The Add List’s draft targets, from early-round anchors to late-round upside plays
The fantasy hockey draft season is entering the most important stretch of the year. Training camps are open, preseason games are underway and fantasy rankings are changing almost daily. That means the draft board you were looking at two weeks ago might not be the same board you should be using today.
At The Add List, we’re less interested in simply identifying the 25 “best” players and more interested in finding players we actually want to target at the right price. Some are proven stars who can anchor a roster, some are young players whose roles are expanding, and others are late-round targets who could dramatically outperform their draft position.
This isn’t a ranking. It’s our draft target list.
The goal is simple: if one of these players is sitting there at a reasonable spot in your draft, we want to be ready to make the pick.
🔥 Early-Round Targets
1. Macklin Celebrini — C — San Jose Sharks
Celebrini enters his third NHL season already established as one of the most valuable fantasy players in the league. His combination of scoring ability, shot volume and offensive opportunity gives him an extremely strong fantasy foundation, and the Sharks are continuing to surround him with more talent. Mason Marchment opened camp on his line with Celebrini and Will Smith, giving San Jose a potentially dangerous top unit heading into the season.
The Add List Take: Celebrini isn’t just a young player we’re excited about, he’s already a fantasy cornerstone. If you’re picking near the top of your draft, he’s one of the players we’re comfortable building around…even at #1, if you have the cojones.
2. Evan Bouchard — D — Edmonton Oilers
Bouchard has become one of the most important fantasy defensemen in the NHL because of the combination of even-strength production, shot volume and power-play opportunity he brings to the table. Defensemen who can produce like forwards are extremely valuable, and Bouchard’s offensive environment in Edmonton gives him a particularly high ceiling.
The Add List Take: If you’re looking for a defenseman early, Bouchard gives you a chance to lock in elite offensive production from the blue line. We want him on our roster.
3. Jack Eichel — C — Vegas Golden Knights
Eichel remains one of the most complete fantasy centers in the league. He’s capable of producing at an elite scoring rate while also contributing across multiple fantasy categories, and his role in Vegas gives him a dependable offensive floor.
The Add List Take: Eichel is the type of first-round player who doesn’t need a breakout to justify the pick. You’re drafting established production with plenty of upside still available.
4. Jason Robertson — LW/RW — Dallas Stars
Robertson continues to be one of the league’s premier goal scorers, and his ability to pile up shots makes him particularly attractive in leagues that reward volume. He also provides positional flexibility, which becomes increasingly valuable as your roster develops.
The Add List Take: Robertson is exactly the kind of player we want to target early. Proven goal production, strong shot volume and enough category coverage to give your roster a reliable foundation.
5. Wyatt Johnston — C/RW — Dallas Stars
Johnston is coming off a breakout 45-goal, 86-point season and continues to improve every year. At just 23, he’s already established himself as a major offensive weapon for Dallas, and his role on the power play gives him plenty of fantasy upside. Some regression from his 27 power-play goals is likely, but his overall trajectory remains extremely encouraging.
The Add List Take: Johnston is becoming more than just a breakout candidate, he’s a legitimate fantasy cornerstone. If you’re able to land him outside the early rounds, he’s a player we’re very interested in targeting.
💎 Middle-Round Targets
6. Quinton Byfield — C — Los Angeles Kings
Byfield is one of the biggest names on our target list this season. He already established career highs with 24 goals and 180 shots last season, but his opportunity has increased even further after Los Angeles put him on its top line with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe in training camp. NHL.com currently lists his ADP around 137, which creates the possibility of significant value if that deployment carries into the regular season.
The Add List Take: This is the type of draft price we love. Byfield has already demonstrated growth, and now he has the potential to spend an entire season playing with elite offensive talent. He is one of our favorite middle-round targets.
7. Bowen Byram — D — Chicago Blackhawks
Byram’s move to Chicago has created one of the more interesting fantasy situations of training camp. He’s expected to begin the season on the top defensive pairing with Alex Vlasic and has been working with the first power-play unit. He also exploded for a preseason hat trick and could benefit from increased offensive responsibility while Connor Bedard is sidelined.
The Add List Take: Byram is a classic “role creates value” player. We’re not drafting him based solely on what he’s done in the past. We’re drafting him because Chicago appears ready to give him a bigger offensive role.
8. Alex DeBrincat — LW/RW — Detroit Red Wings
DeBrincat remains one of the NHL’s most dangerous pure goal scorers, and his combination of shooting ability and power-play opportunity makes him a strong fantasy target. His positional flexibility also helps, particularly in deeper leagues where roster construction can become difficult.
