NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Defensemen Pickups Jan. 2 - A Storm Surge For Smith

Jackson LaCombe, ANA at WPG (11% rostered)

The Ducks secured impressive wins on home ice against the Oilers and Devils, but this a tough test. Nevertheless, LaCombe has been very productive with three assists in his past three games and further cemented himself as their preferred PP QB.

Ty Smith, CAR at FLA (2% rostered)

I think there's a lot of trepidation regarding Smith because we're still hanging onto the idea that Brent Burns can be a very good PP QB. While that may be true, the more important thing is that Rod Brind'Amour doesn't necessarily think so. Smith is a specialist, but far more valuable than the likes of Erik Gustafsson or Tyson Barrie because Smith quarterbacks an excellent and talented top unit. This will be a stiff test but the Panthers are prone to taking some bad penalties, potentially giving Smith and the Canes' PP1 a lot of opportunity.

Mason Lohrei, BOS at NYR (2% rostered)

Lohrei is a quality top-four defenseman but he wouldn't have been my pick to quarterback PP1 if you asked me at the start of the season. The Bruins power play has been brutal - they're ranked 30th at 13 percent - but if Lohrei's getting quality minutes and the matchup is favorable, then he becomes an attractive streaming option. At worst, you might get a few blocks out of him.

Erik Brannstrom, VAN at SEA (1% rostered)

If you haven't noticed, today's defensemen features a lot of temporary PP QB's. Brannstrom takes over for Quinn Hughes, but more important is starting to gain a lot of momentum in his fantasy value, more so than Smith, Lohrei or Chisholm. Brannstrom scored an assist on the power play Tuesday against the Flames, and added a shot, a hit and four blocks for multi-category coverage. Given his strong play, it looks like he will be their top PP option for a little while longer, and perhaps for the entirety of Hughes' absence.

Declan Chisholm, MIN at WSH (0% rostered)

Chisholm's second goal of the season extended his points streak to three games, and with Jared Spurgeon unlikely to suit up, his role on PP2 will likely be a little bigger. The Caps are not an easy matchup and the Wild will be without top scorer Kirill Kaprizov again, but in deep leagues where points are a premium, Chisholm is worth noting.

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