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In this week’s Ramblings, we'll find one player on each team who should provide sneaky fantasy value this year, outperforming their fantasy draft positions. Let's get right into it!

Anaheim Ducks – Leo Carlsson

Drafted second overall in 2023, Carlsson's NHL impact looks modest so far if you're looking at overall production. He posted a 43-point pace in year one and a 47-point pace in year two. However, a closer look reveals that he took off down the stretch of his sophomore campaign, racking up 29 points in his final 31 games, setting the stage for another step forward in year three.

Boston Bruins – Jeremy Swayman

Three years of excellence went out the window when Swayman struggled in his first year as Boston's clear-cut starter. His 3.11 GAA and .892 SV% sent his fantasy value down the drain, but those stats were dampened by lengthy absences from Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. I'm hopeful the talented young netminder can bounce back behind a healthy and formidable Bruins blueline this year.

Buffalo Sabres – Jack Quinn

JJ Peterka's departure gives Quinn a path to top-six/top power-play deployment, but he'll need to earn that ice time with better play at both ends of the ice. He showed he was capable offensively with 15 points in his final 16 appearances last year, but will need to take strides defensively if he's going to be trusted with more than the 15 minutes he averaged last season.

Calgary Flames – Matt Coronato

The 22-year-old forward had an excellent end to last season, closing out the campaign with a seven-game point streak. His deployment was modest at first, but he earned a prominent role with strong play. He was up to 18 and a half minutes a night during his final 33 appearances, where he racked up 23 points. Continued top-six/top power-play production should help him provide value again this year, especially in fantasy leagues that track shots. Honourable mention goes to Zayne Parekh, who has the individual talent to make an instant impact in the NHL, but lacks clarity in potential deployment.

Carolina Hurricanes – Andrei Svechnikov

After posting a 70-point pace for three-straight seasons, Svechnikov's fantasy stock took a hit after last year's underwhelming 55-point pace. Fantasy managers were already wary of his injury history, but last year's dip in production may cause him to fall in drafts this year. While those concerns are justified, I can't pass on his elite talent and favourable deployment – which are now available at a discounted rate.

Chicago Blackhawks – Sam Rinzel

The 21-year-old blueliner looked excellent in a nine-game stint with Chicago last year as he tallied five points – three of which came on the man advantage. He'll have competition for the Blackhawks' top power-play role, but I expect him to win that battle and post strong offensive numbers thanks to a Hawks' PP that ranked seventh in the league last year.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Jet Greaves

The young netminder closed out last season in style, posting 15 goals saved above expected in his final seven games. He'll start out the year in a backup role for an up-and-coming Blue Jackets' team, but has the talent to dethrone Elvis Merzlikins sooner rather than later.

Colorado Avalanche – Brock Nelson

Nelson racked up 11 points in his final 13 games with the Avalanche last year but seems to be flying under the radar – probably because he won't be on PP1 now that the Avs are healthy. Many are forgetting that multiple times as an Islander, Nelson scored at a 65-point pace without much power-play production. He's an underrated offensive producer and will benefit from playing beside good wingers at even-strength in Colorado.   

Dallas Stars – Mavrik Bourque

After tearing up the AHL with 77 points through 71 games in 2023-24, Bourque made the jump to the NHL last year and posted a modest 25 points. His deployment wasn't ideal as he skated less than 13 minutes a night and barely saw any power-play time. With Mason Marchment and Mikael Granlund out of the picture, there's room for Bourque's role and output to increase.

Detroit Red Wings – Marco Kasper

Kasper's rookie totals won't jump off the page, but he was excellent when skating beside Detroit's offensive stars in the second half, racking up 30 points in his final 42 appearances. He built on that in the World Championship, posting seven points in eight games for Austria. His offensive output will be limited by a lack of power-play opportunity, but a top-six role beside strong scoring threats should allow him to produce at even strength. Throw in a decent number of hits, shots and faceoff wins, and you have a solid fantasy asset.

Edmonton Oilers – Stuart Skinner

His fantasy stock has understandably fallen after a disappointing showing in last year's regular season and playoffs. However, a goalie's numbers are usually influenced by the team in front of them, and with the Oilers being a great team, Skinner has good potential to bounce back next season.

