Waiver wire adds for every position

Special to Yahoo Sports

Predicting NHL teams is difficult. One day, they’re preseason Cup contenders and hopes are high. A couple of months later, it’s a long losing streak and everyone’s going to lose their jobs.

Doing the same for players isn’t necessarily easy, though history and trends help for short-term outlooks. Unforeseen circumstances such as injuries or personnel change may ultimately change projections, but it’s often best to trust the numbers.

If you’re looking for up-to-date hockey resources, go to RotoWire for news and in-depth material.

See below for those who appear to be heading in the right direction.

(Rostered rates/stats as of Dec. 9.)

Forwards

Cole Caufield, MON (Yahoo: 28%)

It wasn’t necessarily shocking when Caufield was sent down for two weeks in November based on the lack of points and middling minutes, yet it’s still something to see that happen to an elite prospect who’s already produced in the playoffs. He hasn’t set the world on fire or received more ice time since the promotion, but four assists in five games are promising. And you know Caufield’s 2.7 shooting percentage is eventually going to improve, so it’s probably wise to add him before a potential breakout.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, NYI (Yahoo: 26%)

Pageau has generally been an excellent fantasy provider since 2015, though his stats have dipped this season — along with many other teammates — thanks to a lengthy losing streak that was only broken Tuesday. The Isles seem to be scoring again and that’s coincided with Pageau notching points in three consecutive games. Should he fail to consistently find the scoresheet, he’s still reliable for shots (30), hits (47) and nightly double-digit faceoff wins along with a place on both special-teams units.

Ivan Barbashev, STL (Yahoo: 16%)

Entering this season, Barbashev had carved out a career as a lower-lineup forward whose previous point peak was 26. That mark will most likely be obliterated as he’s already up to eight goals and nine assists….