Defensemen are a dime a dozen on the fantasy waiver wire but getting the ones who can contribute regularly is much slimmer. Some of these players have been elevated in their roles, which puts them on track to be worth taking a chance on to help your fantasy team this weekend.
Hampus Lindholm – Boston Bruins – 17% Rostered
The newly acquired Lindholm made his Boston Bruins debut on March 24, 2022, against the Tampa Bay Lightning playing on the top pair alongside Charlie McAvoy. Top pair exposure is already a good start for a fantasy defenseman, and although McAvoy will still be quarterbacking the first power-play, unit the exposure to the Bruins’ top-six forward group is an upgrade from what he was accustomed to in Anaheim.
He added an assist with a plus-2 rating in his first game as a Bruin while logging 23:26 of ice time. If you are in a deeper league, he provides extra value for his contributions to hits and blocked shots while still having some offensive upside. It’s a good situation to take a chance on to see if he can be a regular contributor.
Sean Durzi – Los Angeles Kings – 4% Rostered
Durzi is one who was mentioned in our last “Weekend Defence Streamers” article and yet remains only 4% rostered, so we will put him back in this category. With the Los Angeles Kings dealing with so many injuries to their blue line, young defensemen have been asked to do more and Sean Durzi has seen the biggest bump. Without Matt Roy, Drew Doughty, Sean Walker, and Mikey Anderson, Durzi has been thrust into top pair minutes, including playing a career-high 27:06 on March 24, 2022, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He recorded three assists that game while also contributing a power-play and shorthanded point.
He is playing over 20 minutes in every game dating back to March 7, 2022, and amassed seven points in that span. It may not be elite-level offensive production, but Durzi always projected to be a more offensive-minded defenseman and, for the time being, he is the team’s best option. He is on the first power-play unit and anytime you can find that on the waiver wire, fantasy managers should take advantage, especially with their one-weekend game coming against the Seattle Kraken.
Chris Wideman – Montreal Canadiens – 1% Rostered
Like Durzi, Wideman was also mentioned in last week’s article but is proving to be worth the pickup. Wideman is up to two goals and 16 points heading into the weekend games and picked up a point on the power play in his last game. Defenseman Jeff Petry was injured in that game, which prompted Wideman to get some extra ice time, playing just over 19 minutes. If Petry’s injury projects to be more long-term, Wideman would assume the role on the Canadiens’ top power-play unit.
The Canadiens’ power-play unit is pretty good in terms of the creativity and offensive prowess of the personnel, which makes this add more intriguing. The Canadiens also play two games this weekend so you are getting an extra game. He is available in almost all leagues, and if Petry is out for the foreseeable future, Wideman should definitely be streamed.
Vince Dunn – Seattle Kraken – 26% Rostered
With both Durzi and Wideman being named to the streamers article two weeks in a row, we will provide one additional new name to consider adding. The departure of Mark Giordano at the deadline has propelled Dunn into top power-play minutes and he is making the most of his opportunity. He is riding a five-game points streak, picking up six points with two coming on the man advantage. He is also a contributor in blocked shots for those in deeper leagues, averaging just over a blocked shot per game.
Roster percentages courtesy of Yahoo
