Fantasy Hockey

2014 Fantasy Hockey: Week 14 Waiver Wire

Photo Credit:Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America
Photo Credit:Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America

Week fourteen in fantasy hockey is starting, and some players are emerging as must-own players in many leagues. Finding players on the waiver wire is essential to winning a fantasy hockey and for replacing injured players, either for the short-team or long run. Let’s take a look at which players you should be targeting on the waiver wire this week

Melker Karlsson | San Jose Sharks | Yahoo! Ownership- 2%

Who? Most fantasy owners have no idea who Melker Karlsson is, but he’s a name you might be hearing a lot more.  The 24-year-old has ten points (6G, 4A) in 14 games with a plus-4 rating and 23 shots on goal (SOG).  Karlsson has found a spot on the team’s top line with Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture, and so far things are going really well. The Lycksele, Sweden native is currently riding a five game goal streak and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He’s not getting very much power play time, so his ceiling is still low, but he’s showing he can score goals at the big league level. The kid is the hottest player on the waiver wire right now and should be picked up before other owners start to take notice.

Who I’d drop for him: Andrew Shaw (14%), Antoine Roussel (22%), Leo Komarov (10%).

Petr Mrazek | Detroit Red Wings | Yahoo! Ownership- 26%

Last week wasn’t a great week for goalies. With some key goalies going down to injuries, many fantasy owners are scrambling to the waiver wire to find any kind of reinforcement. Mrazek is the goalie that can definitely help fantasy owners out in the short run. Jimmy Howard is expected to be out two-to-four weeks with a groin injury, so the 22-year-old will have the opportunity to start most of those games. His record currently sits at 5-3-1 with a 2.29 goals against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage (SV%).  In shallow leagues, good goaltending is probably still available on the waiver wire, but in deeper leagues, most of it is gone.  The fifth round pick in 2010 is a risky play, but desperate times call for desperate measures and Mrazek is the best possible short-term solution.

Who I’d drop for him: injury add only.

Dwight King | Los Angeles Kings | Yahoo! Ownership- 1%

The Kings recently took a huge hit to their offense, losing both Tanner Pearson (broken foot) and Tyler Toffoli (illness), giving King the perfect opportunity to jump into the top six. The 25-year-old has 12 points (7G, 5A) in 41 games with a minus-7 rating and 60 SOG. The stats aren’t great, but he’s playing with Jeff Carter and Justin Williams and is going to have every opportunity to contribute offensively in the coming weeks. The fourth round pick in 2007 is definitely a risky add, but the potential right now is there for him to score, and the Kings are an above average offensive team in the league (11th ranked G/GP with 2.81). Fantasy owners who are looking for some extra depth in their line up should consider taking the risk.

Who I’d drop for him: David Desharnais (11%), Alexander Semin (34%), Nail Yakupov (30%).

Players to Watch:

Fantasy hockey season is in full swing and these players could be on the rise/decline in the next few weeks

Trending up:

David Savard | Columbus Blue Jackets | Yahoo! Ownership- 5%

Jussi Jokinen  | Florida Panthers | Yahoo! Ownership- 23%

Ryan Strome | New York Islanders | Yahoo! Ownership- 39%

 Trending Down:

Brandon Dubinsky | Columbus Blue Jackets | Yahoo! Ownership- 63%

Cam Fowler | Anaheim Ducks | Yahoo! Ownership- 77%

Dion Phaneuf | Toronto Maple Leafs | Yahoo! Ownership- 89%

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