Attention fantasy hockey owners: It’s time to start strategizing for your draft.
With that in mind, over at DailyFaceoff.com, I compiled a list of 10 potential sleepers to consider grabbing in your draft.
Even though my list didn’t feature a Maple Leaf, that doesn’t mean Toronto doesn’t possess a few players with considerable sleeper potential.
MATTHEW KNIES – LW
The sample size may have been small, but Knies certainly did not disappoint in his 10 outings last spring. The 20-year-old winger picked up one assist in three regular season contests before notching one goal and four points in seven playoff games. Ultimately, his fantasy value will come down to his deployment. Where will Sheldon Keefe elect to utilize his prized rookie? One thing’s for sure: If Knies finds a way to stick in the top-six, he’ll be a must-own file. We’ll see how things go in training camp.
JOSEPH WOLL – G
Ilya Samsonov better have a good start, because if he doesn’t, it looks and feels like Woll’s fully capable of wrestling away playing time from him. In 11 career NHL appearances, the 2016 third rounder has posted a 9-2-0 record to go along with a 2.38 goals-against average, 0.924 save-percentage and one shutout. Any way you slice it, the 25-year-old’s ready to be a full time NHLer, and on top of that, he could be poised to be Toronto’s No. 1 down the road, too. Monitor very closely.
JOHN KLINGBERG – D
One of the battles to keep a keen eye on in training camp: Who will run Toronto’s first power play unit? Initially, conventional wisdom suggests that role will be Morgan Rielly’s to lose. That said, it would not be surprising in the latest to see Klingberg get an extended look there in camp, too. The 31-year-old, who’s coming off the worst season of his NHL career, has significant experience in that role from his days in Dallas. To start, put Klingberg on your watch list. If he overtakes Rielly for PP1 QB duties, scoop him up immediately.
