Every fantasy manager should want a few low-risk/high-reward finds later in the draft. So let’s help you spot some of those hidden gems.
Viktor Arvidsson, Edmonton Oilers
Arvidsson may have been one of the best signings this summer. He is an excellent fit for the Oilers, who need supporting talent in the top six. I’m envisioning him on the second line with Leon Draisaitl, where he should absolutely cook.
Arvidsson is excellent in transition, a solid passer, and can be counted on to pepper goaltenders with shots from the net-front area. He generally doesn’t get a lot of PP1 time, and that likely won’t change in Edmonton, but he brings so much value at five-on-five that he should still be considered in fantasy drafts. If he gets back to killing penalties like he did in Nashville, that is another potential category boost.
Jake DeBrusk, Vancouver Canucks
His name jumped out to us as a potentially underrated gem when comparing our cheat sheet with both NHL.com’s rankings and Yahoo’s ADP. The Canucks needed to upgrade their supporting cast, and signing DeBrusk accomplished that. His likely landing spot is on the top line with Elias Pettersson, giving the franchise center the high-end linemate he has been missing. But he could also fit well with Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller if the coaches decide to shake things up. Either way, it should have a positive impact on DeBrusk.
Danton Heinen, Vancouver Canucks
Staying in Vancouver for a second, the Heinen signing is also intriguing. Heinen’s been super capable in bottom-six usage, but he has made the case for more time in recent seasons between his forechecking ability and scoring chance creation. He won’t get prime minutes or power play time like DeBrusk, but he could be a fixture on a second line with Boeser and Miller. Just getting puck touches with these two should payoff on the scoresheet.
Arturs Silovs, Vancouver Canucks
Last Canucks pick, I promise. With the Thatcher Demko injury, someone has to play goal in Vancouver. Silovs stepped up when the Canucks needed him last spring in a tough situation when he went from the third-string goalie to the starter. With that experience under his belt and the support of a very good team, he should put up solid numbers.
Adam Boqvist, Florida Panthers
The Panthers found their next reclamation project in Boqvist. Playing in Florida should be a real jolt for someone who has only played in Chicago and Columbus. Having the support of elite talent and a deep forward group should help maximize his strengths and help him thrive in more of a rover capacity. And if he gets to quarterback the first power play unit, his fantasy value will take a massive leap forward.
Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens
In Hutson, I’m highlighting another potential PP1 quarterback. The Canadiens may not boast the same talent as Florida, but they’re a top-heavy team with very skilled forwards at the top of their lineup. With additions like Patrik Laine and a healthy Kirby Dach, there should be more scoring in Montreal. And I won’t be surprised if Hutson is the spark from the backend assisting in it.
Tommy Novak, Nashville Predators
Last year, Novak spent the bulk of his five-on-five minutes with Luke Evangelista and Mark Jankowski. This year, he could be playing between Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
Novak’s ability to retrieve pucks in his own zone and transition the puck up the ice is a major strength, especially on a team like the Predators that isn’t loaded with puck-moving talent. Having more firepower on his line should help him convert on those zone entries a lot more often. I like his chances to take a big step forward.
Casey Mittelstadt, Colorado Avalanche
Mittelstadt is going a lot later in drafts than I expected — to the point where Yahoo doesn’t even show his ADP.
He scored at a career-high rate in Buffalo last season and showed a bit more oomph behind that scoring once he joined the Avalanche. The wild card is the rest of the lineup in Colorado, between Artturi Lehkonen’s offseason surgery, Valeri Nichushkin’s status, and Gabriel Landeskog’s long absence. Their readiness and availability as the season rolls on will have a big influence on Mittelstadt’s value.
What we do know is that Lehkonen is progressing, and Landeskog will be returning at some point. That seems like a good sign that he will have capable wingers around him on the second line.
Dylan Guenther, Utah Hockey Club
Don’t forget all the progress Arizona made last season before the relocation news broke and everything got chaotic. The team managed to stay in the playoff conversation for much of the season, and now they have reinforcements in Utah. Big trades added more talent to the backend, which should give the forwards more support. The forward group includes Guenther, who I’ve talked about in this column before.
When he was in the lineup over the past two seasons, he scored at an impressive rate for an up-and-comer. Now we’re starting to see some star potential there. The same is true with Logan Cooley, who hit his stride late last season. The reason I’m highlighting Guenther over Cooley is because the winger is a shoot-first player who creates a lot of scoring chances, and that checks off one more category for most managers.
JJ Peterka, Buffalo Sabres
Peterka isn’t as much of a household name as Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and Alex Tuch, but he was one of the most consistent Sabres last season, and I’m expecting to see more progress from the forward this year. He was a frequent shooter last season who did a good job converting on his chances. And at five-on-five, he made an impact on the Sabres’ expected and actual goals on both ends of the ice.
With a new-look coaching staff, I expect to see an offensive boost both at even strength and on the power play in Buffalo. That should benefit Peterka, especially if the team’s mainstays around him rebound from last year. Another potential sleeper could be Jack Quinn, who was really effective when healthy last year. I’m giving Peterka the edge right now because I could see him getting more power play opportunities if Buffalo shifts back to a four-forward/one-defenseman unit.
Honorable mentions: Pavel Dorofeyev; Leo Carlsson; Dylan Strome; Anthony Duclair; Thomas Harley; Anthony Stolarz; Pyotr Kochetkov
Data via Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, AllThreeZones, and NaturalStatTrick. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on these numbers.
(Top photo of Viktor Arvidsson: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