Florida Panthers – Carter Verhaeghe

After hitting the 70-point mark in back-to-back campaigns, Verhaeghe took a step back with just 53 points last year. Shooting percentages suggest he suffered from bad luck, setting the stage for a bounce-back performance in 2025-2026. His fantasy value took a small hit due to recent regular season struggles, but that just means you can get a discount on a great player in a great role on a great team.

Los Angeles Kings – Andrei Kuzmenko

Since tallying an impressive 73 points as a rookie, Kuzmenko has managed a 46-point and 37-point season, spread across four separate teams. Those underwhelming totals keep him under the radar, but hidden in those totals is an impressive 23 points in his final 21 games with LA (regular season and playoffs). There's hope he can sustain that momentum in a top-six/top PP role with the Kings this year.

Minnesota Wild – Zeev Buium

Buium was baptized in fire last year as he made his NHL debut in the playoffs. He saw sheltered deployment in four postseason appearances, but saw reps on PP1, illustrating the kind of belief the Wild already have in him. His offensive skillset makes him better suited to run PP1 than Brock Faber or an aging and often injured Jared Spurgeon. Exposure to Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Marco Rossi should fuel a productive rookie campaign.

Montreal Canadiens – Kirby Dach

With all eyes in Montreal focused on either offseason acquisitions or top talents skating on PP1, Dach is likely to fly under the radar in fantasy formats. The 24-year-old has shown some offensive promise but has largely been limited by injuries so far in his young career. This year, he's likely to skate beside Calder favourite Ivan Demidov at even-strength, which should result in sneaky production if he can stay healthy.

Nashville Predators – Juuse Saros

A consistently elite netminder saw his fantasy value drop after a surprisingly poor showing last year. There doesn't seem to be much belief in Nashville bouncing back this season, which keeps expectations for Saros low, because wins won't come as easily as they have in the past. Despite downgrades to the team in front of him, Saros has the individual talent to provide sneaky fantasy value now that he's no longer one of the first few goalies off the board.

New Jersey Devils – Jacob Markstrom

Markstrom's numbers from last season were dampened by an MCL sprain. He boasted 12.67 goals saved above expected before the injury, and -4.87 GSAx after returning from it. If the 35-year-old netminder can stay healthy this year, he should provide excellent fantasy value behind a really strong Devils' team.

New York Islanders – Tony DeAngelo

Noah Dobson's departure sets the stage for DeAngelo to step into a full time PP quarterback role without too much competition. Although the Isles ranked second last with the man advantage last year, things seem destined to improve with a healthy Mathew Barzal, plus new talents Maxim Shabanov and Jonathan Drouin.

New York Rangers – Mika Zibanejad

Zibanejad's output has declined drastically in recent years, going from 91 points, to 72 points, to 62 points last season. Most managers looking at season-long point totals will want to steer clear given that downward trajectory. However, I'm mindful that the arrival of JT Miller brought new life to Zbad's game, propelling the 32-year-old Swede to post 33 points in his final 32 appearances. I'm hoping a full season with Miller can help Zibanejad reverse the downward trend he's been on. I pondered putting Alexis Lafreniere here because of his expected power-play promotion, but there's a world where the Rangers use Vincent Trocheck or Will Cuylle as the final piece on PP1, leaving Laf on the outside looking in.

Ottawa Senators – Dylan Cozens

Back-to-back seasons below a 50-point pace will cause many to forget Cozens' 68-point breakout with Buffalo in 2022-23. That may seem like forever ago, but Cozens also scored at a 62-point pace after joining Ottawa ahead of last year's trade deadline. He benefitted from a prominent power-play role as eight of his 16 points with the Sens came on the man advantage. I think he needed a fresh start, and I'm excited to see what he does for a full season in this new environment.

Philadelphia Flyers – Trevor Zegras

A 65-point player in the two seasons he was mostly healthy, and a 40-point player when he missed time and was hindered by injuries. There are justified reservations that Zegras' defensive liability will result in less playing time under coach Rick Tocchet, but I'm optimistic he can make improvements and earn trust as long as he stays healthy. Exposure to Matvei Michkov certainly won't hurt.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Ville Koivunen

