Sept. 29 UPDATE: Version 6.0 is all about keeping up with the parade of injuries occurring in the preseason. Some allow for decisive changes in the rankings, such Aleksander Barkov’s season-ender, while others simply threaten to bump up against the start of the season and thus require us to do some risk assessment when drafting.

As for the job battles? Teams have started making their cuts – but more among the players who weren’t expected to make their teams. Over the next week, we should start to get more clarity on which higher-end prospects will stick in the NHL.

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Get a head start on your competition with some in-depth fantasy hockey draft prep. Whom should you snag in the first round? Which players gained or lost value over the offseason? Who are the top rookies, sleepers, breakouts and busts? I answer all those questions via my top 300 fantasy rankings here at Daily Faceoff.

If you’re new to this annual list and don’t know the ground rules of my fantasy rankings, be sure to read these disclaimers before diving in:

(a) The rankings represent a working list that changes with each edition and will be updated with increasing frequency as the season approaches. Version 1 represents my initial impression after examining every team’s 2024-25 stats, offseason roster additions and subtractions and prospect lists. Version 2 in mid to late August constitutes a self-adjustment after giving my rankings a few weeks to breathe and gaining perspective on which players I under- or over-ranked. As training camp and the pre-season arrive, Versions 3 and beyond will reflect injuries, positional battles, prospects making or not making their teams, line deployments and so on. By October, a.k.a fantasy draft season, you can expect pretty much daily updates leading up to the start of the NHL season on Oct. 7.

(b) The rankings are for redraft leagues and based on the following stat categories: goals, assists, plus-minus, shots, power-play points, hits, blocks, wins, goals-against average, saves, save percentage and shutouts. Players who offer production across a variety of categories, such as Matthew Knies or MacKenzie Weegar, get boosts. So do the precious few goaltenders who log heavy workloads and can compile beefy counting stats, most notably reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck.

(c) Real-life value does not always translate equally to fantasy value, and I typically use Robert Thomas and Mark Stone as examples. Both are tremendous real-life players. In fantasy? Mildly overrated. The don’t score many goals, don’t shoot the puck much and don’t throw hits. You’ll therefore see some inferior real-life players ranked ahead of them on this board.

(d) Upside is everything, especially in early editions of these rankings. I am fairly harsh on the boring veteran types who get 40 to 50 points a year in their sleep, such as Alex Killorn or Kyle Palmieri. You’ll see some rookies who aren’t even guaranteed to make their teams ranked higher than them. Why? Because the boring vets can be found on the waiver wire at any time unless you play in a 32-team league. Use your late-round picks on upside plays. That might’ve landed you Lane Hutson last season.

(e) During the incredibly lengthy process of reviewing rosters, ranking players, writing bios and constantly cutting and pasting names, I sometimes accidentally delete or omit a prominent player. I’m good for one a year, at least. If I do that, and you notice a conspicuous absence, hit me up on Twitter @MLarkinHockey and let me know.

With that, the 2025-26 rankings begin…now!

1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Avalanche: It’s a virtual tie between the big three at the top for me, but the team situation decides it: MacKinnon’s Colorado Avalanche are in decline, and they’ll need every game they can get from their horse if they want to keep earning playoff spots. No load management for Nate = he’s only missed three games the past two years, meaning he’s a lock for 115 or more points. Has also led the league in shots four times in the past seven seasons.

2. Leon Draisaitl, C, Oilers: Second in the NHL in goals and points over the past nine seasons. He’s consistently the safest player on the board – so safe that missing 11 games last season didn’t even stop him from winning the Rocket Richard Trophy.

3. Connor McDavid, C, Oilers: The best annual bet of any player to get 100 points every year. But McDavid isn’t the No. 1 fantasy player for me anymore. That one 64-goal year aside, he isn’t the goal-scoring threat his superstar peers are, and because it’s Stanley Cup or bust, the Edmonton Oilers will load-manage the hell out of him if he shows any wear and tear late in the regular season – a.k.a. fantasy playoff time in head-to-head leagues.

4. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Lightning: Almost feels like I’m disrespecting the two-time defending scoring champ by ranking him fourth. We’re splitting hairs with the top four, and I wouldn’t fault anyone taking Kucherov as high as first overall, but he’s the oldest of the quartet at 32, and that’s why he slots here for me.

5. Cale Makar, D, Avalanche: I’m greedy. I still want that best-in-a-generation, 110-point season from him. But when the second 30-goal season from a blueliner this century, with 92 points and a Norris Trophy, leaves me wanting more, that says a lot about how incredible Makar is.

6. David Pastrnak, RW, Bruins: Phew. He showed last season he can still be an all-world scorer even when the team around him bottoms out. Also hasn’t missed a game in three seasons. His numbers have trended downward three consecutive seasons, too, but that makes Pastrnak “only” a mid first-rounder now. I’m not worried about the knee tendinitis holding him out of camp. The Bruins are just playing it safe.

