2025-26

This IS fantasy hockey, right? Since most of the people who'll read a DFS article play in at least one keeper or dynasty league, indulge me in looking forward. In two seasons, the aging process will have claimed fantasy relevance from Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin (tho he'll stick around to break the goal-scoring record), Brad Marchand, and Anze Kopitar. Patrick Kane will go undrafted in fantasy leagues and may even be unclaimed in free agency. Jaromir Jagr might even hang them up – blasphemy!

So… depending upon your league structure, which emerging stars of the future should we target now? I play in several leagues with widely varying rules, and your considerations will obviously be different.  With my usual proclivity to feed from the overlooked bottom teams, here goes:

Shane Wright – A bust in his first attempts to break through into the NHL and the Kraken lineup, do you really think that the projected first overall pick from 2022 is now washed up at age 20? Stashing this guy next year will pay off in 2025–26. Today, he's 2% owned in Yahoo leagues, although 41% in Fantrax.

Philipp Kurashev (owned in 8% Yahoo, 36% Fantrax) has developed chemistry with Connor Bedard, and has posted 47 points in 65 games. If (huge factor) he's still on the top line, he'll be over a point per game next season and beyond.

Future Vezina Trophy finalist Lukas Dostal (7%, 36%) has paid his dues with a defensively awful Ducks club (30th of 32 this year), but as their team matures, Dostal should overtake John Gibson – who might finally be traded – and his career from age 26-30 can be truly impressive. 

Multi-category defenseman David Jiricek – 6'4", 210 lb 22-year-old (in 2025-26), when fully unleashed will have Jacob Trouba's statistics, without an Adam Fox blocking him from first power-play action. Only 1% and 43% owned now, those numbers will jump by this coming October.

There are so many more, but those players are clearly going to have opportunity knocking.  

Saturday's games

7 PM (Eastern) – Carolina Hurricanes @ Montreal Canadiens

This one looks like a sure thing, you say?  Yeah, ask the Colorado Avalanche that question, after Montreal broke their nine-game win streak… In their last three contests, Cayden Primeau and Sam Montembeault have allowed a total of three pucks to get by, yep a goals-against average of 1.00. Offensively, Nick Suzuki ($5700) and Kaiden Guhle have led with five points and a (+6) rating each, Joel Armia ($2900) has posted ten shots, and Juraj Slafkovsky ($4200) has eight hits and six blocks. Guhle has been suspended for this game after slashing Travis Konecny on Thursday.

The not-funny statistic here is that none of those players would lead the Hurricanes in any of DraftKings' points categories, hits excluded, over the last week (granted, that's four games). Frederik Andersen ($8300), since his return from a blood clot, is 7-0-0, with a 1.18 GAA and .957 SV%. (Last week, .982 SV%.)  Andrei Svechnikov ($5500) has had 16 SOG and Jake Guentzel ($8000) has 15. Sebastian Aho ($7600) posted seven points including two game-winners, and Brent Burns ($5300) has blocked eight shots. The stats that stand out more, though, is that Carolina has scored 52 more goals than the Habs, and they're 31 points ahead in the Eastern Conference standings. I'll find three Canes in my lineup tonight, and none from their Canadian hosts.

8 PM – San Jose Sharks @ St. Louis Blues

Don't knock the Blues. Not only would they currently be third in the Metropolitan Division, but they're 7-1-1 in their last nine games.  A hiccup by the Kings or Golden Knights, and the Blues could be this season's Florida Panthers – that team who "experts" say has no chance. St. Louis beats their opponent by committee – Robert Thomas ($6200) is the Blues' clear scoring leader, with 74 points, but he's fifth on the team in game-winners. Brandon Saad ($3400) has the GWG in their last two victories, and Jake Neighbours ($4100) has three in this nine-game stretch.  Jordan Kyrou ($6500), Pavel Buchnevich ($5400), Brayden Schenn ($3700), and Justin Faulk ($4700) have all come to play, and the visiting Sharks may give up six or more tonight.  There's not a single player on San Jose's active roster who can boast a positive +/-, and most rate minus-20 or worse.  Add to this, their best goalkeeper wears a New Jersey sweater since earlier this month. 

10 PM – Los Angeles Kings @ Calgary Flames

Anyone who actually follows me with some interest knows by this late in the season, logic and statistics occasionally go out the window. Pick the Flames. The last time these squads met, also in Alberta, Calgary prevailed 4-2, outshooting the Kings by 36-23. I think DFS value can be found in Yegor Sharangovich ($5600), with seven goals in March, and Vegas-transplant Daniil Miromanov ($4300), both of these players on the first power play. Their inclusion allows me to upgrade other picks.  My netminder of the evening is Jacob Markstrom ($7300), who I felt was underpriced and underrated.  His last 30-day swoon is unsustainable – this is a player whose .914 SV% before March 1 is his true value.  And my side-bet tonight is the Calgary win (+136), breaking their four-game slide, and making that second Western wild card race worth watching. 

My lineup:

Centers – Aho and Thomas

Wings – Seth Jarvis ($7300), Neighbours, Anthony Duclair ($4900), who's flourishing with Tampa's top linemates

Defense – Miromanov and Brady Skjei ($5000)

Goalie – Markstrom

Utility – Morgan Frost ($4300), centering the Flyers’ top line and power play against Chicago's backup

Three Hurricanes, as promised. Yes, I first write my thoughts, then try to make the numbers match. Why doesn't this work on my tax forms?

Last week – close but no.  Adin Hill's early exit for an injury? All I needed was the extra saves and him getting credit for the 4-2 win. That's six points, and I was only two from the payroll.  

Happy Easter. Those of us in nail-biter playoffs hope our teams don't need that Anaheim vs. Vancouver game on Sunday, right?