NHL Waiver Wire: Picks of the Week

Note: The NHL Waiver Wire article will run Thursdays this season instead of Mondays. The goal is to give fantasy owners more time to plan their pickups for the upcoming scoring period, Monday-Sunday.

Two approaches are necessary for attacking the waiver wire in seasonal leagues. First, you want to swing for the fences and hope to pick up a year-long asset. Unfortunately, plenty of players already rostered in most settings aren't even wire-to-wire contributors, so the second approach then becomes important: keeping tabs on players with encouraging short-term outlooks.

Injuries create opportunities, shooting surges and slumps strike, and the NHL schedule can have a significant impact on fantasy results. It's critical to remain flexible and stay on the prowl for upgrades. Depending on your league's settings, dedicating multiple roster slots for streaming can be advantageous. After all, in-season roster management is paramount to success.

While it's potentially more critical in weekly setups, paying attention to the NHL schedule is an important aspect of maximizing your transactions in all seasonal leagues. With that in mind, emphasis will be placed on the upcoming schedule in this space. Here's the schedule for the next scoring period, Oct. 16-22:

One game: Ducks

Two games: Bruins, Flames, Avalanche, Kings, Wild, Islanders, Golden Knights and Capitals

Four games: Red Wings, Lightning and Canucks

All other teams play three games next week

Before turning to this week's targets, it's also important to monitor who is being dropped in your leagues. Be ready to collect hasty cuts made by the opposition. At this stage of the season, it's far too early to abandon a proven scorer to chase a hot hand.

Forwards

Jesper Bratt, NJD (Yahoo: 36%, ESPN: 30%, CBS: 45%): Rarely does a sixth round selection break into the league as a 19-year-old rookie and move the fantasy needle, but Bratt has passed the eye test and filled up the points column through three games. He's recorded three goals and six points while averaging 16:49 of ice time (3:08 with the man advantage). Just note that he's only registered four shots and will probably need to produce consistently to remain in a scoring role.

Paul Stastny, STL (Yahoo: 21%, ESPN: 61%, CBS: 67%): The veteran is on a four-game point streak with a goal and four helpers to start the season, and he's centering Vladimir Tarasenko in all situations. It's a great fantasy setup for Stastny, who projects to continue posting strong numbers as long as he's locked in with Tarasenko.

Sonny Milano, CLM (Yahoo: 11%, ESPN: 14%, CBS: 31%): With his two-goal night Tuesday, Milano has now scored in each game this season for four tallies through three contests. Most importantly, though, the rookie logged 3:07 of power-play time against Carolina and registered three shots. Milano has first-round pedigree and an offensive track record with 47 points through 63 games in the AHL last season, so there's potential for year-long success.

Vladislav Namestnikov, TB (Yahoo: 33%, ESPN: 39%, CBS: 54%): While Namestnikov missed the scoresheet last time out, he logged a season-high 20:51 of ice time, which included 5:00 with the man advantage. He's locked in with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov in all situations, and until that changes, Namestnikov is in a ripe position to post excellent fantasy results.

Tyler Bozak, TOR (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 54%, CBS: 46%): At some point, the Maple Leafs might have to sacrifice some offense to keep the puck out of their own net. However, with at least three tallies in each game, there's value throughout their lineup. Bozak has a goal and three helpers through four games, and he's averaging 4:04 of power-play time per contest. It doesn't need to be flashy to be effective.

Anthony Mantha, DET (Yahoo: 33%, ESPN: 57%, CBS: 79%): On the heels of a solid rookie campaign with 1.1 goals and 2.3 points per 60 minutes over 60 games, Mantha has opened 2017-18 with two goals, four points and eight shots through the first three outings. The 23-year-old winger is locked into an offensive role with the Red Wings and logged 18:17 of ice time (3:55 on the power play) Tuesday against Dallas.

Vladimir Sobotka, STL (Yahoo: 11%, ESPN: 14%, CBS: 33%): A well-rounded winger, Sobotka isn't going to pile up points, but he offers enough offense to complement his peripheral coverage. The 30-year-old Czech already has four assists, a plus-3 rating, four PIM, nine hits and three blocked shots through four games. He's unlikely to stick on a line with Vladimir Tarasenko all season, but it's a cushy gig for the time being.

Nail Yakupov, COL (Yahoo: 7%, ESPN: 6%, CBS: 22%): With two more points against Boston on Wednesday, the 2012 first-overall selection is up to three goals, five points, 11 shots and a plus-6 rating through the first four games of the season. Yakupov's talent has never been in question, so there's a chance he'll never look back. Albeit, it's extremely unlikely that he'll flirt with a point-per-game pace moving forward.