7. Kirill Kaprizov, LW, Wild: In exactly half a season, he was on pace for a 50-62-112 campaign, his best yet. He’s a true superstar. He’s also missed significant chunks of time in two of his past three seasons. He’s as good as the guys above him but a bigger injury risk than them. Here’s hoping he gives us 70-plus games in a contract year, as he’ll be spectacular.

8. Connor Hellebuyck, G, Jets: I’m a notorious undervaluer of goalies in fantasy because they’re so fickle; even the elite options can go bust any given year. But Hellebuyck is the exception, the cheat code that gives you an edge over every other GM, as he’s the only goalie who is elite every single year.

9. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Stars: Which ‘Moose’ is the real one: the guy who struggled to find his game after midseason trades to the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars? Or the guy who ripped it up for nine goals and 22 points in 18 playoff games? Given he was a Hall-of-Fame grade talent for his career leading up to those trades, I’ll take the bigger sample size and predict a settled-in Rantanen returns to his elite self. Maybe he doesn’t match his Colorado highs, but 40-plus goals and 90-plus points sound about right.

10. Auston Matthews, C, Maple Leafs: The upside hasn’t gone anywhere. He remains this generation’s best goal scorer, with a ceiling at least five goals north of anyone else’s. But there’s just so much downside now: the loss of Mitch Marner as his winger, plus the looming threat of a nagging injury that sapped Matthews’ mid-range shooting ability. He could still turn a massive profit and give you a top-two overall fantasy season, but he could also miss 15-plus games and return second-round value again. Remember, as elite as he is, the counting stats were just 33 goals and 78 points last season.

11. Kyle Connor, LW, Jets: His average season over the past six years: 40 goals, 86 points, 280 shots. Let’s put some respect on his name. An incredibly reliable fantasy asset who touched a new ceiling at 97 points in 2024-25.

12. Jack Eichel, C, Golden Knights: Delivered a career-best 94 points last season. With Marner in tow as his probable new right winger, could Eichel give us his best goal output yet? If he’s ever going to score 40, it’s now. Even if he doesn’t, he’s a first-rounder, albeit one who has not reached the 80-game mark since his rookie year.

13. Mitch Marner, RW, Golden Knights: Only seven players have more points since he entered the league in 2016-17. Does he get 100 again in a Vegas uniform? Maybe a slight downgrade in supporting cast, but this is still a fertile fantasy environment, so the 90s feels like a safe range.

14. Jack Hughes, C, Devils: The perfect way to summarize Hughes is that he averages 40 goals and 98 points per 82 games over his past four seasons and that he’s played 49, 78, 62 and 62 games over that span. A superstar who has truly earned the injury-prone label. You have to price in the risk at this point.

15. Brady Tkachuk, LW, Senators: Never thought I’d say this, but…is Tkachuk drifting toward mildly overrated in fantasy? He’s a monster who gets you 30 goals, 300 shots and 200 hits. But he’s topped 35 goals and 75 points once apiece. Does Brady’s combo-meal stat capability still give you a massive edge over the field, or should you grab a 90-point guy here and pick some Brady Lite players (Matthew Knies, Tom Wilson, Will Cuylle, etc.) many rounds later?

16. Quinn Hughes, D, Canucks: Only Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Makar, Denis Potvin and Ray Bourque average more points per game among D-men in NHL history. Even with 14 games missed last season, Hughes was an elite producer. He’ll never be an asset in hits and blocks, but the scoring is so good that it doesn’t matter.

17. Evan Bouchard, D, Oilers: Incredibly productive in Edmonton’s dominant attack, and Bouchard is also incredibly durable, missing two games total across his past four seasons. Given how potent his shot is, he could reach 20 goals one of these years on top of the 70 to 80 points.

18. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Sabres: Produces offense at a rate a tick below the god-tier fantasy blueliners, but Dahlin also adds a triple-digit hit and block total. He’s arguably the best multi-category threat among all fantasy D-men now.

19. William Nylander, RW, Maple Leafs: Seventh in goals and 11^th in points over the past two seasons. Possible he gets extra time with Matthews this year, too, if the Torontio Maple Leafs struggle to replace Marner on the top line. Also has missed one total game in the past four seasons. As safe a pick as you’ll find in the early rounds.

20. Tage Thompson, C, Sabres: The big fella’s blazing one-timer makes him a power-play weapon, but he led the league in even-strength goals last year, too. Never a great bet to play a full season, but he can challenge for the Rocket Richard if he plays his customary 75 or so games.

21. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Lightning: After back surgery delayed his start and dragged down his numbers in 2023-24, ‘Vasy’ returned with a vengeance last season and reminded us why he’s an all-time great fantasy netminder. Given the injury year is the anomaly, I’m OK trusting that he’s back. Seemed to have a mild injury scare last week but is expect to start opening night.

22. Artemi Panarin, LW, Rangers: He was never going to duplicate the 120-point season given it came at 32 years old. The Bread Man can still help plenty with point totals in the high 80s to low 90s. He turns 34 in October, so the decline has begun, but the contract-year factor offsets the aging a bit. Day-to-day with a preseason lower-body injury but nothing to fear yet, likely being held out as a precaution.

