NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Expected Starters - Tuesday, Feb. 13

Tuesday, Feb. 13. 11-game slate.

* = confirmed or probable

Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB* at Linus Ullmark, BOS* (7 p.m. ET)

David Rittich, LA* at Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF* (7 p.m. ET)

Lukas Dostal, ANA at Cayden Primeau, MTL* (7 p.m. ET)

Daniil Tarasov, CLB* at Anton Forsberg, OTT* (7 p.m. ET)

Jordan Binnington, STL* at Ilya Samsonov, TOR* (7 p.m. ET)

Alexandar Georgiev, COL* at Charlie Lindgren, WSH* (7 p.m. ET)

Philipp Grubauer, SEA* at Ilya Sorokin, NYI* (7:30 p.m. ET)

Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR* at Jake Oettinger, DAL* (8 p.m. ET)

Akira Schmid, NJ at Juuse Saros, NSH* (8 p.m. ET)

Thatcher Demko, VAN* at Petr Mrazek, CHI* (8:30 p.m. ET)

Alex Lyon, DET at Stuart Skinner, EDM* (9 p.m. ET)

Streaming Options

( < 50% rostered on Yahoo, ranked by matchup)

David Rittich, LA at BUF (25% rostered)

Coming off a 26-save shutout against the Oilers, Rittich's fantasy value is trending way up. It would be very curious if the Kings go back to Cam Talbot, which means Rittich would make his fourth straight start. The Kings can make it three wins in a row and I definitely like their chances here. The Sabres have lost four of their past six and scored twice in their past two games. 

Akira Schmid, NJ at NSH (14% rostered)

With Vitek Vanecek likely unavailable with a lower-body injury and Nico Daws getting the start Monday, it looks like Schmid will see his first action since Dec. 21. Schmid was a popular dark horse pick but didn't live up to the hype, but I do like this matchup. The Devils have Jack Hughes back in the lineup, who scored two points against the Kraken, and the Preds have struggled lately with five losses in their past seven. Even if Schmid doesn't post good numbers, I like the Devils' chances of winning. 

Samuel Montembeault, MTL vs. ANA (26% rostered)

Montembeault or Cayden Primeau will get this start, and I like the Habs' chances either way even though historically the Ducks have dominated this matchup since 2020 (4-1-1). Montembeault has posted a save percentage of .921 or better in three straight starts, and the Habs were victorious in their previous meeting on Nov. 22 with a 4-3 win. I think Montembeault can at least put up a good save percentage.

Editor's note: Primeau will get the start. I'm a little less confident in him but I still don't mind this matchup. 

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF vs. LA (46% rostered)

I wonder if the Sabres go with Devon Levi here, just to give Luukkonen a break after two straight losses. But I do think Luukkonen's been the better goalie and should start his fourth straight game. However, the two teams are trending in opposite directions and the Sabres have not provided much goal support. The Sabres are clearly the underdog and you're hoping for a good save percentage from Luukkonen. 

(NEW) Anton Forsberg, OTT vs. CLB (4% rostered)

This will be Forsberg's first start since suffering a groin injury, having last played on Jan. 11. The Sens definitely have the edge in this win so a win wouldn't be surprising, but Forsberg hasn't been very good all season and I'd approach this start with caution. The upside for Forsberg in this start is a ton of saves. 

Elvis Merzlikins, CLB at OTT (21% rostered)

Merzlikins allowed three goals on 36 shots against the Lightning in a 4-2 loss following a 21-save shutout, and I think that's a pretty good stretch of play. I am wary, however, of a Sens team that's getting into a groove with three straight wins and three good scoring lines. It's worth noting Merzlikins has been quite good against the Sens in his career with a .923 SP and 2.65 GAA. I wouldn't mind rolling the dice, but if this turns into a high-scoring affair with poor defense and goaltending, it would surprise nobody. Merzlikins is a high-risk, medium-reward option. 

Editor's note: Daniil Tarasov will get the start, his first appearance since Jan. 28 and a chance to secure just his fourth win in his 11th start. With the Sens trending upward, I'd shy away from the inconsistent Tarasov in this start. 

Lukas Dostal, ANA at MTL (6% rostered)

Dostal occasionally has a brilliant game, but they're a little too far and few between to make him a reliable streaming option. He'll likely get the start after John Gibson was forced to leave the game against the Oilers, and Dostal allowed two goals on 10 shots in relief. If there were fewer options on a lighter slate, Dostal might be an option. 

Philipp Grubauer, SEA at NYI (13% rostered)

Joey Daccord likely gets the break with the Kraken playing the second half of a back-to-back, and this will be Grubauer's first appearance since Dec. 9. In three seasons with the Kraken, Grubauer has a .890 SP and 3.07 GAA, and considering the Isles offense is pretty underrated, I don't see much upside in this matchup. 

Charlie Lindgren, WSH vs. COL (32% rostered)

Difficult matchup for Lindgren, who I feel may cede playing time to Darcy Kuemper again. True, the Avs are slumping with four straight losses, but it's such an explosive offense that I'd be wary of starting Lindgren, who allowed six goals on 31 shots in his only appearance against them in his career. The Caps have lost seven of their past eight, with the only win coming against the Bruins in which they were particularly lackluster with only 18 shots on goal. 

Petr Mrazek, CHI vs. VAN (32% rostered)

The Hawks are coming off a three-day break but this is a daunting challenge. Connor Bedard will not be back in the lineup until next week, so there's little goal support. The Canucks have a distinct advantage and it would take a very poor effort and a strong effort from the Hawks for them to win.