The 2026-27 hockey season is upon us. But what fun is the start of a new year without a dozen bold fantasy predictions to get you pumped for the upcoming campaign?

2026-27 Fantasy Hockey Bold Predictions and Breakout Players

Igor Shesterkin (NYR) Wins the Vezina Trophy

It flew under the radar last season because the Rangers were one of the NHL's worst teams, but Shesterkin was again their best player. The fact he managed a 25-19-6 record along with a 2.50 GAA and .912 save percentage, given the defense in front of him, is remarkable. GM Chris Drury went out this offseason and acquired a new No. 2 pair, bringing in Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver and Sean Durzi from Utah. That bumps Braden Schneider to the third pair where he belongs and brings stability to the entire group. I think the result is a dominant Shesterkin year. Andrei Vasilevskiy is the only goaltender I'm taking ahead of Igor in drafts this fall.

Alex Ovechkin (WSH) Fails to Reach 30 Goals

Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, has scored 30-plus in all but one of his 21 NHL seasons. Yet he had just 32 last year despite playing in all 82 games and turned 41 years old this past September. Toss in the fact that the Caps brought in Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch this offseason, and I see a somewhat decreased role for The Great 8.

Brady Tkachuk (FLA) Disappoints Offensively

This must be taken with a grain of salt. I still think Tkachuk will be an excellent player who will help the Panthers win hockey games. That said, there's a ton of mouths to feed offensively in Florida, unlike his previous team in Ottawa. He could have a real impact even if his offensive numbers are down some, which I'm expecting.

Jesper Wallstedt (MIN) Runs Away with the No.1 Job in Minnesota

Wallstedt was the preferred option for the Wild in the postseason, appearing in ten of 11 games. He's 23 years old and had an excellent regular season (18-9-6, 2.61 GAA, .915 save percentage). With Filip Gustavsson out for an undetermined amount of time due to offseason hip surgery, Wallstedt is in prime position to steal the starting job permanently.

Roman Kantserov (CHI) Wins the Calder Trophy

The 21-year-old Kantserov, a second-round pick in 2023, led the KHL in goals last season with 36 in 63 games. He'll be joining a Chicago lineup that is largely void of high-end offensive talent. I expect major production right out of the gate.

JJ Peterka (BOS) Bounces Back

Peterka's one year in Utah was strange. His usage – both at even strength and with the man advantage – was way down, and his numbers reflected that. He'll fill a top line, top PP position with his new team in Boston. 30 goals is within reach.

Jet Greaves (CBJ) is a Top-Five Fantasy Goalie

I'm a little worried things could go south in Columbus in a hurry given the unresolved situations with Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, but I'm also extremely confident Greaves is a quality NHL netminder. If the team holds up around him, I expect a big year.

Alexis Lafreniere (NYR) Leads the Rangers in Scoring

Over the course of his final 26 games last season – or from the point Artemi Panarin was traded to the Kings onward – Lafreniere had 12 goals and 25 points in 26 games. Over an 82-game season, those numbers prorate to 38 goals and 79 points. As a former No. 1 overall pick (2020), Lafreniere is supremely talented. He's finally going to get the usage he deserves.

There Isn't a Single Usable Fantasy Player on the Flames

I know that seems like a large statement, but I think it's entirely possible. They have one of the worst forward groups in NHL history. Matt Coronato is perhaps the only forward I could see with very deep league value. On defense, they gave Simon Nemec a boatload of money and Zayne Parekh is intriguing, but they aren't going to score much, and both are guaranteed a woeful plus/minus rating. Dustin Wolf is fine in goal, but how many wins can he provide?

Vasili Podkolzin (EDM) Scores 25 Goals

He had 19 last season while receiving virtually zero power play time. Edmonton's forward group, once you get past Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, consists of names such as Jason Dickinson, Kasperi Kapanen, Isaac Howard, Colton Dach, and Trent Frederic. Yeah, I see Podkolzin riding shotgun next to Draisaitl on the second line and 25 goals to follow.

Jaden Schwartz (COL) has Deep League Value

I thought Schwartz to the Avs was one of the offseason's more underrated signings. Colorado got a potential top-six forward despite having little money to play with. Schwartz is now 34 years old and was limited to just 50 games with Seattle last season, but he's always fit in well alongside talented players, and now he has an opportunity to skate on Colorado's second line, likely alongside some combination of Brock Nelson, Gabe Landeskog, and Nazem Kadri. Not bad for a guy who is free at the end of your draft.

Stuart Skinner (WPG) Becomes an Every-Week Fantasy Starter

Obviously, it's going to take a Connor Hellebuyck trade to make this happen. For now, stick Skinner at the end of your bench and try to hold him as long as possible. It should pay off at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later.