NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Expected Starters - Thursday, Jan. 11

Thursday, Jan. 11. 13-game slate. 

* = confirmed or probable

Anton Forsberg, OTT* at Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF* (7 p.m. ET)

John Gibson, ANA at Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR* (7 p.m. ET)

Calvin Pickard, EDM* at Alex Lyon, DET* (7 p.m. ET)

Cam Talbot, LA* at Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA* (7 p.m. ET)

Mackenzie Blackwood, SJ* at Samuel Montembeault, MTL (7 p.m. ET)

Thatcher Demko, VAN* at Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT* (7 p.m. ET)

Vitek Vanecek, NJ* at Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB* (7 p.m. ET)

Joey Daccord, SEA* at Darcy Kuemper, WSH* (7 p.m. ET)

Martin Jones, TOR* at Ilya Sorokin, NYI* (7 p.m. ET)

Igor Shesterkin, NYR at Jordan Binnington, STL* (8 p.m. ET)

Petr Mrazek, CHI at Laurent Brossoit, WPG* (8 p.m. ET)

Jacob Markstrom, CGY at Connor Ingram, ARI (9 p.m. ET)

Jeremy Swayman, BOS at Logan Thompson, VEG (10 p.m. ET)

Streaming Options

( < 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues, ranked by matchup)

(NEW) Laurent Brossoit, WPG vs. CHI (18% rostered)

Brossoit gets his chance to keep the Jets' seven-game winning streak alive and this is a good matchup. The Hawks are obviously very shorthanded without Connor Bedard, and though they limited the Oilers to just 15 shots in their previous game, it's unlikely to happen again. Stream Brossoit at will. 

Samuel Montembeault, MTL vs. SJ (24% rostered)

This is the second half of a back-to-back but anytime you can stream a goalie to face the Sharks, you do it. Perhaps the Sharks will come out with a better effort following a 7-1 blowout loss against the Leafs, but the Habs are also not the type of team to take nights off. I think this will be a close match but the Habs should pull through with a win in, hopefully, a low-scoring game for the sake of Montembeault's stats. 

(NEW) Calvin Pickard, EDM at DET (3% rostered)

Not taking anything away from Pickard, who was very good with 28 saves in his previous start against the Ducks, but the Oilers' goal support is so strong it makes Pickard worth starting to earn the win. Don't underestimate the Wings' offense; it's highly likely they score their fair share of goals.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF vs. OTT (14% rostered)

Luukkonen can go for his third straight win and he's fared better than Devon Levi lately. However, the amount of offensive talent and lack of good defensive structure on both teams is a concern. That means while Luukkonen and the Sabres may be favored, there's no guarantee the save percentage or goals against will be good. Luukkonen is a risky option but not the worst. 

(NEW) Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT vs. VAN (29% rostered)

This will be Nedeljkovic's second straight start and fourth start in six games, increasing the temperature on a brewing goalie battle in Pittsburgh. Of course, having two good goalies is better than one, but this is a situation to really monitor as it looks like Nedeljkovic has the inside track on the No. 1 job. 

That being said, I would sit Nedeljkovic against arguably the league's best offense in the Canucks, who dismantled the Rangers and Isles in consecutive games. If Nedeljkovic has (another) strong performance, however, he is absolutely worth stashing. 

Alex Lyon, DET vs. EDM (42% rostered)

Lyon has won three straight games but now arguably faces the toughest offense in the league and the Oilers are on an eight-game winning streak. Lyon's had three days' rest, but it's unlikely to change the outcome of this game. The Wings have not done a good job of limiting the opposition's chances, and they'll have an even harder time against Connor McDavid. I think Lyon's winning streak will end and you hope he at least puts up a good save percentage. 

Anton Forsberg, OTT at BUF (5% rostered)

With Joonas Korpisalo getting tagged with the loss in their last game, and with no end in sight to their horrendous season, the Sens will likely continue their timeshare rotation. The good news is Forsberg won his previous start against the Sabres with a 45-save effort, and the Sabres are similarly weak on defense like the Sens, but this is a coin flip and there are no guarantees Forsberg can have another top-tier performance considering his inconsistency. Pass. 

Petr Mrazek, CHI at WPG (28% rostered)

It's actually kind of amazing the Hawks limited the Oilers to just 15 shots, and I'm not sure they could do it again even if they tried. The Jets are a stronger team with a more balanced lineup, and the Hawks have a league-high 17 losses on the road. 

Mackenzie Blackwood, SJ at MTL (8% rostered)

Blackwood likely gets the start even though he appeared in relief for Kaapo Kahkonen against the Leafs. Mired in an 11-game losing streak, it's actually a wonder why I even include Sharks goalies on this list... there's no upside.