Looking Ahead: Production from Gritsyuk and Johnson; Building With Finnie; Tough Schedules for Chicago and Seattle, and More

Caleb Desjardins

2026-11-06

Welcome back to another week of fantasy hockey at Dobber! With the NHL season in full swing, it's time for another fantasy deep 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. Managers, let’s look ahead at the upcoming weeks in fantasy hockey.

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)

Arseni Gritsyuk, LW, New Jersey Devils, Rostered-43.8%

Russian forward Arseni Gritsyuk is in his second season in North America after coming over from the KHL. He finds himself playing alongside the New Jersey Devils two best offensive weapons in Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. As a result, Gritsyuk has been producing at a higher clip thus far than what we saw in his first campaign.

Kent Johnson, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets, Rostered-32.1%

Kent Johnson has had an up-and-down start to his career thus far. He's struggled to be a relied-upon option and often has found himself at the bottom of the lineup. However, his talent is undeniable, and it seems this could be the season he breaks out into a star for the Blue Jackets.

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

Emmitt Finnie, C, Detroit Red Wings, Rostered-26.7%

During his rookie season, Emmitt Finnie got off to as hot a start as any first-year in the NHL. However, he fizzled out and had a poor rest of the year. This year. He has seen a similar hot start to his campaign. The 21-year-old has a better chance of continuing his production this time around as he finds himself as the Detroit Red Wings number one centre due to the absence of Dylan Larkin.

Noah Ostlund, C, Buffalo Sabres, Rostered-3.9%

The Buffalo Sabres expressed their belief in youngster Noah Ostlund this past offseason by signing him to a long-term contract extension. He's gotten off to a strong start to his sophomore campaign and is expected to be a key fixture for the Sabres moving forward. He likely only has value in deeper leagues right now but is a player to keep an eye on moving forward.

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

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Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals, Rostered-76.6%

The NHL's all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin has entered the final season of his illustrious career with Washington. We saw the signs of regression last season, and it's been even more prevalent this year. He is seeing career lows in ice time as the Capitals have a deep forward group, and he has managed only one goal this season. At this point, he isn't a reliable fantasy option but still holds some trade value due to the weight his name carries. Now is the time to sell on him, as he really is only a threat with the man advantage.

Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers, Rostered-61.1%

It hasn't been a great start to the season for Owen Tippett and the Flyers. He is coming off a playoff run which saw him suffer several injuries, and those have carried over into this season. When healthy, though, he has not been the player we've come to expect. Now might be the time to give up on Tippett as he's struggling to find his game and health will continue to be a concern.

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

Devon Toews, D, Colorado Avalanche, Rostered-79.4%

Despite playing almost exclusively alongside Cale Makar, Devon Toews was not a reliable offensive contributor last season. However, that has changed this season as he's been one of the top offensive producers in the league amongst defenders. As stated, he plays alongside Makar, so if he can continue this pace, his value will remain sky-high.

John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs, Rostered-%

With names like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Kirill Marchenko, and now Gavin McKenna on the roster, a veteran player like John Tavares is often overlooked. However, he's been consistently around a point per game during his Maple Leafs tenure. He has seven points in as many games before going down with injury. Toronto's offense has been much better this season and will only improve with the return of the veteran Tavares. With his return from injury seeming imminent, now's the time for fantasy managers to buy on him while his perceived value is at its lowest.

NHL Team Outlooks

Analyzing the upcoming week’s schedule to see 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 Nov 6-Nov 12. The weekly fantasy matchup runs from Nov 9-15. Teams that play more games during the week/matchup often gain more favor in the schedule analysis.

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

Florida Panthers

Despite the early injuries, the Panthers have had a solid start to their year. They find themselves on the road with some favorable matchups ahead. They've won seven of their last 10 and should continue to climb the Atlantic Division if their schedule is any indication.

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New Jersey Devils

It's been a great start to the Connor Hellebuyck era in New Jersey as he's been perfect through his first three games. Expect that to continue as the Devils have a favorable few matchups ahead.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Despite the swirling news of the Nikita Kucherov situation, Kucherov and the Lightning have been playing well in their recent stretch. Expect them to continue to pay dividends in the coming games.

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

Boston Bruins

The Bruins are the unexpected leader of a very tough Atlantic Division. Many would say that they've overachieved thus far. Expect them to come back down to earth a bit, but nonetheless they still should be competing for a playoff spot.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks were hoping to take a step forward this season after some offseason additions as well as exciting young prospects making the jump to the NHL. However, that hasn't been the case thus far, and they face some tough opponents in the coming games, so don't expect a rebound.

Seattle Kraken

Seattle has a roster that is lacking star power, but they've managed to climb into a playoff spot in the Pacific Division. However, with the level of competition that the Pacific has to offer, that isn't necessarily an impressive feat. Despite the standings, the Kraken will be in tough to continue their recent success.

*For more hockey and fantasy coverage, follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @Cdesjardins67

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