ESPN Lists Landeskog Among Late 2026-27 Fantasy Values

Gabriel Landeskog sits outside ESPN's preseason top 250, a ranking gap the outlet says could make the Colorado Avalanche captain a late value in deeper fantasy drafts.

Landeskog returned for 60 regular-season games in 2025-26 after missing three full seasons, recording 35 points. He added 11 points in 13 playoff games. Landeskog told NHL.com this week that he feels better physically than he has in years, though his surgically repaired knee will continue to require maintenance.

ESPN projects Landeskog for a role on Colorado's top line and first power-play unit alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas and believes 70 points are possible if he stays healthy. That is a fantasy projection rather than a confirmed scoring outcome, but the combination of role and draft position creates the appeal.

Patrick Kane is another veteran on ESPN's sleeper list. Kane signed a two-year, $16 million contract to return to Chicago after producing 57 points in 67 games for Detroit last season. ESPN sees late-round value in his potential offensive and power-play usage, although Chicago's camp combinations can still change before opening night.

Mats Zuccarello joined Los Angeles after scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace for Minnesota last season. ESPN projects a prominent role with the Kings and identifies durability as the main risk.

Valeri Nichushkin also changed teams, moving from Colorado to Columbus in an offseason trade. He had 49 points in 72 games last season. ESPN expects the 31-year-old to receive a larger role with the Blue Jackets, potentially alongside Kirill Marchenko and on the top power-play unit.

Buffalo's Jiri Kulich offers a different kind of upside. The 22-year-old underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot that ended his 2025-26 season. The Sabres say he is now clot-free, fully healthy and back in playing shape. ESPN views him as a deeper-league option if he earns a top-line opportunity.

These are draft recommendations, not confirmed lineups or guarantees. Health, camp usage and special-teams deployment can change each player's value before the regular season. ESPN lists Dan Vladar among the players it considers more likely to be overdrafted.