â Fantasy hockey pickups: Plan for Frozen Frenzy with Blues and Blue Jackets

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  Sean AllenOct 27, 2025, 01:00 PM ET

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  Sean Allen is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. He was the 2008 and 2009 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year.

Every Monday, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We’ll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.

Get ready for a week of feast or famine when it comes to NHL action. Tuesday’s Frozen Frenzy headlines the schedule with 16 games — with one starting every 15 minutes beginning at 6 p.m. ET — while Thursday and Saturday also deliver heavy slates with 11 and 13 games, respectively.

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As for the famine, there are only two games on Monday and one on Wednesday, giving most teams a breather from back-to-backs around the Frenzy.

The first lineup lock for weekly leagues comes Monday, when the St. Louis Blues visit the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m.

Daily lineup managers should also note the slightly earlier 6 p.m. start for Frozen Frenzy, along with an unexpected Friday matinee at 4 p.m. between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.

Forwards

Emmitt Finnie, C, Detroit Red Wings (2.24 FPPG, 72.4% available): His emergence roughly coincides with Patrick Kane’s injury, but the two have little to do with each other. Finnie is riding shotgun with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the Red Wings’ top line. While he’s getting some power-play run in Kane’s absence, only one of his eight points has come with the man advantage.

Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets (2.33 FPPG, 32.4% available): Kirill Marchenko is the fuel for the Blue Jackets’ top attack, but Sean Monahan and Voronkov deserve plenty of credit. The trio is still pitching a shutout at 5-on-5 this season, with seven goals for and none against.

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Jack Roslovic, C, Edmonton Oilers (0.95 FPPG, 99.3% available): An in-season addition to the Oilers attack, Roslovic didn’t get the benefit of competing with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl in training camp. Naturally, he’s now part of the only Edmonton line with more than one 5-on-5 goal this season. Roslovic, Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin picked up a pair against the Canucks on Sunday to become the first Oilers trio with multiple even-strength tallies.

Emil Heineman, LW, New York Islanders (2.23 FPPG, 85.8% available): While we’re on the subject of lines, the Islanders deserve a nod. The previously mentioned Blue Jackets trio is one of three NHL lines to play at least 60 minutes together at 5-on-5 without allowing a goal. The other two both belong to the Isles. Anthony Duclair, Mathew Barzal and Kyle Palmieri haven’t been scored on at even strength (though they have only three goals for), while Bo Horvat, Jonathan Drouin and Heineman have also been perfect defensively and have scored five times.

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Emil Heineman nets goal for Islanders

Emil Heineman lights the lamp for Islanders

See also:

• Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers (2.01 FPPG, 32.7% available)

• Dylan Cozens, C, Ottawa Senators (2.90 FPPG, 30.4% available)

• Kiefer Sherwood, LW, Vancouver Canucks (2.24 FPPG, 38.9% available)

• Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Colorado Avalanche (1.81 FPPG, 57.2% available)

• Zach Benson, LW, Buffalo Sabres (2.05 FPPG, 73.2% available)

• Aliaksei Protas, C, Washington Capitals (2.02 FPPG, 41.2% available)

Defense

Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues (2.10 FPPG, 82.8% available): Six different five-player units have accounted for a single power-play goal each for the Blues, so it’s safe to say they’re still feeling out their setup. Three of those goals came with Cam Fowler quarterbacking, and three with Faulk running the point. With Faulk also piling up numbers in blocked shots, he’s a worthwhile pickup with added upside if he fully takes over Fowler’s role on the advantage.

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Cam York, D, Philadelphia Flyers (2.14 FPPG, 77.3% available): The second unit for the Flyers is getting more looks than the first of late — probably because they picked up three goals across the past three games, with York factoring into all three from his role on the point.

See also:

• Simon Edvinsson, D, Detroit Red Wings (2.28 FPPG, 37.6% available)

• Dmitry Orlov, D, San Jose Sharks (2.00 FPPG, 82.9% available)

• Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes (1.79 FPPG, 71.2% available)

• Jacob Trouba, D, Anaheim Ducks (2.50 FPPG, 32.0% available)

Goaltenders

Joseph Woll, G, Toronto Maple Leafs (77.5% available): Back with the club after a personal leave of absence, Woll might need a few more days before he’s ready to start. But his return comes at just the right time. Anthony Stolarz is showing signs he isn’t built for a heavy workload. The two formed arguably the best tandem in the league last season, with both delivering enough in their split duties to merit fantasy roster spots.

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Elvis Merzlikins, G, Columbus Blue Jackets (3.40 FPPG, 73.1% available): Given today’s fantasy goaltending landscape, a goals-against average creeping toward 3.00 is hardly disqualifying as long as the goal support is there. The Blue Jackets have stepped up for Merzlikins, twice winning games in which he’s allowed four goals. Merzlikins and Jet Greaves have turnstiled the crease so far, but both can offer value if Columbus keeps converting those outings into wins.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, Buffalo Sabres (-3.40 FPPG, 88.5% available): There’s been real value in the Sabres crease this season, with Alex Lyon ranking eighth in fantasy points and waiver-claim pickup Colten Ellis stealing the spotlight in a win over the Red Wings. Luukkonen is back in the mix now, though his return came with an unceremonious start against the Leafs on Saturday. Buffalo has no back-to-back sets in its three-game week, so we should get a clearer sense of the team’s current goaltending hierarchy based on who gets the nods.

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Elvis Merzlikins makes big-time save vs. Penguins

Elvis Merzlikins makes big-time save vs. Penguins

See also:

• Dan Vladar, G, Philadelphia Flyers (3.72 FPPG, 87.8% available)

Short-term streamers

Morgan Geekie, C, Boston Bruins (1.94 FPPG, 58.1% available): With so many light nights this week, there’s no perfect combo to cover all seven days. But a Bruin paired with players from the Ducks, Blue Jackets, Red Wings or Islanders gets you close. Geekie deserves consideration even without the schedule hack, as he’s locked in alongside David Pastrnak both at even strength and on the power play.

Cam Talbot, G, Detroit Red Wings (1.40 FPPG, 74.7% available): He didn’t help his cause with a brutal -9.4 fantasy-point outing against the Islanders, but the Red Wings have one of the week’s best goalie schedules. Their four-game West Coast swing features opponents allowing a combined average of 6.91 fantasy points to goalies. Talbot should get at least one start in the back-to-back against the Kings and Ducks, and maybe a second if he rebounds well.

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Jake Allen, G, New Jersey Devils (4.03 FPPG, 66.7% available): The Devils can afford to ease Jacob Markstrom back into action thanks to Allen’s personal five-game win streak. Markstrom backed up on Sunday and should see the crease again no later than the back-to-back with the Kings and Ducks. Sound familiar? The Devils also have a four-game Western trip, with an even juicier fantasy setup than Detroit’s (6.93 FP combined average from opponents).

Ville Koivunen, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (0.35 FPPG, 99.3% available): Hand surgery for Rickard Rakell opens up several weeks of opportunity on Sidney Crosby’s wing. There are plenty of applicants, and Koivunen’s brief AHL stint doesn’t exactly bolster his case, but he was recalled to fill Rakell’s spot and entered camp as a favorite for a top-six role.

Arseny Gritsyuk, RW, New Jersey Devils (1.40 FPPG, 98.4% available): The Devils have shuffled their second line repeatedly, but the latest look has rookie Gritsyuk skating with Timo Meier and Nico Hischier — a combo worth monitoring for streaming upside. It’s a four-game week for the Devils, after all.

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