Week six in fantasy hockey is starting, and some players are starting to emerge as must-own players in many leagues. Finding players on the waiver wire is essential to winning a fantasy hockey league. It is a way to replace injured players, either for the short-team or long run. Let’s take a look at which players you should be targeting on the waiver wire this week.

Jake Allen | St. Louis Blues | Yahoo! Ownership -52%

There’s no player I’m more excited about this year than Jake Allen. The 24 year-old is on a three game winning streak with two shutouts and three goals against. The 2nd round pick is 4-1 this season with a 1.40 goals-against-average (GAA) and a spectacular .944 save percentage (SV%). The Blues are currently going with a rotation in net, but the Fredericton native could definitely become the starter in St. Louis by seasons end, and is definitely the goalie of the future for the Blues. He should be owned everywhere he’s available.

Who I’d drop him for: Brian Elliot (85%), Mike Smith (74%), Craig Anderson (66%)

Jori Lehtera | St. Louis Blues | Yahoo! Ownership -20%

The kid from Finland is slowly becoming a fantasy superstar. The 26 year-old has 11 points (3G, 8A) in 13 games this season with a plus-7 rating and 19 shots on goal. It’s astounding that he’s only owned in 20% of Yahoo! leagues, considering his production so far this season. His power-play points aren’t there yet — registering only one point so far — but it’s still early, and that number is bound to increase as the season progresses. Skating with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz has been a huge boon to his value. Pick him up.

Who I’d drop him for: Derek Stepan (53%),  Mikko Koivu (43%), Paul Stastny (74%)

Patrick Maroon | Anaheim Ducks | Yahoo! Ownership -6%

With the Dany Heatley experiment on the top line officially over, Maroon is set to break out. Bruce Boudreau has been trying to find a compliment for Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and Maroon is going to be that guy. The 24 year-old St. Louis native hasn’t had a tremendous start to the season –recording four assists in eight games, but if he stays healthy, could definitely put up a solid 45 plus points. He’s only owned in 6% of Yahoo! leagues, and with all the injuries to star players around the league, taking a waiver chance on Maroon could end up being a great decision in the long run.

Who I’d drop him for:  Dany Heatley (14%), Matt Moulson (39%), Ales Hemsky (27%)

Benoit Pouliot | Edmonton Oilers | Yahoo! Ownership -1%

With the injury to Taylor Hall, Edmonton is looking for someone to step up and play on that top line. Pouliot is an excellent pick up short-term for fantasy owners looking to find some scoring. The 28 year-old is off to a decent start — collecting six points (2G, 4A) in 15 games, and could see that production go up in the future. The Ontario native has been a streaky player his entire career, but his potential to score goals has never been an issue. He’s not going to wow you with his numbers, but for the next two weeks, he can provide fantasy owner’s some decent production and be a replacement till Hall gets back into the lineup. Expectations shouldn’t be high, but I’m willing to take the short-term risk on Pouliot, and so should others.

Who I’d drop him for: Mike Richards (16%), Dustin Brown (45%), Alexander Semin (49%)

Players to Watch:

It’s still early in the season, but these players should be on the rise/decline in the next few weeks

Trending up:

Michael Ryder | New Jersey Devils | Yahoo! Owndeship -9%

Jiri Tlusty | Carolina Hurricanes | 10%

Cody Franson | Toronto Maple Leafs | 25%

Trending Down:

Dion Phaneuf | Toronto Maple Leafs | 87%

Marian Gaborik | Los Angeles Kings | 83%

Michael Cammalleri | New Jersey Devils | 51%