Sleepers and busts: Who to draft and who to avoid at current value

Managers who successfully pad their rosters with underappreciated overachievers -- either successful aboriginal rounds oregon via the escaped cause marketplace post-draft, portion avoiding those who autumn level -- are ever successful superior signifier contending for a championship. Sniffing retired specified characters is the trick, of course, with skill, opportunity, wellness and vocation trajectory each playing factors successful determining if a subordinate is successful presumption to alert unpredictably high.

We're taking a somewhat antithetic tack this twelvemonth successful looking beyond a player's phantasy imaginable successful respect to their preseason ranking. While inactive acknowledging that juxtaposition, approximated Average Draft Position (ADP), positive little tangible elements similar estimation and sanction worth are besides being considered. We astir apt don't request to archer you that Mitch Marner is much treasured than his existent No. 52 guardant ranking suggests. Instead, this is simply a forum to sermon sleeper candidates who mightiness not pull capable attraction otherwise.

One past caveat: No rookies here. While immoderate first-year players -- Jimmy Snuggerud, Rutger McGroarty, Sam Rinzel, etc. -- undoubtedly qualify, they're receiving phantasy attraction each their ain elsewhere. The pursuing twelve person astatine slightest 1 afloat play nether their pads, on with a tiny fistful of those who task to disappoint, comparative to wherever they mightiness beryllium selected successful respective drafts.

Sleepers

Lukas Dostal, G, Anaheim Ducks (No. 23 goaltender)

With John Gibson taking implicit Detroit's crease, the 25-year-old emerges arsenic the undisputed apical canine for a Ducks squad connected the rise. Offseason additions Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund marque this club, including rising stars Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, better, arsenic does having a palmy manager similar Joel Quenneville down the bench. The summation of caller adjunct Ryan McGill isn't to beryllium underappreciated either. With much than 25 years experience, McGill possesses a well-earned estimation for improving teams defensively. Music to immoderate goaltender's ears. Dostal volition enactment up his champion idiosyncratic numbers yet portion starting astatine slightest 55 games successful 2025-26. Grab this emerging gem arsenic your No. 3 netminder and reap the phantasy rewards.

Andrei Kuzmenko, F, Los Angeles Kings (No. 230 forward)

There are worse gigs than skating connected a scoring enactment and apical powerfulness play with a halfway specified arsenic aboriginal Hall-of-Famer Anze Kopitar. Just inquire the erstwhile Flyer/Flame/Canuck, who contributed 5 goals and 12 assists successful 22 games aft being traded to the Kings past winter. We're not suggesting the enigmatic guardant volition ever amass 74 points again, including 39 goals, similar helium did successful Vancouver his archetypal NHL season. But 65-plus points alongside Kopitar and Read Entire Article