Fantasy notebook: late-round value for 2026-27 could come from Pittsburgh’s finishing touch, a changing crease in St. Louis and several veterans landing in better offensive spots. Egor Chinakhov, Joel Hofer and Anthony Mantha headline a group of 10 sleeper candidates whose roles could outpace their current draft cost.
Key takeaways
- Chinakhov posted 42 points and 21 goals last season, with 36 of those points coming after his move to Pittsburgh.
- Hofer finished with a 24-13-5 record, six shutouts and a .910 save percentage, then surged after the Winter Olympics.
- Mantha joins New Jersey after career bests of 33 goals and 64 points with the Penguins.
- San Jose additions Mason Marchment and Yaroslav Askarov offer different upside: top-line production for one, a potential No. 1 crease role for the other.
- Veterans Valeri Nichushkin, Blake Coleman and Mats Zuccarello have new clubs and possible power-play opportunities.
The names with a path to bigger roles
Chinakhov’s move from Columbus to Pittsburgh changed his season. He managed only six points in 29 Blue Jackets games while averaging 10:18, but found traction beside the Penguins’ skill group with 18 goals and 18 assists across 43 games. His average ice time climbed to 15:37, and his work with Evgeni Malkin was particularly encouraging. Malkin matched Sidney Crosby for Pittsburgh’s points-per-game lead at 1.09.
The shot profile is loud. Chinakhov led NHL forwards with a 65.49 mph average shot speed among players with at least 100 attempts, finishing with 282 attempts. His 99.03 mph hardest shot ranked fifth among forwards, as did his 12 shots in the 90-100 mph range. He also rated highly in skating bursts, top speed, mid-range scoring and long-distance shots on goal. At an average draft position of 130.5, a full year in a scoring role makes him one of the more intriguing late forward targets.
Hofer’s case rests on both his full-season results and his finish. The Blues netminder set personal NHL highs with 24 wins, a 2.61 goals-against average and six shutouts, second in the League behind Ilya Sorokin’s seven. From Feb. 25 through the close of the regular season, after the Olympic break, Hofer went 12-2-2 with a .933 save percentage and 2.04 GAA. Those numbers placed him among the League’s best regular starters over that stretch.
The 26-year-old owns a .909 save percentage in 115 NHL appearances and delivered strong results at five-on-five, from mid-range chances and on long-range shots last year. Jordan Binnington, meanwhile, posted career lows with a 3.33 GAA and .873 save percentage. Hofer’s 125.7 ADP leaves room for him to become St. Louis’ primary starter.
Mantha arrives in New Jersey on a two-year deal after scoring 33 times and collecting 64 points in 81 games for Pittsburgh. He did most of his damage away from a featured assignment, leading the Penguins with 25 five-on-five goals. That total tied him for sixth in the NHL. His 24 high-danger goals were tied for fifth League-wide, while his shot velocity numbers remained among the strongest at his position. A top-six deployment with Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier would make his 142.5 ADP look inexpensive.
Marchment’s December arrival in Columbus brought immediate production: 15 goals and 32 points in 39 games, good for a 31-goal pace. He was tied for second on the Blue Jackets in goals over that period and ranked third in points per game at 0.82. Now signed in San Jose for five years, Marchment could be placed with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. He has reached at least 19 goals in each of the past three seasons and brings a reliable physical element, averaging 91 hits over his last six campaigns and recording 84 last season.
Nichushkin was dealt from Colorado to Columbus on June 25 after a 17-goal, 49-point regular season and four points in 12 playoff games. His 17:44 average ice time was his lowest since 2020-21, suggesting a potential opening for more opportunity with the Blue Jackets. He could get first-unit power-play work, a notable possibility after his 16 power-play goals and 28 overall goals in only 54 games during 2023-24.
Eleven of Nichushkin’s goals last year came from high-danger ice, and he remained an elite straight-line skater. The 31-year-old could join Columbus’ leading returning goal scorers, Kirill Marchenko with 27 and Adam Fantilli with 24, on the top line. His listed ADP is 135.0, while another late-draft figure of 142.9 also reflects the opportunity available after the trade.
