As the 2026-27 NHL season approaches, fantasy hockey draft rooms are hitting peak activity, prompting analysts to lock in high-stakes projections. Brock Seguin’s managing fantasy editor curation at Daily Faceoff provides the foundation for major player evaluations across rankings and sleepers, but individual forecasters are setting aggressive benchmarks for the upcoming campaign.
Lane Hutson Targets No. 1 Defenseman Status
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson enters his third NHL season positioned to challenge for the top fantasy spot at his position after securing 66 points in his rookie campaign and climbing to 78 points as a sophomore. Hutson’s debut year included tying the NHL rookie blueliner record for assists in a season, alongside doubling his goal total from six to 12. At just 22 years old, Hutson skates alongside prime-year forwards Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, plus developing talents Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov. Daily Faceoff projections slate Hutson to crack 90 points this season, adding 15 goals and 150 blocks to cement his elite banger-league value.
Adrian Kempe Eyes Career Year Alongside Artemi Panarin
Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe is projected to shatter his previous personal bests following the acquisition of Artemi Panarin. Kempe has maintained a consistent fantasy floor over his past five seasons, averaging 36 goals, 70 points, 248 shots, and 117 hits per 82 games. However, after Panarin debuted with Los Angeles on February 25, Kempe scored 16 goals in his final 25 games at a 52-goal pace, with Panarin assisting on 11 of those tallies. Benefiting from a full season alongside an elite playmaker, Kempe projects to clear the 45-goal threshold.
Jesper Wallstedt Ascends to Minnesota Wild No. 1 Role
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stands ready for an expanded workload following Marc-Andre Fleury’s retirement and an offseason hip surgery for Filip Gustavsson that leaves Gustavsson sidelined for the start of the regular season. Wallstedt posted the league’s second-best save percentage at .915 last season while appearing in 33 games. Having earned the nod over Gustavsson to open the 2025-26 playoffs and starting all but one postseason game for Minnesota, Wallstedt projects to secure 45 to 50 starts and establish himself as a top-three fantasy netminder.
Darren Raddysh Transitions to Toronto Maple Leafs After Breakout
Defenseman Darren Raddysh enters his age-30 campaign with the Toronto Maple Leafs on an $8.5 million annual deal following a 22-goal, 70-point breakout with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Raddysh secured an expanded role averaging 22:42 of ice time per night while filling in for the injured Victor Hedman. In Toronto, Raddysh figures to anchor a power-play unit featuring Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Gavin McKenna, making a 15-goal, 45-assist campaign a realistic target that justifies his D9 average draft position.
Akira Schmid Challenges for Florida Panthers Crease
Goaltender Akira Schmid joins the Florida Panthers on a two-year deal carrying a $2 million annual average value, emerging as a primary sleeper option in fantasy drafts. While the Panthers added 36-year-old Jacob Markstrom to replace Sergei Bobrovsky following a difficult prior season in goals saved above expected, Schmid provides the organization with a high-upside alternative if Markstrom struggles to regain form in Florida.