Fantasy Hockey Playoff Push: Target These 4-Game Streamers and a Must-Add Returning Star

Hey folks. Today, we're zeroing in on one of the biggest edges you can gain during the fantasy playoffs - schedule and timing. With certain teams playing four games and hitting key off nights, the opportunity to maximize games played can be just as valuable as the player talent itself, and that's exactly where smart managers can separate from the pack.

At the same time, a major name is returning to the lineup for one of the league's top teams, and despite a less than ideal schedule, the upside here is too big to ignore if he's somehow sitting on your waiver wire.

Welcome to fantasy playoffs, and let's dive into these must-add roster players!

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Alexis Lafreniere - New York Rangers

Lafreniere is one of the more obvious targets this week, but this is not the time of year to overthink the obvious plays. He's currently benefiting from top line minutes and consistent deployment on the top powerplay unit, which is exactly the kind of role you want to be buying into during the fantasy playoffs. When a player is getting this kind of opportunity on a nightly basis, the production tends to follow.

The Rangers may not be the strongest team overall, but that's not what matters right now. They have arguably the best schedule in hockey this week with four games, including three on off nights, which is a massive advantage in fantasy playoff matchups. Being able to slide a player into your lineup on lighter nights can quietly win you categories without needing elite production.

Lafreniere also brings a well-rounded category profile, contributing not just offensively but with enough peripheral stats to give him a stable floor. When you combine that with his current role and elite weekly schedule, this is a plug-and-play add who can provide both consistency and upside at a time when every game played matters.

Lafreniere has 20 goals, 27 assists, and nine powerplay points in 71 games played as a forward. He also has 139 shots on goal, 81 hits, and 40 blocked shots.

Shane Pinto - Ottawa Senators

Pinto is flying a bit under the radar right now, but he checks a lot of boxes for what you want in a playoff streamer. The Senators are in the middle of a hard push for a playoff spot, which means there's no easing up here - no stars resting, no games taken lightly. Every shift matters, and that kind of environment tends to elevate players throughout the lineup.

He's currently centring a middle six role while also seeing powerplay time, giving him multiple paths to production on any given night. Pinto has also chipped in with three points over his last three games, showing a bit of offensive momentum at the perfect time. When you combine that with a nearly 40-point campaign this season, you're looking at a player who has quietly provided steady value.

What really boosts Pinto this week is the combination of his physical play and Ottawa's schedule. He contributes in hits while still giving you offensive upside, and with the Senators playing four games, he becomes an ideal streaming option. In a week where maximizing games played is critical, Pinto stands out as one of the more well-rounded and reliable waiver wire targets available.

Pinto has 19 goals, 20 assists, and three powerplay points in 60 games played as a forward. He also has 134 shots on goal, 80 hits, and 40 blocked shots.

Vladislav Gavrikov - New York Rangers

Gavrikov is making the most of a huge opportunity right now, skating alongside franchise defensemen Adam Fox and locking down a role on the top pairing. When a player finds himself in that kind of deployment, especially this late in the season, it immediately puts him on the fantasy radar. Opportunity like this doesn't come around often on the waiver wire.

What makes this even more interesting is that he's actually producing with it. Gavrikov has put up five goals and four assists over nine contests in March, which is not something you typically expect from him, but it shows what can happen when usage and confidence start to build. Add in time on the second powerplay unit, and suddenly there are multiple avenues for him to keep chipping in.

Then you circle back to the schedule, and it's the same story as with Lafreniere. The Rangers have one of the best setups of the week with four games and three on off nights, which is massive for fantasy playoffs. A defensemen getting top pairing minutes, producing, and playing that schedule? There's really not much to dislike here in the short term.

Gavrikov has 14 goals, 17 assists, and six powerplay points in 71 games played as a defensemen. He also has 105 shots on goal, 42 hits, and 92 blocked shots.

Gabriel Landeskog - Colorado Avalanche

Landeskog is back in the lineup and made an immediate statement, scoring in his first game off the shelf. More importantly, he's returning right onto the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, giving him the kind of elite linemate support that fantasy managers dream about. With Cale Makar anchoring the blueline, there's simply no other player in the league who enjoys this level of deployment and insulation.

This isn't just about upside - Landeskog has the floor built in. Top line minutes, powerplay time, and playing in every situation means he'll consistently contribute across categories, even if the schedule isn't ideal. He's the type of player who can quietly win you weeks without you needing to overthink every shift.

If he somehow fell off your roster while injured, now is the moment to grab him. There's immediate production to be had, and with this kind of deployment for the rest of the playoffs, Landeskog becomes a must-start option that can swing matchups when it matters most.

Landeskog has 10 goals, 20 assists, and four powerplay points in 48 games played as a forward. He also has 106 shots on goal, 69 hits, and 21 blocked shots.