Fantasy Hockey Draft Gems: Forwards You Should Be Moving Up Your Draft Board

Hey folks. Draft season is officially upon us, which means it's time to start looking beyond the obvious first-round names and find the players who can give you an edge when the draft starts getting deeper.

Over the next three articles, we're going position by position to identify some of the biggest draft gems heading into this fantasy hockey season. We're starting with the forwards, before moving on to defensemen and finally goalies.

These aren't necessarily your traditional "sleepers." Some of these players are already well known around the league and may even be household fantasy names. The difference is where they're currently being drafted compared to where I believe they should be going. Whether it's a bigger role, a better situation, a breakout waiting to happen, or simply a player who isn't getting enough respect from the fantasy community, these are the forwards I want to be moving up my draft strategy list.

ADP is a useful guide, but it shouldn't be the final word. Sometimes you need to trust what you see coming before everyone else catches up.

Let's dive in and find some gems.

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Connor Bedard - Chicago Blackhawks

Bedard sitting around 42nd overall in ADP is far too low for me. Yes, the arrival of Macklin Celebrini has shifted some of the spotlight away from the former No. 1 overall pick, and yes, Bedard's season ended with another shoulder issue, but we're talking about a 21-year-old franchise cornerstone who just put up a career-high 75 points in 69 games, including 30 goals and 45 assists.

The injury is exactly why I think there's an opportunity here. Bedard underwent surgery and is expected to miss approximately four months, which likely puts his return around November. That is going to scare plenty of managers away, but if your league has IR spots, I am absolutely willing to take advantage. I would be comfortable drafting Bedard around 20-25 overall, and if he's still sitting there in the third round, I'm taking him and stashing him on IR.

The important thing is that fantasy hockey isn't won in October. It's won over the course of the season, and especially when the playoffs arrive. Once Bedard returns, I expect him to have something to prove and very little pressure on him to immediately carry the Blackhawks. He'll still be the franchise centerpiece, the top-line center and a first-unit powerplay option when healthy.

For redraft managers, this is a calculated gamble. For keeper and dynasty managers, I don't think there should even be a debate. Bedard is exactly the type of player you wait for. His current ADP isn't reflecting his true value; it's reflecting fear. I'm willing to bet on the superstar underneath it.

Mikko Rantanen - Dallas Stars

Rantanen is one of the most consistently elite offensive players in the NHL, and I think fantasy managers are still not giving him the credit he deserves. His current ADP of 58 is simply too low for a player with his track record and ceiling.

Rantanen finished last season with 77 points in just 64 games in his first full season with Dallas. That works out to a 99-point pace over 82 games, despite missing 18 games. He also produced 34 powerplay points, showing that the offensive impact remained intact even while adjusting to a new team and system.

Now, the biggest question marks surrounding Rantanen have been removed. He is established in Dallas, his long-term future is settled, and he should have a much better opportunity to build on what he accomplished last season rather than spending another year adapting to a new situation.

Obviously, Dallas doesn't have Nathan MacKinnon alongside him, but that doesn't mean Rantanen suddenly lacks offensive talent around him. The Stars have a deep, capable offensive core including Jason Robertson, and Rantanen should remain one of the focal points of that attack. He has already proven he can produce 100+ points, reaching that mark in consecutive seasons before the move to Dallas.

At an ADP of 58, you're essentially being asked to bet against Rantanen returning to that level. I'm willing to make the opposite bet. I would be comfortable taking him in the late first or second round, because I still see a very realistic path to another 100-point season. For a player of this caliber, that's far too much upside to be sitting on the board in the fifth round.

Gavin McKenna - Toronto Maple Leafs

McKenna is the easiest player on this list for me to get aggressive with. He was the first overall pick in this year's draft, and I believe he is the next franchise player for the Toronto Maple Leafs. At an ADP of 110, I am willing to take the gamble.