The Add List Take: DeBrincat doesn’t need to reinvent himself to be valuable. If you’re drafting him after the top tier of forwards has disappeared, you’re getting a proven goal scorer who can still provide plenty of fantasy impact.
9. Juraj Slafkovsky — LW/RW — Montreal Canadiens
Slafkovsky is entering an important stage of his development, and Montreal has surrounded him with an intriguing group of young offensive players. He opened camp on a line with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen, while Chris Kreider was being used alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
The Add List Take: Slafkovsky is one of the players we’re willing to take a calculated swing on. The talent is obvious, and if Montreal’s young offensive core continues to develop together, his fantasy ceiling rises considerably.
10. Jake Sanderson — D — Ottawa Senators
Sanderson continues to emerge as one of the NHL’s better young defensemen. His combination of skating, minutes and offensive ability makes him particularly appealing in leagues that reward production from the blue line.
The Add List Take: Sanderson is a player we’re comfortable targeting once the elite defensemen are gone. He has the potential to give you both a solid floor and another jump in offensive production.
📈 Breakout Targets
11. Roman Kantserov — F — Chicago Blackhawks
Kantserov has become one of the more intriguing rookies on the fantasy radar. He opened camp alongside Frank Nazar and Patrick Kane, putting him into an offensive environment that could accelerate his transition to the NHL. Chicago’s power-play situation is also worth watching closely.
The Add List Take: This is exactly the kind of rookie we’re willing to take a chance on. We don’t need Kantserov to become a superstar immediately. If he sticks in Chicago’s top six and receives meaningful power-play time, his draft value could rise quickly.
12. Maxim Shabanov — F — Minnesota Wild
Shabanov has been another name climbing fantasy boards after being placed alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman during camp. Playing with a player of Kaprizov’s caliber immediately gives Shabanov one of the more interesting fantasy opportunity situations among the rookie class.
The Add List Take: Shabanov is one of our favorite upside swings. The draft cost is still manageable, but the potential payoff is enormous if he earns a permanent role next to Kaprizov.
13. Ryan Leonard — F — Washington Capitals
Leonard enters his first full NHL season with an intriguing opportunity in Washington. He opened camp on a line with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome and could see time on the first power-play unit. His current ADP has been around the 130 range, putting him firmly into late-round target territory.
The Add List Take: Leonard checks almost every box we want in a breakout candidate: youth, talent, opportunity and a potentially elite supporting cast. He’s one of the players we’re actively looking to draft before the market catches up.
14. Gabe Perreault — LW — New York Rangers
Perreault is another young forward whose fantasy value could take a significant step forward if his role expands. He’s already shown the offensive instincts that made him a highly regarded prospect, and increased NHL opportunity could turn that skill into fantasy production.
The Add List Take: Perreault is a player we’re happy to stash before the breakout becomes obvious. His offensive upside makes him especially attractive in leagues where you can afford to take a few developmental swings.
15. Luke Evangelista — RW — New Jersey Devils
Evangelista has an opportunity to establish himself as a more important offensive player in New Jersey, and his preseason deployment deserves attention. Young forwards who earn top-six minutes and power-play responsibility can move quickly from waiver-wire material to legitimate fantasy options.
The Add List Take: Evangelista is the kind of player we want on our radar before everyone else starts talking about him. If his role sticks, the opportunity could be much more valuable than his draft cost suggests.
💰 Value Targets
16. Mason Marchment — LW — San Jose Sharks
Marchment might be one of the clearest examples of training camp creating fantasy value. He opened camp on the top line with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith after finishing last season strongly in Columbus, recording 32 points in his final 39 games. His ADP has been around 130, making the situation particularly interesting.
The Add List Take: Give me the player skating next to Celebrini in the middle rounds. Marchment doesn’t need to become a superstar to smash his draft price. If he stays beside San Jose’s young stars, he could become one of the best value picks of the draft.
17. Chris Kreider — LW — Montreal Canadiens
Kreider may be one of the most interesting veterans in the entire draft. He’s currently going undrafted in many leagues despite opening Montreal’s camp on the top line with Suzuki and Caufield. He’s also only one year removed from being a consistent 30-goal threat.
The Add List Take: At this price, there’s very little downside. If Kreider keeps that role, he could quickly become one of the most obvious waiver-wire adds of the opening weeks — which is exactly why we’d rather draft him late.
18. Ilya Protas — F — Washington Capitals
Protas opened camp alongside his brother Aliaksei Protas and Jordan Kyrou and remains one of Washington’s more intriguing young forwards. He had four points in his first four NHL games last season and is still largely flying under the fantasy radar.
