The first roster lock for fantasy is a little earlier than usual, with a matinee in Columbus as the Blue Jackets host the Los Angeles Kings on Monday at 4 p.m. ET.
That kicks off a busy week with 56 games in the final default scoring period of the head-to-head regular season. That's right, fantasy playoffs are right around the corner!
In an effort to pull out all the stops to make sure you are a participant, don't hesitate to make some bold roster moves.
The Ottawa Senators are the best free-agency target this week, playing four games on lighter schedule nights that allow players to slip into your lineup via daily moves without forcing you to bench regulars.
If you do have daily lineups and really want to max out games played this week, there are a half-dozen team combinations that allow you to throw everything at the wall in one roster spot. The Oilers-Senators, Oilers-Flyers, Oilers-Capitals, Senators-Blues, Flyers-Blues and Blues-Capitals will get you seven games if you have a player from each team swapping into the same roster spot. Have Connor McDavid? Pick up Shane Pinto to offset him. Have Jake Sanderson? Grab Logan Mailloux for the week.
Every Monday, we'll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We'll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.
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Forwards
Mavrik Bourque, C/RW, Dallas Stars (1.11 FPPG, 97.2% available): We have to weather at least another week or so without both Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz at the top of the Stars' depth chart. That means Bourque has plenty of runway to continue his deployment alongside Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. He is cashing in on the opportunity with six points in four games, part of his 2.27 fantasy points per game (FPPG) across the past 10 contests. Rantanen is still not expected to start skating for another week, while Hintz is looking at an April return.
Dylan Holloway, C/LW, St. Louis Blues (1.84 FPPG, 32.6% available): There's the Dylan Holloway we had high hopes for coming into the 2025-26 season! Since recovering from an injury that forced him to miss most of December and January, Holloway has posted four goals and five assists in six games since the league resumed from the Olympic break. His 16.8 fantasy points since the break rank 22nd among all forwards.
Matias Maccelli, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs (1.14 FPPG, 93.0% available): Someone still has to score some goals for the Leafs. At the moment, that's Maccelli. He's playing on a line with Auston Matthews and William Nylander, which would be really exciting in some alternative universe, but for now qualifies as good enough. It's working for him though, as he has points in five straight, including a goal in each of the past three.
Brayden Schenn, C/LW, New York Islanders (1.29 FPPG, 71.6% available): There is some potential here based on Schenn's first game with the Isles. While his even-strength line with Ondrej Palat and Calum Ritchie doesn't scream fantasy relevance, he was on the top power-play unit with Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, Matthew Schaefer and Ritchie. The Blues and Kings, two of the Islanders'' three opponents this week, are both bottom eight in power-play goals allowed per game.
Conor Garland, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets (1.29 FPPG, 57.4% available): The Blue Jackets gave Garland a shot on a scoring line with Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson, moving Boone Jenner down to the fourth line. But it was the other two lines that did all the work on Saturday, scoring two goals each. Still, it's a sign the Jackets want Garland involved in the scoring mix. It's worth watching.
See also:
Beckett Sennecke, RW, Anaheim Ducks (1.73 FPPG, 38.6% available)
Pavel Zacha, C/LW, Boston Bruins (1.64 FPPG, 72.2% available)
Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Washington Capitals (1.55 FPPG, 70.2% available)
Ryan Hartman, C, Minnesota Wild (1.74 FPPG, 69.3% available)
Alex Laferriere, C/RW, Kings (1.63 FPPG, 30.3% available)
Matt Duchene, C/LW, Stars (1.55 FPPG, 47.6% available)
Defense
Logan Mailloux scores goal vs. Kraken
Logan Mailloux, D, Blues (0.77 FPPG, 99.4% available): There's an opportunity post-trade deadline for Mailloux to start munching more minutes with the departure of Justin Faulk. Sure enough, he and Philip Broberg both played more than two minutes on the advantage Sunday. Mailloux has the better offensive upside, so he's the one to watch.
Sam Rinzel, D, Chicago Blackhawks (1.26 FPPG, 96.4% available): Rinzel was already getting some power-play opportunities, but the trade of Connor Murphy opens up more minutes overall for the young defender to start accruing some counting stats. He needs to start picking up more hits and blocked shots to become an everyday fantasy play.
Olli Maatta, D, Calgary Flames (0.62 FPPG, 99.9% available): Speaking of opportunity, Maatta has the run of the blue line with the stripped-down Flames roster, especially with an injured Zach Whitecloud. He played 23:54 in his Calgary debut and blocked five shots.
See also:
Jake Walman, D, Edmonton Oilers (1.85 FPPG, 36.6% available)
Goaltenders
Joel Hofer, G, Blues (2.22 FPP60, 93.9% available): Since the Olympic break, Hofer has stopped 101 of 105 shots across four wins, including a shutout. Sure, two of those came against the less-than-threatening Seattle Kraken, but the other two were against powerhouse offenses from the Ducks and Wild. The Blues may have been sellers at the deadline and are playing out the string, but that doesn't mean they can't rally together and keep winning games. Especially with Hofer playing lights out.
See also:
Jet Greaves, G, Blue Jackets (2.34 FPP60, 67.1% available)
Dan Vladar, G, Philadelphia Flyers (2.23 FPP60, 65.7% available)
Short-term streamers
Shane Pinto nets goal for Senators
Shane Pinto, C/RW, Senators (1.70 FPPG, 63.5% available): As mentioned in the intro, the Senators are a great target for free-agent help this week, with Pinto on a little hot streak leading into it. He's not on a line with the offensive heavy hitters, but his combo with Michael Amadio and Nick Cousins punches above its collective weight.
Jake Evans, C, Montreal Canadiens (1.18 FPPG, 99.0% available): The Habs didn't pick up some additional help at center at the trade deadline, so internal options are all they have. Quietly, Evans has slipped into the No. 2 center role with Zack Bolduc and Kirby Dach on his wings. So far, so good. He has points in four straight.
Jacob Markstrom, G, New Jersey Devils (0.95 FPP60, 57.6% available): The Devils only play two games this week, which is terrible news if you need their offense to carry you into the head-to-head postseason. But it's great news if you have Markstrom between the pipes, as the Devils take on the Flames and Kings (ranked first and fourth, respectively, in fantasy points allowed to opposing goaltenders).
Ryan Strome, C, Flames (0.75 FPPG, 99.8% available): It was such a low-key trade deadline that Strome moving to the Flames was moderately interesting to note. I don't think we all run out and add him to rosters, but he scored a goal at even strength with Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil, and added a power-play assist as the Flames shocked the visiting Hurricanes. Sometimes when there are no expectations, players thrive.