In dynasty leagues, McKenna should be a first-round pick without question. You're betting on a player who could be a cornerstone of your roster for the next decade or more, and his pedigree gives you plenty of reason to make that bet. He dominated junior hockey, then immediately produced at the NCAA level, putting up 51 points in 35 games for Penn State last season.

The redraft case is almost as appealing. McKenna isn't walking into a situation where he needs to carry an offense from day one. He is going to be surrounded by elite talent in Toronto, giving him an enormous amount of insulation as a rookie. He has a chance to establish himself alongside players like Auston Matthews and William Nylander, while also potentially finding his way onto one of the league's most dangerous powerplay units. Even if he doesn't immediately land on the top unit, there is plenty of offensive talent throughout the lineup.

NHL.com's fantasy outlook already has McKenna inside its top 100 for redraft leagues, which makes an ADP of 110 particularly appealing.

I'm going even further. If McKenna doesn't hit 70 points as a rookie, I'll eat my hat. That's how much I believe in both the player and the situation.

Ivan Demidov - Montreal Canadiens

Demidov at an ADP of 163 is criminally low. At this point, you're not drafting a prospect and hoping he becomes an NHL player. Demidov already proved he belongs. He was the leading rookie scorer in the NHL last season, finishing with 62 points in 82 games, including 20 powerplay points, and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

And remember, he did all of that at just 20 years old.

Demidov is already a legitimate top-six forward on one of the youngest and most talented rosters in the league. Montreal is no longer simply a rebuilding team hoping its prospects develop. The Canadiens are becoming a legitimate offensive threat, led by Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson, with Demidov now becoming a major piece of that core. Suzuki just posted 101 points, while Caufield reached 51 goals last season.

That's where the fantasy upside gets really exciting. Demidov led all rookies in powerplay points last season, and putting his skillset into an increasingly dangerous Montreal powerplay gives him a massive opportunity to take another step. The potential to play alongside Caufield, Suzuki and Hutson is exactly the kind of environment you want to target in fantasy.

At 163, I'm not worried about whether Demidov can become an elite fantasy player. I'm betting on how quickly he gets there. He has already demonstrated the talent, the production and the opportunity. Now we're simply waiting for the breakout.

This is the type of player you should be taking several rounds earlier than his ADP suggests. At this price, Demidov isn't a risky flyer. He's one of the best upside picks available in the late rounds.

Will Smith - San Jose Sharks

I am going to be aggressive on Will Smith. An ADP of 183? Get real.This is Celebrini's winger. Smith has already shown that he can produce at the NHL level, putting up 45 points as a rookie before taking another step forward in his sophomore season. He finished 2025-26 with 39 points in 42 games despite missing significant time with an injury, and reached 100 career NHL points before the end of the season.

More importantly, this is about the situation. Smith and Celebrini have been developing together since entering the NHL, and San Jose has continued to see the two young stars as major pieces of its future. They have developed obvious chemistry, and Smith has spent significant time alongside Celebrini at five-on-five. Current projected line combinations continue to put them together.

And let's be honest about what that means for fantasy. Smith doesn't need to become a 90-point superstar overnight to destroy an ADP of 183. If you are playing with Celebrini, one of the most exciting young offensive players in hockey, you are going to collect points simply by being on the ice with him. Then you add Smith's own elite passing ability, scoring touch and offensive instincts, and the upside becomes enormous.

I see Smith as the 1B to Celebrini's 1A in San Jose. The Sharks are building around this young core, and Smith is a massive part of that future. There is legitimate risk with any young player, and his powerplay role has fluctuated at times, but even that shouldn't scare me away at this price.

At 183 ADP, I'm taking the gamble several rounds earlier. This is exactly the kind of player you want to target before the breakout happens. His upside is enormous, his situation is excellent, and I simply don't believe the fantasy market has caught up yet.

At this ADP, you're getting a potential franchise player in a premier offensive environment without paying anywhere close to the price for what he could become. Draft him while you can, and if your league allows you to keep him, keep him for next season.