Week Four Waiver Wire Wisdom

The fantasy hockey season is moving fast, with three weeks of NHL action already behind us. Most star goalies are off to solid starts. Jake Oettinger, Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman and Logan Thompson have been proving just how elite they are. Managers who didn’t think twice to take them early in drafts are reaping the rewards. Andrei Vasilevskiy will hit his stride soon, and he’ll be one of the best as usual. If you managed to select one of those players, enjoy the peace of mind that comes with owning an elite goalie. For the rest of us middle-class goalie owners, let’s have a look at some value that can be found and who should be avoided on the waiver wire this week.

Target: Pyotr Kochetkov (59% rostered on Yahoo)

It appears that the reigning champions did not party too hard in the offseason. The Carolina Hurricanes have gotten right back to work. They are off to an excellent start, and are sitting right where they belong, at the top of the eastern conference. Goalie wins are often a sought-after category in fantasy hockey, so naturally, any top team’s goalies are a hot commodity. Could it be that the Hurricanes top goalie is sitting on your waiver wire? Kochetkov has not cemented himself as Carolina’s starter, but neither has Brandon Bussi. Through ten regular-season games, the starter role in Carolina is still open for the taking. Rod Brind’Amour has split the starts evenly thus far, with both goalies playing five games each. Although Bussi had the upper hand going into the season, Kochetkov has been the better goalie thus far. Bussi has two wins and below-average stats, while Kochetkov has gone a perfect five-for-five, winning all the games he has played. He also hasn’t let in more than two goals in a game this season. There has been plenty of hype around Kochetkov in the past, and that hype has calmed down. Why might this season be the year Kochetkov takes the next step? Put simply, he is no longer living in Freddie Andersen’s shadow. Carolina plays three games on the road in week four. They face the Canucks, Oilers and Blues. Kochetkov is not a home-run stream for week four, but he may very well end up being a goalie to keep for the year.

Target: Alex Nedeljkovic (10% rostered on Yahoo)

The San Jose Sharks are one of the most exciting teams in hockey, with so much young talent on their roster. With the acquisitions of Jacob Trouba and Darnell Nurse, they added two solid gritty veteran defensemen to complement their young core. The Sharks are expected to take a big step forward this year. All signs were pointing to a Yaroslav Askarov breakout season, with many managers targeting him (54% rostered on Yahoo). Askarov is without a doubt the goalie of the future in San Jose, but he might not have his breakout season just yet. He has struggled to start the year, putting up a 3.99 GAA and .848 SV% through 5 games. On the other hand, Alex Nedeljkovic has been solid to start the campaign, with two wins, a shootout loss, a 2.20 GAA and a .920 SV%. He has also been nearly unbeatable at even strength. According to NHL Edge, he is second in the league in five-on-five SV% (.965). Nedeljkovic has been around the league for a while now. We are not expecting him to emerge as a starter, but he has been reliable throughout his career, and has been a successful fantasy hockey stream in the past. The Sharks have a busy schedule in week four. They hit the road out east, starting with a back-to-back in Toronto and Montreal, followed by a Thursday game in Ottawa and Saturday-night matchup in Boston. Look for Nedeljkovic to get two starts.

Target: John Gibson (42% rostered on Yahoo)

John Gibson is one of the best goalies in the league. No, that is not a typo. He has clearly proven what he is capable of throughout his career. Unfortunately, Gibson has often found himself on struggling teams. The Detroit Red Wings had a rough offseason, and it has affected their performance so far. With the Dylan Larkin situation still unresolved, and Simon Edvinsson still without a contract, many Red Wings fans are voicing their frustration. Despite the drama, Detroit is still a team with potential to contend for a playoff spot. Moritz Seider is one of the league’s best physical defensemen, Lucas Raymond is a very talented playmaker and Alex Debrincat is a high-end goal scorer who is committed to staying in Michigan. If the Wings can get a good return for Larkin, and bring in Edvinsson, they might be able to do some damage in the east. Similar to this season, Gibson had a rough start last year. However, in the second half of the campaign, he was one of the best goalies in the league. His talent is too good to not take a chance on if you’re looking for an option in goal. If Detroit’s season spirals out of control, they might even opt to trade Gibson, since he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Detroit plays three games on the road this week, squaring up against the Kraken, Canucks and Flames. As we know, anything can happen in hockey. But given the weaker rosters of their opponents, they should have a good chance to pick up a couple wins. This is a good time to stream Gibson.

Avoid: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (68% rostered on Yahoo)

The Buffalo Sabres are no longer the laughing stock of the league. Despite Rasmus Dahlin going down with an injury, the Sabres have still managed to play good hockey. Players like Owen Power and Jack Quinn are starting to show us why they were picked so high in their draft years. That being said, one thing the Sabres haven’t been getting is good goaltending. Both Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis have been below-average. Heading into week four, the Sabres only play two games, one of them being against Alex Tuch and the Washington Capitals. Even if Buffalo can come away with a win or two, it likely won’t be their goalie carrying them. Luukkonen is a goalie to avoid for now.

Although this column is focused on waiver wire targets, there is a trade target that we absolutely must discuss. Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck fell in just about every fantasy hockey draft this year, with good reason. Managers who took a chance on him have been paying the price. He hasn’t played a single game through three weeks of the campaign. It was recently announced that Hellebuyck’s suspension will end on October 23. While that may give hope to most Hellebuyck owners, you still may find some disgruntled managers who simply want to move on. This is the time to send out an offer for Hellebuyck in your league. The 2024-25 MVP cannot be sitting out for much longer. This may be your last chance to get him at a discount. Enjoy week four of the best game you can name.