Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Last call for Robert Thomas before Blues really clean house

By Evan Berofsky, RotoWire

Special to Yahoo Sports

We're getting down to the last few weeks of the fantasy regular season. It's time to prepare for the playoffs — or build for next year. Either way, you should at least be making an attempt to compete. Tanking is reserved for real NHL teams.

Unless your lineups are stacked, there's always room for new recruits. So if you're looking for a couple of additional pieces, here are a few recommendations.

(Rostered rates as of Feb. 17)

Forwards

Robert Thomas, STL (Yahoo: 53%)

With Vladimir Tarasenko already gone and Ryan O'Reilly rumored to be next, St. Louis will lose a large chunk of talent and leadership up front. Based on pedigree and production, Thomas could be in line to inherit even more responsibilities. That would suit the 23-year-old well considering he racked up 77 points last season and sits at 48 in 51 games — with 16 of his goals coming on the power play. It's amazing to think that someone so valuable could be available in almost half of Yahoo leagues.

Nick Schmaltz, ARI (Yahoo: 36%)

Just because a club is ranked 29th in goals per game, that doesn't mean we should avoid all their forwards. And when it comes to Arizona's options, Schmaltz is the clear choice. He was first mentioned in late November at 15 percent and has since seen his coverage skyrocket after posting 13 goals, 21 assists, and 69 shots over 36 contests. He's skating in prime scoring situations while averaging over 20 minutes a night.

Phillip Danault, LA (Yahoo: 30%)

Danault debuted in the same column as Schmaltz, though the former has since become more widely available. That seems a bit puzzling, as Danault has continued to contribute in multiple categories with 24 points, 64 shots, 37 PIM, 33 blocks, 32 hits and 296 faceoff wins. He even notched 11 PPPs during those two-and-a-half months. Maybe it's due to Danault's poor plus-minus or the fact he's on the second line for both even-strength and the man-advantage, though all the other stats should convince you otherwise.

Anthony Beauvillier, VAN (Yahoo: 10%)

Yet another returnee, and our first two-teamer! In Long Island, Beauvillier registered 20 points across 49 outings. And he's already put up two goals — both PPGs — and two assists with the Canucks after arriving at the end of January. That'll happen when you're paired with Elias Pettersson at five-on-five and on Vancouver's massively talented lead power play. Beauvillier could end up falling to the bottom half of the depth chart, but he's currently someone you need to add.

Kyle Palmieri, NYI (Yahoo: 9%)

Palmieri missed eight weeks and only came back on Jan. 23, but he's gone on to record two goals, five assists, 23 shots and 15 hits since then. He may not be with either Mathew Barzal or Bo Horvat, though Brock Nelson is a respectable "consolation.". The Isles' backup PP isn't anything to laugh at with veterans Josh Bailey and Zach Parise, yet the first unit has been dominating of late.

Robby Fabbri, DET (Yahoo: 6%)

Fabbri's NHL career started off well, but injuries would see him miss more games than the ones he actually played in. This season was no different as he underwent ACL surgery in March and didn't make his debut until just after New Year's Day. Three goals from Fabbri's first four looked promising, be then he had only two points in the next 10. This past week has been very kind to him by way of three tallies and five assists, where six (!!) of the combined eight were notched on Detroit's top power play.

Alex Kerfoot, TOR (Yahoo: 5%)

After producing 51 points last year, Kerfoot's at half of that total. The ice time is similar, but maybe the quality of linemates has decreased … until now. Thanks to a recent shakeup, Kerfoot finds himself on the wing beside John Tavares and Mitch Marner at even-strength. That seems like the perfect tonic to turn things around, and he's managed a helper in each of the last two. Monitor Kerfoot's situation to see if he stays with the dynamic duo or moves back to his usual post as third-line center.

Peyton Krebs, BUF (Yahoo: 2%)

Even though Krebs never got to fulfill his potential in Vegas, he — along with Alex Tuch — was part of the package that landed Jack Eichel. Krebs was too good for the AHL, so a regular role in the bigs was inevitable. Twenty-two points across 48 matchups following his move to Buffalo foretold a bright future, but the Sabres' young forward depth has kept him in the lower half of the lineup. That hasn't deterred Krebs as he's still been able to impress, posting seven points the last month to go with 14 shots, 13 PIM and 12 hits.

