The defensemen option on the waiver wire is pretty grim for the most part but there are still some low-end guys that could help you this week if you’re looking to bolster your team’s backend.
Jared Spurgeon – Minnesota Wild – 57% rostered
Just like in our forward streamer options article, we have a Minnesota Wild player who is worthy of streaming this week. Spurgeon is on the higher end of a roster percentage for a streamer but is a strong recommendation if he is available considering how limited the rest of the waiver wire is.
Spurgeon is the team’s captain and number one defenseman and is seeing time on the top power-play unit with offensive weapons like Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. The exposure to prime minutes with those types of players makes adding him an easy decision. He only has three points in his last six games but with four opportunities to put up points this week, he is a top add.
Cam Fowler – Anaheim Ducks – 36% Rostered
Since Hampus Lindholm’s departure, Fowler’s minutes and role on the team have increased. He is being relied on more on the top defensive pair and also quarterbacking the team’s first power-play unit. Jamie Drysdale, who previously operated as the top power-play quarterback, has taken a back seat, opening up more offensive opportunities for Fowler to take advantage of.
The Ducks are on a nine-game slide and have struggled to score goals during that span, which has limited his offensive production with only three points during the losing streak. As long as he is getting steady power-play minutes, he is worth a pickup considering how hard it is to find a defenseman with PP1 upside in the free-agent pool.
Shayne Gostisbehere – Arizona Coyotes – 48% Rostered
You can tell how slim picking the free-agent pool is considering we’re recommending adding a player from the Arizona Coyotes. Although Jakob Chychrun wasn’t traded at the deadline, Gostisbehere remains the power-play quarterback for the Coyotes while Chychrun is sidelined.
Gostisbehere has four points in his last seven games, all of which have come on the man advantage. The team’s remaining defensemen don’t provide any more upside than Gostisbehere, so his job is safe, at least until Chychrun returns, if he does this season. They also have some good matchups this week in the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Chicago Blackhawks, so there is a pretty good opportunity to get production.
Roster percentages courtesy of Yahoo
