The NHL off-season has been nothing short of newsworthy coming into September. The amount of trade requests, injury reports, and surprising signings has been enough to keep fantasy managers entertained. That said, some changes have also led to some players being less valuable than last year. Listed below are five players that should be avoided heading into the 2026-27 fantasy hockey campaign.
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5 Players to Avoid in Fantasy Hockey This Season
1. Dylan Larkin – Detroit Red Wings
Dylan Larkin has been one of the most elite forwards in the NHL over the past decade, but after making headlines all summer, managers shouldn’t feel confident about his output this year. After last season ended, Larkin requested a trade from the Red Wings, despite having a no-trade clause in his contract. He also provided Detroit with a short list of teams he’d accept a trade to and voiced that he was unhappy with management.
Larkin was eventually stripped of his captaincy due to his actions, and after sustaining an injury heading into training camp, it’s uncertain whether he’ll be traded at all. With Larkin’s future being unclear and how the situation could affect his play on the ice, it’s best to avoid the Michigan native altogether.
2. Dougie Hamilton – New Jersey Devils
When healthy, Dougie Hamilton has been a reliable point-getting defenseman. The only problem is, he’s never healthy. It’s been three years since Hamilton has played a full season of hockey, and at the age of 33, it’s hard to believe he’s going to avoid injury.
Last year, the Canadian defenseman played his most games in a season since 2023, but he also posted one of the lower point totals of his career. During his time on the Devils, Hamilton has been injured seven times, and though he can still be a serviceable asset, he might find himself on injured reserve more often than not.
3. Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
It’s exciting to see Patrick Kane return to the team he won three Stanley Cups with, but managers shouldn’t expect the Hart Trophy winner to turn back the clock in a couple of weeks. If Kane were joining a strong Blackhawks team, it might be easier for him to earn more points playing with talented players around him. However, with Chicago still having an underwhelming roster and missing Connor Bedard for the start of the season, Kane might struggle in his return to the Blackhawks. Additionally, categories like plus/minus haven’t been friendly to Kane, and if he doesn’t produce offensively, he has very little value peripherally.
4. J.T. Miller – New York Rangers
Since he joined the Rangers, J.T. Miller hasn’t been the same player he was for the Vancouver Canucks. Despite still being a power-play contributor and one of the more physical forwards in the league, Miller is nowhere near the 100-point player he once was. Most importantly, Miller is the captain of a Rangers team that struggled to find anything positive in their game last year.
The Ohio native was also present for too many goals against and finished the season at -30 on the ice. Overall, Miller isn’t the worst option when it comes to centermen, but he shouldn’t be a priority for managers in the draft.
1. Dustin Wolf – Calgary Flames
Dustin Wolf played 57 games for Calgary last year, tied for fifth among all goaltenders, but managers shouldn’t expect many wins from the 25-year-old this season. The Flames are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NHL this year, and though Wolf can be utilized to accumulate saves, he won’t contribute to many other fantasy categories. Wolf surprisingly logged decent numbers last season despite Calgary’s on-ice performance, but choosing him to be a reliable goalie on a week-to-week basis would be unwise.
To guarantee the most success out of a fantasy hockey draft, it’s best to focus on players who are on playoff-contending teams and are less injury-prone than the names mentioned above. If you already drafted one of the players previously listed, trading them early in the season could be a smart strategy to avoid being unable to move them due to injury or poor performance.
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