23. Tim Stutzle, C, Senators: I thought he’d be a 100-point guy by now. Instead, he’s “only” a point-per-gamer largely because his goal-scoring rate has fluctuated so much. Still, he’s only 23. It’s not too late for him to level up and become a first-round-grade player, especially since he adds 100-plus hits to his stat line every season.

24. Zach Werenski, D, Blue Jackets: It may feel like the 82-point explosion is a high watermark Werenski won’t reach again. But hold on. The Columbus Blue Jackets team around him is rapidly improving. If guys like Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko keep going to the moon, the assists will pile up on top of Werenski’s always-robust goal total, and we have ourselves a point-per-game defenseman again if he can stay healthy.

25. Jake Oettinger, G, Stars: Above-average workload, above-average win total, above-average rate stats, and at 26, he’s still young enough by goalie standards to level up one more time. Has the ceiling to be the top player at his position one of these years.

26. Brayden Point, C, Lightning: At least 42 goals and 82 points in three consecutive seasons. One of the best and most underrated sources of goals in fantasy hockey.

27. Clayton Keller, LW, Mammoth: Durable and skilled, he’s a reliable source of point-per-game production. And as last season’s rise to 90 points showed us, he can scrape his ceiling as the Utah Mammoth team around him continues to add weapons.

28. Jason Robertson, LW, Stars: So maybe he’s not the perennial 100-point monster we thought he was becoming a couple years back. That’s OK. The “disappointing” version of Robertson still gives us 80 points in his sleep. At 25, he’s capable of maintaining this level, at worst, for many more seasons.

29. Sam Reinhart, RW, Panthers (-2): The 57-goal Reinhart wasn’t the real one, but the 39-goal guy from last season was. He’s an even better real-life hockey player as an elite two-way winger on the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, but he’s a rock-solid second-round pick in fantasy now, too. He will still have high-quality linemates without Barkov, so I’m only dropping him a couple spots.

30. Jesper Bratt, RW, Devils: He still doesn’t feel like a household name, and we should keep working that to our advantage. Four straight years of at least 73 points, a career high of 88 last season, and he sprinkles in a hit per game. So underrated.

31. Lane Hutson, D, Canadiens: A fun and difficult player to rank. If he gets 66 points as a rookie, is that the floor? Is he going to be Quinn Hughes 2.0? I’m a believer, so I’ve ranked Hutson as such given the ascending talent around him on the Montreal Canadiens. Just think about his skill, his role, his teammates, and it’s difficult to imagine him not piling up points again.

32. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Panthers: The future Hall of Famer is a floor play rather than a ceiling play entering his age-37 season. He’ll get you 50 starts, 30 wins, a goals-against average south of 2.50 and a save percentage north of .900. Safe is gold in fantasy hockey when it comes to goalies.

33. Nick Suzuki, C, Canadiens: I was wrong about Suzuki. I thought he’d top out as a Nico Hischier type, a handy No. 2 fantasy pivot, but I didn’t factor in how much Montreal’s improvement as a team would elevate Suzuki’s ceiling. We count on him for 30 goals and 85 points now, and he’s shown the upside for more.

34. Brandon Hagel, LW, Lightning: I didn’t realize his ceiling was this high. Sheesh, would Chicago like a do-over on that trade from 2022? Hagel got 35 goals and 90 points with no power-play goals. I’m keeping his ranking a bit conservative only because he’s more of great all-around player in real life than a slick-mitted scoring machine, so I want to see him do it again.

35. Jake Guentzel, LW, Lightning: You can win your league by loading up on the boring veterans like Guentzel. He’ll get you 35 to 40 goals, give or take 80 points, and he also led the NHL in power-play goals last season, giving him some extra category juice.

36. Lucas Raymond, RW, Red Wings: Hyper-intelligent playmaker, first-line role, 23 years old, still getting better. Checks so many boxes for me. The supporting cast isn’t improved, though, so I envision a stat line similar to last season’s 27-53-80.

37. Filip Forsberg, LW, Predators: Two seasons ago represented the career year. But it’s encouraging that his regression, on a very bad Nashville Predators team, still yielded 31-45-76 with 281 shots and 151 hits. An extremely useful stat line, and it’s especially encouraging to see the previously injury-prone Forsberg play 82 games in consecutive campaigns.

38. Sidney Crosby, C, Penguins: It’s remarkable to see what Sid’s done in his twilight years, cresting 90 points in his age-36 and age-37 seasons. But the team around him continues to get worse – and may soon get much worse should the Pittsburgh Penguins sell off more pieces. One of these years, his production will dip significantly, even if it’s not his fault. Don’t count me among the people anticipating he’ll be traded, though I told him exactly that last week, and he didn’t squash the idea like I thought he would…

39. Sebastian Aho, C, Hurricanes: He’s not the most exciting fantasy commodity, nor does he have a league-winner ceiling, but he’s a tremendous floor bet in the third round, always providing something in the 30-40-70 range, occasionally a bit more.

