Top of the Pacific Division and No. 1 in the West in points percentage, the Edmonton Oilers are scoring up a storm and winning matches. Averaging 4.11 goals/game, in step with the Carolina Hurricanes in leading the league, Edmonton is also one of the stingier clubs to launch 2026-27. Since opening their campaign with two rather bizarre tilts against the Vancouver Canucks, Mike Babcock's crew ranks fifth in the NHL in allowing only 2.50 goals/game.

Point is, from the net out, there's a lot of fantasy value to mine beyond Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid, who's inspiring talk of maybe, possibly, breaking the magical 200-point plateau. Fun times in Edmonton right now.

With a look to the schedule, perhaps even an exceptionally fun week ahead. Competing on four occasions, including on three so-called slower nights, when most of the league is off, the Oilers face the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers twice. There will be plenty of fantasy points up for grabs, and not just from McDavid and Co.

For instance, from Kasperi Kapanen, who's skating on Edmonton's second scoring line/power play and only rostered in 12.7% of ESPN.com leagues. Or defender Mattias Ekholm who, since returning from a concussion, has two goals, three assists, and seven blocked-shots in seven games. The veteran blueliner is available in approximately half of ESPN.com fantasy competition.

It's also worth noting that Zach Hyman is back in action after losing seven games to injury and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins isn't expected to miss much time after leaving Saturday's game with an upper-body issue (puck to the head). Both forwards should be spoken for across the fantasy board.

In net, Devon Levi is back to action after losing two weeks to a lower-body injury. He certainly looks no worse for wear, after stopping all but two shots in Saturday's win over the Canucks. Seemingly destined to enjoy more outings than his goaltending partner, Tristan Jarry, Levi serves as a solid, and largely available, option for managers in need of help in net.

Every Monday, we'll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We'll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.

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Forwards

Zach Benson, F, Buffalo Sabres (1.8 FPPG, 60.1% available): Now this is the feisty and productive forward members of the hockey world, particularly those living in Buffalo, fell for this past postseason. Battling on a top line and power play with Tage Thompson, Benson has two goals and 12 assists on 33 shots in his most recent dozen contests. Floating a 6.1 Sh%, the 21-year-old is only going to find the back of the net more often going forward.

Maxim Shabanov, F, Minnesota Wild (1.9 FPPG, 86.2% available): Skating on a scoring line with Danila Yurov and Yakov Trenin, and most recently with the Wild's No. 1 power play, Shabanov is riding hot with six goals and one assist in seven games. Not completely out of character, considering the 26-year-old produced at a better-than-point/game pace in his last season in the KHL, two years ago. Incentive-wise, it doesn't hurt that the versatile winger is headed towards restricted free agency.

Jimmy Snuggerud, F, St. Louis Blues (1.8 FPPG, 66.1% available): If the second-year skater continues to fire on net like he did in Nashville on Saturday (five times), he's going to forge a legitimate path towards the 40-goal mark. As it stands, Snuggerud -- skating on a Blues' top line and power play -- has nine goals on the season and three in his past five contests.

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Defense

Jamie Drysdale, D, Philadelphia Flyers (1.9 FPPG, 42.8% available): Coming alive on October 21st, the defenseman has nine points in eight games (plus-five), including a pair with the extra skater. Qualifying as my favorite (available) blue-line streaming option of the week, Drysdale should be snatched up before the Flyers visit the Canucks on Monday. Then take it from there.

Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes (4.1 FPPG, 64.4% available): He's back. After signing a one-year deal and returning to speed, the second-year defender pitched in a goal and assist in his 2026-27 debut, Saturday's 9-2 lopsided win over the Blackhawks. While Nikishin is more of a 0.41 points/game (2025-26) kind of guy, that rate still merits proper fantasy attention.

Goaltenders

Adin Hill, G, Vegas Golden Knights (2.8 FPPG, 75.9% available): The only real knock on Hill is that he's splitting time in the crease fairly evenly with Carter Hart, who's also playing well of late. Otherwise, the Vegas netminder has been pretty terrific in all but two of nine appearances this season, and ranks 12th league-wide in total fantasy points in ESPN.com leagues.

Cam Talbot, G, Columbus Blue Jackets (2.6 FPPG, 93.2% available): It appears to be the veteran's net in Columbus at present. If Talbot's two recent, dominating wins over Dallas and Colorado aren't enough to completely push Rick Bowness in that direction, Jet Greaves' less impressive showing in Buffalo on Friday night likely does. If Columbus can play competitively enough, this presents as a good goalie pick-up in deeper fantasy leagues.

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Short-term streamers

Tye Kartye, F, New York Rangers (1.6 FPPG, 91.5% available): With other more prominent members of the Rangers' forward corps largely accounted for, the second-line/power-play winger is worth pursuing ahead of New York's trip through Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Skating with J.T Miller, Kartye has six goals and five assists in his past 12 games.

Kiefer Sherwood, F, San Jose Sharks (1.5 FPPG, 55.8% available): The Sharks play four times this week, against the Islanders, Penguins, Mammoth, and Predators. Even more promising, three of those four matchups fall on more lightly-scheduled evenings. What the second-line/secondary power-play forward doesn't satisfy in production categories, he'll make up for in the hits department. A category Sherwood currently leads, league-wide.