The Add List Take: This is a deep-league target for us. The draft cost is minimal, but the combination of youth, size, offensive skill and Washington’s improving young core makes Protas worth keeping on the board.
19. Joel Hofer — G — St. Louis Blues
Hofer quietly put together a breakout season in 2025-26, going 24-13-5 with a 2.61 GAA, .910 save percentage and six shutouts in 46 appearances. He finished second in the NHL in shutouts and outperformed Jordan Binnington, establishing himself as the Blues’ top goaltending option. If Hofer can secure a larger share of the starts in 2026-27, his fantasy value could rise significantly.
The Add List Take: Hofer is exactly the type of goalie we want to target in the later rounds. He’s already shown he can handle a bigger workload, and there’s a legitimate path to 50-plus starts if St. Louis continues to favor him. At his current draft cost, the upside makes him a very appealing value pick.
20. Mackenzie Blackwood — G — Colorado Avalanche
Blackwood is another goalie we’re willing to target because his situation in Colorado could provide considerably more fantasy value than his reputation suggests. Recent fantasy market movement has already pushed him upward, with reports indicating Colorado wants him to establish himself as the starter.
The Add List Take: We’re not expecting Blackwood to suddenly become a Vezina candidate. We’re looking for volume, team quality and opportunity. If he wins the majority of Colorado’s starts, he could be a very useful fantasy goaltender.
🎯 Late-Round Targets
21. Gavin McKenna — LW — Toronto Maple Leafs
McKenna is obviously one of the most exciting rookies entering the NHL, but the key for fantasy managers is opportunity. He has been skating with William Nylander and John Tavares during camp, putting him in an excellent offensive environment if that deployment carries forward. But there’s been talk that Toronto wants him playing with Auston Matthews…he’ll rise up draft boards quickly if that’s the case.
The Add List Take: McKenna’s name is already driving fantasy interest, so we’re not calling him a secret sleeper. But if the draft price remains reasonable in your league, the combination of talent and potential linemates makes him a player we’re comfortable targeting.
22. Ivar Stenberg — LW — San Jose Sharks
Stenberg is another rookie worth watching closely in San Jose. He played alongside Alexander Wennberg and Collin Graf during his preseason debut, and his combination of skill and draft pedigree gives him plenty of long-term upside.
The Add List Take: Stenberg is more of a patient late-round investment than an immediate must-start player. In leagues with deeper benches or keeper components, however, he’s exactly the kind of player we’d like to have before his NHL role becomes established.
23. Luca Cagnoni — D — San Jose Sharks
Cagnoni is one of the more interesting defensemen to emerge from San Jose’s camp. The rookie has already received time on the first power-play unit in preseason, which is the type of deployment that can quickly change a defenseman’s fantasy outlook.
The Add List Take: Power-play opportunity is everything for fantasy defensemen. Cagnoni doesn’t need to produce immediately to be worth drafting late. If that first-unit role sticks, however, his fantasy value could change very quickly.
24. Oliver Kapanen — C — Montreal Canadiens
Kapanen is coming off a rookie season in which he scored 22 goals, ranking third among NHL rookies, and he’s now getting exposure alongside Slafkovsky and Demidov during camp. That combination makes him an especially interesting deep-league target.
The Add List Take: Kapanen is one of those players who could go from “deep sleeper” to “everyone knows his name” very quickly. If he keeps playing with Montreal’s young offensive talent, we’re interested.
25. Bradly Nadeau — RW — Carolina Hurricanes
Nadeau is one of our favorite final-pick upside swings. Carolina has a strong organizational track record of developing young players, and Nadeau brings the offensive skill necessary to eventually become a meaningful contributor.
The Add List Take: This is exactly what we want with our final draft pick: a player who doesn’t need to be perfect immediately but has a path to becoming much more valuable than his draft position suggests.
🏆 Final Thoughts
The closer we get to opening night, the more important it becomes to separate rankings from targets. Rankings tell you where players belong on the board. Targets tell you which players you actually want to leave the draft with.
That’s the purpose of this list.
We don’t need to draft all 25 players. In fact, we probably won’t. The goal is to have a group of names we trust at different points of the draft so we’re never simply taking the next player on a ranking list. If Byfield is available at the right price, we’re interested. If Marchment is still sitting there late, we’re interested. If Kantserov or Shabanov makes it into the later rounds, we’re interested. And if a player like Byram continues to receive the kind of opportunity Chicago is giving him, we’re willing to move him up our board.
Build your rankings. Know your league. Watch the news. Then draft for value.
That’s how we’re approaching the 2026-27 fantasy hockey season.
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