After two exciting weeks of play to open the 2022 NHL season, discover the best players available to tidy up the league’s waiver threads to bolster the roster and prepare for the inevitable injury virus. They are widely available players who progress in their development or players who will have more opportunities in the event of injury.

Here are some of the best players to hide from the league’s waiver leads ahead of Saturday’s packed 13-game roster.

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Center

Trevor Zegras (C-ANA): 23%
Trevor Zegras skates on Anaheim’s top line and gets extra minutes on the second unit on the power play. While he has produced just one point in his first four games, Zegras has totaled four shots on goal in each of his last three outings. He’s not consistent enough to deploy in the lineups, but the fact that he’s skating on the front row and averaging four shots on goal means a positive regression in goals is on the horizon. Stash Zegras, as the Ducks appear to be an improved unit compared to a year ago.

Charlie Coyle (C-BOS): 9%
Coyle was quiet in Boston’s first two games, but exploded with a three-point outing against an insanely good Buffalo Sabers team on Friday night. The veteran center skates on the Bruins’ second line but enjoys playing alongside Taylor Hall (LW – BOS) and Craig Smith (RW – BOS), which means there will be games where Coyle builds up production through to the talent of his teammates. Boston has the luxury of having a great goaltender, so their offense doesn’t have to be one of the league’s strongest units. Either way, Coyle holds enough value in a talented team to warrant the waivers being removed.

Wing

Anthony Duclair (F – FLA): 17%
Hiding a player skating on the front row of one of the league’s hottest teams in the Florida Panthers is exactly why Anthony Duclair is a staple out of the league’s waiver sons. He has scored one goal in three of their four games despite just 11 minutes of ice time on average, so he’s got a high floor despite his limitations on the ice. Duclair also has an over-under-five, which means he’s extremely effective when given minutes alongside Carter Verhaeghe (LW – FLA) and Aleksander Barkov (C – FLA).

James van Riemsdyk (F – PHI): 26%
Hiding a third row skater may seem less than ideal, but James van Riemsdyk is good enough to counter the skepticism. Earning extra minutes on the Flyers’ top powerplay unit and picking up an assist in two of three games to start the season, van Riemsdyk is a good reserve considering the high-octane offense that Philadelphia has shown. during the first two weeks. The team have a point differential of plus seven, which means van Riemsdyk will have plenty of opportunities to score assists and a casual goal going forward.

Defense

Dmitri Orlov (D – WAS): 24%
It seems like no matter the season, the Washington Capitals are still a very talented team. This trend continued until the start of the 2022 NHL season, with second row defenseman Dmitri Orlov scoring points in each of his last two games, helping the Capitals to a 3-0-1 record at the top. of the metropolitan division. Extra minutes on the Capitals’ second power play unit make Orlov a great reserve and potential utility option for Week 3 of the NHL season.

Vladislav Gavrikov (D – CBJ): 0.4%
Gavrikov is gaining a ton of ice minutes for Columbus this season despite skating on the second line and not appearing on any of the power play units. The 25-year-old defenseman provided several scoring opportunities for the Blue Jackets, including two assists in Game 1 and one assist in their recent victory over the New York Islanders. He’s yet to total more than two shots on goal in a game, but Gavrikov has got enough involved thanks to the minutes he recorded in an underrated attacking team.

Goalkeeper

Cal Petersen (G – LAK): 28%
The Kings gave Cal Petersen time off on Friday, but he has looked good in both starts this year, going 1-1 but never allowing more than two goals. While not on a high octane offense that diminishes his appeal a bit, Petersen is a talented goalie who should continue to perform well in the enclosure as the Kings’ top goaltender. Hide it as insurance against injury or for the possibility that the team will start to find more offensive production.

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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. To learn more about Matthew, check out his archive and follow it @Matt_MacKay_.