Coleman gives Minnesota a different kind of depth. Acquired from Calgary, the 34-year-old remains a four-time 20-goal scorer and should contend for a top-six place. Even in a 69-game season, he was one of only two NHL players to record at least 20 goals and 150 hits; Brady Tkachuk was the other. Coleman finished with 162 hits and scored four shorthanded goals, tied for second in the NHL behind Ryan McLeod’s five.
He has surpassed 100 hits in nine straight seasons and has been in at least the 90th percentile among forwards for high-danger shots on goal in every tracking season since 2021-22. Minnesota is coming off its first playoff-series victory since 2015, and Coleman’s category coverage makes him a useful undrafted option or waiver-wire add.
Young blue-liners, Seattle scoring and a veteran in Los Angeles
Calgary defenseman Zayne Parekh has the pedigree and an opening for a larger workload. The ninth selection in the 2024 NHL Draft scored 33 goals in each of his final two Ontario Hockey League seasons. In 37 NHL games last season, six of his nine points came on the power play. The 20-year-old is expected to push Simon Nemec for first-unit man-advantage time after Calgary moved MacKenzie Weegar to Utah and Rasmus Andersson to Vegas last season. Parekh’s 45.5 percent offensive-zone time ranked in the 94th percentile among defensemen.
McMann made an immediate impression after Seattle acquired him from Toronto on March 6. In 18 games with the Kraken, he scored 10 goals and added four assists, 58 shots and 30 hits. His 0.56 goals per game, 0.78 points per game and 3.22 shots per game each led Seattle over that short run. He finished the season with a career-high 29 goals and has the speed to sustain an expanded role; his 24.25 mph maximum speed ranked seventh in the NHL. His ADP sits at 136.9, with a separate late-round marker of 132.2 also attached to his value.
Askarov’s season in San Jose had two distinct halves. Through Dec. 20, he went 12-9-1 with a .902 save percentage in 22 games. Over his final 25 appearances, he posted a 9-11-3 mark and an .865 save percentage. Still, the 24-year-old set NHL highs by playing 47 games and facing 1,341 shots, and his 19 quality starts ranked third among rookie goaltenders behind Jakub Dobes’ 25 and Jesper Wallstedt’s 23.
Alex Nedeljkovic shared the Sharks crease, but Askarov has a chance to seize the starting job. San Jose remains in a seven-season playoff drought, though 52.6 percent of its goals last year came from players aged 23 or younger, the highest share in the League. Askarov is a high-ceiling third or fourth goalie selection at a 127.8 ADP, with another listed draft figure of 134.4.
Zuccarello, who turned 39 on Sept. 1, signed a one-year contract with Los Angeles on July 1. He is expected to work in the Kings’ top six and on their first power-play unit. Zuccarello recorded 15 goals and 39 assists in 59 games last season, and his 0.91 points per game over the past six seasons is tied for 44th in the NHL. Since 2021-22, he has averaged 25.4 power-play points per season.
His puck-possession and finishing indicators remained strong, including a 46.7 percent offensive-zone time that placed him in the 96th percentile among forwards and 11 mid-range goals in the 94th percentile. A reunion with Kevin Fiala is possible. The two clicked in Minnesota in 2021-22, when Fiala set a career high with 85 points and Zuccarello reached his own best of 79. Fiala is recovering from a long-term leg injury and may not be ready for the opening of the season.
Deep sleeper board
- Marco Rossi, forward, Vancouver — ADP: not available
- Luke Evangelista, forward, New Jersey — ADP: 145.5
- Igor Chernyshov, forward, San Jose — ADP: 131.4
- Tyson Foerster, forward, Philadelphia — ADP: 132.7
- Sam Malinski, defenseman, Colorado — ADP: 140.8
- Zeev Buium, defenseman, Vancouver — ADP: 137.3
- Matvei Gridin, forward, Calgary — ADP: not available
- Akira Schmid, goaltender, Florida — ADP: not available
- Jack Roslovic, forward, Toronto — ADP: 128.6
- Philip Broberg, defenseman, St. Louis — ADP: 134.4
SEO Title: 2026-27 NHL Fantasy Sleepers: Chinakhov, Hofer and Mantha Lead Late Targets
SEO Description: A rink-side look at 10 NHL fantasy sleepers for 2026-27, including Egor Chinakhov, Joel Hofer, Anthony Mantha, Yaroslav Askarov and Mats Zuccarello.
