At this point, you should have an idea of who's working out and who's been a dud. Now with the initial observation window past, cuts may come into play. Last week I mentioned I'll be using Yahoo position eligibility in my 2023-24 Fantasy Hockey Week 3 Waiver Wire suggestions.
I'd also like to mention any add suggestions I make will play a minimum of three games that week. More often than not, I will highlight players with a four-game slate.
I'll make a conscientious effort to suggest players in different tiers of ownership % across all leagues in existence. I'm a deep diver though, so don't be alarmed by a majority of low ownership plays.
These players simply serve to help maximize category production in your chase for the W this week. Should they prove to maintain serviceability over time, by all means, run with it.
Here are my thoughts for the 2023-24 Fantasy Hockey Week 3 Waiver Wire plays.
2023-24 Fantasy Hockey Week 3 Waiver Wire
Adds
Sean Monahan, C, Montreal Canadiens (3% owned)
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A once-heralded young gun for the Calgary Flames with multiple 30-goal seasons before turning 25 now hides in Quebec. Still very much in his prime at 29 years old, there's hope for a return to relevance.
The Canadiens have lost Kirby Dach long term, leading to the Ottawa 67's alum on the top powerplay unit. Although he's on the third line at even strength, I like him being flanked by Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson. As long as he retains PP1 he's worth a look, given his four-game slate.
Marcus Johansson, LW, Minnesota Wild (4% owned)
Top six and PP1 demand roster consideration. With the long-term injury to Matt Boldy, the Swedish winger is seeing plum deployment for the foreseeable future. Currently, he's on line two with underrated Joel Eriksson Ek.
Minnesota is not the deepest forward group therefore a threat to his deployment doesn't seem imminent. Don't expect him to blow you away but it's worth taking a flier for a short-term production spike. Four games this week.
Teuvo Teravainen, LW/RW, Carolina Hurricanes (53% owned)
Contract year. Enough said.
Last season defied explanation. Every season prior going back to 2017-18, he's scored at a 60-point or higher clip. Sebastian Aho is currently day-to-day, leading to "Turbo" serving as the top-line center in his absence. That deployment on one of the strongest teams cannot stay on the wire. He's dual-eligible too!
Cam York, D, Philadelphia Flyers (5% owned)
This is not a competitive team and their lack of offensive talent on the blue line shows it. Playing in the top pair at even strength and quarterbacking the top powerplay, it's a golden opportunity for the United States Development Program product.
He scored 20 points in 54 games last year. If he can cross the 30-point plateau this campaign, he makes for a solid depth defender.
Drops
Jonathan Drouin, LW, Colorado Avalanche
Full disclosure, I suggested you add him in my first add/drop article. As someone who invested, the results of the first two weeks were deflating.
Third-line relegation, diminishing ice time, and lack of PP1 deployment--these are not good things. Drouin's time is up for your roster. Check-in throughout the season, maybe he gets it going at some point.
Gabriel Vilardi, C, Winnipeg Jets
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The Ontario native is set to miss the next 4-6 weeks with an MCL sprain. My main concern with this injury for him is that Rick Bowness is now forced to put Nikolaj Ehlers on PP1 (finally!).
If the Dane can avoid injury he will run away with a top-six, PP1 deployment. This would ruin Vilardi's usage upon return. Gabriel is a promising player but thus far in his career, he's shown band-aid boy tendencies every season.
Luke Schenn, D, Nashville Predators
Another player with a 4-6 week injury timetable that you can replace. Schenn is an elite source of hits but nothing else. Maybe the wire won't be as prolific in that department but it'll provide enough with savvy streaming.
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