40. Victor Hedman, D, Lightning: He’s still delivering numbers worthy of a top-30 pick, not just top-40, but he turns 35 later this year, so he has more downside than the D1s listed ahead of him. Still a legitimate D1 pick for your team, though.

41. Adrian Kempe, LW, Kings: Just a winning fantasy pick every year, serving up something in the range of 30 goals and 70 points, but with strong shot and hit totals to boot. Feels like he’s at his ceiling, though you never know what the contract year factor could bring if he begins the season unsigned for 2026-27.

42. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Capitals: Ovi represents somewhat of a trap coming off an amazing season in which he scored 44 goals in 65 games, despite breaking his leg during the season, and broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. This year, Ovechkin won’t have that unstoppable momentum and teammates force-feeding him during a record chase. He may even get load managed a bit as the Washington Capitals prioritize winning during the final year of his contract. He’s also 40 this September. It’s difficult to envision a repeat of his magical 2024-25. He’s already nicked up in camp, too, though he doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy of missing regular-season games just yet.

43. Mark Scheifele, C, Jets: Coming off a great year, and I suspect others will outbid me for him. I see a 32-year-old whose calling card is excellent shooting accuracy and not volume. Other players in this range have more upside and category juice, in my opinion.

44. Connor Bedard, C, Blackhawks: I still believe in the sublime talent – look how many years it took MacKinnon to take off – but the Chicago Blackhawks haven’t added much to help Bedard going into 2025-26. I hope to see him improve into a 40-40-80 type of player this year, but I can’t rank him above the guys who post those numbers in their sleep. I will say: he was incredibly loose and jovial at the Player Media Tour last week. Maybe it was nothing, but maybe it was a sign that he’s in a great head space for 2025-26, succumbing to the pressure less.

45. Igor Shesterkin, G, Rangers: Shesterkin is an incredibly gifted and athletic goaltender, one of the best in the game. But we saw last year how much a bad team situation can drain the puck-stopper’s fantasy value. The New York Rangers did add Vladislav Gavrikov to help on defense, but how much better are they than last year’s non-playoff team? That’s why I’m playing the Shesterkin rank conservatively.

46. J.T. Miller, C, Rangers: Despite the Elias Pettersson drama, the midseason trade, all the theatrics surrounding Miller, he delivered 70 points, with a bushel of hits. The fantasy value remains strong for the power forward, though he’s likely beginning a decline at 32. He’ll be highly useful, but don’t expect a 100-point player anymore.

47. Martin Necas, RW, Avalanche: He was leading the NHL in scoring as of late November. His puck skills are not in question. He did tail off after a strong start post-trade to Colorado, but it’s tough to argue how good his fantasy situation is sharing the ice with guys like MacKinnon and Makar.

48. Wyatt Johnston, C, Stars: I still think we can get Johnston at a slight value for one more year. His slow start suppressed his overall numbers: he went 31-33-64 in his final 65 games of the season. He also left a sour taste with an oddly bad playoff run. So there’s a chance you can snag him outside the top 50 and watch him break into the 80-point tier. He’s also playing with Rantanen at the moment…

49. Adam Fox, D, Rangers: Four straight seasons with double-digit goals and between 61 and 74 points. When you’re so consistently good, it’s easy to get taken for granted. Fox feels like a “boring veteran” play now in fantasy. Nothing wrong with that.

50. Travis Konecny, RW, Flyers: A consistent bright spot on some weak teams in recent years. Could we soon see a Keller-style mini glow up, in which an improving supporting cast turns a 75-point player into a 90-point player? It wouldn’t be a massive surprise. I’d like to see what a Michkov-Zegras-Konecny unit could do.

51. Macklin Celebrini, C, Sharks: Was plenty valuable as an 18-year-old rookie. Could easily break through as a top-30ish player in Year 2. I’ve ranked him as if he becomes a 75-point player who drains your plus-minus still playing on a bad San Jose Sharks team.

52. Josh Morrissey, D, Jets: Now three years running on a level elite enough to be your D1. He’s a safe bet for 10 goals and 60 points at minimum. Has produced similar numbers to Hedman in recent years; I have Morrissey slightly lower only because Hedman toils on the league’s reigning No. 1 offense.

53. Matt Boldy, LW, Wild: Super talented. Has established himself as a 25-goal, 70-point player at worst. But his ice time and shot output increased last season. It wouldn’t be a stretch to predict a career year in the 35-45-80 range.

54. Dustin Wolf, G, Flames: Even if the Calgary Flames don’t break through as a playoff team quite yet, Wolf was plenty valuable last year when they fell short on a tiebreaker. A 29-16-8, 2.64, .910, Calder Trophy runner-up season could represent the floor. The ceiling is he becomes a top-five fantasy tender. I lean more toward the floor again, which is still great.

55. Matvei Michkov, LW, Flyers: He was better than a point-per-game player over the last third of the season. His raw offensive skills are jaw-droppingly good. And he’s free of John Tortorella’s shenanigans. To. The. Moon. This is the definition of a league winner.