Ondrej Kase, ANA (Yahoo: 1%, ESPN: 1%, CBS: 3%): The Ducks only play once next week, and Kase (head) is currently injured, so he's just a player to watch at this point. However, he was seeing time on the No. 1 line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and the 21-year-old winger recorded a respectable 7.4 shots per 60 minutes in limited ice time last season. Once healthy, Kase is a top-six role away from a potential break-out.

Defensemen

Mattias Ekholm, NAS (Yahoo: 29%, ESPN: 19%, CBS: 35%):Ryan Ellis' (knee) absence pushes Ekholm into a larger role, and the 27-year-old Swede offers a nice cross-category profile for fantasy owners. Additionally, it always helps when an asset is playing for one of the best teams in the league. Ekholm projects to move the needle across all statistical columns and is an excellent defender to round out your back end.

Will Butcher, NJD (Yahoo: 28%, ESPN: 45%, CBS: 60%): The Hobey Baker winner has recorded five assists -- three on the power-play -- through his first three games, and he's shown tremendous poise with the puck. Butcher has also started 76.2 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone and is quarterbacking New Jersey's best power-play unit.

Mike Green, DET (Yahoo: 49%, ESPN: 60%, CBS: 88%): It's odd that Green is surfing on so many waiver wires after posting four consecutive 35-point seasons with at least 70 games played in each. He's recorded six assists -- three on the power play -- through three contests to start the season and is locked into a top offensive role for the Red Wings.

Nate Schmidt, VGK (Yahoo: 4%, ESPN: 10%, CBS: 26%): The advanced-stats darling has averaged 20:47 of ice time with 4:16 on the power play through the first three games of the season, recording a goal and two helpers. Schmidt is filling in as the No. 1 offensive defenseman with Shea Theodore in the minors, and he's taking advantage of the opportunity. He's also a willing shot-blocker with seven blocks already.

Brandon Montour, ANA (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 5%, CBS: 39%): An elite skater, Montour posted 89 points through 104 AHL games before showcasing tremendous upside during Anaheim's playoff run last spring. He's currently receiving power-play time and being deployed on the second pairing at even strength. The jury is still out on whether his real-world upside translates to fantasy value, though. Still, the youngster is a worthwhile gamble if blue-line help is needed.

Victor Mete, MON (Yahoo: 3%, ESPN: 2%, CBS: 16%): A true flier, Mete has made his way to the top pairing at even strength alongside Shea Weber. The 19-year-old rookie is a tremendous skater with oodles of offensive upside. Additionally, one proven fantasy strategy is rostering the partner of a No. 1 defensemen. While Mete is still a wild card and might not last past the nine-game trial run, he's been handed a chance to shine.

Goalies

Aaron Dell, SAN (Yahoo: 22%, ESPN: 1%, CBS: 10%): The Sharks have a back-to-back set next week, and Martin Jones has struggled early on. With four goals allowed (.864 save percentage and 5.17 GAA) in consecutive losses, Jones could begin ceding more starts to his No. 2. Dell posted a sterling .931 save percentage and 2.00 GAA through 20 appearances last year, and there's a chance he could push for 25 to 30 starts in 2017-18. Expect him to face the Devils or Islanders next weekend.

Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (Yahoo: 37%, ESPN: 9%, CBS: 70%): A 37-save win over the Oilers on the road earned Hellebuyck a second consecutive start against the Canucks on Thursday, and the 24-year-old netminder might never look back. Steve Mason will continue to receive starts moving forward, but this could be close to a 50-50 timeshare.

Peter Budaj, TB (Yahoo: 12%, ESPN: 9%, CBS: 14%): With four games on the schedule next week, expect Budaj to make his season debut during a back-to-back set against the Red Wings or Devils. He's coming off an excellent 2016-17 campaign and checks out as a solid Plan B if Andrei Vasilevskiy struggles in his first full season as a No. 1 starter. It hasn't been a hot start for the 23-year-old Russian (.900 save percentage and 3.67 GAA), either. Budaj has the upside to be a go-to fantasy asset if he lands in a starter's role.

Phillipp Grubauer, WAS (Yahoo: 7%, ESPN: 20%, CBS: 21%): Another backup with tremendous upside, Grubauer should provide serviceable fantasy numbers even if Braden Holtby gets the majority of the starts. Washington has two back-to-back sets in the next week, so Grubauer could see multiple starts. The No. 2 posted a .926 save percentage and 2.04 GAA through 24 appearances last season, so he's an intriguing option when receiving the starting nod.