With the NHL still placing players into the COVID-19 protocol, and with the number of injuries that have taken place this season I figured it may be best to release a second part to the article that was published last week. Mix that with the amount of players that are doing exceptionally well this year, you should be able to find some good production in your league's waiver-wire.

This is the most important part of the year for picking up replacements to your injured players because some of the players that you're acquiring at this moment may be the very reason your team gets that final push into the playoffs, or they could be the reason why you just miss out. The players you're adding to your team from the waiver-wire now could also be used as valuable trade chips at the trade deadline to help push you towards achieving your final goal.


#1) Mason Marchment – LW – Florida Panthers

Contract: $800K – 1 Year

The Florida Panthers continue to be one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now when it comes to scoring goals, Marchment has been a big part of that team lately and he should be considered as a legitimate option if you're facing injuries. He's currently sitting over a point-per-game pace with 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) in just 22 games. The third line consisting of Marchment, Anton Lundell, and Sam Reinhart have really seemed to put it all together for this Panthers team that seems to be one of the deepest teams across the entire league. What's even more interesting about Marchment this season is that he doesn't have a single point on the powerplay. Across ESPN, Yahoo, and Fantrax, Marchment possesses roster percentages of 11%, 25%, and 40% respectively. Across 22 contests, he is currently sitting at 46 shots, so just over 2 shots per game. As well as 51 hits, so given these stats outside of scoring he would be considered average in most eyes. For the offensive production that he has had, for $800K, he is worth the add even as a lower-end bench player for the time being.

#2) Michael Bunting – LW – Toronto Maple Leafs

Contract – $950K – 2 Years

What was once viewed as a low-cost investment for the Maple Leafs is now beginning to look like a gem of a signing. With 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) in 42 games, he carries a 56-point pace across a full 82-game season which would be a career-high for the former Arizona Coyote. Bunting is currently slotted on the top line in TOR with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, being able to be on a line with those kinds of players automatically make you eligible to be on some fantasy rosters. Whenever a player is slotted on a line with guys in the Matthews and Marner tier, their production is going to get a nice healthy boost. With the Maple Leafs being 4^th in the league in 'goals for per game played' with 3.60, adding a player to your team in an offensively friendly environment is always a good thing. While he may only average just over 15 minutes a night, that's looking like it will mainly be with some star players around him. Having 15 minutes a night with guys like Matthews and Marner is a lot better than having that same amount of time with just about any other set of players. If you're looking to replace scoring, look no further than a player like Michael Bunting. With roster percentages of 11.8% on ESPN, 27% on Yahoo, and 59% on Fantrax, he very well could be available in your leagues.

#3) Connor Murphy – D – Chicago Blackhawks

Contract: $3.8M – 1 Year ($4.4M – 4 Years extension begins next season)

One of my favorite players to roster as a 'peripheral specialist', as I like to label it, a player that you're rostering with the sole intention of helping you boost the harder to find scoring areas, in above average production. On a per game basis, Murphy is averaging 22:21 a night, with TOI averaging that high he is helping your team a lot. TOI is a hard category to fill, especially when you're trying to find players who play a lot of minutes and produce in other areas. At this moment he is second on the Blackhawks roster for TOI, only behind Seth Jones who plays over 26 minutes a night. With 114 blocks and 95 hits across 42 games, that has him sitting at 2.7 blocks and 2.3 hits per game respectively. When it comes to adding production at hits, blocks, and time on ice, you may have to spend a little bit more of your budget to find the really good players because they're valued well in the NHL level as well. For reference, his 114 blocks are the third most for any player in the NHL this season. Across the main platforms, his roster percentages are 15.4% on ESPN, 12% on Yahoo, and 26% on Fantrax.

#4) Dmitry Orlov – D – Washington Capitals

Contract: $5.1M – 2 Years

This is a player who may play behind John Carlson on this team but is still producing at a good rate for a player at his position who is only rostered in 27.9% of ESPN, 50% of Yahoo, and 58% of Fantrax leagues. In 42 games, Orlov is sitting at 22 points (7 goals, 15 assists), which would be a 42-point season in a full 82 game season and if this 0.52 points-per-game pace sticks for the rest of the season it would be the best year of his career. Realistically speaking, finding defenders who produce is always going to be hard where they are a bit more expensive to acquire and generally tend to be drafted higher in drafts. With his 21:03 of average TOI each game, he currently sits fourth on the team, and is the second defender only behind John Carlson and his 23:45 per game. 43.5% of his starts have come in the offensive zone, which is a regression from his 59% that he held last season. While the offensive zone starts percentage has decreased, his overall offensive production has never been better. With the plethora of weapons that Washington has from top to bottom including guys like Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie, and Kuznetsov, adding a guy who may occasionally get a point because of the product of what's around him is never going to hurt you. Especially in the case of Washington where they're averaging 3.20 goals per game, which has them at 11^th in the league.

When it comes to filling a hole on your team due to injury or from someone being added to the COVID-19 protocol, adding one of these players that have mentioned over the last two weeks wouldn't be bad. This year seems to be a little bit more magical in the sense that there are a lot more players doing very well that not many people projected to do so. Which means there are a lot of players you could very well trade at the deadline that came from the waiver-wire as others may be in desperate need to fill a hole, or that you could hold onto and ride into the playoffs with.

If you're looking to converse anything with me, please feel free to engage with me through the comments, and the forums here on DobberHockey, or on Twitter.

@JamieMolloy_DH