Next up in our 2023 Fantasy Hockey Sleepers series is the Minnesota Wild. The Wild have a strong roster heading into 2023-24, led by superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov. Although Kaprizov is an apparent must-have player in any fantasy draft, the Wild also have some notable sleepers who warrant consideration. Let’s discuss the three who stand out most.
Minnesota Wild Sleepers for 2023-24 Fantasy Hockey
Mats Zuccarello
Mats Zuccarello is one of the Wild’s sleepers whom fantasy players need to consider selecting this year. Zuccarello has formed great chemistry with Kaprizov, and there is no reason why this won’t translate over to 2023-24. With that, Zuccarello’s excellent offensive ability will give him plenty of power-play time. Due to this, we should see another strong season from the veteran.
Zuccarello, 35, had plenty of success last season, too. In 78 games for the Wild in 2022-23, he posted 22 goals to go along with 67 points. He also posted a 79-point campaign in 70 games in 2021-22. When noting that he quietly has point-per-game potential, he is a prime sleeper candidate who needs to be picked once the big-name stars are off the board.
Matt Boldy
Matt Boldy had an excellent year for the Wild last season, posting 31 goals and 63 points in 81 games. The 2019 first-round pick displayed that he is a legitimate top-six NHL forward, and now he’s looking to build off it. When noting that he is still 22 years old, he should only improve with another year of experience in 2023-24.
Boldy showed as a rookie that he has point-per-game potential, too. In 47 games with the Wild in 2021-22, he had 15 goals to go along with 39 points. Due to this, he is a player who fantasy managers should make a real push for once the big-time stars are no longer available. This should be a big year for Boldy. 40 goals and 80 points are certainly reasonable expectations for the rising star.
Calen Addison
Calen Addison is still a restricted free agent (RFA) at the time of this writing. A new deal should be coming shortly, however, and it is a big year for the 23-year-old defenseman. Addison had a breakout season of sorts for the Wild in 2022-23, posting three goals, 26 assists, and 29 points – all new career highs. Now, his goal is to improve from it, and he has all the potential in the world to.
Addison is a sleeper worth considering, as he showed promise last season. With that, many believe that he will blossom into a top-four offensive defenseman in the near future. When noting that Addison is expected to see plenty of power-play time, this could be the year we see his offensive numbers skyrocket. Thus, when the top defensemen are becoming harder to find in your fantasy hockey draft, don’t be afraid to take a flier on Addison.
Nevertheless, the Wild have some wonderful sleeper options that fantasy players need to seriously ponder selecting in their drafts. Zuccarello is a proven scoring winger, while Boldy and Addison both have the potential to take major steps forward this year. Let’s how this trio ends up doing for the Wild this year from here.
Make sure to check out all of the sleepers and breakouts of the 2023 fantasy hockey season!