When it comes to mastering your fantasy hockey roster and dominating your league, sometimes you need to look back to get ahead.

Such is the case with some of the underrated x-factor-type players that can fly under-the-radar with their impressive fantasy production – smaller markets, teams in the basement, and players without household names are all reasons for a good fantasy season to not get enough love. Let's take a look into some intriguing fantasy pieces that are coming off strong 2023-24 seasons on non-playoff Eastern Conference teams that didn't receive nearly enough attention this campaign.

Travis Konecny

The Philadelphia Flyers definitely overachieved this season but that's not to take away from the bright future the club undoubtedly has – especially up front where Philly touts the likes of such promising forwards as Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Owen Tippett, Morgan Frost, and of course, Travis Konecny.

At 27 years young, Konecny is one of the veterans on this youthful Flyers team and he's been leading by example as one of the most complete two-way players in the entire NHL who also brings elite peripheral fantasy value in categorical leagues. Konecny set career highs in goals and points this season with 33 and 68, respectively, while also bringing it across the fantasy board with 67 penalty minutes, 244 shots, six short-handed goals, five game-winners, and 90 hits. If the Flyers' core of young offensive-minded forwards continues to develop at the rate many NHL experts expect them to, Konecny's upcoming production is likely to garner much more attention in fantasy hockey circles.

Nick Suzuki

Speaking of career highs, Nick Suzuki is not getting nearly enough credit for steadily improving production over the past three seasons and he really should. A third consecutive year of increasing point totals saw Suzuki finish the campaign with 33 goals, 44 assists, and 77 points for Martin St. Louis' team – new career totals in goals, assists, and of course, points. When you draw up a prototypical NHLer with a complete all-around game you think of Suzuki. A natural leader with elite hockey IQ, Suzuki also has special on-ice qualities that, much like Konecny above, propel him to being one of the most effective two-way forwards in the NHL.

The Montreal Canadiens are still very much a rebuilding team in search of a true identity but that has nothing to do with its on- and off-ice leader that's getting better with each passing season. Suzuki will likely continue to fly under-the-radar until the Canadiens make a major step back toward playoff relevancy, but if he increases his point total for a fourth-straight campaign, fantasy fanatics might be forced to throw some more respect on his name sooner-than-later.

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Lucas Raymond

Following an impressive 57-point rookie campaign during the 2021-22 season, heads were turning for a 19-year-old rising star in Lucas Raymond that was selected with a lot of buzz and the fourth overall pick in the previous year's NHL Draft. That season garnered Raymond the fourth-most votes for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, but the young Swede's fantasy value took a sharp dive when he followed that up with a disappointing 2022-23 of only 45 points. Raymond returned to form, and then some, this season with a sensational showing of 31 goals and 41 assists on only 163 shots on net. As his confidence and frame continue to fill out his offensive production and fantasy value will continue to rise.

Mike Matheson

Considering the relatively poor performance from most of the Canadiens' roster this season and their dead-last positioning in the Atlantic with a division-low 76 points, it makes some sense that solid fantasy production from the likes of Suzuki and Matheson went relatively unnoticed. Matheson nearly doubled his previous career high in points with a staggering 62 but he was also a peripheral category fantasy beast by putting up the ninth-most blocked shots with 186 and chipping in with 68 hits, 58 PIMS, and 187 shots on net. It's likely a bold prediction to expect that kind of offensive production and peripheral value from Matheson again, but it's clear that he has the offensive talent and skating ability to be an offensive option. The rest of his game and his Canadiens teammates make Matheson a bit of a draft liability heading into next year, but his outstanding under-the-radar 2023-24 is worthy of a shoutout.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

This was not the goaltender that any NHL expert thought would be the last man standing in the Sabres' blue paint this season. No disrespect to Devon Levi, who still very much has a bright future in Buffalo as the number one netminder, but Luukkonen's impressive stretch run has him in line for even more opportunities come training camp. Considering the huge disappointment with both Levi and the entire Sabres team as a whole, it makes a lot of sense that not enough fans and pundits paid attention to what UPL was able to achieve. A 27-22-4 record to go along with five shutouts, .910 save percentage, and solid 2.57 goals-against average indicates a goalie who very much can get it done at the NHL level. With an expected bounce-back campaign from the Sabres on deck and even more confidence under his belt, UPL is a very sneaky late-round goalie option with a lot of upside.