The Cut List - Time To Let Go? Who To Consider Dropping For Fantasy Hockey (Week 6)

November 1, 2026

The fantasy hockey Cut List for Week 6 of 2026. Andy analyzes potential fantasy hockey busts, overvalued players, and injured players to consider dropping.

Hey RotoBallers! Another week of NHL action is in the books, which means it's time to turn our attention to the waiver wire. With a month of the season in the books, managers are beginning to identify potential breakouts, but unfortunately, they are also noticing some underperforming players.

In this week's piece, we will look at some of the most dropped players across Yahoo formats and determine if managers should continue stashing them or if they can cut ties.

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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.

Thomas Wilson, RW, Washington Capitals

Rostered - 75%

The 32-year-old winger enjoyed a hot start to the 2026 season, tallying five points (two goals) over his first four contests with 10 hits and six blocked shots. However, since then, Wilson has been an afterthought in most fantasy formats.

Over his last eight games, Wilson has not tallied a single point while posting a -2 rating. His ability to register hits (24) and chip in blocked shots (six) has been the only reason his roster spot has remained where it is.

With his lack of scoring, is it worth holding Wilson simply for his "banger" stats?

Wilson is coming off two straight 30-goal campaigns and has been a plus asset in category formats, given his ability to be a high-end scorer and contribute hits and block shots.

Wilson has spent most of the campaign skating on the first line alongside Pierre-Luc Dubois and either Alex Tuch or Aliaksei Protas on the wing. Currently, Protas occupies the left wing spot. Per MoneyPuck.com, this line (over 33.4 minutes together) has generated a sharp 62.5% xG% and 2.69 xGoals For per 60 minutes, suggesting they are generating quality chances.

However, his underlying profile hasn't been that impressive. Per MoneyPuck, he has generated a 46% Fenwick (a 10-point drop from last season, with a low 45.2% On-Ice xG%, his lowest since the 2022 season). While he has gotten unlucky, generating 4.4 xGoals (compared to just two on the surface), he has not been as effective in the offensive zone as he typically is, which has led to his lengthy skid.

Despite this, Wilson continues to get top minutes on both 5-on-5 play and the power play, which will allow him to rack up banger stats when he isn't contributing on offense.

Verdict: While those in shallower points leagues (that do not offer major bonuses for hits/blocks can cut in favor of a more dependable asset, those in category formats should not follow the trend and should hold Wilson. While he is going through a slump and could be kept on the bench in crowded slates, he is still seeing top minutes and will push for another 170+ hit season, even if he fails to hit the 30-goal mark.

Morgan Geekie, C/LW, Boston Bruins

Rostered - 80%

Like Wilson, Morgan Geekie has been another early-season bust and has begun to see his rostership drop over the past week. Geekie is coming off a season-best 39-goal campaign but has found the net just once in his first 14 contests.

During this stretch, Geekie has tallied nine points (eight helpers) while logging a solid 21 hits with five blocked shots. While he remains on pace for another 100+ hit season (which raises his floor), managers are unlikely to have the 30-goal scorer they hoped for on draft day.

Geekie has bounced around the top six, but is currently on the second line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. He has averaged just over 17 minutes of ice time per game, in line with his 2025 mark, and continues to skate on the top power-play line.

However, while Wilson's underlying marks are not positive, Geekie's profile suggests far better days are ahead. While the 28-year-old has acted more like a playmaker in the opening month, he has generated 3.8 expected goals (per MoneyPuck) with a 58.4% On-Ice xG%.% On-Ice xG%, a three-point jump from his 2025 marks.

Additionally, Geekie is continuing to shoot the puck extremely hard but is not taking the high-danger shots he was last season. Per the visual below from NHL Edge, Geekie was in the elite territory among forwards in high-danger opportunities and hardest shot (103.3 MPH, 99th percentile) last winter.

However, this season, he is opting to be the playmaker but still has an elite shot (99.8 MPH, 99th percentile), suggesting that once he starts leaning on it, he will find great success.

Verdict: Similar to Wilson, those in shallow-point leagues needing immediate production can cut Geekie. However, those in 12-team leagues should not follow the current trend and stash him on their bench. Better days are ahead, as shown by his underlying metrics. The seat is hot, but he is not a cut yet.

Other Names:

• Matthew Knies, CBJ (still seeing top minutes but team context has hindered his production, safe cut in standard leagues)
• Alex Ovechkin, WSH (averaging 13:01 TOI/G, a four-minute drop from 2025, safe cut in standard leagues)
• Quinton Byfield, LAK (finally snapped scoring skid with a two-point effort on Oct 29 but is still a safe cut in standard leagues skating on the second line)

Defensemen on the Hot Seat

Bowen Byram, D, Chicago Blackhawks

Rostered - 55%

Byram is one of the more unique names on this week's cut list. Managers in formats with "IR+" spots can likely stash him without using a bench spot but managers in standard "IR-only" leagues do not have that luxury.

