The best thing about being the last place team in the league is that nearly nobody will be owned fantasy-wise. The best thing about reading the rest of this article? Finding out who I’m talking about because that person is absolutely stuffing the stat sheet and you’ll want him for your Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Week 23 .

Must Add

Zach Smith – C – Ottawa Senators
8% Owned
OPP: CAR/FLA/TOR 

Zach Smith has been on a tear since Kyle Turris went down. He’s found consistent ice time on the second line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mark Stone while also playing a ton of the powerplay. He’s riding a five game point streak (3G, 2A) and a hit streak of the same length. While the Sens may not have many big names to choose from, Zach Smith is a nice under-the-radar play.

Mike Ribeiro – C – Nashville Predators
20% Owned 
OPP: WPG/CGY/VAN

If you need a plethora of assists and faceoff wins, Mike Ribeiro is your guy. On a four game point streak, the 36 year old has racked up six assists to go along with a goal. He’s really been feeding off of Filip Forsberg on both the powerplay and the second line. As long as Forsberg is hot, Ribeiro will be a hot fantasy commodity.

Mikkel Boedker – LW,RW – Colorado Avalanche
30% Owned
OPP: ARI/ANA/WPG

Perhaps the biggest winner from the trade deadline, Mikkel Boedker is getting the chance to play next to supreme talent. He’s been cemented next to Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog upon arrival on both the first line and second powerplay unit. It’s not a matter of “if” he can gel with his new linemates, it’s a matter of “when”. If for some reason Boedker is not owned in your league, pick him up now.

Nikita Soshnikov – RW – Toronto Maple Leafs
5% Owned
OPP: BUF/NYI/OTT/DET

The saying does go, save the best for last. Nikita Soshnikov is flourishing in Mike Babcocks system. The 22 year old is an absolute machine across the stat sheet. Hits? 15 in his last three games. Goals? Two in his last three games. Shots? Nine in his last three games. He has certainly earned the trust of his coach and is finding himself time on the first line and first powerplay unit. While the Leafs might not have much offensive talent, Soshnikov is certainly worthy of a pickup this week.

Drops

Jason Pominville – RW – Minnesota Wild
33% Owned
OPP: EDM/MTL

It was nice while it lasted, right? Jason Pominville was a nice streamer to pick up last week but this week he’s absolutely droppable. Pointless in his last three games as well as only having two games this week makes Pominville dead weight on your fantasy team.

Cory Schneider/Keith Kinkaid – G – New Jersey Devils
93%/9% Owned
OPP: SJS/LA

I’m not saying drop Cory Schneider. I’m saying put him on the IR if you own him but do not pick up Keith Kinkaid. Many flocked to the waiver wire to pick him up when Cory Schneider went down but Kinkaid is really not that good between the pipes. He even said that he might have “put too much pressure” on himself. Not exactly what you want to hear from your goalie. The Devils were marginally successful because they relied on Schneider to carry them. Kinkaid is not ready for that workload.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions regarding NHL Fantasy or NHL DFS, feel free to tweet at me @BESTofMATT