Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Now is the time to pick up Dylan Cozens

Fantasy hockey comes down to paying attention. If you forget to set up your lineups properly or miss important news, there's a chance you'll fall behind. These actions may seem obvious, but I've overlooked the simplest details and it's cost me weekly wins. As if you didn't realize that one striker played three games, while another only played one. You can probably guess which player I started in this scenario.

(And I lost by 0.23 points.)

Don't be complacent. At the same time, don't worry too much about small mistakes (or early slumps). The bigger picture is the most important, so stay focused on that.

Keep your eyes on the players below. And promise me you won't stop reading until you get to the bottom of the list.

(Schedule rates from Oct. 25)

Come on

Cole Perfetti, WPG (Yahoo: 28%)

Elite teams are often successful because of depth. The Jets follow that model with four reliable lines, a solid top-six blueline and an elite goaltender backed by a noted veteran. Both units with the man advantage have been very productive with a success rate of 42.1%, although that is clearly not sustainable. Winnipeg is flying at 7-0, and their second line may have been the best trio thanks to a combined 22 points. Perfetti has concentrated his two goals and six assists in three games, including three PPPs. Expect him to finally break the 40-point plateau, with 50 being a reasonable target.

Dylan Cozens, BUF (Yahoo: 25%)

Cozens suffered a drop of 21 points last season, although 25 of the 47 came over the last 37 games. He has been a mainstay on the power play for most of his time in Buffalo, firing at least 200 shots in back-to-back campaigns. Cozens has been criticized for only having two assists thus far, yet he has put 27 pucks on net, along with 13 hits, while skating more than 18 minutes a night. As long as he keeps trying to score, his luck should eventually turn around.

Brayden Schenn, STL (Yahoo: 19%)

Robert Thomas will be out for at least six weeks with a broken ankle, so someone will have to fill the 1C spot. Schenn got the job based on his skills and previous experience. He gets a huge boost from the new placement after registering just two points in his first seven matchups, though he did manage 21 shots, 18 hits and 10 blocks in just under 18 minutes per game. Add Schenn now before he breaks out.

Cutter Gauthier, ANH (Yahoo: 13%)

Gauthier was touted as a Calder prospect entering the season after coming over from the Philly organization in January and finishing the college campaign with 65 points as a Hobey Baker finalist. His first five outings ended scoreless, but the team has been patient as he acclimates to the NHL by providing him with solid talent and offensive options. Gauthier broke through on Tuesday with a pair of PPAs and four shots. There will be some growing pains along the way, although he is in good company and ready to be a major part of Anaheim's future.

Anders Lee, NYI (Yahoo: 12%)

Lee's recent increase in ice time directly corresponds to Anthony Duclair's leg injury. While he remains in the third five-on-five group, there is the promotion to the leading power play. Nothing has happened yet in that situation, but the two goals on 25 shots and 13 hits are encouraging. There's a chance Lee moves to the top half of the depth chart, though he can rack up stats anywhere in the lineup.

Kirill Marchenko, CLS (Yahoo: 12%)

Columbus has already scored six goals in a match three times. And no, that's not a typo. The honor goes to their top six, as Marchenko leads the team with eight points. Anyone from the first line could qualify here, but he's the most talented of the three, no offense to Sean Monahan or Cole Sillinger. There will undoubtedly be tough times for the Blue Jackets this season, but you can count on Marchenko to score 20-plus goals, put a few pucks on net and have plenty of high-quality chances.

Conor Garland, VAN (Yahoo: 11%)

The Canucks' first man advantage remains one of the league's elite units, as Quinn Hughes, JT Miller, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser combined for 135 PPP last year. The fifth member has been changed frequently, but it is Garland who currently takes on the coveted job. He responded with two points there and six overall, adding 13 shots and a career-high 18:24 average. And even if Garland gives up the role, his partnership with Pettersson will provide plenty of scoring potential.