Byram has missed his last six games and also couldn't play Saturday, extending his absence to almost two full weeks. Despite this, the team still views him as day-to-day, as they have not moved him to the injured reserve.

However, Byram's seat was already hot before his injury, and this missed time has made this cut decision even easier.

Before the injury, the young blue-liner tallied just one point (a helper) over six games, with two hits and nine blocked shots. Despite the low production, Byram logged 24:42 TOI/G, with over three minutes of a game's power-play time per game. That is elite usage.

The only concern is that team context is so poor that even in a large role, Byram was not providing value for those standard leagues.

Looking under the hood, Byram has not looked overly impressive and, given his surroundings, these marks are unlikely to improve greatly over the winter.

More desirable options are available on the waiver wire, like Zayne Parekh on the Flames, who has a four-game slate in Week 6.

Verdict: Managers in most standard leagues should feel safe cutting Byram if they do not have a bonus "IR+" spot and only a handful of bench spots. While those in deeper leagues likely cannot part ways with a locked-in top-pairing defender, his offensive potential hasn't been what managers hoped for. The extended injury has made it easier to cut ties.

Mattias Ekholm, D, Edmonton Oilers

Rostered - 55%

The 36-year-old has been a solid offensive contributor through his career but has struggled early on in 2026. Across 11 games, Ekholm has tallied just four points on 12 shots on goal, plus a modest five hits and nine blocked shots.

For reference, last season, Ekholm tallied 0.5 points per game with 1.52 blocked shots per game. So far, he is averaging under one blocked shot per game and is far behind his offensive production as well.

Managers shouldn't be overly concerned about his offensive production, as he is still sitting alongside Evan Bouchard on the top pairing, but given his age, managers expect another 40-point campaign. Those falling behind in blocked shots shouldn't feel forced to stash Ekholm, as there are far more contributors in that category on the waiver wire.

Verdict: Ekholm is a safe cut in most standard leagues. Those in deeper formats could stash for another week, but managers needing immediate blocked-shot production should pivot. Counting on a 36-year-old blue-liner to maintain his 40-point pace who does not see consistent power-play time is a difficult ask.

Other Names:

• Victor Hedman, TB (safe cut in standard leagues despite his increase in scoring. Still averaging nearly four fewer minutes of ice time compared to last season and has been a non-factor on the power-play)
• John Carlson, TB (was initially going to be on the cut list, but has begun to find a scoring touch and is gradually seeing more power-play work. Managers should continue to monitor his PP1 usage over the next week)

Goalies on the Hot Seat

Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks

Rostered - 70%

The 26-year-old has been a major disappointment in the opening month. After holding a modest 3.10 GAA for the second straight season in 2025, he has seen it rise to 3.56 GAA, along with an .872% SV%, which is on pace to be the worst of his career.

Through nine games, Dostal has allowed fewer than three goals in two games and has allowed 10 goals over his last two outings (with an .846% SV%).

While his volume keeps him on fantasy radars, he has started just two of their last four games, which is uncharacteristic of Dostal, as he got the nod in seven of their first nine games of the campaign.

Anaheim has not provided much help on the defensive side of the game, surrendering the ninth-most expected goals against (per MoneyPuck). Dostal has not been able to overcome this weak defensive play, generating a low 0.2 Goals Saved Above Expected, which doesn't bode well for his rest-of-season outlook.

Per NHL Edge, Dostal ranks below average in all ranges on their save% zone map, as shown below.

Unless Anaheim greatly improves in the defensive zone, managers may not enjoy much consistency from the former third-round pick.

Verdict: Managers in shallower points leagues that punish goals against can comfortably cut Dostal. He should remain stashed in 12+ team leagues where true "No.1" netminders aren't found on the waiver wire. He is far from a lineup lock and should be deployed sparingly for now.

Sergei Bobrovsky, Toronto Maple Leafs

Rostered - 88%

Let's round this out with a more contested netminder. While Bobrovsky still sits on nearly all Yahoo rosters, his performance has put him on the hot seat.

The 38-year-old has posted a 3.82 GAA with an .885% SV%, which is on pace to be the worst mark of his career. Over his last six games, he has been even worse, carrying a .868% SV%. This has allowed Anthony Stolarz to see his stock soar, and I even discussed him in my waiver wire column earlier this week.

Like Dostal, it's hard to ignore that Bobrovsky's situation may not get much better for fantasy. The Leafs are currently allowing the sixth-most expected goals against (per MoneyPuck), and Bobrovsky is the 13th-worst (out of 38 qualified goalies) in xHigh Danger Unblocked Shot Attempt Save%, which does not bode well for his outlook.

Additionally, 2025 marked the first time the veteran had a GAA above 3.00 since 2022, and playing behind this Toronto defense will not make it easy for him to return to his previous career form.

Verdict: He remains a hold in standard leagues for now, but his seat is getting very hot. Those in shallow 10-team leagues who can pivot to netminders like Stolarz should feel comfortable making the move.

Other Names:

• Dylan Garand, NYR (safe cut in shallow leagues like Dostal)

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