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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: The surging Quinton Byfield leads pickups

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Quinton Byfield has seen his fantasy hockey value rise of late. (Photo by Gary A. Vasquez/NHLI via Getty Images)

The extended fantasy hockey week is almost over and the trade deadline is just around the corner. NHL clubs are preparing to bolster their rosters by Mar. 7, so you should be doing the same.

Thankfully, we’ve provided some readily available players who can be acquired free of charge.

(Rostered rates as of Feb. 28)

Forwards

Nichushkin returned Wednesday after missing the previous 21 games with a lower-body injury. And while he didn’t immediately get on the scoresheet, there were still five shots and two hits on 17:46 — including 2:03 on the power play. It shouldn’t take Nichushkin long to find his form based on his 17 points from 22 games and a place within Colorado’s top-six. Snap him up before that happens.

The knock on Byfield for much of this season has been offensive inconsistency, though that hasn’t been a concern since the start of February as he’s reeled off 11 assists across seven contests in addition to 14 shots, seven blocks and a plus-10. Even as the Kings’ third center, Byfield frequently logs 20-plus minutes while participating on both special-teams units. The supplementary stats may be sparse, yet there’s enough upside from just the points and pucks on net.

There was plenty of NHL hype for Michkov following a couple dominant years in the KHL. And other than a few brief scoreless runs, that’s been mainly delivered upon. Michkov endured an 0-for-7 stretch that began near the end of last month, but he’s since notched four goals, five assists and a whopping 24 shots from five outings. That puts him tied for first in rookie scoring with 44 points and second at 15 PPPs. Looks like the Flyers’ gamble of drafting Michkov at No. 7 paid off, though you won’t need to take as much of a risk to add him to your squad.

After three straight seasons with at least 63 points, Buchnevich has been slightly off the pace so far with a projected total somewhere in the mid-50s. This downturn is a product of less man-advantage output, slightly fewer pucks on goal and a weaker shooting percentage (10.8 compared to recent marks in the mid-10s all the way up to 21.1). Buchnevich continues to skate with top talent and has tallied nine points across eight appearances. So as long as he keeps trying to score, he’ll eventually find the back of the net more often.

Speaking of bad luck, Jenner has faced many physical absences over his career — none more devastating than the shoulder injury and subsequent surgery that forced him out for the first 56 games. He may have only made three appearances since coming back, but he already looks like his old fantasy self by providing stats in multiple areas (five assists, eight shots, six hits, six blocks). Jenner’s also on the second line with Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger, while being eased in on Columbus’s backup PP. And as he fully adjusts, his cross-category contributions will only improve.

The Kraken thought they landed a steal at the 2022 Draft when Wright fell to them at the fourth pick. After some growing pains and AHL success, he’s finally starting to live up to his pedigree. The campaign didn’t initially appear rosy for Wright, as he only registered a goal and assist — both in the same contest — over the first five-plus weeks before being benched. Since then, he’s impressed with 32 points — 11 of those while up a man — 47 shots, 36 hits and 35 blocks despite averaging 14:06. While Wright has a bright future, his short-term outlook is at least deserving of increased coverage.

Bourque is yet another former first-rounder who destroyed the minor-league competition before getting a full-time gig with the parent club. It’s no secret he battled through low ice times and a couple healthy scratches, but ultimately found his footing while looking like a natural. Bourque is currently on a six-game scoring streak, having climbed through the depth chart and fitting in wherever he’s placed. Just remember he’s purely an offense-only fantasy forward who’s still growing into his game.

Toronto is fairly thin on wingers, which is why the team is always rumored to be acquiring one. While they’re searching for that special someone, they may already have a ready-made solution in Holmberg. He’s never been much on the attack, at least since arriving in North America. But in the last three matchups, Holmberg has pleasantly surprised by potting four goals alongside an assist, six shots and four hits on the Leafs’ second even-strength trio with John Tavares and William Nylander. Maybe try him for a week and then see what the organization lands at the trade deadline before throwing him back.

Defensemen

Byram has already equaled a career-high with 29 points, and he’ll have the opportunity to go way past that mark due to his advanced standing on the Buffalo blueline. He may be an occasional power-play participant, yet is prominent elsewhere by logging more than 23 minutes a night. Byram also averages at least one shot, hit and block while leading all Sabres’ defenders with a plus-8. He’s been mentioned as someone who could be dealt before the deadline and would make a fine addition to any real-life or fantasy lineup.

Edvinsson built a rapport with Moritz Seider earlier this season, where the rookie eventually took on significant responsibilities. He’s recently moved off the pairing beside the Calder Trophy recipient and has done well in February, highlighted by Tuesday’s two-goal, three-hit, six-block performance as he led Detroit to a comeback win over the Wild. There’s a reason Edvinsson was selected sixth overall in 2021 and he’s now getting a chance to prove it.