56. Cole Caufield, RW, Canadiens: Finally delivered that first 30-goal campaign. Entering his fifth full season, has he reached his peak? Or could we see him become a 40-goal guy this year?

57. Seth Jarvis, RW, Hurricanes: He’s a great real-life player because he’s such a strong defensive forward on top of providing first-line offense. In fantasy, he’ll give you at least 30 goals and 65 points, with above-average contributions in shots and hits. Jarvis is also just 23, so he might not be done ascending. Note that he was better than a point-per-game player over his final 45 games. I could see him jumping to 80 this year.

58. Matthew Knies, LW, Maple Leafs: Had 29 goals and 182 hits in his breakout year, but he did that with only five power-play goals. He’s a net-front beast who should do far more damage with the man advantage this time. He’s capable of adding another five goals to that total and being your team’s discount Brady Tkachuk.

59. Adam Fantilli, C, Blue Jackets: The surface stats already showed a breakout: 31 goals, 54 points, 191 shots, 113 hits. But Fantilli was better than that in the second half. He went off for 24 goals and 39 points in 44 games from Jan. 1 onward. As you can see from his ranking, he’s someone I’m willing to reach on. He has a superstar ceiling in the next three to five years.

60. Alex Tuch, RW, Sabres: Averages 33 goals per 82 games across his past three seasons as a Buffalo Sabre, and he’s a major contributor in blocked shots among forwards as well, with a league-best 113 last season. I wish I felt more confident in the team around him. A trade would be welcome.

61. Kirill Marchenko, RW, Blue Jackets: He can be a healthier, more reliable version of Valeri Nichushkin. Marchenko topped 30 goals and 70 points in his breakout year, and his stellar two-way acumen makes him an asset in plus-minus leagues to boot.

62. Logan Thompson, G, Capitals: He was a top-two fantasy goalie for two thirds of the season. After he inked a lucrative contract extension in late January, he had an .877 save percentage. I’m hoping that was mostly just him wearing down as he adjusted to his starter’s workload. It gives me a tiny bit of pause for 2025-26, but Thompson has the size, ability and track record to remain a top-10 tendy. I swapped him with Blackwood, though, as I realize Thompson’s volume ceiling is lower since Charlie Lindgren plays a ton.

63. Alex DeBrincat, LW, Red Wings: At least 27 goals in seven of his eight full seasons, with occasional spikes like last year’s 39. A great early-round pick for goals if you targeted a goalie or defenseman with your first couple selections.

64. Darcy Kuemper, G, Kings: Coming off one of the best seasons of his career. The Los Angeles Kings team in front of him last year was elite defensively. This one looks weaker on the blueline after losing Gavrikov, so maybe Kuemper has to face a couple more high-quality chances per game, which could lower his floor ever so slightly.

65. Jordan Kyrou, RW, Blues: Durable, in his prime and provides extremely consistent totals. When you pick him, you’re guaranteeing yourself 30 goals and 65 points at a minimum.

66. Linus Ullmark, G, Senators: He did get a bit nicked up as he adjusted to starting more frequently, but he was solid in Year 1 as a Sen, and I expect a repeat of last year’s numbers on an above-average defensive team. Not his 2022-23 Vezina form, but a respectable low-end G1 or luxury G2.

67. Robert Thomas, C, Blues: A great real-life player, still the rich man’s Mark Stone in fantasy. Thomas will give you excellent assist and point totals while barely breaking even in shots and hurting you in hits.

68. Andrei Svechnikov, LW, Hurricanes: It’s been seven seasons now. I have to stop hyping him as a category monster who’ll become a top-20 fantasy player. I think we know who he is now – and it’s still something plenty useful. He averages 26 goals, 62 points, 223 shots and per 82 games in his career. That’s a fair stat line to target – minus about 10 percent since he always misses time.

69. Roope Hintz, C, Stars: I was so bullish on Hintz as a rising star a couple years back. He’s still an excellent, well-rounded real-life player and a great No. 2 center for fantasy. But he’s settled in as a solid but unexciting asset who gives you 25 to 30 goals and 65 to 70 points.

70. Adin Hill, G, Golden Knights: Hill’s rate stats have drifted toward league-average as he handles the largest workloads of his career to date. But if you want to wait on a goalie and load up on offense in the first few rounds, Hill is a safe pick since he’s a near lock for 45 starts and 30 wins on a great team. Also: he could exceed last year’s 50 starts if Vegas doesn’t replace Ilya Samsonov with a veteran No. 2.

71. Nico Hischier, C, Devils: A shooting percentage spike fuelled last year’s jump to 35 goals. He’s more of a 25 to 30 goal guy who will hang just below the point-per-game line and play great defensive hockey in real life.

72. Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Avalanche: Was a certified fantasy stud once the Avs acquired him. And I still like him as a low-end G1 this year. But I’m not expecting him to exceed what he did last season, as the top-heavy Avs are trending in the wrong direction and could even slide closer to the playoff bubble in 2025-26. Out with a lower-body injury, and it’s looking likely he misses the start of the season.