Defensemen

Juuso Valimaki, ARI (Yahoo: 11%)

Janis Moser reappeared in this column two weeks ago after Shayne Gostisbehere went down. And with Jakob Chychrun still under trade protection protocol, Valimaki has ascended to the Coyotes' top power play. He's taken advantage of the huge boost in ice time with six assists from the last five games, with four on Sunday, including a pair of PPAs. Gostisbehere is reported to return within the next week and could push Valimaki down to the second man-advantage or off it completely, but with Chychrun set to leave any day now, Valimaki should at least retain a significant role.

Rasmus Ristolainen, PHI (Yahoo: 11%)

Of all the miracles John Tortorella has pulled off over the years, getting Ristolainen to potentially finish with his first career positive plus-minus could be his biggest achievement. Ristolainen used to be more offensively active, but that area has significantly dipped. He's always been a proficient producer of hits, yet his current average is down compared to previous seasons. Despite those drawbacks, Ristolainen has gone off since Jan. 17 with nine points, 13 shots, 28 hits and 16 blocks. If at least some of that output can be maintained, he'll continue to be helpful.

Erik Brannstrom, OTT (Yahoo: 0%)

Brannstrom has never been able to get it going on the scoresheet, though he's receiving more opportunities to correct that with Jake Sanderson out. His minutes are up, which includes a place back on Ottawa's second PP. Brannstrom has responded by recording a goal and assist from three matchups. Sanderson is slated to return within the next couple of weeks, so Brannstrom will need to keep up the momentum in the meantime.

Justin Barron, MON (Yahoo: 0%)

After being shipped out by the Avs last year as part of the Artturi Lehkonen deal, Barron excelled in the minors to earn a shot with the Habs. The 2020 first-rounder has posted a respectable six points across his last 11 outings, a stretch in which he's only averaged 15:28. On Tuesday, he netted the winner in the form of a PPG. Barron wasn't the biggest scorer in junior hockey, though Montreal's current blueline corps is lacking upside. As long as he can keep developing and stay on special teams, he'll hold some fantasy value. Barron was forced out of Thursday's contest with a shoulder injury, so check his status before adding him.

Goaltenders

Pheonix Copley, LA (Yahoo: 54%)

Despite a lofty position in the standings and a deep attack, the Kings aren't great on the back end, ranking 22nd in GAA. Cal Petersen struggled early and was demoted in December. Jonathan Quick has produced even worse stats, which is probably why he's only received eight appearances during the last two-plus months. Copley's 2.74 GAA and .903 save percentage may look mediocre, but LA's D is pretty good at limiting the number of pucks on net. The offense has provided him with enough firepower, as his 17-3-1 record shows.

Jaxson Stauber, CHI (Yahoo: 2%)

Chicago's blueline may be a mess, yet there are four other clubs with more atrocious defensive records. Petr Mrazek came in during the offseason and hasn't fared well, posting a 4.00/.884 line while suffering two different lower-body injuries. Stauber was summoned from the AHL in January and picked up wins in St. Louis and Calgary before being sent down. The 23-year-old got the call again over a week ago after Alex Stalock suffered a concussion and continued to impress with another victory versus Arizona last Friday. The Blackhawks saw their playoff aspirations disappear long ago, so they may be more inclined to provide more starts for Stauber.

Players to consider from past columns: Martin Necas, David Krejci, Dylan Cozens, Matty Beniers, Joel Eriksson Ek, Jeff Skinner, Andrei Kuzmenko, Dylan Strome, Logan Couture, Kevin Hayes, Trevor Moore, Mason McTavish, Lucas Raymond, Brock Boeser, Filip Chytil, Bryan Rust, J.T. Compher, Owen Tippett, Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Conor Sheary, Adam Henrique, Boone Jenner, Cole Perfetti, Scott Laughton, Jack Roslovic, Brandon Hagel, Gabriel Vilardi, Max Domi, Sam Steel, Jordan Eberle, Evan Rodrigues, William Karlsson, Viktor Arvidsson, Eeli Tolvanen, Anton Lundell, Ondrej Palat, Jason Zucker, Nick Paul, Seth Jarvis, Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Raddysh, Kirill Marchenko, Seth Jones, Brandon Montour, Cam Fowler, Brady Skjei, Noah Hanifin, Brett Pesce, Vince Dunn, Bowen Byram, Erik Gustafsson, Calen Addison, Adam Larsson, Jeff Petry, Samuel Girard, K'Andre Miller, Janis Moser, Mark Giordano, Sean Durzi, Sebastian Aho, Mike Matheson, Janis Moser, Vitek Vanecek, Martin Jones, Karel Vejmelka, Dan Vladar, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Antti Raanta, Adin Hill, Stuart Skinner, Casey DeSmith, Semyon Varlamov