Buffalo Sabres forward Jiri Kulich isn't generating much hype after a 24-point rookie season, but a breakout campaign could be on the horizon, which gives him immense value as a potential late-round steal in fantasy hockey drafts over the next month.
Kulich, who tallied 15 goals and nine assists in 62 games last season, is ticketed for a top-six role for Buffalo in 2025-26. He could even spend a majority of his even-strength minutes playing alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch on the Sabres' top line.
Those factors, along with some promising underlying numbers, led NHL.com's Chris Meaney to select the 2022 first-round pick as a fantasy sleeper on Wednesday.
"Per NHL EDGE stats, Kulich ranked in the 83rd percentile in 20-plus mph speed bursts (141) and 91st percentile in average shot speed (63.11 mph) among forwards last season," Meaney wrote.
Reviewing Kulich's rookie season
Like most young players, Kulich went through an up-and-down debut campaign. There were a lot of stretches where he failed to make a consistent impact, and increasing that game-to-game involvement will help both the Sabres and his fantasy stock.
That said, there was a five-game run in late January that displayed his upside. He tallied four goals and three assists with 14 shots on goal. Yes, it's an incredibly small sample size, but it also showed he's capable of producing offense at a high rate when in top form.
Kulich's metrics were also solid relative to his production. His 11.2 shooting percentage is sustainable, and his shot is good enough to even improve a few points on that over time, and his individual expected goals (ixG) stood at 16.4, according to Natural Stat Trick.
In addition, generating more than two shots per game as a rookie is a decent accomplishment and that type of aggressiveness tends to bode well over time for a player with an above-average shot.
Even though fantasy managers only benefit from actual production — there are no moral victories in the fantasy realm — it's those type of secondary clues that hint toward a potential breakthrough campaign on the horizon for the 21-year-old Czechia native.
Kulich's 2025-26 fantasy hockey outlook
There are a couple of things working in Kulich's favor that make him worth a late-round flier in fantasy hockey drafts.
First, the Sabres proved their faith in his development by playing him on the top line during the stretch run last season. It's likely he'll be given that assignment again to open the new campaign, either on the left wing or at center, depending on whether Thompson lines up.
Second, there's a valuable power-play role available following the trade of winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth. If the high-upside sniper can seize that spot on the No. 1 PP, his value instant increases, especially if that unit can bounce back after a few down years.
Finally, his playing time shouldn't significantly change, and may even increase, depending on how Buffalo's season goes. Players like impending free agent Alex Tuch and trade candidate Bowen Byram may get moved if the team is trending toward a 15th straight playoff miss.
Both Tuch and Byram are part of the power-play conversation for the Sabres. If they depart — for what it's worth general manager Kevyn Adams should be doing everything in his power to re-sign Tuch — that's even more high-value minutes for Kulich, who isn't going anywhere.
All told, it makes the Sabres rising star an intriguing target in the final few rounds of fantasy hockey drafts, It's minimal risk for a player with a great chance to outplay his average draft position (ADP), especially for managers who can afford to remain patient.
And, if he doesn't live up to the sleeper status, he's easily droppable with very little lost because of the low-level initial investment.