Fantasy: Top 10 waiver wire pickups for Week 20

Every Monday during the season, NHL.com will provide the top 10 players to add off the fantasy waiver wire. Based on Yahoo transaction data and other factors including production, lineup and/or injury trends, we have identified appealing options at each position for fantasy owners in season-long leagues.

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MORE FANTASY COVERAGE:
2018 NHL Trade Deadline roundup
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Projected lineups

FORWARDS

Rick Nash, LW/RW, BOS (48 percent):The Boston Bruins acquired Nash from the New York Rangers on Sunday, adding much intrigue to his fantasy stock. Nash skated on their second line with forward David Krejci (C, 24 percent) and rookie Jake DeBrusk (LW, 4 percent) in their 4-1 loss against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday and had five shots on goal. Nash had 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in his final 18 games with the Rangers and is
worth adding
in standard leagues.

Derick Brassard, C, PIT (40 percent):The center should debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins this week after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators on Friday and is expected to center the third line between forwards Phil Kessel (RW, 6th in Yahoo) and Jake Guentzel (62 percent, 177th). Brassard had nine points (five goals, four assists) and 27 SOG in his final seven games with the Senators since returning from injury Feb. 10. Even though Brassard is not likely to see first power-play usage, this trade to a Stanley Cup contender could
boost his fantasy value
.
Evgenii Dadonov, LW/RW, FLA (33 percent):The Florida Panthers forward scored a hat trick and had three SOG in their 6-5 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Dadonov has points in six of his past seven games totaling 10 points (seven goals, three assists), two PPP and 22 SOG. He is skating on their first line with forwards Aleksander Barkov (57th in Yahoo) and Nick Bjugstad (C/RW, 4 percent and first power-play unit with Barkov, forwards Jonathan Huberbeau (71st) and Vincent Trocheck (27th) and defenseman Keith Yandle (145th). Florida has the most games remaining of any team in the NHL (23), with 14 games at home and 10 against non-contenders. Dadonov has 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) and 69 SOG in 23 home games this season.

Craig Smith, RW, NSH (28 percent):The Nashville Predators right wing had one assist and four SOG in their 4-0 win against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, extending his point streak to seven games. Smith (105th in Yahoo) has seven points (two goals, five assists), two PPP and 18 SOG in the span on their second line with forwards Kyle Turris (C, 53 percent), who has points in three of his past four games, and Kevin Fiala (LW/RW, 28 percent), who is second on the team with 20 goals. Smith is also skating on their first power-play unit with forwards Filip Forsberg (75th in Yahoo), Ryan Johansen (126th), Viktor Arvidsson (84th) and defenseman P.K. Subban (21st).
Nolan Patrick, C, PHI (17 percent):The Philadelphia Flyers rookie center had a goal and nine SOG in their 5-3 win against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, extending his point streak to five games. It was the fourth consecutive game that Patrick scored a goal and he has five points (four goals, one assist), two PPP and 18 SOG over that span. Patrick is centering their second line with elite right wing Jakub Voracek (8th in Yahoo) and is on the first power-play unit with Voracek, Sean Couturier (C, 22nd), Claude Giroux (C/LW, 10th) and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (33rd).

Tobias Rieder, LW/RW, LAK (3 percent):The Los Angeles Kings forward could see a spike in fantasy value after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. He has one goal and six SOG in two games since the trade, with all of that production coming in their most-recent game against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. He did not see any power-play usage but played on the first line at even strength with center Anze Kopitar (30th in Yahoo) and wing Dustin Brown (75th). With Jeff Carter (C, 68 percent) back from injury and playing with usual linemates Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, Rieder has a chance to stick with Kopitar for the rest of the season.
Ryan Carpenter, C, VGK (2 percent):The Vegas Golden Knights forward has points in back-to-back games after an assist in their 6-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. Carpenter has scored all 10 of his points (six goals, four assists) over the past 10 games skating mostly on Vegas' third line with forwards Cody Eakin (C, 1 percent) and Tomas Nosek (C/LW/RW, fewer than 1 percent). Nosek has points in back-to-back games and in four of his past six. Carpenter will be a solid value player to take a late-season flier on, especially in deep season-long and DFS formats.
Others to consider: J.T. Miller, C/LW/RW, TBL (38 percent); Nico Hischier, C, NJD (33 percent); Paul Stastny, C, WPG (25 percent); Tomas Tatar, LW/RW, VGK (17 percent); Thomas Vanek, LW/RW, CBJ (14 percent); Anthony Beauvillier, C/LW, NYI (9 percent); Ryan Strome, C/RW, EDM (8 percent)

DEFENSEMEN

Jeff Petry, MTL (35 percent):The Montreal Canadiens defenseman has picked up his offensive production in place of injured teammate Shea Weber (foot; out for season). Petry had a power-play assist and four SOG in their 4-3 shootout loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, extending his point streak to four games. Petry has four points in that span and eight points (five goals, three assists), five PPP and 29 SOG in his past 10 games. He has an NHL career-high 10 goals and 30 points in 61 games and is tied with New Jersey Devils defenseman Will Butcher and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tyler Myers for 12th among NHL defensemen with 16 PPP.

Sami Vatanen, NJD (23 percent): The New Jersey Devils defenseman had one assist in their 2-1 win against the New York Islanders on Saturday. Vatanen has assists in back-to-back games and eight assists (two on the power-play), six blocked shots and 13 SOG in his past eight games. He is skating on their first defense pair with Andy Greene (1 percent) and running the point on the first power-play unit with elite left wing Taylor Hall (11th in Yahoo), who extended his point streak to 21 games with two assists against the Islanders.
Others to consider: Matt Niskanen, WSH (36 percent); Olli Maatta, PIT (20 percent); Justin Braun, SJS (9 percent); Ryan Pulock, NYI (5 percent); Brandon Manning, PHI (1 percent)
GOALTENDER
Darcy Kuemper, ARI (34 percent):The Arizona Coyotes goaltender, acquired from the Kings on Wednesday, stopped 24 of 27 shots faced in a 3-1 loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday in his debut. Kuemper could see an increased role with the Coyotes down the stretch, especially if teammate Antti Raanta is traded before the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday. Kuemper was 10-1-3 with a 2.10 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in 19 games (15 starts) with the Kings. Arizona has 20 games remaining, six against non-contenders and seven in the final two weeks of the regular season.

Others to consider: Ryan Miller, ANA (46 percent); Antti Raanta, ARI (43 percent); Keith Kinkaid, NJD (19 percent), Jon Gillies, CGY (5 percent)

GAMES THIS WEEK:

MOST: CAR, COL, CBJ, FLA, LAK, MIN, MTL, NJD, NSH, PHI, TBL, VGK (4 each)
FEWEST: ANA, ARI, BUF (2 each)