3 Sleeper Rookies to Watch in 2026-27 (And Their Card Buying Windows)

Beyond the headline names, this rookie class runs deep. Here are three more prospects who "just missed" the top of the preseason Calder Trophy power rankings but have real paths to breakout seasons — and whose rookie cards are still flying somewhat under the radar.

1. Viggo Björck, F, Winnipeg Jets

Björck has been mentioned repeatedly this offseason as a player who could make an immediate impact for a talented, competitive Winnipeg roster. Analysts covering the incoming rookie class have singled him out as a "sneaky good" addition — the kind of player who doesn't carry a marquee draft slot but profiles as an NHL-ready contributor from day one, on a team that's actually built to win now rather than rebuild.

Rookie Card Value

Rookies who land on contending teams tend to see steadier, more predictable card demand than rookies stuck rebuilding, simply because they get more national TV exposure and more relevant games late in the season. Björck's relative anonymity right now compared to the top of this draft class is exactly why his rookie cards are worth a look for value-focused collectors — you're paying a role-player price for a player some evaluators believe has top-six upside.

2. Victor Eklund, F, New York Islanders

Eklund cracked both NHL.com's fantasy top 10 rookie rankings and the "just missed" tier of the preseason Calder power rankings, giving him solid analytical backing heading into the season. He joins an Islanders organization that has increasingly leaned on youth in recent seasons, giving him a realistic runway to real minutes as a rookie.

Rookie Card Value

New York media markets tend to be a quiet tailwind for card demand over time — players who perform well in New York often see outsized attention relative to players putting up similar numbers in smaller markets. Eklund's rookie cards are still priced like a fringe-top-10 prospect right now, which is precisely the window collectors look for: in before a strong rookie season forces a market-wide re-rating.

3. Carter Yakemchuk, D, Ottawa Senators

A defenseman with legitimate offensive tools, Yakemchuk was another name on the preseason Calder Trophy "just missed" list, reflecting real confidence from evaluators that he's close to NHL-ready. Ottawa's continued push toward playoff relevance gives a rookie defenseman like Yakemchuk a meaningful opportunity to earn real minutes rather than sit in a depth role.

Rookie Card Value

Offense-first defensemen carry a particular kind of long-term card appeal because there are simply fewer of them relative to forwards, and the ones who hit tend to become foundational, multi-year fantasy and real-life contributors — which sustains card demand well past their rookie season. Buying Yakemchuk's Young Guns or other rookie-year cards now, before he's established a full NHL track record, is a bet that a rebuilding Ottawa blue line gives him the ice time to prove that offensive upside is real.