Fantasy hockey top 10 waiver wire pickups
Frost with Flames, Sabres rookie Kulich worth adding; EDGE stats, new podcast episodes
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FORWARD
Mason Marchment, LW, DAL
32 percent rostered in fantasy
The Dallas Stars wing scored a goal in his return to the lineup against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, giving him 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 34 games this season. Marchment, who missed 17 games after having surgery following an injury sustained Dec. 27 when a puck hit him in the face, plays in Dallas' stacked middle six and saw some ice time with Mikael Granlund, who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, at even strength and on the second power play in his new teammate's debut. Per NHL EDGE stats, Marchment ranks highly in offensive zone time percentage at even strength (42.8 percent; 82nd percentile).
Cole Perfetti and Vladislav Namestnikov, C/LW, WPG
19 percent and 7 percent rostered in fantasy
The Winnipeg Jets forwards combined for four points (one goal, three assists) and two power-play points against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Perfetti has a three-game point streak and has seven points (four goals, three assists), three power-play points and 11 SOG in his past five games. Namestnikov, who plays on the second line with Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers, has had consecutive multipoint games, 11 shots on goal over his past three games and seven points (one goal, six assists), two power-play points, over his past six games. Per NHL EDGE stats, Perfetti ranks highly in average skating distance per 60 at all strengths (10.18 miles; 89th percentile), and Namestnikov has scored seven of his 10 goals from high-danger areas (73rd percentile in high-danger goals).
Will Smith, C/RW, SJS
7 percent rostered in fantasy
The forward extended his point streak to six games, the longest point streak by a Sharks rookie since Ryane Clowe in 2006-07 (six games). Per NHL EDGE stats, Smith ranks among the best in average shot speed (64.60 mph; 94th percentile) and top shot speed (92.20 mph; 90th percentile). He also ranks highly among forwards in long-range shots on goal (14; 90th percentile).
Morgan Frost, C, CGY
6 percent rostered in fantasy
The Calgary Flames center scored a goal on five shots on goal in 18:01 against the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, his second game since being acquired, along with Joel Farabee, from the Philadelphia Flyers. Frost has scored twice as many goals over his past 22 games (eight) as he did in his first 29 games (four) this season and has seen time on the top power play in his first two games since the trade. Per NHL EDGE stats, Frost reached his top skating speed of the season (22.38 mph) in his first game with the Flames and ranks highly in 20-plus mph speed bursts (97; 85th percentile).
Jiri Kulich, C, BUF
4 percent rostered in fantasy
The Buffalo Sabres center has seven points (four goals, three assists) and 22 shots on goal (3.14 per game) in seven games since returning from a lower body injury on Jan. 20 and is tied with Smith for the NHL rookie lead in points over that span. Kulich is playing center on the top line with Buffalo’s top two point producers: Tage Thompson (48 in 47 games) and J.J. Peterka (41 in 50). Kulich is tied with Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks for the rookie lead in even-strength goals (11). Kulich ranks in the 90th percentile at his position in average shot speed (62.95 mph), per NHL EDGE stats.
DEFENSEMAN
Tony DeAngelo, NYI
24 percent rostered in fantasy
The New York Islanders defenseman scored the overtime goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. DeAngelo, who signed a one-year contract with the Islanders on Jan. 24, is covering categories with three points (one goal, two assists), 10 shots on goal and 14 blocks in his first five games of the season and is averaging 25:01 per game skating on their top pair at even strength and first power play.
Owen Power, BUF
26 percent rostered in fantasy
The Sabres defenseman had a career-high nine shots on goal against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Power extended his point/assist streak to four games and reached 100 career points faster than all but four defensemen in Buffalo's history (215 games). Per NHL EDGE stats, Power ranks among the defenseman leaders in high-danger shots on goal (eight; 92nd percentile) and high-danger goals (three; 97th percentile).
GOALIE
Spencer Knight, FLA
25 percent rostered in fantasy
The Florida Panthers goalie made 31 saves on 34 shots, including on all 13 that he faced in the 3rd period, in their win against the Islanders on Sunday. While Knight remains the clear backup to Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida, he is 4-2-0 with a .940 save percentage in seven appearances since Jan. 1 (compared to 6-6-1, .887 save percentage in 14 appearances over first three months). Per NHL EDGE stats, Knight is above the League average in save percentage on shots from both high-danger (.813; League average: .805) and midrange (.894; average: .889) areas. Among those with at least 20 games played, Knight ranks seventh in save percentage when his opponents are on the power play (.891).
Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT
19 percent rostered in fantasy
The Pittsburgh Penguins goalie stopped all 25 shots faced in their shutout win against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Nedeljkovic won two of his three starts this week, allowing a total of four goals in the span, and has started six of their past eight games since Pittsburgh waived goalie Tristan Jarry on Jan. 15. Nedeljkovic is 4-2-0 with a .940 save percentage and 1.40 goals-against average in that span and worth adding as Pittsburgh's No. 1 option. Per NHL EDGE stats, Nedeljkovic has stopped all but three long-range shots faced (166 of 169) for a long-range save percentage of .982 (83rd percentile).
