Luke Kunin, overlooked?

[rangerdanger]

I've been higher than most i think on Kunin in Dynasty formats and generally as a prospect.

He's been progressing since he was drafted. He isn't the highest ceiling prospect, but he's no offensive slouch either.

I actually believe he has 60 point upside, or if everything went right , possibly 70. That might not be for another few years.

The biggest thing I think he has going for him is the team he's on.

Other than Kaprizov, maybe Donato, possibly Greenway or Fiala, what young offensive forwards do the Wild really have? Kaprizov is clearly their best. If/when he makes it over, I think he's a guaranteed first line player. But can that really be said about any of their other young forwards? Donato has a pretty high offensive ceiling, but is he a complete enough player to get 1st line minutes and pp1 time? Greenway seems to have fallen off a bit. Fiala I am not sure will ever reach his potential.

To me, Kunin seems like the most complete young forward they have behind Kaprizov. And maybe the one with the next highest ceiling. I still think he will eventually move back to Center. And he seems like a possible candidate to eventually be their 1C. Possibly having Kaprizov on his wing, maybe Donato on the other side. Even if he remains at wing though, he seems the type of player you would want to mix with a high ceiling guy like Kaprizov.

I think a lot of people are sleeping on him long term. He's available in pretty much every Dynasty I am in. Perhaps he isn't in leagues with extensive farm systems, but still...

He might need more time to mature, but he's a guy I am keeping an eye on. Might be looking to add him or buy low in leagues with extra room for prospects even.
The Wild have Staal who isn't getting younger as their 1C. But for quite a few years they ran with Koivu as their 1C. I definitely think Kunin has a higher upside than Koivu. He might not be as good on FOW right now, but he's not bad and getting better. He can also play a very physical game when he matures I think.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised in 2 or 3 seasons from now if Kunin was a major part of their top 6. If he did end up on their 1st line, 60 points doesn't seem unreasonable to me, with the possibility for more. He's not a PPG guy. But he can shoot and pass, both above average. For fantasy purposes, he also seems like the type of player that would get peripherals. FOW, HITs at least. He's been compared to a poor mans Pavelski. I would go a step further and say he could just end up similar to Pavelski. Pavelski was also a late bloomer. Didn't hit 60 points until his 5th season. After a few good years of that, he raised his game again in his 8th season and hit 79 points, which he continued to do for the next 3 seasons, followed by 3 more seasons of over 60 points a season and great peripherals for fantasy.

I am definitely considering him a solid sleeper this year and beyond. He's the type of player that can eventually help teams win their league as a 3 or 4 C/W. He never gets mentioned though, as hype seems to die down after a couple of seasons from being drafted. But he's a guy that can be gotten for pennies with a chance to be worth a great deal more sooner or later.

Any other thoughts on him?

[Dr.Brad]

I absolutely agree. Kunin, my opinion, is more valuable that Ericsson-Ek, as physical as Greenway, AND the opportunity will be there for the next couple of years, not a short window. If he’s included in a trade (Minnesota not always smart with these trades), he could explode if surrounded by better talent.

[Rocky71]

In order for him to even flirt with 60, he has to play top 6 minutes. He'll be given the 2nd line center job to begin the season but if he flounders, Ryan Donato could be moved to center.