Looking for players who haven't lived up to their potential lately but are poised to rebound this year? Then you're in the right place because that's exactly the type of player I'll be highlighting below.

Before we get started, let's be clear on what I'm looking for when it comes to a sleeper candidate and how I differentiate them from potential breakout players. For this article, a sleeper candidate is a player who has had fantasy relevance in the past but hasn't lived up to expectations more recently, whereas a breakout candidate is someone poised to take a meaningful step forward beyond anything they've previously recorded. For that reason, the players I'll be examining today are veterans who are unfairly being written off.

To keep this list from focusing on forwards like Auston Matthews, who could fit my definition of a sleeper but isn't being overlooked, I'll limit this list to players who were drafted in under 60 percent of leagues.

Fantasy Hockey Sleepers 2026-27 Late Round Rebound Targets

Stuart Skinner (G), Winnipeg Jets, ADP: 124.2 (Drafted: 2% of Leagues)

It's easy to write off a goaltender who posted a 2.92 GAA and an .888 save percentage in 50 regular-season starts last year as having been unworthy of that level of playing time, but here's something that might surprise you: He had a plus-8.3 goals saved above expected last year, per Moneypuck. While that's not a breathtaking result, his goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (0.170) placed him 23rd out of 59 goaltenders who logged at least 25 games. Yes, that needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but it does suggest that he was actually a solid goaltender who didn't get enough defensive help.

Skinner similarly had a positive goals saved above expected in the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 regular seasons, so he's largely been a net benefit for much of his career, even if his more recent statistics imply otherwise.

Now with Winnipeg, Skinner is in an interesting position. At the time of writing, he's the No. 2 goaltender behind Connor Hellebuyck, which obviously is not a position that comes with much fantasy value. However, Hellebuyck refused to report to training camp, and even before that, his desire to be traded was clear. In other words, there's a strong chance Skinner either begins the season as Winnipeg's No. 1 goaltender or gains the job at some point during the season (even if Hellebuyck reverses his stance on reporting to camp, he's likely to be eventually traded).

In that role, Skinner has the potential to be serviceable. There's nothing to get too excited about here, but if you're approaching the end of your draft and you're not confident in your goaltending, then take a chance on Skinner.

Mason McTavish (C), St. Louis Blues, ADP: 131.8 (Drafted: 2% of Leagues)

McTavish blurs the line between my definitions of breakout and sleeper candidates. Selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, McTavish has shown that he has the capacity to be a superb power forward, but he hasn't quite put it all together over the course of a full campaign. Finally, Anaheim felt it was time to move on, trading him to St. Louis over the summer.

While the move to St. Louis won't necessarily give him a bigger role -- he'll probably serve as the Blues' No. 2 center behind Robert Thomas -- this does give him a much-needed fresh start. Beyond that, McTavish is still just 23, so it wouldn't have been shocking to see him take a step up independent of his fresh start.

Given how easy it is to grab him, he's a nice option if you want a forward who can aid you in multiple categories, especially if your league values PIM.

Carter Verhaeghe (LW), Florida Panthers, ADP: 133.2 (Drafted: 3% of Leagues)

Verhaeghe surpassed the 70-point mark in each of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns, but he's dipped to 53 and 55 points in each of the past two regular seasons. However, he struggled with a career-low shooting percentage (8.3) in 2024-25, and then Florida was rattled by injuries and underperformed last year. In other words, there are reasons to believe each of the last two campaigns was at least partially a write-off.

It helps that Verhaeghe is expected to serve in a top-six role, which is a much more desirable spot this campaign now that Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk are healthy, and Brady Tkachuk has been acquired. Verhaeghe will likely play with at least one of those elite forwards at any given time, which should help.

While nothing is certain, there is a real opportunity for him to climb back towards 70 points.

Matt Duchene (C/RW), Dallas Stars, ADP: 136.4 (Drafted: 6% of Leagues)

Duchene was limited to 16 goals and 45 points in 57 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, which was a massive drop from his 30 goals and 82 points in 82 regular-season outings in the prior campaign. His injury was a major factor, not just because he missed 24 straight games from Oct. 21-Dec. 5, but also because he was rusty when he returned, recording three goals and nine points across his subsequent 22 appearances. After that, he got back into the groove of things with 12 goals and 34 points across his final 31 regular-season outings before adding two goals and nine points in six playoff games.

In other words, there's reason to believe he can rebound if he stays healthy this year. Granted, he is 35 years old, so age is becoming a concern, but like the other players on this list, we're talking about a late-round pick, so the risk is mitigated.

Thomas Chabot (D), Ottawa Senators, ADP: 141.7 (Drafted: 39% of Leagues)

If you need a defenseman late in your draft and want to roll the dice, Chabot is a decent gamble. He's averaged 50.3 points per 82 regular-season games from 2018-19 through 2025-26, which is fantastic. However, Chabot has never played 82 games and has only once logged more than 71. Consequently, it wouldn't be surprising if he missed time due to injury, hence why he's a gamble.

If he does, though, then that late pick will pay off very nicely.

Akira Schmid (G), Florida Panthers, ADP: N/A

Schmid is entering the 2026-27 campaign as Florida's backup, but it wouldn't be surprising if starter Jacob Markstrom doesn't perform to the level the Panthers are hoping for. Markstrom had a 3.07 GAA and an .883 save percentage in 44 regular-season appearances with New Jersey in 2025-26. He also had a goals saved above expected of minus-11.9, per Moneypuck, which implies it wasn't simply a case of the Devils dragging him down.

Of course, Markstrom might rebound, but he's also 36 years old, and his results over the past four campaigns have been fairly mixed, so there's an argument to be made that he's been on a downward trend for a while.

So Schmid should get opportunities, and given the Panthers' strong offense, he'll get plenty of goal support when he is in the net. Of course, Markstrom being vulnerable is one thing. Schmid taking advantage of the opportunity is another. Schmid's results have been mixed, posting a 32-28-10 record, 2.66 GAA and .898 save percentage in 82 career regular-season appearances. However, unlike Markstrom, Schmid is 26 years old, and given that goaltenders tend to take longer to come into their own, we might not have seen him at his best.