Sport: NHL

The new year is on the horizon, and with two months left in the fantasy hockey regular season, managers can’t afford to hold onto players who aren’t performing. Listed below are three stars who are not worth rostering any longer and should be dropped on waivers for more consistent talent.

More Fantasy Hockey Analysis: | Goalie Streamers | NHL Usage Trends | Buy-Low, Sell-High | NHL Schedule Preview | Fantasy Hockey Cold List | Prospect Report | NHL Injury Report | Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire

Week 13 Fantasy Hockey Cold List
Spencer Knight – Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have quickly plummeted to the bottom of the NHL’s standings after a promising start, and Spencer Knight’s totals have suffered due to the team’s poor play. After being a top goaltending option for fantasy managers throughout the first two months of the season, Knight has struggled to collect wins in December while posting a save percentage below .900. With Chicago being without Connor Bedard due to injury, it’s likely the team will have difficulty turning things around, making Knight an unreliable goalie in fantasy hockey going forward.

Mattias Ekholm – Edmonton Oilers

Mattias Ekholm currently plays over 20 minutes a night for the Edmonton Oilers, but he’s struggled to record points on a regular basis this season. The 35-year-old defenseman is pointless in his last six games and has only scored 1 goal throughout December. Outside of maintaining a positive plus/minus rating and occasionally throwing the body, Ekholm’s fantasy impact is very minimal, yet he’s still rostered by over 50% of managers in multiple leagues. Heading into the new year, owners should drop Ekholm for defensemen who not only contribute offensively but also provide peripheral value.

Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings

Similar to Ekholm, Drew Doughty has remained on the right side of plus/minus this year, but he’s no longer the point-getting defenseman he used to be. On top of always fighting the injury bug, Doughty has only logged 13 points this year, while averaging just 1 goal a month. Doughty’s name value has convinced several managers to keep him rostered, but his lack of offensive production and inability to contribute in the hits or blocks department make it easy to part ways with him.

Going into 2026, it’s important for contending teams to let go of players who have failed to impress for an extended period of time, or else their playoff chances could significantly decline. Make sure to return next Wednesday for week 14 of the “Cold List.”

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