The Cut List - Time To Let Go? Who To Consider Dropping For Fantasy Hockey (Week 5)

October 25, 2026

The fantasy hockey Cut List for Week 5 of 2026. Andy analyzes potential fantasy hockey busts, overvalued players, and injured players to consider dropping.

Hey RotoBallers! With another week of NHL action behind us, it's time to revisit the cut list. With injuries piling up, managers may not have roster space to keep a struggling player much longer.

In this week's piece, we will look at one of the greatest players to ever lace up the skates who is on the decline and two struggling netminders, among others.

Be sure to follow RotoBaller on X for all of our league-winning content and me @A_Smith_FS. Also, use discount code SMITH for 50% off any Premium Packages and get access to our Team Sync platform with customized lineup tools, projections, and more based on your league settings. Note: All statistics referenced are updated as of Saturday, October 24 AM. Let's dive in!

Forwards on the Hot Seat

Note: Similar to targeting players on the waiver wire, it is crucial to understand your league scoring before making any cut decision. If a player is in a cold scoring slump but still producing in other categories in your format (like faceoffs, hits, blocks), managers should think twice before cutting ties.

Matthew Knies, LW/RW, Columbus Blue Jackets

Rostered - 75%

The 24-year-old wasted little time making an impact in Columbus. In his team debut (Columbus's season opener), Knies put two pucks in the back of the net and took a penalty. In Game 2, Knies stayed hot, tallying another helper. However, since then, Knies' production has been on a swift decline.

Over his last six contests, the winger has not tallied a single point, logging 10 shots on goal and 10 hits. During this stretch, he has posted a -2 rating.

Knies has spent much of the opening month on the top line with Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson but has recently moved to the No. 2 forward line alongside Charlie Coyle and Matthew Olivier. Despite the slight slump, Knies is still averaging over 18 minutes of ice time per game. On special teams, Knies' 3:34 PP/TOI/G is on pace to be his career high.

Despite this, the winger has endured a cold slump and has rightfully been sent to many waiver wires. Should managers follow the trend?

Under the hood, Knies' metrics are impressive and suggest he should snap out of this slump soon. Per MoneyPuck.com, Knies has posted a sharp 56% Corsi% and a 55.7% On-Ice Expected Goals%, both up from last season. Additionally, his 42.9% Off-Ice Expected Goals% shows how the team struggles on the ice without him.

While his move to the second line and No. 2 power-play unit is slightly concerning, his time on ice remains steady, so managers shouldn't worry too much. His team context is not great given that he plays for the second-worst offense in the sport, but his underlying metrics keep him as a firm hold in 12-team leagues.

Verdict: Those in shallower points leagues can cite ties in favor of a hotter skater, but those in 12+ team leagues will not find a player with this usage on waivers. Keep him on the bench, but managers should avoid cutting him in deeper formats unless they are in a serious roster crunch.

Alex Ovechkin, LW/RW, Washington Capitals

Rostered - 75%

Alex Ovechkin has likely won you a fantasy hockey league at some point during his illustrious career. However, in his final season, the Great Eight has struggled to produce. Over his first nine games, the 41-year-old has scored just one goal and added three helpers. Statistically, Ovechkin has logged 13 hits and one blocked shot.

Unfortunately, while his decline in offensive production is already noteworthy, his usage is even more concerning. So far, Ovechkin has averaged just 14:12 TOI/G, down a sharp three minutes from last season. He has also logged a full minute less of power-play time per contest. While the Capitals could be doing some classic load management for their future Hall of Famer, it is concerning for fantasy.

On the ice, the winger has generated a modest 50.2% On-Ice xG%, which ranks him ninth among Washington skaters. Last season, he generated a 60.9% On-Ice xGoals% for reference.

With his 30+ goal season growing increasingly unlikely, and a 120+ hit season equally unlikely, Ovechkin is firmly in cut territory.

Verdict: Those in standard leagues can safely cut ties. The 41-year-old may barely hit the 20-goal mark this season and will not come close to his career-high totals.

Quinton Byfield, C, Los Angeles Kings

Rostered - 45%

The final forward we spotlight is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, which makes opting to cut him even easier. Byfield started the season on Los Angeles' top forward line (as expected) but was recently demoted to the second line after a mediocre start.

Through his first six games (logging only 2:44 TOI in his seventh game), Byfield tallied just two points with a -6 rating. He logged 14 shots on goal but only one hit and two blocks, giving him a very low floor, as he did not log 3+ shots on goal.

Last season, Byfield posted a season-best 24-goal campaign and seemed poised to match it, given his role on the team's top line and power-play unit.

Alex Laferriere has moved up to the top unit and has been productive, scoring two goals, tallying five assists, and logging 23 hits, suggesting Byfield may struggle to return to his spot once he is healthy.

However, it is worth noting that Byfield could bounce back once he returns, as shown by his dominant 65.4% On-Ice xGoals% compared to his face-value 36.4% On-Ice Goals%. The center was unlucky early, but those without a spare bench spot shouldn't feel too pressured on keeping him on the bench.

Verdict: He is a safe cut in most 12-team (or shallower leagues) given his demotion and minor injury. However, he is worth keeping a close eye on, as it may take only a few strong games for this positive regression to kick in. In deeper leagues, he remains a fringe hold if you have deeper benches.