Among young Penguins that could make an impact this year, Rutger McGroarty may have more hype and recognition around him, but it's Koivunen who has accomplished more at the professional level. The 22-year-old Finn racked up 56 points in 63 AHL appearances last season and turned that into seven points over eight games with Pittsburgh down the stretch. During his brief NHL stint, he saw 18 minutes of action a night and enjoyed a 67% share of Pittsburgh's total PP time as three of his points came with the man advantage. There's potential for him to return to PP1 this year and there's a good chance he gets a consistent role in Pittsburgh's top six – beside either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

San Jose Sharks – John Klingberg

His fantasy value plummeted after significant hip injuries, but resurfacing surgeries and plenty of time off enabled Klingberg to be a useful part of the Oilers' roster late last year. His offense-only skillset demands power-play deployment, giving him a clear path to PP1 while Luca Cagnoni develops. Klingberg is a bit of a boom or bust pick, but considering he'll start the year on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues, there's plenty of room for him to provide value.

Seattle Kraken – Joey Daccord

As with any goaltender, Daccord's fantasy value is linked to the team in front of him, and since Seattle's roster doesn't look great, Daccord should slip in drafts. He also lacks the name recognition that other top netminders have, further discounting his price in fantasy formats. If he slips, buy the dip, because he's finished top-15 in goals saved above expected in back-to-back campaigns now.

St. Louis Blues – Cam Fowler

Fowler racked up 36 points in 51 games after he was traded to St. Louis, which translates to 58 points over an 82-game campaign. He followed that up with a team-leading 10 points through seven outings in the playoffs. Some may have missed Fowler's success because he didn't do it for a full season, but that allows you to grab St. Louis' PP quarterback at a discounted price.  

Tampa Bay Lightning – Oliver Bjorkstrand

There isn't much room for sneaky value in Tampa's roster, as most of the big guns are established, coming off strong seasons, and are appropriately valued in fantasy formats. Bjorkstrand's a bit of a wild card because we've seen him be a ~60-point player in Columbus and Seattle, but he may not get the deployment necessary to reach that level with Tampa. For what it's worth, he racked up eight points in his last 11 games with the Lightning last year and will be financially motivated this season as he needs a new contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Matias Maccelli

There will undoubtedly be some hype around Maccelli given the massive market he's just entered, but I imagine he'll still slip in some drafts based on last year's underwhelming 27-point pace. However, the 60-point pace he flirted with for two years prior has me salivating at the potential magic he could create beside Toronto's star forwards. He has an outside shot at PP1 time but would still be a solid fantasy pick if he ends up on PP2, because his strong playmaking ability gives him great even-strength potential beside Auston Matthews or William Nylander.

Utah Mammoth – Karel Vejmelka

Vejmelka quietly had a brilliant campaign for Utah last year, boasting 20.75 goals saved above expected. He's not a household name, and that limits his fantasy value, but his recent contract extension sets up him up to see plenty of action behind a strong team.

Vancouver Canucks – Filip Chytil

The 25-year-old forward has shown flashes of offensive promise in his young career but he's been hindered by a troubling history of concussions. He's set to fill Vancouver's second-line centre role this year, which may also come with top unit power-play time, giving him the opportunity to produce if he can stay healthy.

Vegas Golden Knights – Akira Schmid

The 25-year-old netminder enters the year as Vegas' backup. Although his individual results have been mixed thus far, he was excellent in a short stint with the Golden Knights last year and should benefit from playing behind a strong team. Hill has had some trouble with injuries in the past, so there's potential for Schmid to get more action than your average backup.

Washington Capitals – Connor McMichael

The Caps found themselves in the news cycle frequently last year because of a surprisingly excellent regular season. As a result, many high performers got the recognition they deserved, leaving less room for sneaky value picks. I'm taking McMichael here because his 57-point breakout seemed to get overshadowed by other bigger accomplishments. At 24 years of age, with a modest 237 games under his belt, he still his room to grow and build on his offensive output.  

Winnipeg Jets – Cole Perfetti

Nikolaj Ehlers leaving Winnipeg is a double-edged sword for Perfetti. While he should benefit from a new role on PP1, he's also likely to be left with mediocre even-strength linemates now that Ehlers is gone. At 23, Perfetti is still getting better and there's plenty of room for his opportunity to grow as he skated just 15 minutes a night last year. Picking him here reflects my hope that he's set for the fabled fourth-year breakout, but it's also due to the rest of Winnipeg's roster being appropriately hyped, leaving less room for other Jets to fly under the radar.

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Thanks for reading! Hope you have a great week!