NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups for the Week

The halfway point in the season is now firmly in the rearview mirror for every team, and many of the players having solid years are well-owned. The following players offer fantasy GMs a few options that many others may have missed, but be forewarned: this is the hardest part of the season to predict. Many players have solid front-ends of their years, only to fall off as the grind of the winter hits them; others find their stride only after the egg nog is put away for the year. Be hesitant to make any bold moves just yet -- flag the following players and watch intently.

Vladislav Namestnikov C, TBL - With an ownership percentage in the low teens, it's readily apparent that this 23-year-old Russian is flying under the radar on a team heavily loaded with talent. His current assignment on the Lightning top line is paying dividends: in 44 games this year, he has nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points, along four power play points and a stellar plus-13 rating. He's already eclipsed last seasons totals (16 points in 43 games) but the most noteworthy element of his game has occurred in the last five games. In that time, the youngster has registered a hat trick and five assists for eight points and an incredible plus-nine. He, Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat have found palpable chemistry since Palat's return from injury, and it doesn't look to abate anytime soon. While his season rankings are still low -- typically in the high 100s -- he has been trending steadily upward the last month, and sits in the top five in league in the last week. Given the ice time he'll likely receive with high-end talent, his ability to hit the scoresheet and his widespread availability, grab him off the waiver wire. He's a talented center who's showing he has the pedigree to be a big-time producer now and in the future.

Bo Horvat C, VAN - Many scoffed at the trade that brought Horvat to the Canucks in 2013, thinking Cory Schneider should have drawn a king's ransom. Those critics have been right to this point -- Schneider has been as-advertised in New Jersey, while Horvat has languished on the west coast. Looking back on the trade, this season will be the turning point in those discussions. Horvat has finally found his legs this season, and is making the most of his time on the second line with youngsters Sven Baertschi and Jake Virtanen, and on the second power play unit. While his eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 45 games looks disappointing, his last 10 has seen the renaissance of his game, with six goals and three assists in that time. His plus-minus is still a concern, sitting in the basement of the league at a terrible minus-20, but that is offset by his above-average power play production -- he has three goals and five assists on the man-advantage, four of which have come in the last month. Typically, younger players have a tough time managing their plus-minus without a distinct sacrifice to their production, so don't expect much of a difference in that category for the foreseeable future; weigh your options if your league uses that category. If not, Horvat is a great option for a deep team -- his ownership is in the single digits, and he can provide some production in at least the near-term.

Tobias Rieder W, ARI - Much of the hype and hoopla about Arizona's youth has missed this young German, but he has quietly put up a fantastic sophomore season on a team marching up the standings. While Max Domi and Anthony Duclair (a.k.a. The Killer D's) are getting the plum ice-time, Rieder has been the recipient of equal time on the second line, facing the opponent's second-pairing defensemen. The result has been Rieder putting up very similar numbers, with far less fanfare and far less ownership. Where Domi has 31 points and an ownership of 66 percent, Rieder has 27 points in the same number of games, and an ownership of 10 percent. Rieder also has the benefit of time on the second power-play unit, and has put up six power-play points -- an added opportunity and benefit to fantasy GM owners willing to take a chance on him. Arizona is playing fantastic hockey this year for a team that wasn't expected to make the playoffs for another few years; their drive up the weak Pacific Division standings has been both a credit to their coaching staff and opportunistic based on the frailty of their rivals. While this trend continues, Arizona will continue to thrive, and Rieder will be front-and-center in their success. If you're in a deep league and need some additional help at the bottom of your roster, Rieder is an interesting option that's available in most leagues.

Sam Bennett C/W, CGY - I'm torn on a recommendation for Bennett, but for now, I'll suggest discretion as the better part of valor. Keep an eye on this young Flame, as he has all the makings for an elite sniper in the league. Drafted fourth overall in 2014 by Calgary, he first made headlines by being unable at the NHL Combine to do a single pull-up -- not that I'm one to judge, but apparently that's a big deal for professional athletes. The inability to do so was a commentary on both his fitness level and his dedication to preparing for the adult league game. It's little wonder then that this, his first full year in the NHL, has been plagued with an inability to adapt and produce. Prior to January, he had five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 36 games; wholly underwhelming. But, it seems, something interesting happened with the turning of the calendar page -- he has looked dangerous in each of his games in 2016, and the last two have seen him score five goals, including a four-goal outburst against white-hot Florida. So, have we seen Bennett turn the corner and find the same scoring streak that saw him cut up Junior, or did we see a gifted-but-small winger have a pair of fantastic games? Put a flag on him and watch -- if he can add a couple more games of dangerous play, add him. He has the potential of putting up Phil Kessel-like numbers once he acclimatizes to the adult game, but he also might flame out like Jonathan Drouin has to this point. Only time will tell.

Jaccob Slavin D, CAR - File this under the category of a promising start: young Slavin has been turning heads on the Carolina coast with his play since being called up at the end of November. His first month saw him tentative and raw, but the last 10 games has shown the promise that Carolina hoped he had when they drafted him in the fourth round of 2012. In January, he has four assists in seven games along with a dynamite plus-three, four PIM and three power play points. Carolina has been stuck in the middle of the pack this year, just outside a playoff spot in that "No Man's Land" nobody wants to be a part of. If they're going to climb into one of the wild cards still up for grabs, they're going to look to rely on the continued improvement of their blueline. Slavin looks to be right in the middle of that. Given an almost nonexistent ownership rate, you're definitely getting the drop early on him; add him to your watch list and check to see if I'm right about this youngster. If he continues getting confidence and opportunity such as he is, he could be a great add to a seven- or eight-spot on your deep roster.

Nate Schmidt D, WAS - Given their ascent this year to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, there's very few bad choices from a fantasy perspective on the Capitals. One of the more under-the-radar selections available is this third-year defenseman, playing on the second pairing with Dmitry Orlov. With both Brooks Orpik and John Carlson on the short-term DL, Schmidt has had to step into a more prominent role with Washington, and has shown he's capable of filling in admirably. His last six games have seen him record five points and a plus-five rating, adding to his already lofty plus-13 totals for the season. He's not flashy, nor is he ever going to be mistaken with Erik Karlsson, but he's a solid plus-minus contributor on a very fastidious defense. He'll contribute a solid number of points for the next few weeks while the Washington blueline corps is depleted, but he'll still be able to contribute positively in the hard-to-predict plus-minus category for the rest of the year. At 3 percent ownership, he's not going anywhere anytime soon, so put a watch on him and see if I'm right.

Steve Mason G, PHI - I mentioned him a few weeks ago as a good goalie to pick up off the wire in a pinch, as he was underowned at the time. I feel vindicated in what's happened since that recommendation -- a 5-2-1 record with two shoutouts, a 2.13 GAA, .942 SV% and a jump in ownership of more than 20 percent. Even though he's owned in two-in-three leagues now, he's still underowned and would be great add for the rest of the season. Philadelphia is only three points out of a playoff spot in the East, yet has four games in hand. The best motivator for success at this point in the season is opportunity to get into the wild card, and Philly has all the chances to do so in the next few weeks while they have those games to make up. Mason offers fantasy GMs a starting goalie with a team near a playoff spot with ownership at least 20 points lower than his peers, and very solid numbers for the last two months. Goaltending is always at a premium; if he's still free in your league, you're not likely to find a better option if you're in need.