With the Olympics hockey is on pause and the roster freeze shutting down trade chatter, it feels like the everything has gone quiet. Although, that might be true on the surface, for fantasy hockey GMs, this stretch is actually gold. It's the perfect window to step back, take a hard look at your roster, and figure out where you can squeeze out extra value. Trades are one option, but the real edge often comes from the waiver wire, especially when it costs you nothing.

With that in mind, I went digging for players who can help plug short term or situational gaps and are rostered in under 30% of Yahoo leagues. These are the types of adds you cycle through your roster to chase categories, improve nightly coverage, or steal a bit of extra production in weekly matchups. You are not married to these players long term but you are using them intentionally, moving on when the value dries up, and maximizing every roster spot while others are waiting for the action to pick back up.

Pierre-Luc Dubois – C/LW – Washington Capitals – 25%

There's been a noticeable bump in Dubois ownership since he returned to the Capitals lineup, and it makes sense. He stepped right back into his familiar second-line role alongside Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson, logging 17:35 of ice time with 2:27 coming on the power play. That usage alone tells you he is fully back in the mix.

I really like the look of that second line for Washington. It has size, puck retrieval, and enough skill to drive steady production, which plays directly into Dubois' strengths. We have already seen how seamlessly he has fit with this group since arriving last season, when he went on to post a career-best 66 points. The role likely will not change, and neither has the trust from the coaching staff. From a scheduling standpoint, things line up nicely in the short term. Coming out of the Olympic break, Washington has three games, with two of them falling on lighter nights. That helps ease roster congestion and makes Dubois easier to slot into fantasy lineups without tough start-sit decisions. The caveat is the following week, when the Capitals are the lone NHL team playing just two games, which caps his overall short-term volume. Still, given the role, linemates, and immediate schedule bump, Dubois is firmly back on the radar as a useful add or hold, especially if you are looking for reliable top-six production with power-play exposure.

Anze Kopitar – C – Los Angeles Kings – 28%

With the recent news of the Bread Man, Artemi Panarin, heading to LA, it's hard not to expect a meaningful boost across the Kings' top six. Panarin's presence should elevate the overall offensive environment, and that rising tide matters for fantasy. Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, and Brandt Clarke are already heavily rostered in most leagues. Panarin only adds more quality touches, better puck movement, and more sustained offensive zone time. Even in what's expected to be Kopitar's final season, here is still value to be had. He may no longer be the focal point of the offense and may not be locked into the top power-play unit, but he can still contribute meaningfully in a top-six role. Surrounded by this level of skill, Kopitar doesn't need prime deployment to remain relevant. In deeper formats, that steady 5v5 production and leadership-driven usage can still translate into useful fantasy output.

Pavel Buchnevich – C/LW/RW – St. Louis Blues – 22%

I scooped up Jordan Kyrou from a fantasy manager who had clearly run out of patience, which is usually the ideal window to make a move. That frustration is often when value opens up, whether through a trade or even on the wire. At the time, Kyrou was not producing much and his roster percentage sat well below where it is now at 52%. Since then, the production has come around, which is exactly what I was betting on. The Blues' spot in the standings doesn't change the fact that there's real talent on that roster, and Kyrou is a big part of it. He's the kind of player who can flip the switch quickly once things start clicking. He's not the only one worth noting either. Pavel Buchnevich continues to ride those familiar peaks and valleys, but the signs of life are back. Over his last seven games, he's put up nine points with four goals and five assists, while averaging more than three minutes of power-play time on the top unit. Add in his tri-eligibility in Yahoo leagues, and Buchnevich is once again making a strong case as a versatile and timely fantasy option.

Ryan Hartman – C/RW – Minnesota Wild – 19%

For Ryan Hartman upside starts with prime deployment. Hartman has spent close to 30% of his ice time centering Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov, which is prime real estate in Minnesota. That trio has controlled play well, sitting north of 53 % in both shot share and Corsi, and 11 of Hartman's 26 points have come alongside Kaprizov. He just has to keep up, win puck battles, and cash in on secondary looks, which fits his game perfectly. There's also sneaky value in multi-cat formats. Hartman brings a steady mix of shots, hits, and faceoff wins. He's averaging over 16:40 per night and right around two shots per game, which helps absorb the cold stretches that tend to show up over a full season. His PP usage helps a bit as well. He is not locked into a permanent role, but has rotated through several effective units with Kaprizov, Boldy, and Zuccarello. The concern is stability. Hartman's individual scoring rates are down, and his role is not guaranteed. One lineup shuffle or a trade deadline addition down the middle could push him back into the middle six. If that happens, both the opportunity and fantasy value take a hit.

Gabriel Landeskog – LW/RW – Colorado Avalanche – 27%

If you have not been paying close attention, Gabriel Landeskog is no longer listed as DTD and is back in action, representing Sweden at the Winter Olympics. That alone puts him firmly back on the fantasy radar. Before his injury earlier this season, Landeskog was playing solid hockey, posting seven points in nine games and riding a clear hot streak. His usage in Colorado was encouraging. He rotated freely throughout the top six and, even in a small sample, earned time on the first power-play unit. At 5v5, he spent close to 25 percent of his ice time alongside Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin, with another notable chunk, roughly 18 percent, coming next to Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Nečas. On the surface, the season-long numbers look modest: seven goals and 15 assists in 41 games, which works out to a 44-point pace. Context matters here. For a player who had not suited up for NHL action in three years, that level of production is quite impressive, especially given the quality of minutes he was earning.

From a scheduling perspective, Colorado lines up well for most fantasy playoff formats. In the first week all of their games fall on off nights, which is a subtle but meaningful edge. That said, that week is fairly well spread out across the league. If you find your roster heavily concentrated on just a few busy nights, this could be a good opportunity to reassess, make small adjustments, and spread your starts more evenly to squeeze out maximum value from your lineup.

Thanks for reading! See you next week! For more fantasy hockey content and analysis, follow me on X @Punters_hockey. If you have any questions about your team or a trade? My DMs are always open, happy to help!