NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Forward Pickups Jan. 8 - Lekkerimaki Getting a Chance With Pettersson Sidelined

On every game day this season, THN Fantasy will highlight players and goalies for fantasy managers to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies can be used in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

Aliaksei Protas, WSH vs. VAN (34% rostered)

As long as Protas continues to produce and remains below the 50% rostered threshold, I will continue to highlight him in this column. Protas notched a goal and an assist and has five multi-point performances across his last 14 games, collecting nine goals and 13 points over that stretch. Each tally scored just extends his career-high in that category as well as points. Plus he sits just seven shy of a new mark in assists.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, VAN @ WSH (2% rostered)

Lekkerimaki, who saw a five-game cameo earlier in the season, was promoted Monday on an emergency basis. He made the most of that action, notching the first multi-point performance of his career, tallying a goal and an assist. Lekkerimaki, the Canucks' top prospect, was called up due to Elias Pettersson being sidelined. If Pettersson sits again, Lekkerimaki will see top-six duty again.

Jonathan Drouin, LW/RW, COL @ CHI (35% rostered)

A pair of injuries have limited Drouin to just nine games this season. He has been highly productive when on the ice, potting three goals while adding five assists. This performance builds off the career-high 56 points he notched last season, his first in Colorado. Drouin benefits from skating on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

Frank Nazar, C, CHI vs. COL (1% rostered)

Nazar, taken 13 overall in 2022, has a bright future but right now is skating in the bottom-six. He has notched just two assists in 11 games while skating 13:33 a contest, Nazar is seeing 2:15 a contest on the man-advantage, which is an indication of his upside. In addition, he displayed his scoring prowess last season at the University of Michigan, scored 17 goals and 41 points in 41 contests as a sophomore.

Warren Foegele, LA vs. CGY (12% rostered)

Foegele is having a solid first season in LA. The winger has notched four goals and six assists over his nine outings while filling a second-line role. For the season, Foegele has 23 points, 86 shots on net, 32 hits, 25 blocked shots and a plus-18 rating over 38 appearances, putting him on track for a career year for the second straight season. He posted 41 points in 82 contests in his final campaign for Edmonton last season.

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