the start of 2014-15 campaign. He leads the Devils in scoring with eight points in eight contests. Henrique has picked up at least one point in six of his opening eight outings and he's won 57.1 percent of his 126 faceoffs. It's very unlikely that his offensive output will stay on this pace throughout the year, but at the very least he makes for a good pickup now while he's hot.
Dennis Wideman (CGY) - D - Owned in 34% of Yahoo leagues
Wideman was a healthy scratch in the second game of the season, but he's been firing on all cylinders lately. He has tallied a goal in five of his past six appearances and he has compiled a four-game goal streak. Wideman has an assist as well during his scoring spree as well. He's chipped in two power-play goals on the Flames' second unit. Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie have been excellent offensive contributors for Calgary this year, but Wideman shouldn't be disregarded.
Mikhail Grabovski (NYI) - C, LW, RW - Owned in 12% of Yahoo leagues
Grabovski returned to New York's lineup on Saturday night and he generated two assists in a 7-5 win over the Dallas Stars. He missed three games with a concussion. Grabovski has two goals and five points in five contests with the Islanders. The trio of Grabovski, Frans Nielsen and Nikolai Kulemin were the stars of Saturday's victory after they combined for four goals and seven points in the match. Grabovski has been productive when he's been in the lineup despite limited minutes and his new line's success could bode well for him. He also has some versatility for fantasy owners as he's currently eligible for all three forward positions.
David Desharnais (MTL) - C - Owned in 16% of Yahoo leagues
Desharnais never seems to warrant much fantasy attention even though he centers Montreal's top line. He has great chemistry with Max Pacioretty and he's picked up four points in his last four games. Desharnais has also been great on faceoffs, while sporting a 57.2 winning percentage on 138 draws. He rebounded from an awful start last season to record 52 points in 79 contests and another 50-60 point campaign should be in the cards for him.
Filip Forsberg (NSH) - C, LW, RW - Owned in 40% of Yahoo leagues
The 20-year-old rookie is another skater who presently has eligibility in all three forward positions. He co-leads all first year players with seven points and leads the pack with six assists. Forsberg plays with James Neal and Mike Ribeiro on Nashville's top line, which has helped him get the third-most average ice time in the league among rookie forwards. He is also tied for the NHL lead with a plus-9 rating. Forsberg looks like an early contender for the Calder Trophy.
Justin Abdelkader (DET) - LW, RW - Owned in 12% of Yahoo leagues
Abdelkader has played alongside Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk in the past, but this time around his offensive game is taking shape. He has posted three goals and five points in eight games this year. Abdelkader has been skating with Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist lately, which was a combination that clicked last year prior to the Olympic break. The rugged winger also has 24 hits and 19 shots, which expands the categories in which he can benefit your fantasy squad.
Devante Smith-Pelly (ANA) - RW - Owned in 11% of Yahoo leagues
Smith-Pelly has accounted for two goals and two assists in his past five tilts. He's the latest Anaheim forward to get a shot on the first line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. The Ducks tend to cycle through wingers for their top unit and injuries to Patrick Maroon and Dany Heatley have played a part in that this season. The 22-year-old can play a heavy style and he's among the league leaders with 27 hits in eight games this year. Smith-Pelly has decent long-term potential, but it will probably take some time before he's used regularly in standard fantasy leagues. Still, he's worth being a short-term pickup right now because of his role alongside Getzlaf and Perry.
Chris Kelly (BOS) - C, LW - Owned in 9% Yahoo leagues
Kelly generated just nine goals and 18 points in 57 games last season. He's been a much more effective scorer early into the 2014-15 campaign with two goals and seven points in 10 matches. Kelly's five-game scoring streak (one goal, five helpers) was snapped in Saturday's win over Toronto. He's combined with Loui Eriksson and Carl Soderberg to give Boston a third line capable of contributing offensively. Kelly can earn around 40 points, so he may only be an option for fantasy owners in deep leagues.