Nick Foligno, CHI (Yahoo: 11%)

Foligno may turn 37 soon, but he occupies a comfortable spot next to Connor Bedard, including a seventh PP where he has scored two of his four points. And if you've been a regular fantasy participant over the years, you should be well aware of his hit rate. Since joining Chicago last season, Foligno has logged more minutes than at his previous stop (Boston) and other former locations (Ottawa, Toronto). As the organization rebuilds, he could be pushed up the pecking order to give younger players a chance to skate with a superstar. But for now, Foligno is about as solid and widely available a cross-category bet as you can get.

Defenders

Lane Hutson, MON (Yahoo: 47%)

The Habs have predictably regressed defensively after a promising start and have not scored consistently. While both are concerns, there is no problem with Montreal's power play, which has produced six of 26 chances. Hutson played in the NCAA the past two years and is already being asked to quarterback the top unit in addition to a heavy workload (logged at 30:05! on Oct 17 vs. LA). The 20-year-old has faced issues at the back, but he will learn from it and do more than enough offensively to be a solid fantasy producer.

Janis Moser, tuberculosis (Yahoo: 13%)

Moser proved to be a serviceable blueliner during three seasons in Arizona before being dealt in June as part of the package that sent Mikhail Sergachev to Utah. He doesn't necessarily fill Sergachev's role, although he seems to have settled into his new surroundings, paired with Victor Hedman, has a place on the second PP and all six of his points come in two games. Moser isn't a top-level D-man, but he'll still post some scoring stats and contributions in other areas.

Ryker Evans, ZEE (Yahoo: 4%)

An upper-body injury will sideline Vince Dunn for at least the next two weeks, meaning Evans will need more minutes. That's an exciting proposition, considering he had already collected a goal and three assists before scoring a PPG on Tuesday, along with four shots, two hits and three blocks. Evans' short-term prospects appear solid, and future seeding could be favorable if he continues to find the scoresheet.

Matt Grzelcyk, PIT (Yahoo: 0%)

Grzelcyk spent more than a decade in the Boston area before moving to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal this summer. Not much was expected from the veteran as his offensive totals dipped last season and he hasn't had man advantage responsibilities since 2021-22. So naturally, Grzelcyk delivered three assists, 14 shots and 14 blocks in a career-high 20:21 on an even-strength duo with Erik Karlsson while participating in the backup PP. Keep an eye on his progress over the next few games to see if he's worth adding.

Goalkeepers

Charlie Lindgren, WAS (Yahoo: 37%)

The Caps have won the last five on the basis of 23 goals. They only conceded 13 in that period, with Lindgren and Logan Thompson alternating. Thompson has the edge in wins 3-2 with a lower 3.28 GAA and .884 save percentage compared to Lindgren's 2.36/.905. The sample size is too small to truly assess these numbers, yet Thompson is covered by 62 percent of Yahoo! leagues, while Lindgren is available in 62 percent. Washington's next two games happen to feature two of the league's best offenses (Lightning, Rangers), but the ensuing stretch features a pair of weaker offensive opponents (Canadiens, Blues). Taking the tandem might be a wiser choice, but it's more likely you can add Lindgren now.

Anton Forsberg, OTT (Yahoo: 3%)

The status of Linus Ullmark is unknown because he is struggling with a muscle injury. He was expected to return on Tuesday, but the Sens felt he wasn't quite ready and promoted someone from the AHL. And it was that night that Forsberg shutout Utah in his fourth straight start. The team may not want to rush Ullmark until he's at full strength, so Forsberg could be asked to continue as the No. 1 pick for a while longer. Looking at Vegas and Colorado on the road isn't a good proposition, although both sides on D have been shaky.

Players from previous columns to consider: Logan Stankoven, Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Guenther, Jonathan Huberdeau, Teuvo Teravainen, Josh Norris, Pavel Zacha, Jake Neighbors, Connor Zary, Leo Carlsson, Casey Mittelstadt, Yegor Chinakhov, Anthony Cirelli, Martin Pospisil, Pierre -Luc Dubois, Reilly Smith, Marco Rossi, Chandler Stephenson, Morgan Frost, Justin Faulk, Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence, Adam Boqvist, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Owen Power, Jamie Drysdale, Hampus Lindholm, Jackson LaCombe, Sam Montembeault, Kevin Lankinen, Lukas Dostal, Justus Annunen