Happy Sunday everyone! We are right in the thick of draft season and it has been an exhilarating, but exhausting week for yours truly. After multiple drafts this week, I thought it would be a fun idea to go over some of the names I was personally targeting in the late rounds of my drafts. Keep in mind, when you are getting to the late rounds, you really ought to be drafting for specific needs at that point. Or in other cases you have to account for guys that dropped way below their average ADP. Drafting those types of players could make a big difference for your team. With all that in mind, let's go over a few players I found myself taking in late rounds. 

Yegor Sharangovich

Sharangovich and Ondrej Palat are two names I've seen going in the last couple of rounds in my drafts. Both of these Devils wingers are projected to start the season on a line with Jack Hughes, one of the budding superstars of the league. The difference between Sharangovich and Palat is that currently, Sharangovich is slated to start on the top power-play unit, while Palat will be on the second unit. 

It pretty much boils down to need though. If you are looking for a forward who can provide some supplemental hits and blocks, Palat may be the better choice. But I found myself looking for late-round power-play points and Sharangovich was the player I targeted. If he can stick to that top power-play unit, he could see a steady increase in offense once again this season. Sharangovich is also a bit younger and less injury-prone than Palat. He also shoots at a higher rate which is another added bonus. 

Seth Jarvis

It's crazy to think in his rookie season at the young age of 20, Jarvis made such an immediate impact with the Hurricanes. He potted 17 goals and 23 assists for a 40-point campaign in which he only saw an average TOI of 13:52. In all of my drafts, I've seen Jarvis being snatched up in the late rounds, and I have yet to actually draft him myself unfortunately. If the Canes stick to their current lineups, Jarvis should be on track for a huge season. He currently slotted in on the top line as well as the top power-play unit and his linemates are Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. 

He will have all the opportunities in the world to build upon his excellent rookie campaign. He will need to be an offensive force though, as he doesn't provide a ton of much else outside of some extra hits here and there. I would also like to see him start shooting more. Last season he only averaged 1.6 shots per game which really isn't great, but I get that as a rookie you may not have the confidence to fire everything on net all the time. Jarvis would serve as a solid bench option for your team. On Yahoo he comes with the added bonus of being dual-wing eligible too!

Artturi Lehkonen

Anyone who has read some of my articles from last season (thanks by the way!) knows that I am pretty keen on Lehkonen. Maybe I have a bit of tunnel vision here but I feel like Lehkonen has so much untapped potential that has started to become unlocked since being traded to the Avalanche at the deadline last season. He was a stud in the playoffs last season and the Avs obviously liked what they saw out of him as they opted to lock him up for five more seasons.

Lehkonen begins this season with a major opportunity. Unfortunately, Gabriel Landeskog has found himself on another stint on the injury reserve, and it sounds like he could be there for a while. In his stead Lehkonen will be slotting into the top line aside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. And even better, he also has been getting looks on the top power-play unit as well, so Lehkonen will be getting top-tier deployment to begin this year's campaign.  While he is really known for his shut-down style of play, I really think Lehkonen could put up some decent numbers. He also shoots a decent amount and hits a lot for a forward.  I took him in two of my drafts with my last pick. If you can get him this late, I think he is worth the gamble. 

Jakub Voracek

Despite only scoring six goals last year, Voracek did manage to amass 56 assists. The 33-year-old veteran continues to be one of the best playmakers in the NHL. He managed to stay healthy all of last year, and if Voracek can avoid injury, I think he is a solid option in late rounds of your draft. I wouldn't recommend him if you are lacking in goals or other peripheral stats, but I found myself looking for power-play points late in a couple of my drafts, and I was willing to roll the dice on him. 

Voracek was able to net 25 power play points last season which was by far his best mark in years. Now take into account that the Blue Jackets will be adding Johnny Gaudreau onto that top power-play unit. I think with Gaudreau, Voracek and Patrik Laine, the Blue Jackets could have one of the best man advantages in the league this year. While he is very linear at what he can provide, if you need assists or power-play points, Voracek could be a great fit for your team, and you should be able to snag him in the last couple of rounds of your draft.

Radko Gudas

This one is pretty straightforward, but also a bit of a niche pick depending on your league's format. If you have hits, blocks, or ideally both, Gudas will provide you with some insane value. If your league doesn't track these stats, don't bother. Taking Gudas in your last 3-4 picks as your last defenseman or even just a reserve player can be extremely beneficial. Last season Gudas laid out 355 hits over 77 contests, which equals out to be 4.6 hits per game. He also provided 118 blocks which isn't as good as some other options at defense, but it is certainly serviceable. Anything he provides in terms of offense is a bonus, but he can single-handedly carry your team in the hits department.

Erik Karlsson

My final choice here comes with a decent amount of risk. Karlsson has constantly been dropping in all my drafts, as far down as the last round. And perhaps that is with good reason. The Swedish blueliner has been marred with injuries for much of his career. So first and foremost, know that if you are taking a shot on Karlsson, you are gambling that he will stay healthy. However, Karlsson could have some nice fantasy upside if he can indeed stay on the ice.

The logjam on the top D-pairing is finally over and done with as Brent Burns was dealt to Carolina in the offseason. The experiment of having two elite offensive defensemen really didn't do much for either of their careers and when they were both healthy, I found they were cannibalizing each other’s value most of the time. My hope is with Burns moving to Carolina, Karlsson will see a healthy uptick in power-play production. While the Sharks aren't exactly an elite club anymore, they still boast a pretty capable man advantage with the likes of Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl and fantasy darling Timo Meier. If you missed out on some of the prime offensive blueliners earlier in your draft, Karlsson may be worth a late-round flier. 

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I am personally just about done with my drafts for the season, and soon it will be time to turn my focus to the waiver wire. A quick PSA to everyone yet to draft: Pay close attention and give yourself lots of time to make your pick. Last night I was flipping between tabs and I ended up taking Jack Hughes. Great pick, right? Not if you picked the Jack Hughes that was drafted by the LA Kings who won't be playing this season. What a blunder! Just be careful when drafting and avoid making an ass of yourself like I did! Best of luck drafting everyone, see you next week!