Fantasy trends and hidden gems: Viktor Arvidsson, Canucks’ trio and more deep sleepers for 2024-25
Every fantasy manager should be looking for some low risk/high reward picks later in the draft. So let’s help you find some of those hidden gems.
Viktor Arvidsson, Edmonton Oilers
Arvidsson could be one of the best signings this summer. He’s a great fit for the Oilers, who need supporting talent in the top six. I see him on the second line Leon DraisaitlWhere he should definitely cook.
Arvidsson is excellent in transition, a solid passer, and can be relied on to trouble goaltenders with shots from the net-front area. He doesn’t typically get a lot of PP1 time, and that likely won’t change in Edmonton, but he brings enough value at five-on-five that he should still be considered in fantasy drafts. If he gets back into killing penalties like he did in Nashville, that’s another potential category boost.
Jake DeBrusk, Vancouver Canucks
When we compared our cheat sheet with both NHL.com’s rankings and Yahoo’s ADP his name stood out to us as a potentially underrated gem. The Canucks needed to upgrade their supporting cast, and signing DeBrusk accomplished that. His likely landing spot is on the top line Elias PetterssonThat gives the franchise center the high-end linemate he’s been missing. But he could also fit in well with Brock Boeser And JT Miller If the coaches decide to change things up, either way, it will have a positive impact on DeBrusk.
Danton HeinenVancouver Canucks
Wait a second in Vancouver, the signing of Heinen is also interesting. Heinen has been very capable of bottom-six usage, but he has made a case for more playing time in recent seasons due to 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 the second line with Boeser and Miller. Getting puck touches with these two should pay off on the scoresheet.
Artur SilovVancouver Canucks
I promise he will be the Canucks’ last choice. With Thatcher Demko’s injury, someone in Vancouver will have to play goalie. Silovs stepped up when the Canucks needed him in a tough situation last spring, when he went from being a third-string goalie to a starter. With his experience and the support of a very good team, he should put up solid numbers.
Adam Boquist, Florida Panthers
The Panthers found their next reclamation project in Boqvist. Playing in Florida should be a real shock for someone who has only played in Chicago and Columbus. Having the support of elite talent and a deep forward group will help maximize his strengths and develop him more into a rover potential. And if he quarterbacks the first power play unit, his fantasy value will take a huge leap.
Len Hutson, Montreal Canadiens
In Hutson, I’m highlighting another potential PP1 quarterback. The Canadiens may not have the same talent as Florida, but they are a top-heavy team with very skilled forwards at the top of their lineup. With additions like Patrick Laine and a healthy Kirby DeutchThere needs to be more scoring in Montreal. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Hutson is the spark that helps with that from the backend.
Tommy Novak, Nashville Predators
Novak spent the majority of his 5-on-5 minutes with this team last year. Luke Evangelista And Mark JankowskiThis year, he could play between steven stamkos And Jonathan Marchessault,
Novak’s ability to retrieve the puck in his zone and move 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 will help him convert on those zone entries more often. I like his chances of taking a big step forward.
Casey Mittelstaedt, Colorado Avalanche
Mittelstadt is going much further back in the draft than I expected — to the point that Yahoo isn’t even showing his ADP.
He put up career highs in Buffalo last season and has shown a little more fire behind his scoring since joining the Avalanche. The wild card is the rest of Colorado’s lineup, which artturi lehkonen‘Offseason surgery, valery nichushkinthe status of, and Gabriel LandeskogDue to the lengthy absence of .. His readiness and availability will have a major impact on Mittelstadt’s value as the season progresses.
We know that this is Lehkonen is making progressAnd Landeskog will return At some point. That’s a good sign that he will have capable wingers around him on the second line.
Dylan Guenther, Utah Hockey Club
Don’t forget the progress Arizona made last season, before the transfer news broke and everything went haywire. The team stayed in the playoff conversation for most of the season, and now they have reinforcements in Utah. The big trades added more talent to the backend, which should provide more support to the forwards. The forward group includes Guenther, who I’ve talked about in this column before.
When he was in the team the last two seasons, he scored at an impressive rate as an emerging player. Now we are starting to see some star potential there. The same is true for him. Logan Cooley, Joe came into his element late last season. I prefer Guenther over Cooley because the winger is a player who shoots first and creates a lot of scoring chances, which fills another category for most managers.
JJ Peterka, Buffalo Sabres
Peterka is not as much of a household name as Collect Thompson, Dylan CozensAnd Alex TuchBut he was one of the most consistent Sabres last season, and I expect to see more progress from the forward this year. He was a consistent shooter last season who did a good job of capitalizing on his opportunities. And at five-on-five, he made an impact on the Sabres’ expected and actual goals at both ends of the ice.
With the new coaching staff, I expect Buffalo to see an offensive edge on both even strength and the power play. This should benefit Peterka, especially if the team’s key players return from last year. Another potential sleeper could be Jack Quinnwho was really effective when healthy last year. I’m giving the edge to Peterka right now because I can see him getting more power play opportunities if Buffalo goes back to a four-forward/one-defenseman unit.
honorable mentions: pavel dorofeyev, Leo Carlson, dylan strom, Anthony Duclair, Thomas Harley, Anthony Stolarz, Pyotr Kochetkov
given away Evolved Hockey, HockeyViz, allthreejonesAnd naturalstatisticThis story is based on shot-based metrics; here’s one primer On these numbers.
(Top photo of Viktor Arvidsson: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)