NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

Trade Deadline day has arrived. Be sure to check out RotoWire's hockey coverage throughout the day for the latest news and transactions.

This week's column will focus on players already trending upward and/or set to get a boost from recent deals.

(Rostered rates and details as of 9 a.m. EST on Mar. 7)

Forwards

Will Cuylle, NYR (Yahoo: 35%): Cuylle went scoreless for 13 straight games over December and January. And while the points haven't necessarily been flowing throughout, he's still posted six from the last eight to go with 18 shots and 26 hits. Cuylle's stats have also been enhanced by increased ice time and a top-six promotion joining J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad. Let's hope he remains in an advanced position as his cross-category production provides tremendous fantasy upside.

Josh Norris, OTT (Yahoo: 31%): Injuries have played a significant role throughout Norris's career as he's never appeared in more than 66 contests during any season, yet he's only missed eight so far this season. He returned on Saturday and notched a goal and assist Wednesday while dishing out seven hits across three and averaging 17:13 – 1:55 of that on the power play alongside his usual lead shorthanded spot. As long as Norris stays healthy, he's a worthy recruit for your fantasy rosters. 

UPDATE: Norris was traded to Buffalo on Friday, which isn't a bad move for the center. In fact, he could move up to a first-line role, something that wasn't going to happen in Ottawa, and link up with the No. 1 power-play unit. Playing with Tage Thompson isn't going to hurt your productivity, that's for sure. 

William Eklund, SJ (Yahoo: 19%): While it may be disheartening to see the Sharks projected for another last-place finish, their future up front looks bright. Everyone knows the talent Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith can offer, yet some will overlook Eklund even though he leads the team in scoring. And he's been consistent in that area by delivering 21 points over 23 outings – including eight PPPs – with 49 shots while skating 19-plus minutes a night. Someone as potent and involved as Eklund shouldn't be available in four of every five Yahoo! leagues.

Kyle Palmieri, NYI (Yahoo: 16%): Palmieri has found the back of the net in eight of the last 12 matchups on 32 shots. And like Eklund, he's probably not the most popular fantasy prospect due to being fairly one-dimensional on a weaker attacking club. But Palmieri's cause is enhanced by him participating on the first even-strength and power play lines. And it may be tough to ignore Palmieri's goal production, especially if you're looking to bolster that category. 

Warren Foegele, LA (Yahoo: 14%): Short turnaround for Foegele as he was originally mentioned here mid-January soon after a 10-point-in-eight-game run. The well then dried up with only a lone goal over 13, but another hot streak arrived in the form of five goals, four assists, 34 shots, 10 hits and a plus-7 in the last 10. The only downside is Foegele's absence of man-advantage offense during that stretch – or, for that matter, the entire season – despite regularly logging time on LA's second group since the start of February. But anyone doing that great of late who's well-positioned within the depth chart should at least be given a chance.

Mason McTavish, ANH (Yahoo: 12%): McTavish has earned a column repeat thanks to a blistering last two months where he's reeled off 18 points, 52 shots and 18 hits that netted 11 goals – three of those PPGs – albeit with a slightly high 21.2 shooting percentage. Ducks fans and poolies have been waiting for a breakout, and their patience is finally being rewarded. Now let's see if McTavish can maintain this type of success on an emerging Anaheim lineup.

Noah Cates, PHI (Yahoo: 3%): It's mainly been a forgettable campaign for Cates…up until the four contests prior to Thursday where he combined for four goals, two assists, 12 shots, four hits, three blocks and 30 faceoff wins. He's also received additional minutes since Morgan Frost went to Calgary at the beginning of the month, though the results only started to materialize the last week or so. The Flyers are still in the postseason hunt and will try their hardest to get there, with up-and-comers like Cates in leading roles.

Zachary Bolduc, STL (Yahoo: 1%): Bolduc is enjoying his first extended NHL look. The output may not be as positive, but that's to be expected on a 12:23 average. And there's hope for the 2021 first-rounder as he's potted four goals through five appearances. St. Louis has also heated up to where the team is on the playoff bubble when most thought the organization would be rebuilding. Bolduc's latest upswing also included a 90-second upgrade and a few cameos on the lead PP. Sounds like he'll do better if you give him more ice time. Probably best to wait and see how Bolduc will be used the next couple weeks before taking the plunge.

Jonathan Drouin, COL (Yahoo: 21%): There is going to be a lot of roster shuffling in Colorado following the trade deadline, but Drouin should be happy about a significant upgrade in his center, as Brock Nelson figures to move into the second-line role. Drouin has actually been fairly productive of late with five points over his last six games, yet this upgrade will certainly benefit his productivity. 

Logan Stankoven, CAR (Yahoo: 19%): Generally speaking, being traded away from one of the top teams in the NHL doesn't bode well for your fantasy value, but for Stankoven that might be the case. The winger was shuffled around the Stars' roster given their depth at forward and now could get an extended run in a top-six role in Carolina. He's far from a lock, so fantasy managers may want to wait a little to pull the trigger, but he has an opportunity in front of him. 

Defensemen

Luke Hughes, NJ (Yahoo: 44%): Despite some inconsistency this season, Hughes remains a high-upside offensive producer. He may have endured a seven-week slump going into the 4 Nations break by only posting four points in 18 games, but he immediately turned it around with seven over seven supplemented by 13 shots and 11 blocks on a 23:28 average. Hughes has also recently ascended to Jersey's top power play and delivered a pair of PPAs on Tuesday. He should continue to log major minutes while Jonas Siegenthaler is out and would lock down PP1 if Dougie Hamilton is sidelined for a while.

