Welcome back to another year of fantasy hockey at Dobber! With the season now underway, it's time for another weekly fantasy dive. In this column, whether you are scanning the waiver wire for possible adds or scouring the trade market to improve your team, we have the information you need.

Fantasy Hockey Player Outlook

Who can be had on the waiver wire, and who should you avoid picking up? Check out the fantasy hockey players’ outlook for the upcoming week.

*Note: All stats are courtesy of Frozen Tools

Mid-Season Adds (Claim these players on the waiver wire)

Chris Kreider, LW, Montreal Canadiens, Rostered-40.2%

Kreider has fit into the Canadiens system seamlessly since signing in Montreal at a discounted price before training camp. He began the season on the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. With the injury to Ivan Demidov, he now finds himself on one of the deadliest power plays in the NHL. Kreider's value in fantasy will never be as high as it is right now.

Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres, Rostered-32.9%

The former first-overall selection has been solid since coming into the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres. However, there were higher expectations for him considering his draft status. At 23 years old, this could be the year we see an offensive breakout for Power, who has been red hot to start the season. He is a solid waiver wire pickup with high potential upside.

Young Players to Build Off (Young players who are hot right now)

Anton Frondell, C, Chicago Blackhawks, Rostered-17.3%

Blackhawks third overall pick Anton Frondell joins an exciting young core in Chicago. With the injury to Connor Bedard, it just means even more ice time for the youngster who has been productive to begin his career. In a rookie class loaded with talented names like Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg, Frondell should be considered amongst the favorites.

Gabe Perreault, LW, New York Rangers, Rostered-19.1%

The New York Rangers' offensive structure looks much different this season as it's now headlined by youngsters like Pavel Dorofeyev and Alexis Lafreniere. However, another name in the mix is Gabe Perreault, who is entering his sophomore season in the Big Apple. The 21-year-old has seen a strong start to the season, and he should continue to receive lots of ice time on a New York team that lost many of its offensive weapons in the last year.

Steer Clear (Players you should avoid in fantasy leagues, or sell immediately if you own them)

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Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, Montreal Canadiens, Rostered-96.7%

Throughout his career, Juraj Slafkovsky has typically been a slow starter. However, following a career season in 2025-26, the former number one pick has had a brutal start to his campaign. He is now back on the top line with Suzuki and Caufield; however, it may take time for him to return to the form we expect of him.

Paul Cotter, LW, Vancouver Canucks, Rostered-50%

Vancouver Canucks forward Paul Cotter has been one of the most productive players in the league to begin the season. This has caused his ownership to skyrocket in fantasy to fifty percent. However, Cotter has never been a reliable fantasy option throughout his career. Don't let this hot start to his season sway you into overpaying to acquire the veteran forward who is a part of one of the weakest teams in the league.

Buy Now Players (You should trade for these players as soon as possible)

Alexis Lafreniere, LW, New York Rangers-64.5%

As previously mentioned, Alexis Lafreniere has been handed the keys to the offense in New York. With the departure of Artemi Panarin, he finds himself on the first-line wing for the Rangers. People forget that Lafreniere is only 24 years old and has his best years of hockey likely ahead of him. After putting up 57 points last season, this could be the year that we see him blossom into the star that he was expected to be when he was drafted first-overall in 2020

Vasily Podkolzin, LW, Edmonton Oilers, Rostered-73%

Vasily Podkolzin is a player whose fantasy value has skyrocketed since he joined the Oilers. He's carved out a role with the team and has now become a key player for Edmonton. He finds himself in the team’s top-6, which features Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Podkolzin has also elevated his status as a banger league fantasy option. Couple these two facts together, and it’s easy to see why his fantasy ownership has jumped to almost 75%.

NHL Team Outlooks

Analyzing the upcoming week’s schedule and looking at which NHL teams are expected to have a strong week and who will be in tough. Which teams’ players should you be buying stock in, and which teams should you avoid at all costs? Take a peek at the NHL team outlook for the upcoming week.

*Note: This week’s analysis covers the period of Oct 9-15. The weekly fantasy matchup runs from Oct 12-18. Teams that play more games during the week/matchup often gain favor in the schedule analysis.

Matchup Favorites (Players from these teams will pay dividends in the coming games.)

Florida Panthers

After being cursed with injuries last season, Florida has seemingly suffered the same fate this year with Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand both out for an extended period. Thankfully, the Panthers have a favorable schedule in the coming games.

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New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils head into the 2026-27 season looking to return to postseason action. While things have not started out as they'd hoped, they find themselves with a favorable homestand in the upcoming days.

Vegas Golden Knights

Coming off their cup final loss, Vegas has been firing on all cylinders to begin this season to the tune of a 3-1 start. Don't expect them to slow down, as they should pay dividends in the next four games split between home and on the road.

Matchup Killers (Avoid players from these teams at all costs in the upcoming games.)

Dallas Stars

The Stars start to the season hasn't seen the results that we've come to expect from this stacked Dallas roster. While they should get on track soon, don't bet on their turnaround to occur in the next few games as two of their next three games come against the Colorado Avalanche.

Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles is currently winless to begin their season, starting 0-2-1. They have a chance to make up some ground in a weak Pacific Division in the coming games; however, those contests come against the division’s two best teams in Vegas and the Edmonton Oilers.

Seattle Kraken

On paper, Seattle has one of the weaker rosters in the league as they lack any real star power. This has translated on the ice to begin the year as they've only started 2-2. Their schedule gets a whole lot more difficult moving forward, so you can expect the Kraken to begin to fall in the standings.