Well, it's been a long winding road this fantasy season, but we are on the final week, kind of. The final "week" of competition will be held from April 18 to May 1 to make for one last marathon period you need to navigate before things are officially finished. There are definitely some teams that play a ton more than others. Leading the pack are the lowly Seattle Kraken, who appear in eight games, including the last game of the season on May 1. On the flipside, the Buffalo Sabres are only playing four games over the next two weeks, so there's quite the disparity between some clubs. Whether you are playing for first place, third place, or anything really, let's go over some waiver pickups that can help boost your club over these next two weeks.

Yanni Gourde

Gourde is one of the few players from the Kraken I'd even consider putting on my roster for these final two weeks. If not for all the games they are playing, I'd probably pass on him, but when you consider they have eight games in two weeks, there's going to be off-nights where you can slide Gourde in and he can get you a little bit of everything. He leads his team in scoring despite missing some time early in the season with an injury. Surprisingly enough, although he leads his team in points, he is only getting second-line minutes and second-unit power-play time.

In 66 games, Gourde has netted 17 goals and added 25 assists for 42 total points. Those numbers are pretty much in line with what Gourde has done for most of his career. The 30-year-old lacks a bit in offense, but does make up for it some with his faceoff-winning ability and his hits. His numbers aren't elite in either, but he will put up a bit of each to provide a nice little boost to your totals for the period. He also is dual-eligible for center and right wing, so getting those faceoff wins from a winger slot can be pretty handy if your league tracks that. 

Gourde is available in most leagues. Both Yahoo and ESPN lists him at 14% rostered, meanwhile on Fantrax he's at 46%. Keep in mind that this is literally the end of the road for this year, so optimizing your lineup and getting a guy like Gourde who can get some extra peripheral stats can really help make a difference. Unless you are in a keeper or dynasty league, don't be afraid to drop someone during this period for short-term gain.

Alex Chiasson

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Alex Chiasson??? This big burly right winger has a total of 21 points on the season and he is only 1% owned in Yahoo leagues, but I'm willing to roll with him situationally. The Canucks are fighting for their hockey lives right now and clinging on to a shred of hope that they can sneak into the playoffs. They are red hot and riding a five-game winning streak. Chiasson has surprisingly been a huge part of that.

Of his 21 points this year, nine of those have come in his last five games. This is a bit of a riskier option, but Chiasson has been seeing an uptick in ice time during his current hot streak, so clearly Bruce Boudreau likes what he sees. The Canucks have him paired up with Vasily Podkolzin and JT Miller and all three of them are on fire right now. In Miller's case, he has been a stud all season long, but Chiasson and Podkolzin are definitely elevating their game right now. Additionally, the Canucks love having Chiasson on the first-unit power play as a net-front presence. So in terms of deployment, Chiasson definitely is getting opportunities to provide for your team. 

Should his hot hand go cold, you can still rely on him to lay the body and stack up some hits for you, but I wouldn't expect much more than that. The Canucks have seven games remaining in their season, so there's plenty of opportunity to get Chiasson in your lineup. I think this goes without saying, but Chiasson is available in pretty much all leagues and formats!

Anthony Cirelli

My last player suggestion this week will be Cirelli. He is pretty comparable to Yanni Gourde in a lot of ways. Like Gourde, he is a dual-eligible forward who can slot in at both center and right wing. He's another type of guy who can give you a little bit of everything, but the upside Cirelli has over Gourde is that he is playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning rather than a year-one expansion team. 

At the trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Lightning brought in a pair of forwards in Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul. As a result, Cirelli has been knocked down to the third line and is no longer playing alongside Steven Stamkos. While that definitely sucks, he does still remain on the team's top power-play unit. In 70 games this season, Cirelli has notched 16 goals and 25 assists for just 41 points in total. I was hopeful going into this season that Cirelli could be closer to a 60-point player, but those were lofty aspirations I suppose. Still though, he can be of use outside of his offensive production.

He is a solid faceoff guy, having won over 400 draws on the year, so he can provide a boost to you if you're in a faceoff league. Additionally, he averages just over one hit per game as well. The Lightning play seven games over the next two weeks, so Cirelli should be able to find a spot in your lineup on at least a few nights. He is only 30% owned in Yahoo leagues, but he may be tougher to get on Fantrax and ESPN as both those sites list him at over 60% rostered.

Well that wraps things up for this week. It certainly feels weird having one final two-week stretch right at the end of the season, but make sure if you are still in an active league to stay on top of things for these last two weeks. It would be a waste of a lot of time and effort for you to slip up now when we are so close to the end of the year! Best of luck to everyone! Have a great week.