Identifying breakout players can have a tremendous impact on your fantasy squad. The mid to later rounds of your draft are typically when you want to start taking some chances and identifying good targets can often bring terrific upside.
We are not talking about players who may be undervalued due to injury concerns or simply because they had a tough 2021-22 season; we are targeting players who may go overlooked by fantasy managers who don’t correctly value improved team situations or breakout growth. We are describing players poised to return value relative to where they’ll generally be taken in this year’s live fantasy drafts.
Breakout Candidates
Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas Stars
Drafted third overall by the Stars in 2017, the talented defenseman from Espoo Finland was expected by many to break out last season. While he did post a career-high 36 points, his five goals in 70 games were a career-low in a season where he missed a dozen games with mononucleosis.
Expect a healthy return in 2022-23 and even more opportunities to put up points with veteran John Klingberg leaving for Anaheim in free agency. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Heiskanen put together a 60-plus-point season in Dallas.
Arturri Lehkonen, LW, Colorado Avalanche
Acquired at the trade deadline, the 27-year-old Finnish forward set career-highs in goals (19) and points (38) in 74 regular-season games with the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche last season. Lehkonen followed up the regular season with eight goals and 14 points in 20 postseason games for the eventual Stanley Cup Champions.
The Avalanche lost Andre Burakovsky in the offseason and will be without Gabriel Landeskog at the start of the season, meaning Lehkonen should see more time next to Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen both at even strength and on the power play. Expect his numbers to shine early.
Yakov Trenin, Center, Nashville Predators
Yakov Trenin was drafted by the Predators in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. The 25-year-old Russian scored 17 goals and 24 points in 80 games last season for Nashville, but exploded for three goals in the first round of the playoffs, leading the team. Trenin has the makings of a strong power forward at 6’2” and 201 pounds and should see his ice time increase this season.
Matt Boldy, LW, Minnesota Wild
Drafted 12th overall in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old Massachusetts native notched 15 goals and 39 points in 47 regular-season games. With Keven Fiala gone, Boldy will see more ice time skating with the team’s top six and should see shifts on the power play.
Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
After winning the starting goalie job midseason, Oettinger turned into a workhorse during the second half of last season, starting in 32 of the Stars’ final 42 games. He showed no signs of fatigue in the postseason and has gained the confidence of both the coaching staff and teammates. Expect Oettinger to get the bulk of starts in net for Dallas this season.