The Waiver Wire: Conn Smythe King

The Waiver Wire – For the Week of January 11 - 18

Better Than You Think

Justin Williams RW, LAK – While he's never been a prolific scorer in the NHL, he's been incredibly consistent over the last decade in points-per-game as well as his cross-the-board fantasy output. Despite winning the Stanley Cup for the third time in his career, and being recognized as the playoff MVP with a Conn Smythe trophy, his regular season production last year was a relative disappointment, with only 43 points in a full 82-game season. This year, he's on pace for about the same – just shy of the 50 point mark should he remain healthy for the rest of the way. It's important to note though that his power play numbers have already eclipsed his tally from last year; with 9 PPP in 40 games, he looks poised to increase his performance in the back half of the season. In the last three games, he's seen his ice time increase by six minutes per game, and in response, has three goals in that time. He's also a plus-two, and has eight shots on net. When considering a complex trade with many moving parts, see if you can get Williams included in the deal. Many GMs won't think twice about moving him, to their own peril.

Michael Cammalleri W, NJD – He's had a rough season in the Garden State this year, but things are going to get better for the 32-year old. On three separate occasions this year, he's missed time with injuries (neck, lower body, and groin) and for the latter two, he looks like he's been playing through them without being fully healed. Combine that with New Jersey's woeful record this year, and it's little wonder that there's chatter about Cammalleri being moved out of town come the trade deadline. A quick look through his game log would show any GM that when he's on his game, he's a force to be reckoned with, and his line mates of Travis Zajac and Patrik Elias have been heating up of late. As long as Cammalleri can stay healthy from this point onwards – which is a gamble – we feel confident that his production will increase dramatically. Twice in his career he's hit the 80 point mark in a season, and there's still plenty of tread left on those tires. Patient GMs in mid-depth pools will be rewarded for their investment. Wait for it.

Good Bets

Chris Stewart W, BUF – We're not sure how long this is going to last (and we're doubly pessimistic of any Buffalo player in general this year) but Chris Stewart is putting together a string of good games of late. Since the middle of December, the young Sabre has two goals and six assists for eight points in 12 games. He's also received a fighting major and two minors to net nine PIM in that time, which has helped his fantasy value significantly. While he and most other Buffalo skaters are horrible for plus-minus values, GMs who are in pools with no such category can invest in him in the short-term with relative safety. His ownership is very low given his previous performance, and coach Ted Nolan has the team playing better than at any point in this season. At very least, consider flagging him and watching him over the next week or so.

Patrik Elias W, NJD – He may be 38, but don't tell this Czech that he needs to miss a beat. He's more than twice the age of most rookies in the league, but where they may have youthful exuberance on their side, he has the experience of 19 NHL seasons. Aside from a groin pull which kept him out two weeks, and a case of the mumps, he's been remarkably resilient. His 18 points in 34 games are putting him on pace for the worst season in a decade – perhaps – but in his last five games, he has five points with a healthy amount of TOI and PPTOI. Both these indicators are big benefits to fantasy GMs who are kicking his bumpers. While we're not suggesting that he has any 60-70 point seasons left in his tank, there's still tread left, and deep pool GMs should consider adding Elias. He's a lot better at this age than many players are ten years his junior.

Matthew Carle D, TBL – We haven't been a big fan of his fantasy value for quite some time – his best seasons were in Philadelphia where he was able to showcase more of his offensive talent than he's been able to since. His time in Tampa Bay has largely relegated him to a clear-the-crease defensive wall rather than a puck-mover or offensive threat. There may be a window of opportunity though to GMs; the injury to Radko Gudas has elevated Carle to the power play. His 13 points in 43 games is paltry, and readily replaceable in many leagues, but should he start to get some serious second unit power play time, those numbers may soar. The combo of Tyler Johnson-Nikita Kucherov-Ondrej Palat is fantastic, and tapping into some of their PPP numbers would give Carle a shot in the arm, fantasy-wise.

