Everyone loves a sleeper! When it comes to giving fantasy hockey draft tips that is the top question on everyone's mind. Who is this year's under the radar play that can help me win my league? With the season right around the corner, it’s time to dig deep and look at some players that others may be sleeping on. The term “sleeper” is thrown around a lot in fantasy, but for the purpose of this article, we are going to look at players that are getting overlooked and should be going earlier than their current average draft position.

 

(Please note that average draft position (ADP) is as of September 24th and is based on NHL.com positional ranking)

2022 Fantasy Hockey Sleepers

Kyle Connor - Winnipeg Jets - Left Wing

ADP: LW7

MY ADP: LW2

I am VERY high on Kyle Connor this season and so should everyone else. The Winnipeg Jets might not be as good as they were last season, but Connor still has the potential to lead the league in goals and top 100-points. NHL.com has him ranked as the 7th best-left winger off the board, but they also have Leon Draisaitl/Steven Stamkos as part of their list since they have position eligibility. In terms of true left-wingers, only Kirill Kaprizov should be ranked ahead of him. Connor is going at the turn of the third round in 12-team leagues, but he can certainly go a full round ahead and it still wouldn’t be a stretch.

Patrick Kane - Chicago Blackhawks - Right Wing

ADP: F:24

MY ADP: F:15

Did Patrick Kane die? Did he lose his ability to rack up points? The veteran winger has been elite for the longest period of time, and even if the Blackhawks are bound to be a terrible hockey team, there’s no reason for him to be going as the 24th forward off the board. He can easily top 90-points this season without breaking a sweat. He’s going to average a ton of ice time, and that usually leads to a ton of points. I get the fear that with Alex DeBrincat gone, no one is going to be able to find the back of the net, but Kane is a great shooter and can make everyone else around him better. Don’t sleep on the veteran.

Kevin Fiala - Los Angeles Kings - Winger

ADP: F46

MY ADP: F25

Kevin Fiala scored 33 goals last season in Minnesota playing with centers like Ryan Hartman, Frederik Gaudreau, and Joel Eriksson-Ek. No offense to any of those players, but they aren’t on the same level as Anze Kopitar, and that’s who Fiala is most likely to play with. The Swiss winger is also moving to a team that finished 5th in shots per game and he gets to face off against teams like San Jose, Anaheim, and Vegas-- teams that are likely to be pretty bad this season. Los Angeles did struggle on the power play, but they have a ton of skilled players who can get the job done and Fiala is one of them. He’s the only elite shooter on the team and he could easily score 40-goal and rack up another 50 assists. Not bad for a player going in the 5th round. 

Pavel Francouz - Colorado Avalanche - Goalie

ADP: G25

MY ADP: G17

We know that Colorado replaced Darcy Kuemper with Alexander Georgiev, and the expectation is that he will lead this team as they try to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, but Pavel Francouz is the better goalie and I will die on that hill. He was key for Colorado in the playoffs-- going 6-0-- while also posting a shutout. Colorado isn’t a great defensive team, but they are so good at possessing the puck, that the other team doesn’t have a chance to even attack. The loss of Nazen Kadri to Calgary and Gabriel Landeskog for the beginning of the season due to injury isn’t ideal, but I’m not willing to give Georgiev the keys to the blue and just ride him out. He was on a very good Rangers team and didn’t deliver. His career numbers aren’t also very great. At best, both goalies will split time, which is still an upgrade for Francouz and his 25th goalie rank. I’ll take my chances with him as a third goalie on any fantasy team.

Ilya Samsonov - Toronto Maple Leafs - Goalie

ADP: G29

MY ADP: G22

It’s crazy to see the Toronto Maple Leafs with the second-best odds to win the Stanley Cup, but both their goalies are being ranked outside the top 25. One of those things has to be incorrect because you need at least a decent goalie to win the Stanley Cup, and if both you’re goalies are #NotGood, you aren’t going to win much. This is a big season for Kyle Dubas and his roster. If Toronto sufferers another early first-round exist, or worse, miss the playoffs, then for sure we will see changes at the top. Matt Murray is a trash can and he hasn’t been good for a minute. Ilya Samsonov is 25-year-old and is betting on himself to have a good season so he can break the bank in free agency next season. If I’m going to trust a Toronto goalie, it’s him. At the very worst, Samsonov can be a good third goalie on a fantasy team, but he has the upside to be a solid second with the potential to finish in the top-15 by season’s end. 

Brent Burns - Carolina Hurricanes - Defense

ADP: D10

MY ADP: D5

I know taking Brent Burns as the fifth-best defenseman off the board seems like a stretch, but hear me out. The 37-year-old finished 12th among defencemen in points last season, and he did that playing on a garbage San Jose team. He’s in Carolina now-- the most complete hockey team in my mind-- and is expected to take over the top power play role that Tony DeAngelo had. No one else on that team is going to challenge him for that position, so it’s his job to lose. We know he isn’t the elite defenceman he once was, but he can still rack up points, shoot the puck and get a few blocks here and there. He can stuff all kinds of fantasy hockey categories, something other defencemen don’t do. He’s a lock for 200-shots, 25-plus power-play points, and probably 60-points. Not terrible for an older player. 

Noah Dobson - New York Islanders - Defense

ADP: D21

MY ADP: D13

I don’t know what Noah Dobson was eating last season, but I want him to keep doing it. The kid finished with 13 goals and 51-points in 80 games and became one of the biggest surprises of the year. He can rack up power-play points, shoot the puck and block shots, so why is he outside the top-20 for fantasy defenseman? The Islanders are a defense-first hockey team, but Dobson is the only offensive threat they have on the back end and he’s only going to get better. He’s another player that can just stuff so many different categories. There’s a real chance that he finishes top-10 in fantasy, so grab him at a discount, and don’t tell your friends. 

 


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