Let's be honest: The overwhelming majority of fantasy leagues are won by early round picks. That said, all it takes is the ability to find one or two sleepers throughout your draft to turn the tide completely in your favor. Some of the names below are well known, others are quite obscure.
Regardless, each possesses the ability to outperform their average draft position, making them potentially highly intriguing selections. 1) Alexis Lafreniere (F, NYR): This is the most obvious one. Lafreniere, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, has yet to break out in six NHL seasons. Yet from February 5th on last season, or the day Artemi Panarin was traded to the Kings and Lafreniere was elevated to the No. 1 power play unit, he had 12 goals and 25 points – including nine with the man advantage – in 26 games.
He's a priority target for me in drafts this year. I expect upwards of 30 goals and 65-70 points. 2) Roman Kantserov (F, CHI): Kantserov led the KHL in goals last season with 36 in 63 games as a 21-year-old. He signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in May and will be on the roster to start the season.
Kantserov should be leaned on heavily throughout the year, particularly early on when Connor Bedard is recovering from his shoulder injury. Kantserov is a dark-horse Rookie of the Year candidate. 3) William Eklund (F, OTT): Eklund was often lost in the shuffle in San Jose. He posted 58 and 53 points over each of the past two seasons but has never scored more than 17 goals in any one campaign.
I think that changes in his first year in Ottawa. The Senators are deceptively thin up front following the trade of Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers. I expect Eklund to help fill the void in a major way. 4) Jaden Schwartz (F, COL): Injuries limited Schwartz to 50 games last season, but he's supposedly fully healthy after inking a three-year, $9.75 million deal with Colorado in free agency.
He has a real chance to open the year as the club's No. 2 left wing, which would have him skating alongside names such as Gabriel Landeskog and either Brock Nelson or Nazem Kadri. Schwartz is an ideal final-round dart throw. 5) Simon Nemec (D, CGY): This is a tough one. The Flames are the least talented team in the NHL, but Nemec is going to get all the minutes he can handle after being acquired from the Devils and signing a five-year, $36.25 million contract in July.
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