Welcome back to another week of Fantasy hockey. February is nearly done, meaning the trade deadline is just around the corner. Be friends with the waiver wire.

This week, the Caps’ playoff push was hurt when T.J. Oshie suffered a noncontact injury; Jack Hughes thinks the floundering Devils need an attitude adjustment; and Vegas leading scorer Mark Stone has suffered another serious injury.

And now, let’s get to this week’s…

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Picks

Max Pacioretty, RW, Washington Capitals (ESPN: 5.2 per cent; CBS: 45 per cent): Pacioretty has been horribly injury prone in recent years, missing most of last season with an Achilles’ woe that held him out until January of this season. He’s bounced around in recent seasons, but is worth considering right now as he could see a bump into the top six with Oshie hurting. Pacioretty hasn’t produced to his normal levels (it doesn’t help that he’s been getting harpooned — see video below), but is likely still shaking off the rust. However, he’s not far removed from being a point per game dude and has scored 30 or more goals six times in his career. Pacioretty knows how to tickle the twine, so could be a great stretch run addition should Oshie miss extended time.

Brendan Brisson, C, Vegas Golden Knights (ESPN: 0.1 per cent; CBS: 5 per cent): Brisson is mostly unknown in Fantasy circles, having only played eight career games, but he’s worth considering given that he’s logged helpers in three straight and is likely to play every game now that Stone (UBI) is out week-to-week. Vegas’ 2020 first round pick has seen some power play time already, and that bodes well for his production now that he should get more minutes.

Nico Daws, G, New Jersey Devils (ESPN: 5.6 per cent; CBS: 27 per cent): Daws has been roughed up in back-to-back starts, but he had been rolling for a few games before that, and the key takeaway here is that he seems to be the main man in the Devil net right now. He’s actually been a bit better in February and is showing modest improvement over his rookie effort last season. If you need help in net, give Daws a shot.

Jordan Martinook, LW, Carolina Hurricanes (ESPN: 0.4 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): We identified Martinook as an early-season recommendation back in 2018-19 and it was a good call as he broke through for a career-high 15 goals. His scoring regressed in the next few seasons, but in 2022-23, he managed a career-best 34 points and he’s not far off that pace now, having racked up 11 points (including an impressive eight goals) in his last 16 games. And for what it’s worth, Martinook leads the NHL with 25 per cent of his shifts starting in the neutral zone, so if that’s somehow a category in your league, he’s even more valuable.

Nick Seeler, D, Philadelphia Flyers (ESPN: 30 per cent; CBS: 12 per cent): A couple of months ago, we recommended Seeler, and while his ownership has risen, he’s still widely available. A difference maker in the blocked shots category, he’s also racked up four fights and 101 hits so far this season. Seeler doesn’t bring much in the way of offense, but he’s managed a goal and two apples over the last five, and one of those helpers was of the shorthanded variety.

Alex Newhook, C, Montreal Canadiens (ESPN: 2.4 per cent; CBS: 15 per cent): Newhook has a chance to be a great asset down the stretch as he’s taken over as the 2C in Montreal and is seeing PP1 time in the wake of the Sean Monahan trade. Former Boston College star Newhook is starting to produce (1-2-3 over the last five) while seeing more and more ice time as the season progresses. He missed 27 games with a high ankle sprain, but now that he’s back to full strength we’re bullish on him breaking out, so consider him a superb buy-low target.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

Scottish singer Ali Thomson got his start in the ’70s and remains active to this day. He released his first album, Take a Little Rhythm, in 1980. The title track was a big hit, and the b-side from that single was “Jamie.”

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Portland’s second round pick in 2022, Walker is starting to see more PT over the last couple of months and showing his potential (last week recording a double-double with two blocks and a steal). His touches are up the last few weeks, and he’s already nearly matched the number of appearances he had in his entire rookie campaign last season. Yes, Walker endured a couple of injuries this season, but they were both minor and he’s proving to be an asset worth considering in deeper formats. more

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The Arizona Wildcats have rhymed off five straight wins, needing each one to maintain their one-game lead in the Pac 12. The eighth-ranked team was even able to hand Colorado its first home loss of the season. more