Right after Ristolainen was first featured in early December, he suffered a drought with only one point across 13 contests. He managed to turn it around by racking up three goals, seven assists, 32 shots, 25 hits and 30 blocks through the next 18. In addition to an ongoing lead shorthanded spot, Ristolainen has recently been entrusted with quarterbacking Philly’s top PP. That doesn’t seem like a viable long-term option, though he’s earned enough trust to handle any situation and is currently the one reaping the rewards. And like Byram, Ristolainen’s name has often come up in trade rumors. So if he does end up moving, he’ll probably end up somewhere with the potential for fewer fantasy contributions.

The good news for Spence is that he’s riding a three-game assist run. The downside comes from the 12:16 average during that time, as the Kings have lately been using seven D-men. That fortunately hasn’t hurt Spence’s output or his ability to work on L.A.’s backup man-advantage. He’s offensively minded and adequately helps out in other categories, yet his scoring upside is decreased because of the low ice time. But for someone who’s available in 99% of Yahoo formats, Spence represents a decent pickup.

Goaltenders

The numbers may not always tell the whole story when it comes to goaltenders. In the case of Merzlikins, his 2.96 GAA and .895 save percentage are both comfortably below-average. But he’s started 37 of Columbus’s last 52 games and is tied for sixth in the league with 21 wins. As the Blue Jackets boast an elite attack with some of their top forwards recently returning, Merzlikins offers significant fantasy value as a workhorse who’s able to accumulate enough victories.

DeSmith has earned plenty of praise for his play of late as he’s won four straight while only allowing a combined eight goals during that stretch and recording a shutout in St. Louis. He’s proven to be a fine backup for Dallas since joining the club this season and has done the same throughout his career. There’s no questioning Jake Oettinger’s No. 1 role, though DeSmith is primed to receive more than the minimum workload the rest of the way behind a solid defensive side.

Players to consider from past columns: Macklin Celebrini, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, JJ Peterka, Logan Stankoven, Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Guenther, Rickard Rakell, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Perfetti, Nick Schmaltz, Marco Rossi, Dylan Strome, Jonathan Huberdeau, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Brock Nelson, Kent Johnson, Josh Norris, Adam Fantilli, Logan Cooley, Pavel Dorofeyev, Connor McMichael, Matthew Knies, Pavel Zacha, Matty Beniers, Nino Niederreiter, Troy Terry, Sean Monahan, Patrick Kane, Nazem Kadri, Jamie Benn, Elias Lindholm, William Eklund, Jake Neighbours, Chandler Stephenson, Trevor Moore, Dylan Cozens, Vladislav Namestnikov, Stefan Noesen, Connor Zary, Ross Colton, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Donato, Marco Kasper, Leo Carlsson, Yegor Sharangovich, Casey Mittelstadt, Blake Coleman, Kyle Palmieri, Yegor Chinakhov, Will Smith, Michael Bunting, Brayden Schenn, Ryan Strome, Anthony Cirelli, Viktor Arvidsson, Dawson Mercer, Dmitri Voronkov, Eeli Tolvanen, Filip Chytil, Anton Lundell, Dylan Holloway, Matthew Coronato, Jake DeBrusk, Teuvo Teravainen, William Karlsson, Jaden Schwartz, Conor Garland, Andrei Kuzmenko, Tyler Toffoli, Mason Marchment, Ryan O’Reilly, Morgan Geekie, Mason McTavish, Jack Roslovic, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Pius Suter, Patrik Laine, Bobby McMann, Kaapo Kakko, Barrett Hayton, Alex Killorn, Jack Quinn, Anders Lee, Jiri Kulich, Tyler Bertuzzi, Alex Laferriere, Maxim Tsyplakov, Fabian Zetterlund, Brett Howden, Aliaksei Protas, Aaron Ekblad, Neal Pionk, Jackson LaCombe, Luke Hughes, Brandt Clarke, Seth Jones, Filip Hronek, Lane Hutson, Tony DeAngelo, Travis Sanheim, Cam Fowler, Matt Grzelcyk, Justin Faulk, Mason Lohrei, Brady Skjei, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Samuel Girard, Owen Power, Radko Gudas, Esa Lindell, Erik Gustafsson, Jamie Drysdale, Darren Raddysh, Declan Chisholm, Alex Vlasic, Sean Durzi, Alexander Romanov, Damon Severson, Ivan Provorov, Cam Talbot, Ilya Samsonov, Mackenzie Blackwood, Lukas Dostal, Kevin Lankinen, Samuel Ersson, Yaroslav Askarov, Scott Wedgewood, Jake Allen, Marc-Andre Fleury, John Gibson, Sam Montembeault, Jonathan Quick, Karel Vejmelka, Dan Vladar, Connor Ingram, Calvin Pickard, Joel Hofer, Joonas Korpisalo, Spencer Knight

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