Other Names:

• Adam Fantilli, CBJ (moved off top power-play, safe cut in shallower leagues)
• Josh Doan, BUF (logged just 0:22 PPTOI/G over his last two games after averaging 2:09 PPTOI/G over his first eight games)

Defensemen on the Hot Seat

Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres

Rostered - 55%

Owen Power was a great fill-in while Rasmus Dahlin was on the shelf, but since his return, Power's outlook has taken a significant dip. While Dahlin was out, Power slid into the top pairing and, more importantly, the top power-play unit, and thrived in the short term.

From October 12 through October 17 (four games), Power tallied three points and logged 27:38 TOI/G with 4:31 PPTOI/G. Before that, Power logged nearly two fewer minutes of total ice time on average and just 1:36 PPTOI/G. On Dahlin's return on October 21, Power saw no power-play time and logged just over 26 minutes of ice time.

While his 5-on-5 role may not change much, his power-play usage is significantly capped. The 23-year-old still has high offensive upside, especially if the Buffalo offense rekindles their 2025 form, but his ceiling is much lower with Dahlin back on the ice.

Verdict: This is one of the most contentious players on this week's column. While many managers have cut ties, his offensive upside still makes him a viable hold in 12+ team leagues. Even though his power-play role is much smaller (on the second unit), he should still push for 25+ assists. He should only be cut in shallow 12-team leagues (with smaller benches).

Rasmus Andersson, D, Vegas Golden Knights

Rostered -75%

Rasmus Andersson is usually a popular target for teams needing to bolster their blocked-shot total, but so far, the veteran blue liner hasn't been overly productive. Despite still sitting on 75% of Yahoo rosters, Andersson has logged just 14 blocked shots over 12 games. Offensively, Andersson has scored two goals and tacked on three helpers.

While these marks are not awful, they are not what managers have hoped for. By comparison, Andersson tallied 150 blocked shots last winter, but he's currently on pace to block just 98 in 2026, and that's with two extra games on the schedule.

More importantly, Andersson's ice time has declined significantly in the opening month. The Golden Knights have used him for only 18:55 TOI/G, a five-minute drop from his average last season. He skates on the second pairing (in both 5-on-5 and on the power play).

While his blocked shots per game may gradually begin to climb as the season goes on, managers can find far more solid options to improve that category. Managers should feel comfortable pivoting to higher volume options on the waiver wire.

Verdict: Those in deep 12+ team category formats may not have a better option for blocked shots than Andersson, but those in most 12-team (or shallower leagues) should consider pivoting to an alternative option. His current ice time does not bode well for those needing banger categories.

Other Names:

• Victor Hedman, TB (safe cut in standard leagues)
• Mattias Ekholm, EDM (is week-to-week, so he could be stashed in IR+ formats but can be cut in most leagues)

Goalies on the Hot Seat

Jet Greaves, Columbus Blue Jackets

Rostered - 65%

Jet Greaves was a league-winner for much of the second half and was drafted as a potential mid-round breakout in 2026. However, like much of Columbus, Greaves has struggled to find his footing early. Across six games, Greaves has posted a 2-3 record with a 3.33 GAA and an .883% SV%.

Removing his tidy 31-save shutout against the Rangers, Greaves would carry an .849% SV% with a 4.27 GAA.

Under the hood, the netminder has generated -0.4 Goals Saved Above Expected, ranking 32nd among netminders who have played at least three games (per MoneyPuck.com). Last season, Greaves generated the ninth-highest GSA among netminders (who played at least 20 games).

As shown below, Greaves sits in the middle range in save% across the three zones.

As a team, the Blue Jackets have allowed the third-fewest Expected Goals Against, which suggests Greaves should be in a good position to turn the corner, as the team is not surrendering many high-end scoring chances. However, his current play has been detrimental to your roster, especially in H2H points leagues.

Verdict: Given how dominant he was for much of last season (on the surface and under the hood), managers shouldn't follow the trend and keep Greaves stashed on the bench. The team is not surrendering big-end scoring chances, which suggests the 25-year-old should find his footing.

If these struggles linger into November, then he is a cut candidate. He remains the clear No. 1 in Columbus, which should keep him on most fantasy rosters just on pure volume.

Brandon Bussi, Carolina Hurricanes

Rostered - 85%

Another goalie who has seen his rostership drop this week is Carolina's Brandon Bussi. Bussi earned the nod on Opening Night and turned in a strong outing, stopping 19 of 20 shots he saw. However, since then, it's been all downhill. Over his last five games, he has held a 2-2-1 record with an .852% SV% and a hefty 3.77 GAA.

If that wasn't bad enough, Bussi has started only two games (out of six) since October 11. During this stretch, Pyotr Kochetkov has gone a perfect 4-0 with a 2.00 GAA nd a .901% SV%.

Bussi stumbled through much of the second half last season, and his current -4.6 Goals Saved Above Expected doesn't inspire much confidence. Keep in mind that low Goals Saved Above Expected was earned while playing in front of a Carolina team that sits second in xGoals% in 5-on-5 play.

Even though his rostership is much higher than Greaves, managers should not be afraid to part ways with the second-year netminder.

Kochetkov is running away with this crease, and Bussi's underlying marks do not suggest a major turnaround is in play.

Verdict: While Bussi should have opportunities to win in Carolina, his ratios are extremely volatile. Those in 12+ team leagues can hold on a bit longer, but managers in shallower 12-team leagues shouldn't be afraid to cut ties in favor of emerging netminders who are more available on most waivers, like Artus Silovs, who is taking the lead in Pittsburgh. 

Other Names:

• Jakub Dobes, MTL (started just two of the last seven games and posted an .833% SV% in these games; safe cut in most leagues)

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