73. Ilya Sorokin, G, Islanders: Such a difficult player to rank this year. We know he’s great. We know he’ll start 60 games and help you in the volume categories. We also know the New York Islanders are retooling and just traded their No. 1 defenseman in Noah Dobson. The Matthew Schaefer era begins, which is exciting, but it’s safe to say it’s a transitional period for the team in front of Sorokin, and that should continue to suppress his rate stats.

74. Vincent Trocheck, C, Rangers: Here’s another piece of evidence in the “Is Brady Tkachuk overrated in fantasy?” argument. In his three seasons as a Ranger, Trocheck averages 24 goals, 67 points, 214 shots and 190 hits. He’s 32 and wrapping up his prime on a team in decline at the moment, so I wouldn’t reach, but he sure is valuable.

75. JJ Peterka, LW, Mammoth: Was a strong value pick last season. This time around, maybe a slight risk of overvaluation simply because there’s hype around his trade to Utah. He played primarily with Thompson in Buffalo, so Peterka isn’t actually getting a linemate upgrade. I like Peterka to produce a line similar to his (excellent) 27-41-68 of last season.

76. Dylan Larkin, C, Red Wings: Four straight years between 30 and 33 goals and between 69 and 79 points. Reaching on young talent is fun, but it’s always smart to load up on these reliable late-prime vets in the early middle rounds.

77. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Hurricanes: Over the past three seasons, Ehlers sits 16^th among all NHL forwards in points per 60 at 5-on-5. The Jets played him south of 16 minutes a night over that span. Here’s hoping the Canes let the man cook. Even 18 minutes a night could yield his first 30-goal, 70-point campaign.

78. John Tavares, C, Maple Leafs: Far from finished. Tavares’ 38 goals were his second most in a Toronto uniform. He has become an asset in his, too. But he turns 35 in September and had easily the highest shooting percentage of his career last season, so I’m envisioning something more like 30-35-65 this time.

79. Dylan Holloway, LW, Blues: What a beast. His first-round pedigree suggests the breakout last season was real. In terms of his playing style and raw ability, I’m not sure the ceiling is that much higher than the 26-37-63 he put up last year, but I trust Holloway to repeat it and provide a big boost in banger leagues with his hits.

80. Roman Josi, D, Predators: Just a season removed from being a truly elite fantasy commodity. I recommend bidding cautiously, however. On top of the Preds coming off a terrible year, Josi is 35, and it remains to be seen how the postural tachycardia syndrome affects his availability to start the season.

81. MacKenzie Weegar, D, Flames: The points ceiling isn’t as high as the elite guys’, but in banger formats, Weegar is a D1 or at worst a high-end D2. He does absolutely everything, category-wise. The best combo-meal blueline pick after Dahlin.

82. Dylan Guenther, RW, Mammoth: He’s a sniper and should keep maturing into a front-line NHL forward. Had 27 goals in 70 games in his first full NHL season. Next stop, 40? It wouldn’t surprise me if he stacks a bigger breakout on top of last year’s breakout.

83. Jacob Markstrom, G, Devils: Because he’s 35, coming off an injury-shortened season and has a very good 1B behind him in Jake Allen, Markstrom’s upside isn’t what it was. But he still has a high floor as someone who will start 45-plus games on a probable playoff team.

84. Jake Sanderson, D, Senators: He’s still just 23, he skates like the wind, and the jump to 57 points last season probably wasn’t his last one. I could see him cresting the 60s this season.

85. Leo Carlsson, C, Ducks: We have liftoff. Finished his year with 29 points in 31 games, but since his overall stat line doesn’t pop, there’s a window to steal him a round or two early in more casual leagues. Last chance to board before the full breakout.

86. Anthony Stolarz, G, Maple Leafs: On a per-game basis, Stolarz is right there with Connor Hellebuyck as the best-performing netminder of the past two years. Stolarz should continue to provide elite rate stats. But I like him as a high-end G2 rather than a G1 due to injury risk and the fact that Joseph Woll will still play a lot.

87. Logan Cooley, C, Mammoth: The mitts are nifty, the trajectory is steady, and while he’s going to be more of a playmaker than a category monster, Cooley isn’t a zero in the hits department despite his small stature. Like his linemate Guenther, Cooley could level up in a big way for a second consecutive season. Holding our breath for now on his preseason injury; we haven’t gotten any indication yet that it will cost him regular-season games.

88. Mark Stone, RW, Golden Knights: I’m seemingly forever out on Stone, as while some see a reliable point-per-game guy, I see a great real-life player who doesn’t play a full season in fantasy and doesn’t help in goals, shots or hits. And now he has Marner potentially pushing him down the depth chart, too.

89. Lukas Dostal, G, Ducks: He broke out last season…in the underlying stats. The goals saved above expected tell us he’s a No. 1. But the surface numbers were pedestrian playing on a terrible defensive club. Hopefully that masks his value. The Ducks should improve this year, and Dostal is one of the best goalie picks on the board, a G2 who could return G1 results with John Gibson out of the way.

