Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire - Friday, Nov. 24

Hopefully, the turkey slumber hasn’t been too taxing since it’s an early start to Friday’s 15-game slate starting at 1 p.m. ET with Red Wings at Bruins and Rangers at Flyers. There will be games on all day long capped off with Canucks at Kraken at 10 p.m. ET. Only the Coyotes and Golden Knights will be out of action; they will play each other Saturday.

Check the tweets for updated starters and information following the Thanksgiving break on Thursday.

(ranked by matchup)

Joel Hofer, STL vs. NSH (10% rostered)

Hofer relieved Jordan Binnington in a 6-5 win against the Coyotes and he might draw the first game of the back-to-back. The Preds will be a tougher opponent than the Blackhawks, but the Blues should have the edge in both matchups. Hofer hasn’t been consistent, but he’s definitely had more good games than bad games, and when he’s good, he’s been really good. Hofer is a good streaming option both Friday and Saturday, depending on which game he starts.

Charlie Lindgren, WSH vs. EDM (30% rostered)

The Caps are one of the teams not playing back-to-back Friday and Saturday, but no doubt Lindgren’s been the sharper goalie lately. Though the Oilers are struggling, they still possess an explosive offense and I’d still go into any matchup against them with at least some trepidation. It’s worth noting Lindgren is unbeaten in his career against the Oilers (2-0-0) but hasn’t been particularly sharp (.898 SP).

Elvis Merzlikins, CLB at NJ (25% rostered)

Merzlikins was very good against the Hawks and the Devils are coming off an ugly 4-0 loss with only 16 shots on goal. The Jackets are unlikely to provide seven goals’ worth of support for Merzlikins again, and the Devils should come out with a much better effort. Unless you need saves, this isn’t a good streaming option. The Devils have won their three previous matchups by scores of 8-1, 3-2 and 7-1.

Alex Lyon, DET at BOS (3% rostered)

I would advise against this start but it’s worth monitoring to see if Lyon does indeed get his third straight start following a 16-save shutout against the Devils. Credit where credit’s due, but the Wings completely shut down the Devils that night and didn’t test Lyon all that much. However, this is a goalie controversy brewing and there’s a chance that the depth chart might look like Lyon, James Reimer and Ville Husso by the end of the weekend.

Mackenzie Blackwood, SJ vs. MTL (10% rostered)

Kaapo Kahkonen was pulled in their last game so expect Blackwood to start, and he’s certainly got a good hold on the No. 1 job in what was supposed to be a timeshare. The Habs have the same number of regulation wins (3) as the Sharks and, quite honestly, this feels like a coinflip. However, the Sharks have home ice to dictate matchups and Blackwood definitely is the better goalie than Cayden Primeau.

Cayden Primeau, MTL at SJ (1% rostered)

Primeau is the confirmed starter and count me as one of those who’s skeptical about his potential. Primeau’s clearly the No. 3 goalie on a team that has average to above-average goaltending, and even though it’s the Sharks, they haven’t been as easy to defeat as they were in October. This feels like a trap game for fantasy managers who think the Habs have the clear edge. While a win is certainly possible, there’s no confidence in Primeau to put up good numbers.

Marco Rossi, C, MIN vs. COL (5% rostered)

Even with the return of Frédérick Gaudreau, giving the Wild at least four centers, Rossi has maintained his spot between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello on the top line. Kaprizov and Zuccarello have always had a productive partnership, and Rossi’s on a three-game points streak, forming the Wild’s most reliable and best scoring line.

Erik Haula, LW, NJ vs. CLB (16% rostered)

Haula’s not someone who immediately pops into your head when you want offense, but he’s been a good source of points playing alongside Jack Hughes, both now and last season. The Devils played 11-7, which means the forward lines will be mix-and-match all night, but Haula’s been the player Lindy Ruff has relied on in the past to help balance things out. It’s also a very favorable matchup against the Jackets.

Leo Carlsson, C, ANA vs. LA (12% rostered)

We shall see if load management is in effect. The league took a break on Thursday and the Ducks don’t play back-to-back, so Carlsson should be in the lineup. It’s a difficult matchup against the Kings, but look for Carlsson to get top-six minutes, and despite the load management, he’s scoring at a 56-point pace.

Kirill Marchenko, RW, CLB at NJ (7% rostered)

Marchenko was promoted to the top line and plays with Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. He scored two points on three shots against the Hawks, and the Devils are another favorable matchup due to their porous defense and goaltending.

Philipp Kurashev, C, CHI vs. TOR (4% rostered)

With Taylor Hall out for the season, it looks like Kurashev and Lukas Reichel will be Connor Bedard’s wingmen until further notice. Kurashev is one of the Hawks’ more talented playmakers and he’s done the smart thing passing the puck as often as he can to Bedard. Kurashev’s playing at a point-per-game pace and offers more consistency and a higher floor than the boom-or-bust Reichel.

Zach Benson, LW, BUF vs. PIT (3% rostered)

Since returning from injury, Benson has scored three points in three games. His first career goal is already the stuff of legends, and he’s settled in nicely on Casey Mittlestadt’s line with Dylan Cozens still having trouble scoring even with Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch.

Jonathan Drouin, LW, COL at MIN (3% rostered)

It’s still tough to trust Drouin but he’s coming off a two-point game against the Canucks and it’s a great matchup against the Wild. The Wild are allowing four goals per game, second-highest in the league.

Drew O’Connor, LW, PIT at BUF (0% rostered)

With injuries to both Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, Alex Nylander and Jansen Harkins were called up from the AHL, but it was O’Connor who got the biggest bump to Sidney Crosby’s line. It’s an interesting choice since O’Connor’s offensive ceiling isn’t very high, but he’s also the type of role player that might excel with Crosby because his game is very simple and he doesn’t need the puck to be effective. That he’s sharing the ice with Crosby, and on PP2, is significant, though, because it will at least give him many more offensive opportunities.

Jake Neighbours, LW, STL vs. NSH (0% rostered)

Neighbours has scored three points in his past three games during a little hot streak. His minutes remain limited but he’s playing on the second line with Brayden Schenn and Brandon Saad. The matchup against the Preds is favorable given their lack of depth and surprisingly mediocre goaltending.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, FLA vs. WPG (48% rostered)

If you’ve held onto Ekman-Larsson, keep holding him. Despite the return of Aaron Ekblad, OEL has maintained his spot on PP1, though his overall ice time has declined and played just 16 minutes with a minus-3 rating against the Bruins. At the very least, OEL should provide some hits and blocks.

Cam York, PHI vs. NYR (2% rostered)

With three points in two games, York is starting to demand some attention. Travis Sanheim has been excellent and he piles up the stats because he gets so much ice time, but when it comes to offense, York has the most upside. With nine shots in his past four games, York’s offensive production is trending way up. The Rangers are a tough opponent but York might have some value as a mid-term or season-long hold. You’ll just have to be patient.

Kevin Korchinski, CHI vs. TOR (2% rostered)

It was time. Seth Jones has barely moved the needle in Chicago, and at their most recent practice, he was replaced by Korchinski on PP1. Though Jones has graded out better analytically generating shots on the man advantage, the Hawks needed to switch things up. Don’t expect an avalanche of points from Korchinski; the Hawks lack weapons outside of Connor Bedard, but this certainly boosts Korchinski’s fantasy value. If you need a defenseman in a pinch and looking for some PP upside, Korchinski can fill that role. At minus-9, the Leafs have one of the worst penalty differentials in the league.