Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Karel Vejmelka and Andre Burakovsky Headline Top Adds

Hey folks. The waiver wire rarely screams for attention this time of year, but it often whispers the answers to roster problems. A pair of goaltenders handling meaningful workloads headline this week's list, offering potential stability or short-term upside for managers dealing with injuries, back-to-backs, or underperforming starters. Add in a familiar scoring name trying to rediscover his fantasy relevance, and there's enough here to quietly shift matchups.

Beyond the headline names, this report also digs into category help and deeper league relevance. Whether you're chasing saves, shoring up hits and blocks, or looking for a low-risk offensive swing, these five players each bring a specific fantasy angle worth considering before waiver runs tighten up. Let's dive right into some juicy adds!

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Karel Vejmelka - Utah Mammoth

Vejmelka has now started five straight games without missing a turn, clearly establishing himself as Utah's workhorse goalie. While the underlying numbers remain closer to average than elite, the results matter for fantasy purposes. He's winning games, and his ability to handle a heavy workload has been a major part of the Mammoth staying competitive this season.

From a fantasy perspective, volume is doing the heavy lifting here. Vejmelka is still rostered in roughly half of leagues, but that number is climbing as managers begin to recognize how secure his role has become. If you're thin in net or need a dependable source of starts and wins, this is a proactive add. The ratios may fluctuate, but opportunity like this rarely stays on the wire for long.

Vejmelka has 19 wins in 34 games started as a goaltender. He also has an .899 save percentage, 2.63 goals against average, and one shutout.

Andre Burakovsky - Chicago Blackhawks

Burakovsky on your roster benefits from the “Bedard bump” with Connor Bedard returning to the lineup on Friday night. Skating alongside a true franchise forward immediately raises Burakovsky's offensive ceiling, as much of his value is driven by who he's playing with rather than volume shooting or peripheral production.

Burakovsky also has a piece of the top powerplay unit, so while his deployment is elite - his talent is not without Bedard carrying the heavy lifting. Luckily, he is back and fantasy managers have already taken notice and started to re-roster Burakovsky at an alarming rate.

From a fantasy standpoint, this is a situational add with clear short-term upside. Any forward riding shotgun with Bedard is going to see an immediate boost in scoring chances, and Burakovsky is the type of complementary scorer who can cash in when the attention shifts elsewhere. He's worth grabbing in deeper leagues or as a short-term offensive play, with the understanding that his value is directly tied to Bedard's health and deployment.

Burakovsky has 10 goals, 19 assists, and 10 powerplay points in 39 games played as a forward. He also has 55 shots on goal, 11 hits, and 16 blocked shots.

Josh Manson - Colorado Avalanche

Manson is playing a steady role on Colorado's second defensive pairing with veteran Brent Burns, and sees occasional second unit powerplay time, but his real fantasy value comes from environment more than opportunity. Playing on one of the deepest teams in the league means he'll naturally find himself sharing the ice with elite talent at times, including stretches alongside Nathan MacKinnon, which can lead to the occasional offensive spike.

That said, Manson isn't on fantasy rosters to drive scoring. He's a peripherals play first and foremost, bringing hits, blocks, and physicality, with an eye-catching +/- that currently sits at an impressive +34. Thursday's four-point outburst against Ottawa was a career night and very much the exception rather than the expectation. Manson put up two goals and two assists in this game.

The advice here is simple. Ride the hot stick while it lasts, treat any offense as a bonus, and enjoy the category coverage while he's seeing favorable minutes.

Manson has four goals, 15 assists, and 58 penalty minutes in 43 games played as a defensemen. He also has 62 shots on goal, 107 hits, and 60 blocked shots.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - Buffalo Sabres

Next, let's talk blue paint in Buffalo. Is it still UPL, or are we going with 6K now? I still like UPL better. That's my hot take of the day. Either way, Lukkonen is now in the spotlight.

With Alex Lyon injured, the Sabres' crease has quickly simplified, opening the door for UPL to take control of the workload. What was trending toward a three-goalie rotation is now far more straightforward, especially with Devon Levi still buried in the AHL. That clarity alone boosts UPL's fantasy value in the short term.

From a fantasy perspective, this is all about volume and opportunity. UPL is set up to handle the majority of starts until Lyon returns, making him a high-usage option for managers needing saves and appearances. The ratios may fluctuate behind a young Buffalo team, but heavy workloads don't last long on the waiver wire. If you're looking for goalie volume right now, this is the window to act.

Luukkonen has eight wins in 14 games started as a goaltender. He also has a .903 save percentage, 2.61 goals against average, and zero shutouts.

Alexandre Texier - Montreal Canadiens

Texier is the definition of a ride the hot stick pickup right now, coming off a six-point effort over his last two games. The production has been driven by opportunity more than anything else, as he's currently skating on Montreal's top line alongside Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki. That deployment alone makes him worth attention while it lasts.

He's also seeing time on the second powerplay unit, giving him a bit of extra offensive runway during this stretch. This is not a long-term bet, but it's the kind of short-term add that can swing a matchup if the usage holds for another week or two. If you need offense right now, Texier is worth the gamble while he remains attached to Montreal's top scoring options.

Texier has seven goals, eight assists, and zero powerplay points in 30 games played as a forward. He also has 45 shots on goal, 27 hits, and seven blocked shots.