Hello, everyone! It’s LackeyDrinksOnMe!
This is a column dedicated to week-long streaming opportunities. Some days have only a few teams going, and rather than picking up players for a single night I’ve identified teams that are playing on those short-slate days and some players you can grab, who will be able to give you an extra three or four starts every week. More players on the ice means more opportunities for counting stats and the chance to take your matchup.
Edmonton Oilers: M-W-F-Su
Easily the best schedule of the week, considering Monday, Wednesday, and Friday have six games each. Grabbing a pair of Oilers off the waiver wire Monday morning might mean you’re the only person playing skaters on any of these days, which is terrific pressure on your opponent.
Connor McDavid – If he’s on waivers, be sure to grab him
Oscar Klefbom – Owned in around 16% of ESPN leagues, Klefbom takes plenty of shots and leads the team in ice time. He also has a featured role on the power play, so I’d say he’s worth a pretty long look if he is available.
Alex Chiasson – Another player with a strong role on the power play, Chiasson has found the back of the net 11 times so far on 32 shots, making an elevated shooting %. I would still gamble on picking him up for four games, because of his increasing role skating alongside McDavid and Draisaitl on the top line.
Drake Caggiula – Caggiula is pretty balanced across his counting stat contribution, and could potentially be picking up more points with the recent line shuffling playing alongside RNH for more than 17 minutes of ice time a game. The situation in EDM isn’t clear, but if you have a roster spot and/or shares in RNH, he might be worth checking out.
Anaheim Ducks – W-F-Su
There isn’t a lot that piques my interest with ANA other than their schedule. Spot-streaming M/T and then grabbing a player for W-F-Su might be a decent strategy, but I might be quick to try to grab any of the three EDM players while ANA is still playing somewhat underwhelming hockey.
Hampus Lindholm – Lindholm might not ordinarily be any player to write home about, but consistent counting stat contributions coupled with the most TOI/GP on the team (1:40 on the power-play) means he might be worth a speculative add, maybe after streaming a spot goalie Monday or Tuesday.
Pontus Aberg – Playing alongside Getzlaf and Rakell has its perks, and Aberg is available in 99% of ESPN leagues. The scoring might not consistently be there, but if you’re in an exceptionally deep league and aren’t afraid of rolling the dice, Aberg is the ANA player to grab.
St. Louis Blues – W-F-Su
Same strategy as ANA, looking to maybe spot-start Monday or Tuesday and following up with 3 starts from an STL player that strikes your fancy.
Joel Edmundson – Not a terrific points-getter, Edmundson puts up exceptional per-game numbers in hits and blocks, and can throw in the occasional PIM. If you’re in a deep league with scoring that counts those categories, Edmundson is worth a quick look to fill those gaps.
Alexander Steen – The wily vet is currently day-to-day, but if he’s in the starting lineup he’s probably the best you’ll be able to do for offense off the waiver wire. 17 minutes of ice time a game with 2 on the power play is always nice, but Steen also gives some soft contributions in points, shots, and hits. Just keep an eye open for his daily status.
Vince Dunn – Available in 85% of ESPN leagues, Dunn is third on the team in power-play time per game and contributes quite a few shots while he’s on ice. I’m going to chalk his inclusion up to gut-feeling, so if you’re feeling it too and you’re running low on options, he might be a nice lotto ticket.
Remember that fielding more players than your opponent typically ends up in a matchup victory, so I sincerely hope the advice I can give is helpful. I’ll be around all week to respond to any questions you might have and offer some insight when you ask.
Have a great week, and good luck!!