90. Moritz Seider, D, Red Wings: I’ve been waiting for Seider to break through and become an all-around category dominator, but with the Wings failing to improve this summer, we’re likely in for another year of “only” being a poor man’s Weegar, helping you in many categories while being merely an above-average offensive asset.

91. Filip Gustavsson, G, Wild: He’s been excellent in two of his past three seasons, and while Jesper Wallstedt remains the probable long-term answer in goal, he won’t steal any more work than Marc-Andre Fleury did. You’re in very good shape if Gustavsson is your G2.

92. Mika Zibanejad, C, Rangers: Still a safe enough floor play, but he’s been steadily declining for a couple of years now in his 30s. That said: he was a point-per-game player after the Miller trade, and it appears he’ll start the season remaining on Miller’s right wing instead of at center. That’s good news for Zibanejad’s value.

94. Timo Meier, LW, Devils: The last few years, you needed to reach to nab Meier in banger formats because of his multi-faceted contributions. Now he feels like somewhat of a value pick coming off a couple quiet seasons. He’s not as sexy as before, but 25 goals, 55 points, 200 shots and 120 hits represent a helluva floor.

94. Carter Verhaeghe, LW, Panthers: I actually like him as a buy-low coming off a down year. He’s still just 29 and shot a career-worst 8.3 percent last year. I expect he’ll return to a 30-40-70 type of line this season.

95. Nazem Kadri, C, Flames: Aren’t 34-year-olds supposed to decline? Instead, Kadri scored a career-high 35 goals last season. He still shoots the puck a ton and plays a lot of minutes, so he remains in the fantasy circle of trust even though he’ll be 35 in October.

96. Kevin Fiala, LW, Kings: He’ll always be streaky, making him more valuable in roto than H2H, but the end results will be there in the form of 25-35 goals, 60-70 points and well north of 200 shots.

97. Drake Batherson, RW, Senators: You can set your watch to a floor of 20 goals, 60 points and triple digit hits at this point. Feels like he’s done levelling up, but the prime version of Batherson helps us plenty. He’s hurt at the moment but not even a lock to miss Ottawa’s season opener, so don’t worry about it too much.

98. Mathew Barzal, C, Islanders: He’s so gifted. You watch him live and think he’d be a perennial 100-point scorer. But his 80-point effort of 2023-24 is the only time he’s eclipsed 60 points in the past six seasons, largely because he struggles to stay healthy. I’d love to see Barzal on another NHL team that utilizes his speed better. Key update: I asked him about his health last week, and his answer was interesting to say the least. He told me he’d “100 percent” be ready to play if the Isles had a game today, but it also seems like he still needs to manage the pain from last year’s season-ending lower-body injury – and may have to forever.

99. Ivan Demidov, RW, Canadiens: My prediction: this kid is a first-round pick in fantasy drafts five years from now. He’s incredibly talented, with Kucherov-like hands and moves. For now, let’s calm down, remember Demidov is 19 and settle for what I believe will be a Calder Trophy season. Let’s say 25 goals and 65 points? But it’s hard to calm down seeing those rookie camp highlights…

100. Luke Hughes, D, Devils: Easy to forget he’s still just 22 this September. He’s already enough of a scoring threat to be your D2, and the talent and pedigree mean he has the upside to break out and deliver an all-star season. High floor and high ceiling make him a wise investment. Also intriguing: last week at the Player Media Tour, Jack talked about Luke “just needing to be on PP1 all year.” Jack wouldn’t table that idea if he wasn’t at least somewhat confident it would happen. I’m very bullish on Luke; he just needs a contract.

101. Dylan Strome, C, Capitals: Can you tell I’m a bit wary of the Capitals this year? Almost everyone on that team had a career year in 2024-25, including Strome, who shot a personal-best 19.5 percent to get his 29 goals. I think he’s more of a 25-goal guy again, and if his teammates regress in finishing their chances, too, the assists come back down and we get more of a typical 25-40-65 Strome season.

102. Matt Duchene, C, Stars: Did Duchene actually string consecutive good seasons together? I’m blown away. I’m still not his biggest fan in fantasy. Not much category juice to accompany his scoring and carries downside as a 34-year-old with a history of inconsistency.

103. Thomas Harley, D, Stars: Time to acknowledge that Harley has surpassed teammate Miro Heiskanen in fantasy value. The goal-scoring felt unsustainable in 2023-24, but Harley backed it up with another year of high-percentage shooting. So we can feel confident in another 15-goal, 50-point type of year.

104. Tom Wilson, RW, Capitals: He’s been an excellent banger-league asset for years now. But I worry about buying high coming off a year in which Wilson scored 33 goals on 19.5 percent shooting when he was 11.9 percent for his career going into 2024-25. Wilson also reached 80 games for the first time in eight years and is 31. Don’t reach.

105. Shea Theodore, D, Golden Knights: He remains one of the NHL’s best offensive defensemen, averaging 68 points per 82 games over the past three years, but when he never plays anywhere close to 82 games, we can’t call him a 68-point guy. The big chunks of annual missed time make him a 50-point player.

