In a league where scoring has risen in the past couple of years, it’s amazing to see stars players reach even crazier heights. With Nikita Kucherov hitting 128 points to lead the league and 5 players scoring 100 points behind him, the hope is that scoring continues to grow and more players benefit from this increase. Franchise and All Stars alike are a staple and a must on every fantasy for their ability to put numbers on the score sheet each night, but what if they go down.
Sure the hope is you have more than just one star forward to carry you to weekly victories, injuries are inevitable in the league. So assuming one drafted well, a team should have some pretty solid depth. 1st and 2nd liners that have held down their team’s respective forts are always known for being solid producers creating some of the most amazing lines in season like the Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak line or the Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen line.
Every year there are players that come into their own and enter a whole new era of dominance in their careers, breakouts as we call them.
A week into the season and plenty of talent has emerged from the most unlikely of places. Whether they be prospects in the pipeline who have started producing in the show, project players finally taking form or a veteran rebounding after a terrible season anyone can be the saving grace for the week. Players from all ranges and roles, these depth players could be the saviors of your fantasy roster when you have some of these names on this list. There are plenty of players poised to have breakout seasons or could surprise many because of a player’s rise in lineup. Sleepers, Breakout players and products of star production are the focal point of this search for surprises hiding in plain sight. Now all of them come with some risk because they could not produce as well as expected but also trading a roster spot to acquire some of these players may not be worth the price when their value is either unknown or unsure entering this season. Reader Discretion is Advised.
Robin Lehner: Robin Lehner shook the NHL up when he had an incredible season after signing a 1 year deal with the New York Islanders. With the Islander’s crease a Number One Goaltender, Lehner stepped in and on 8 October, became the first goaltender in the Islanders’ history to post a shutout in his debut with the team, leading them to a 4–0 win over the San Jose Sharks. Through 46 starts, Lehner posted a 25 Wins, 13 Losses and 8 Post Regulation losses with a 2.13 Goals Against Average and .930 Save Percentage.
Lehner comes into a similar role after Corey Crawford has returned after suffering and recovering from his vertigo that sidelined him last season. So far he only has two start where he has a total .931 Save Percentage and a 2.46 Goals Against Average in a 2-3 Loss to the Winnipeg Jets and a 3-2 win over Columbus. If he even comes close to the form he had last year, the Hawks will be in a great possession and any fantasy owner will be glad to have this steal. Be on the lookout who won the Jennings last season should be some incentive.
Roope Hintz: The emergence of a center behind Tyler Seguin in Dallas is a major step for their depth. Roope Hintz to start this season has been playing with fire as he drive a line with Jason Dickinson and Alexander Radulov. Although he scored a mere 22 (9 goals and 13 assists) points in 58 games during the Regular Season, he turned the jets on during the playoffs where he scored 8 points (5 goals and 3 assists) in 13 games. He is a huge threat on the ice with a High Danger Corsi For Percentage of 64.29% so he is definitely going to put himself in prime places to try and score.For 22 year old in their first couple playoff games in their first season is pretty remarkable.
So far through 10 games he has tucked in 6 goals and an assist for 7 points. In the Finnish Juniors he was a 15 plus goal scorer multiple times and is looking to exceed that pace in the NHL. He could become a huge pickup for both the Stars and any fantasy owner looking to pickup a low-key player that could breakout big time.
Alexander Nylander: Being traded out of Buffalo is usually a huge step for development for any player in the NHL. Evander Kane and Ryan O’ Reilly have been eating up points like 3 course meals upon leaving Buffalo, and Chicago recently has become a place for some reclamation projects. Whether or not it is an attempt to bring back the old gang by bringing back Saad a couple years back and Andrew Shaw this year, but I digress.
Dylan Strome upon joining the Chicago Blackhawks and being paired with his long time buddy Alex DeBrincat, scored a whopping 51 points in 58 games while currently having 3 points in 4 games. This is a huge sign that Nylander could have some magic. Nylander currently has 2 goals and an assist in 4 games played and did have a stint on the top line with Kane and Toews. Although, Chicago isn’t poised to make a lot of noise last year and Nylander only showed some more of his potential in the pre-season so pick him up as a super last resort if he gets hot. But keep an eye out for him on the score sheet of Blackhawks games if he starts to show up.
Detroit Red Wings First Line: Dylan Larkin upon his drafting has always made some huge noise in Detroit, but his linemates are starting to get some street cred too. Anthony Mantha has now performed two back to back 49 point seasons where he scored 20 plus goals and assists on a ever rebuilding Detroit Red Wings roster. Tyler Bertuzzi also came off as a surprise as he notched 47 points in 73 games. With two seemingly comparabel wingers on each side of Larkin, this might be one of the better lines this side of the Mississippi.
Larkin, Betuzzi and Mantha have a combined 25 points between each other to start the season. Currently they are tied for 4th most productive First Line alongside the Buffalo Sabres, while only Colorado(29), Winnipeg(30) and Edmonton/Boston(33) beat them. The Red Wings may not look too hot, but this first line is here to make some noise and any Fantasy GM would be thrilled to have any of these 3 guys.
