Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Picks

Week 2 (Oct 13–19) is where streaming discipline starts paying off.
This slate features a dozen four-game teams, but not all volume is equal — off-night leverage (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday) is the key.

If you plan it right, one roster spot can net you 4–5 extra man-games this week.

How We Pick Waiver Adds

Our process is simple:

Target teams with four games in Week 2.
Prioritize off-night slots — this week, that’s Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Use the Rankings page to filter by positions you actually have room for on those nights.
Peek at the Optimizer to line up Week 3 before your league mates do.

Heavy slates (Thursday and Saturday) often clog benches. Off-nights get you free starts.

Teams to Target in Week 2

Twelve teams play four games this week:
Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Utah Hockey Club, and Vancouver Canucks.

Below are the best schedule shapes for streaming value.

🧲 True Off-Night Monsters (4 GP with Wed/Fri/Sun)

Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Utah Hockey Club
Days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday

That Wednesday/Friday/Sunday trio is pure gold for avoiding bench conflicts.
Add them early in the week, ride those off-nights, then churn for a new stash on Sunday.

⚡ Early-Week Power Starts (4 GP with Mon/Tue)

Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs
Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

Great for jumping to an early categories lead (shots, hits, PPP) before benches fill.
Combine with a midweek pivot to an off-night team for maximum total starts.

🛠️ Hybrid Schedules (still strong value)

Minnesota Wild – Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday
Tampa Bay Lightning – Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday
Vancouver Canucks – Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday
Florida Panthers – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
Ottawa Senators – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
Edmonton Oilers – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Boston Bruins – Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

Each of these teams includes at least one off-night opportunity — perfect for squeezing in a few extra starts.

Suggested Streamer Profiles

Until we have deeper season data, focus on player roles that translate immediately:

Hits/Blocks streamers (Defensemen) – Reliable floors that win peripherals on off-nights.
Net-front/PP2 forwards – Often available; a single PPG on a light night can swing PPP.
Volume shooters (Wingers) – Even 2–3 SOG per game stacks into 8–12 over a 4-game week.
Faceoff specialists (Centers) – Monday/Wednesday pickups can swing FW totals for free.

👉 Use the Rankings page to filter by position + “Games This Week (GTW)” + per-game toggle to find the best fit for your roster.

Week 2 Schedule Breakdown

Monday, Oct 13 → 20 games (moderate)
Tuesday, Oct 14 → 16 games (moderate)
Wednesday, Oct 15 → 8 games (light)
Thursday, Oct 16 → 22 games (heavy)
Friday, Oct 17 → 8 games (light)
Saturday, Oct 18 → 26 games (very heavy)
Sunday, Oct 19 → 8 games (light)

👉 Translation: Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday are your premium streaming windows.
Plan your adds around those days; accept Thursday/Saturday players only if you have clear lineup space.

Why This Works

Streaming is all about man-games math:

A skater averaging 3 shots and 2 hits gives you 12 shots and 8 hits over 4 games.
You can’t score from your bench — off-nights convert dead bench slots into production.
Chaining schedules (early-week ➜ mid-week ➜ late-week ➜ next-week stash) compounds your advantage.

Looking Ahead to Week 3 (Oct 20–26)

If you have a move left on Sunday (Oct 19), stash a skater for next week.
Twelve teams play four games in Week 3:
Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, and Seattle Kraken.

Early-Week Streamers for Week 3

For managers planning ahead, these teams play Monday or Monday/Wednesday next week:

Buffalo Sabres – Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Dallas Stars – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Seattle Kraken – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

That means you can use your final Week 2 move to pick up one of these skaters Sunday night and roll directly into early Week 3 production.

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Final Thoughts

Be deliberate: start with Chicago, Detroit, and Utah for off-night leverage, mix in Nashville and Toronto to front-load the week, and always convert your final move into a Week 3 stash.

👉 Use the Rankings page to filter by team, position, and schedule, and subscribe to the Newsletter to get weekly waiver-wire breakdowns every Monday.