NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Expected Starters - Sunday, Dec. 31

Sunday, Dec. 31. Nine-game slate. 

* = confirmed or probable

Laurent Brossoit, WPG* at Marc-André Fleury, MIN* (2 p.m. ET)

Jeremy Swayman, BOS at Alex Lyon, DET* (5 p.m. ET)

Devon Levi, BUF* at Joonas Korpisalo, OTT (6 p.m. ET)

Ilya Sorokin, NYI* at Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT* (6 p.m. ET)

Samuel Montembeault, MTL at Jonas Johansson, TB* (7 p.m. ET)

Calvin Pickard, EDM at Lukas Dostal, ANA (8 p.m. ET)

Samuel Ersson, PHI* at Jacob Markstrom, CGY* (8 p.m. ET)

Kaapo Kahkonen, SJ* at Alexandar Georgiev, COL (8 p.m. ET)

Petr Mrazek, CHI* at Scott Wedgewood, DAL (8 p.m. ET)

Streaming Options

( < 50% of Yahoo leagues, ranked by matchup)

Calvin Pickard, EDM at ANA (2% rostered)

It's unlikely the Ducks will be shut out for the second straight game, but they really just don't have the offense to compete. Pickard may not put in a stellar performance, but it's highly probable he earns the win. 

Scott Wedgewood, DAL vs. CHI (47% rostered)

Wedgewood may have made just 25 saves, but without him, the Stars wouldn't have been able to come back in overtime after trailing 2-0 in the first period. Wedgewood has generally been good, but also unable to play two strong games in a row. I'd be wary of his save percentage even though he'll likely win his fifth game in six starts.  

Jonas Johansson, TB vs. MTL (19% rostered)

Johansson gets his first start since Dec. 7, a 5-1 loss to the Preds. He hasn't played much for good reason, but this should be a very good matchup if you're looking for a win. I'm just now sure about that save percentage... 

(NEW) Samuel Ersson, PHI at CGY (25% rostered)

Ersson's been great this season and note the over/under for this game is 5.5. Neither team's offense is particularly good, but the Flyers definitely have a chance to win this game. I think you'll get a decent to good save percentage, but the win is a coin flip. 

Laurent Brossoit, WPG at MIN (8% rostered)

It'll be a slugfest as the Jets and Wild conclude their back-to-back, home-and-home series with another early start. Brossoit has been excellent in his past three starts, and with the Jets winning on Saturday, the gut feeling is the Wild will split the series. Hopefully, it's a low-scoring matchup to give Brossoit and Marc-André Fleury some fantasy value. 

Alex Lyon, DET vs. BOS (28% rostered)

Lyon will get his second straight start after narrowly defeating the Preds, 5-4, on Friday. You hope Lyon provides a good save percentage; he's been good but not nearly as good as he was previously, and the Wings have made a habit of trying to outscore their opponents rather than defending. Against a tough opponent, Lyon is a viable option but certainly shouldn't be your first. 

Petr Mrazek, CHI at DAL (28% rostered)

The Hawks will go with Mrazek again after losing 5-4 on Friday. This is the second straight game the Hawks will play in Dallas in an odd schedule quirk, and again the Hawks are the underdog. They leapt to an early 2-0 lead but lost in overtime; the Hawks are just too inconsistent, and that makes Mrazek a risky start. 

Samuel Montembeault, MTL at TB (22% rostered)

Montembeault will likely draw the start and it's a tough one; he's allowed at least three goals in four straight starts and it's highly unlikely they can limit a dangerous Lightning offense. Montembeault's career .910 SP against the Lightning is respectable, but it's unlikely the Habs will win here even with both teams playing the second half of a back-to-back. 

Kaapo Kahkonen, SJ at COL (4% rostered)

Kahkonen likely gets the start despite coming in relief in the previous game after the Sharks let down rookie Magnus Chrona in his first start. Kahkonen can give you a good save percentage, hopefully, but a win will be very hard to earn. 

Lukas Dostal, ANA vs. EDM (5% rostered)

After a good start to the season, Dostal's play has certainly tailed off. This is a really tough matchup and Dostal's been too inconsistent to be reliable. The upside is Dostal may see a lot of shots, so there's some value to be had if your league counts saves.