Fantasy Hockey Sleepers: Who will emerge on the ice this season?

By Jordan Mazzara, RotoWire
Special to Yahoo Sports

A formidable fantasy team can be built in the early rounds, but if the later rounds are neglected, your team will be more vulnerable to injuries and cold streaks. Young superstar Auston Matthews missed 20 games last season, Evgeni Malkin has sat out 49 games over the last three campaigns, and you better count on a suspension or two for Brad Marchand every year. Every squad needs depth, so don’t be the owner that auto-drafts in late rounds.

Check out the following players that can likely be drafted deep in fantasy drafts and could end up being the keys to another championship.

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Patrick Maroon – LW – St. Louis Blues

Maroon is the strong net-front presence the Blues have been looking for. He knows how to play with stars, as he racked up 27 goals with Connor McDavid two years ago. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound winger should be able to open up lanes for the team’s stars and is more than capable of causing a stir around the blue paint. This skill set makes him a perfect fit with right winger Vladimir Tarasenko and center Ryan O’Reilly. Getting the puck to Tarasenko will be the No. 1 priority of the group, and Maroon will be one of the top beneficiaries on the scoresheet. Look for the 30-year-old to eclipse 50 points for the first time in his career while dishing out plenty of hits.

Alex Tuch – RW – Vegas Golden Knights

Tuch performed admirably in his first full NHL season, compiling 15 goals and 37 points — 10 on the power play. The 22-year-old gets a juicy addition in Max Pacioretty, who was a perennial 30-plus goal scorer before dropping a 17-tally dud in 2017-18. Tuch could line up with Pacioretty at even strength, but Erik Haula may steal that second-line role. However, Tuch’s 6-foot-4, 222-pound frame is a distinct advantage over Haula and would open up lanes for Pacioretty. Regardless, Pacioretty’s addition will fill the James Neal void on the power play, which should allow Tuch to unleash his man-advantage prowess for the second straight season and be a formidable right wing at a position that sometimes lacks depth in the later rounds.

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Anthony Beauvillier – LW – New York Islanders

Beauvillier spent last season in a middle-six role, averaging 14:32 of ice time. The 21-year-old still managed 21 goals and 15 assists while firing 132 shots on goal (15.9 shooting percentage). He’s a natural goal-scorer that hasn’t been given the opportunity to shine just yet, but that should come in 2018-19. Beauvillier is suited for a top line role with Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal, who had 63 assists and 85 points last year. Logging additional ice time with one of the league’s top young playmakers will allow Beauvillier to flourish in Long Island.

Zach Hyman – LW – Toronto Maple Leafs

A late bloomer, Hyman will enter his third full NHL season at 26 years old.

Hyman will likely be snubbed from power-play duties again, giving his even-strength comrades extra importance. He spent the 2017-18 campaign on a line with Nazem Kadri and Mitch Marner, scoring 40 points in 82 games. The arrival of center John Tavares will be a substantial upgrade from Kadri, as both wingers who consistently played with Tavares last season surpassed 60 points. Hyman may not be ready for that level of production yet, but he could flirt with the 50-point range while being overlooked due to the depth at left wing.

Alexander Edler – D – Vancouver Canucks

Edler is a well-rounded veteran who often gets overlooked due to his mess of a franchise. His assist count nearly doubled in 2017-18 after the arrival of rookie Brock Boeser, who revitalized the team’s power play. Edler also blocked 203 shots and dished out 157 hits. Top it off with three straight seasons of averaging over 24 minutes of ice time, and Edler already has a solid floor. He’ll continue to man the top power-play unit this season with the possible addition of 2017 first-round pick Elias Pettersson. There’s no reason Edler can’t match the one goal and 14 helpers he notched with the man advantage last year, and this could be the season he approaches 40 points again.

Darnell Nurse – D – Edmonton Oilers

Nurse finally ended his holdout and signed a two-year, $6.4 million deal. The 23 year old deserves the money with how much he’ll be leaned on this season since Andrej Sekera will likely sit out over 60 games with a ruptured Achilles. Therefore, Nurse will take Sekera’s reps on the team’s top defensive pairing and likely gain power-play minutes, too. Nurse posted a career high in points (26) last season, which is a generous upgrade from the 11 he notched the year before. Most impressive, however, were the 194 shots he fired on net. Only six of those found twine (3.1 percent), but his knack for getting pucks on net could make him a force with the man advantage.

Joonas Korpisalo – G – Columbus Blue Jackets

Korpisalo is the riskiest pick in this bunch, as serious moves need to happen to fulfill his upside. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said he couldn’t guarantee starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky — who is heading into the final year of his contract and hasn’t progressed in negotiating an extension — would be on the roster for the season opener. Even if Bobrovsky remains with the team past Oct. 4, it appears there’s an expiration date for him in Columbus. That means, at some point, Korpisalo will likely become the team’s No. 1 netminder. His numbers were fantastic in his rookie season (.920 save percentage through 31 games), so he could be an absolute steal at the right price depending on how things shake out in Ohio.