Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Picks – Week 12 (2025)
December 20, 2025
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Picks – Week 12 (Dec 22–28, 2025)
Week 12 is the Christmas-week schedule — and it plays completely different than a normal fantasy week.
The schedule reality (what actually matters)
There are only FOUR NHL slate days this week:
- Mon (Dec 22): light slate (8 games)
- Tue (Dec 23): heavy (26 games)
- Wed–Fri (Dec 24–26): no games (league-wide Christmas break)
- Sat (Dec 27): heavy (26 games)
- Sun (Dec 28): light-ish (10 games)
Because of the break, most teams play 1–2 games. That means:
- 3 games = best (priority stream targets)
- 2 games = usable (fallback options only)
- 1 game = worst (avoid streaming unless it’s a star)
This week is not about off-nights — it’s about pure man-games.
Quick Jumpstart (pre-break attack: Mon–Tue)
Your biggest edge comes from banking games before the break.
Best pre-break two-game burst (Mon + Tue)
- Seattle Kraken (SEA) — Mon/Tue/Sun
- Philadelphia Flyers (PHI) — Mon/Tue/Sun
- Los Angeles Kings (LAK) — Mon/Tue/Sat
If you add a streamer from SEA / PHI / LAK, you can realistically get two games in two nights before rosters clog up.
Monday openers (Mon + weekend)
Monday is only 8 games, making it one of the easiest nights to stream into.
- Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL) — Mon/Sat/Sun
- Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) — Mon/Sun
- Anaheim Ducks (ANA) — Mon/Sat
- St. Louis Blues (STL) — Mon/Sat
- Vancouver Canucks (VAN) — Mon/Sat
The only thing we’re chasing: 3-game teams
There are 8 teams with 3 games this week. These should be the foundation of your streaming plan.
Tier 1 — Best schedule shapes (3 GP with Mon and/or Sun leverage)
These teams give you flexibility on the light slates.
- Seattle Kraken (SEA) — Mon/Tue/Sun
- Philadelphia Flyers (PHI) — Mon/Tue/Sun
- Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL) — Mon/Sat/Sun
- Los Angeles Kings (LAK) — Mon/Tue/Sat
Tier 2 — Still strong (3 GP, heavier-night lean)
Still excellent volume this week, just slightly harder to fit.
- Toronto Maple Leafs (TOR) — Tue/Sat/Sun
- Chicago Blackhawks (CHI) — Tue/Sat/Sun
- Detroit Red Wings (DET) — Tue/Sat/Sun
- New York Islanders (NYI) — Tue/Sat/Sun
Best 2-game fallback schedules
If the 3-game teams are gone, prioritize Mon or Sun exposure.
- Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) — Mon/Sun
- Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT) — Tue/Sun
- Montreal Canadiens (MTL) — Sat/Sun
Avoid teams that are Tue/Sat only unless your roster is unusually open.
One-game warning (do not stream)
Only two teams play one game this week:
- Utah Mammoth (UTM) — Tue only
- Winnipeg Jets (WPG) — Sat only
In a week where your opponent can stream three games, one-game streamers are a clear disadvantage.
How to build your Week 12 stream plan
A simple framework:
-
Start with the 3-game teams
- SEA / PHI / LAK / TBL are your cleanest builds.
-
Bank games early when possible
- Mon–Tue combos give you a massive edge before the break.
-
Use Sunday as your catch-up lever
- Only 10 games → easy lineup access.
-
Ignore 1-game teams completely
- Even good players can’t overcome the volume gap.
Player Picks
Seattle Kraken (3 GP – Mon/Tue/Sun)
RW Jordan Eberle — Brings good shot volume with a real chance to chip in points. A solid add if you want top-six scoring upside without sacrificing SOG.
LW/RW Eeli Tolvanen — Provides a strong multi-cat profile: steady shots, extra blocks for a winger, and solid hits, with legitimate point upside. The key bonus this week: he’s currently running on PP1, which raises his ceiling on a short slate.
D Adam Larsson — A classic banger-league defense streamer. He gives you a dependable floor of shots and hits, plus decent blocks, and the schedule (Mon/Tue/Sun) makes it easier to actually get all three games into your lineup.
Philadelphia Flyers (3 GP – Mon/Tue/Sun)
LW/RW Owen Tippett — Has been producing decent points while maintaining a useful blend of shots and hits. He’s one of the better all-format streamers on Philly because he doesn’t need a goal to be valuable.
D Cam York — A clean “quiet points” add from the blue line. He’s been providing assists with a workable block floor, making him a nice fit if you’re chasing helpers without punting peripherals.
D Nick Seeler — Pure category glue. Seeler gives you a stable baseline of shots, with solid hits and blocks layered in. A strong choice if you need reliable peripherals across three games.
RW Garnet Hathaway — If your matchup is about brute force stats, Hathaway is the specialist. He’s elite for hits and PIM, and in a week with fewer games league-wide, those categories can swing quickly.
Los Angeles Kings (3 GP – Mon/Tue/Sat)
D Drew Doughty — Back from injury and trending toward relevance fast. He offers shot volume, an okay block floor, and the real appeal is the chance for power-play points as his minutes stabilize.
C Anze Kopitar — Always carries a path to offense. If you need a points swing from a center slot, Kopitar is a steady, low-drama option with a dependable role.
D Brandt Clarke — Ownership is rising for a reason: he’s been putting up useful points with a respectable floor in shots and blocks. One of the better upside defense adds on a short week.
Tampa Bay Lightning (3 GP – Mon/Sat/Sun)
C Anthony Cirelli — Offers decent shot volume and strong opportunity to contribute points within Tampa’s scoring environment. A safe add when you want offense without overthinking it.
C/LW Nick Paul — A well-rounded streamer with decent shots and hits plus real scoring upside. The Mon/Sat/Sun layout also gives you a nice chance to use him as a weekend catch-up piece.
Closing Notes (Quick Hits You Can Action)
- Treat 3-game teams as the new 4-game teams this week.
- SEA / PHI offer the best overall schedule shape.
- TBL is the top weekend-swing option.
- Sunday matters — build for it.
- Avoid UTM / WPG streamers entirely.
Get a head start for Week 13. Use our Optimizer to peek ahead at next week’s top streaming teams and see how they fit your roster (off-night density, man-games, positional needs).
New Merch
If you’re grinding waiver wire edges through the holidays, Check out our 4th Line Fantasy merch — mugs, hoodies, and tees built for late-night lineup decisions and Monday morning waiver sessions.
Merry Christmas!
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