Jared Spurgeon, MIN (Yahoo: 11%): At 35, Spurgeon is still proving to be a reliable fantasy performer. He may have been hampered by injuries last year, yet has only suffered a couple brief absences this season. Since Spurgeon came back from his latest setback near the end of January, he's racked up three goals, seven assists, 19 shots and 29 blocks. He's also been primarily involved on the Wild's backup man-advantage, where he's recorded five points overall. With a top-four role and solid stats, Spurgeon represents a nice safe pickup as long as he can stay healthy.

Alex Vlasic, CHI (Yahoo: 11%): As expected, the Blackhawks traded Seth Jones last weekend. That means others will need to cover his significant scoring, prime spots on both special-teams units, leadership capabilities and the nearly-25 minutes he skated per night. Vlasic previously filled in on Chicago's first power play, though the job is now his to lose. He had already assumed major ice time before Jones departed but has notched two PPAs across three appearances – and seven assists over nine – while supplying adequate totals for shots and blocks. Look for Vlasic's coverage to rise while he continues to be a strong keeper in dynasty leagues.

Zac Jones, NYR (Yahoo: 0%): Adam Fox's injury may hurt the Rangers' attacking potential, yet it's provided Jones with a steady place in the lineup, as he's already been scratched more than 20 times this season. He's registered a helper from each of his last two outings, though neither came while up a man. Jones seems destined to go back on the sidelines once Fox returns, but he's a fine short-term addition due to his placement.

Goaltenders

Charlie Lindgren, WAS (Yahoo: 31%): Lindgren has been overshadowed by Logan Thompson this season, yet he's been decent and has only made seven fewer appearances than the inevitable Vezina Trophy finalist. And if we look at the last month, he's taken three of four – including Wednesday's win at the Rangers that came right after signing a new three-year deal. Thompson posted a 3.39 GAA and .881 save percentage during that same stretch, though his overall output should keep him as Washington's No. 1. At the same time, Lindgren will continue to receive enough starts behind a back line ranked fourth in goals against.

Vitek Vanecek, FLA (Yahoo: 3%): It's no secret Vanecek struggled in San Jose as his 3-10-3 record and 3.88/.882 line will show. And then a lifeline came Wednesday as he was shipped to the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky has been impressive of late, and his place as the club's top netminder shouldn't change based on the latest transaction, but his workload will need to be managed heading into the playoffs. That leaves Vanecek with an opportunity to get in a few games on a team that's won 10 of their last 12 and boasts a top-10 defense.

Players to consider from past columns: Macklin Celebrini, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, JJ Peterka, Logan Stankoven, Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Guenther, Rickard Rakell, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Perfetti, Nick Schmaltz, Marco Rossi, Dylan Strome, Jonathan Huberdeau, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Quinton Byfield, Brock Nelson, Kent Johnson, Valeri Nichushkin, Adam Fantilli, Logan Cooley, Pavel Dorofeyev, Matvei Michkov, Connor McMichael, Matthew Knies, Pavel Zacha, Matty Beniers, Pavel Buchnevich, Nino Niederreiter, Troy Terry, Sean Monahan, Patrick Kane, Nazem Kadri, Boone Jenner, Jamie Benn, Elias Lindholm, Jake Neighbours, Chandler Stephenson, Trevor Moore, Dylan Cozens, Vladislav Namestnikov, Stefan Noesen, Connor Zary, Ross Colton, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Donato, Marco Kasper, Leo Carlsson, Yegor Sharangovich, Casey Mittelstadt, Shane Wright, Blake Coleman, Yegor Chinakhov, Will Smith, Michael Bunting, Brayden Schenn, Ryan Strome, Anthony Cirelli, Viktor Arvidsson, Dawson Mercer, Dmitri Voronkov, Eeli Tolvanen, Filip Chytil, Anton Lundell, Dylan Holloway, Matthew Coronato, Jake DeBrusk, Teuvo Teravainen, William Karlsson, Jaden Schwartz, Conor Garland, Andrei Kuzmenko, Tyler Toffoli, Mason Marchment, Ryan O'Reilly, Morgan Geekie, Jack Roslovic, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Pius Suter, Patrik Laine, Bobby McMann, Kaapo Kakko, Barrett Hayton, Alex Killorn, Jack Quinn, Anders Lee, Jiri Kulich, Tyler Bertuzzi, Alex Laferriere, Pontus Holmberg, Maxim Tsyplakov, Fabian Zetterlund, Brett Howden, Aliaksei Protas, Aaron Ekblad, Neal Pionk, Jackson LaCombe, Brandt Clarke, Seth Jones, Filip Hronek, Lane Hutson, Bowen Byram, Tony DeAngelo, Travis Sanheim, Cam Fowler, Matt Grzelcyk, Justin Faulk, Mason Lohrei, Simon Edvinsson, Brady Skjei, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Rasmus Ristolainen, Samuel Girard, Owen Power, Radko Gudas, Esa Lindell, Jordan Spence, Erik Gustafsson, Jamie Drysdale, Darren Raddysh, Declan Chisholm, Sean Durzi, Alexander Romanov, Damon Severson, Ivan Provorov, Cam Talbot, Ilya Samsonov, Mackenzie Blackwood, Lukas Dostal, Kevin Lankinen, Samuel Ersson, Yaroslav Askarov, Scott Wedgewood, Jake Allen, Elvis Merzlikins, Marc-Andre Fleury, John Gibson, Sam Montembeault, Jonathan Quick, Karel Vejmelka, Casey DeSmith, Dan Vladar, Connor Ingram, Calvin Pickard, Joel Hofer, Joonas Korpisalo, Spencer Knight