Hidden Gems

Brett Ritchie W, DAL – It seems the Colton Sceviour experiment is over, and with the end of that, comes the start of Brett Ritchie's turn atop the big line. Ritchie has only five NHL games under his belt, but has three points in that time, and is a plus-four with a pair of PIM. Granted, those points came in his first two games – a nice little breakout – but he hasn't done anything since. Perhaps he's just getting his bearing in the flow of the game, or perhaps the adrenaline has worn off. The line of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin is just too powerful a combo to ignore when you have really any third person on that line. They're going to get second assists and tap-ins, regardless of their skill. Ritchie was nearly a point-per-game player in the AHL, and if he can translate that success into the NHL, along with his opportunity to play next to some of the best players in the game, it will be a huge windfall for fantasy GMs. It's a gamble at this point, but one we would suggest for GMs that have some flexibility in their rosters.

David Pastrnak W, BOS – At just 18 years old and of slight build (6'0", 167 lbs.), he may not be physically ready for NHL time yet, but he has the hands and instincts of someone many years his senior. He started the year with AHL Providence, but quickly showed management he belongs up with the big club. In 24 games in the AHL, he had 27 points and a plus-14 – production and defensive-awareness are preached by the Bruins, and he showed quickly he can do both. He was called up late November for a stint, but was sent back down to season further; after being called up on Thursday, we suspect he won't be going down again. In the afternoon game on Saturday, he had his first two NHL goals and was named the first star of the game. If you're in a keeper league, grab him – he has the makings of something special, and has an opportunity to show it.

Watch

Francois Beauchemin D, ANA – It's been a hard year for Francois Beauchemin, missing five games with an upper body injury, then another month with a finger injury. Now that he's back, he's reclaimed his position on the second power play unit in Anaheim, which is bound to pay off for him. Thus far, his 8 points in 24 games is wholly underwhelming, but if there's a bright side to his performance, it's that he has three of those points in the last five games – and they're all goals. Partnered with Hampus Lindholm, he's well positioned to do well in the second half of the season if he's able to stay healthy. He's also typically a goal-scoring defenseman which suits leagues that focus on goals over assists. He would be wise to watch closely – it's not unforeseeable that he has a fantastic back nine to the year.

Erik Cole W, DAL – He hasn't been a force to be reckoned with since he left Montreal, and in fact, has found the going rather tough. At 36, there may not be much time left for him in the NHL, but it seems that he's found a bit of a hot streak of late in the Lone Star state. In his last ten games, he has eight points, a plus-five and four PIM to go along with three PPP and a SHG. That's a heck of a stretch by any measure, and worthy of a look for the next week. His production throughout the season has been a bit splotchy – going spans of five and six games without a point, followed by a couple of games with a point – so we're not sure what to expect longer term, but Cole has the potential of being the same player that helped Carolina win a Stanley Cup all those years ago. He also may be a trade target at the deadline for a team that needs some veteran leadership down the roster. Both make for an interesting argument to add him, but we would hold off until he shows us more.

Ben Scrivens G, EDM – All things considered, his last month has been far better than we expected. Edmonton is a dumpster-fire of a team, but of late, they've shown resilience and a desire to improve – two things we weren't expecting. Scrivens, in his last five starts, is 3-0-2 with a 2.20 GAA and a .926 SV%; impressive in its own right, phenomenal when you consider how porous the Oiler defense has been this year. If you have a goalie go down in a deep league, and need a starter for the interim, don't be afraid to take a chance on him for the short-term. He's playing a lot better than people expect, and he could surprise you.

Be Careful

Jeff Skinner W, CAR – He's having all the hallmarks of a bad season: a concussion to start on the IR, inconsistent scoring since his return, and a point drought of seven games at one point in December. Coaches will say, if you can't score, do something else well; play a two-way defensive game. He's been a minus-three in a game twice this year, so you can see, he's not well equipped to do that, either. His relegation to the third line has shown that his outlook for the rest of the year looks poor. If you're in a keeper league, now may be a great time to buy in for the future, but if you're in a single-season pool, we would suggest avoiding him for the foreseeable future.