James Neal: The Oilers and Flames essentially traded cap dumps when they swapped Lucic and Neal. Now James Neal to start the season is tied for the NHL in goals with 9 goals scored alongside David Pastrnak. Who would’ve thought. In all seriousness, James Neal has always 20+ goal scorer throughout his career with last year being what possibly looks like to be a fluke.
Although not playing alongside McDavid and Draisaitl on the first line, Neal still looks to be a productive forward and maybe just what the Oilers needed in terms of scoring outsider their stars. History says he’s been good so the hope lies in how he can keep that 38.1 shooting percentage. Just kidding but he should realistically be able to pot 20 goals in again and whoever picks him up will be grateful for 8 goals in Week 1.
(Source: TSN Networks)
Andrei Svechnikov: Svechnikov showed some real promise in his rookie season on a Hurricanes team that surprised everyone by making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. During those playoffs he potted in 3 goals and 2 assist for 5 points in 9 games which is pretty good to get that kind of performance from a 3rd Overall Pick in 2018 draft.
During the regular season he reached 20 goals even and achieved 37 points while being in the bottom six. On an upgraded Canes team, Svechnikov has entered the Top 6 and has been point per game with a goal and 7 assists in 8 games played. Just like Cale Makar, Svechnikov is a rookie/sophomore player that could really prove valuable down the stretch when the teams top scorers don’t produce. Soon enough he’ll be the one leading the Storm Surge every night.
Jakub Vrana: The 23 year old Czech native proved his worth on the Capitals roster when he broke out with a 47 point season. A young fixture that the Capitals needed especially with their older core being the bulk of their cap space. GM Brian MacLellan said in the announcement on July 16th when he signed him to a 2 year, $6.7 million dollar contract. “Jakub is a highly skilled player with a tremendous upside and is a big part of our future”
To start this season he sure has shown his skill with his speed and shot on the second line alongside Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie. 3 goals and 2 assists in 10 games isn’t bad to start the year but surely Vrana remaining in the Top 6 could see him notching 50 to 60 points if the Caps wish to return to the playoffs. His advanced stats look like he should be able to do this as he has iCF (Individual Corsi For) of 27, a 14.27 Shooting Percentage and a ixG (Individual Expected Goals) of 1.14 which is Top 60 in the league right now. A sneaky pickup for anyone who needs depth scoring.
Andre Burakovsky: Burakovsky after his departure from the Washington Capitals, he looks to prove himself as a Top 6 forward on an Avalanche team that very much needed depth. He has always been a forward with a quality skill set, but has been buried in the Capitals depth chart. With a fresh start he can aspire to become more than just a 25 point player.
Currently, Burakovsky has 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 8 games on a line with Nazem Kadri and Joonas Donskoi. Alongside time on the Second Power Play unit, he could surprise most as a player looking for a breakout season on a team that could seriously have a shot winning the Stanley Cup. Keep an eye out for him because currently he is just a scorer you pickup for a daily matchups, but has potential to be a light mainstay on some teams.
(Source: Sportsnet)
Shea Theodore: With the departure of Colin Miller and Nate Schmidt sidelined with a knee injury, Theodore is the default Number One Defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights. He runs Power Play 1, He’s on the first Defensive Pairing, He’s potted 23 and 25 assists, what more could you ask for?
Vegas was the reclamation project of the NHL and this year for Shea Theodore he could really breakout as one of the better defenseman in the league. Last seasons acquisitions of Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty have paid dividends for the Knights. So for Theodore seeing a lot of ice time with them and the First Liners, means he could be potting a ton of points this year. Although he’s mostly an offensive defenseman he can surely post some hits and blocks. With a goal and 4 assists for 5 points in 9 games looks pretty promising for Shea Theodore and those who have him in fantasy.
Cale Makar: The kid debuted in the NHL during the Playoffs against the Western Conference Regular Season Champions and notched 6 points in 10 games. Now in his first 8 games he’s notched 7 assists, one in each game, to beat Alex Ovechkin to be the only rookie to score an assist in the first 6 games played in his NHL Rookie Season. Makar was drafted 4th Overall in 2017 for a reason.
Cale Makar looks to win the Calder Trophy this season as he leads all rookies in assists with 7 but is only behind Buffalo’s Viktor Olofsson in points by one point. On a currently undefeated Avalanche squad who looks poised to make a run at the Stanley Cup, it’s hard not to want the young gun especially in a Keeper League.
Viktor Olofsson: “Olofsson is a winger with natural goal-scoring instincts. Knows how to find open ice and has a good, hard shot. Skates extremely well and is a decent playmaker, too. His lack of size can be a problem in physical contests. ” – Erik K. Piri, EP (2017) off of eliteprospects.com
Victor Olofsson is the first NHL Player to score his first 6 goals on the power play in the first 9 games . What the fuck. Last year for the Rochester Americans he scored 30 goals and 63 points in the AHL showing the potential of being a pure goal scorer on North American ice. And in 6 games he wrote 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on the score sheet, which may have been the insight the Sabres needed for this season. The Sabres were definitely patient and must be pleased by this 2014 7th round pick lighting lamps at age 24. So far he is shaping up to be the best example of what it means to be patient and let a prospect marinate and develop. Whoever knew to pick this kid up right now is a fucking genius.
