Pressure makes diamonds. Here are the five players whose fantasy values have climbed following excellent performances in the 2024 playoffs.
Brock Boeser, RW, Canucks
The 2023-24 Canucks will never escape the unsustainable PDO narrative, but the stats are truly hard to ignore. Fresh off his first 40-goal season, Boeser continue to score plenty of goals in the playoffs, finishing with seven goals in 12 games.
After scoring 29 goals in his rookie season, Boeser battled various injuries and never got any closer to scoring 30 over the next five seasons, but has now solidified his status as a bona fide top-six goal scorer. He was especially clutch against the Predators, playing himself back into "can't trade" status and upending narratives about not living up to his potential and being dangled as trade bait.
Critics will point to his 19.6 S% and 25.9 S% in the regular season and playoffs, respectively, to expect a slight regression next season, but expect Boeser to get drafted in the top 100 following a 151.7 ADP this past season.
Though Boeser missed the Canucks' season finale against the Oilers in Game 7 due to blood clots, the ailment is not considered to be career-threatening. Boeser will enter the 2024-25 season as the Canucks' top right winger and expected to lead the team in goals again.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyHfNDJ__GA[/embed]
Wyatt Johnston, C/RW, Stars
Johnston's playoff performance didn't just provide more proof that he could be a star... he is a star. With an injury to Roope Hintz, Johnston has continued his steep upward trajectory and leads the Stars in points (13) and ice time per game among forwards (21:00). Johnston averaged 17:00 TOI/GP during the season and his usage has jumped significantly in the postseason when coaches prefer to lean on veterans.
A team that has a serious shot at winning the Cup doesn't usually rely on a 21-year-old center to such an extent, and the Stars are a veteran group. While Hintz may be the preferred option on the top line going in the 2024-25 season, it's very conceivable that Johnston ends up emerging as the Stars' top pivot, especially if he establishes more chemistry with Jason Robertson.
Hintz is an excellent two-way center who can provide 30 goals and 70 points, but Johnston is the more dynamic playmaker and possesses a much higher offensive ceiling. He's the more ideal candidate to be the focal point of their offense both now and beyond.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3sJ9tlaeu8[/embed]
Artturi Lehkonen, LW/RW, Avalanche
A significant part of Lehkonen's fantasy value will be his role on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. With Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landekog's futures still up in the air due to a six-month suspension and a knee injury, respectively, Lehkonen finds himself riding shotgun with arguably the league's best offensive duo.
Lehkonen scored 11 points in 11 games and averaged 22:11 TOI/GP in the postseason, and in two full seasons with the Avs has scored 85 points in 109 games while playing top-six minutes. Barring a big free-agent signing -- the Avs have close to $11 million in cap space for 2024-25, not including the caps hits for Landekog ($7m) and Nichushkin ($6.125m) that may be vacated -- Lehkonen will once again be a top target in fantasy drafts, especially in the middle and late rounds.
Despite being more of a role player with the Habs, we've seen plenty of times what happens when these Lehkonen types start playing with elite talent. Alex Burrows became a 30-goal scorer with the Sedins, and Zach Hyman scored 54 playing alongside Connor McDavid.
Alexis Lafrenière, LW/RW, Rangers
Sometimes we talk about Lafrenière like he's already a bust, but he's still just 22 years old. The first overall pick from 2020 doesn't have the career trajectory of a McDavid or Bedard, but he's become a legitimate top-six player who plays well at both ends of the ice.
Keep in mind, too, that early in Lafrenière's (and Kaapo Kakko's) career, he was given very little leeway under David Quinn, often playing bottom-six minutes and getting bounced all over the lineup with very little time on the power play to showcase his talent.
A breakout 28-goal regular season and a strong performance so far in the playoffs with 10 points in 12 games puts Lafrenière firmly on the radar in the middle rounds for 2024-25. There's definitely some sleeper value, especially in banger leagues with Lafrenière eclipsing the 200-shot milestone and seeing his ice time creep up season after season.
Lafrenière is a 30-goal, 60-point asset at the minimum, with the potential for more as he continues to develop. He's got a good shot that he could certainly use more often, and excellent deployment playing alongside Artemi Panarin.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-_9BnX1G2U[/embed]
Vincent Trocheck, C, Rangers
I highlighted Trocheck in a post of his own and he's worth mentioning again given his outsized role, especially so far in the Eastern Conference finals, leading the team with four points and 23:51 TOI/GP, tops among all Rangers forwards and trails only Adam Fox (26:31).
Peter Laviolette uses him in all situations, and in leagues that count faceoffs and hits, it's easy to justify taking Trocheck over Mika Zibanejad.