106. Elias Pettersson, C, Canucks: I still believe in the talent. It’s just a matter of when to invest. If you get him at the right price point, he could turn you a massive profit. He’s only a year removed from being a top-30 fantasy asset, and even Petey at his worst quietly brings some bonus category juice – including one of the higher block totals of any forward annually.

107. Sam Montembeault, G, Canadiens: One of the league’s best-kept secrets for a few years now. He was excellent last season but still had suspect defensive play suppressing his surface stats. With the Habs likely to improve again, we could see the true Montembeault breakout this season. Buy.

108. Mikhail Sergachev, D, Mammoth: The goal total isn’t sustainable given the astronomical shooting percentage, but the rest is. He’s a No. 1 defenseman in his prime in an ascending offense. Lots to like.

109. Bo Horvat, C, Islanders: The numbers slipped a little on a team not good enough to make the playoffs, but Horvat remains a quintessential boring veteran play, an automatic 25-30 goals and 55-60 points.

110. Anze Kopitar, C, Kings: Not really shooting the puck or scoring many goals nowadays, but the future Hall of Famer is aging gracefully. This version of Kopitar, soon to be 38, is like a poor man’s Robert Thomas in fantasy, helping in assist and points and little else.

111. Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Avalanche: If and only if you’ve gone safe with your first half dozen picks, it’s OK to grab Nichushkin, who won’t play anywhere close to a full season but is a damn good player when he’s on the ice. His stat line per 82 games over the past four seasons is 35-37-72. Since he may only give you 60 percent of that, he’s a much better pick in head to head, where he can tilt a weekly matchup if he’s healthy and staying clean off the ice.

112. Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, Canadiens: The floor is 50 points and 200 hits now. And then we remember he’s only 21. That tells me he’s a good investment, even if it feels like he hasn’t delivered a wire-to-wire consistent season yet.

113. Miro Heiskanen, D, Stars: We don’t question his superb all-around ability. We should start questioning his durability, though. He has missed double-digit games in three of his past four seasons. We need to bake that risk into his fantasy value now.

114. Jordan Binnington, G, Blues: Binnington isn’t a particularly exciting pick, but sometimes you just need goaltenders who play a lot on reasonably competitive teams and won’t torpedo your rate stats. That’s him.

115. Joel Eriksson Ek, C, Wild: Was mostly durable before last season, so I’ll give him a mulligan on playing just 46 games and hope the depressed numbers offer a discounted 25 goals, 200 shots and 125 hits. Hidden career-year potential if he plays with Kaprizov all year, too.

116. Noah Dobson, D, Canadiens (-7): The hype might give him too much draft helium. He’s a great real-life get for Montreal, and at his best he was an elite fantasy blueliner with the Islanders, but is he even a PP1 guy on a team with Hutson? I actually think Dobson’s value drops or at least levels off with the trade. Now he’s dealing with a groin injury to boot.

117. Sam Bennett, C, Panthers (+6): Don’t let the playoff recency bias get you. Bennett is a bulldozer and deserved his Conn Smythe Trophy, but his career highs in goals and points are 28 and 51, and his smash-happy style typically limits him to around 70 games. He may elevate to the top line to replace Barkov, but we know who Bennett is at this point. He’s not the primary beneficiary of the injury in fantasy.

118. Dougie Hamilton, D, Devils: The defenseman version of Nichushkin. Will truly boost your team in head-to-head when healthy, as Hamilton remains an excellent offensive player. Will also almost certainly miss a bushel of games. So bid on him with that expectation in mind. Also worth noting: his ice time dipped below 20 minutes last season, and Luke Hughes threatens to steal PP1 work.

119. Tomas Hertl, C, Golden Knights: The big drop in ice time tells us he’s more support piece than featured player in Vegas, but he can still top out at 30 goals and more than a hit per game.

120. John Gibson, G, Red Wings: Was excellent last season, and he should see a bit more volume this year, but don’t be fooled into thinking he gets a massive boost in fantasy value. The Red Wings are not a good defensive team, so Gibson should continue getting shelled with chances. Cam Talbot is more 1B than backup and should start 30 games minimum. Gibson can be a respectable mid-range No. 2 goalie for your fantasy club, but he’s not going to carry you.

121. Stuart Skinner, G, Oilers: This ranking acknowledges the playable volume on a great team. Fine. But Skinner wasn’t even Regular Season Good last year, and it’s possible Edmonton tries to replace him with a mid-season upgrade if he isn’t cutting it by next winter.

122. Cutter Gauthier, RW, Ducks: Finished his rookie year with 11-11-22 over his final 27 games. On the rise along with his team, could Gauthier be a 30-goal scorer as a sophomore? I say yes.

123. Brad Marchand, LW, Panthers (+10): Was tremendous in his Panther rejuvenation. But Playoff Marchand was dominating as a third-liner and might be overvalued in fantasy this season, especially given Florida will have no problem load managing him to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Update: they may need him to play a much bigger role now with Tkachuk and Barkov out. Stock up.

124. John Carlson, D, Capitals: The ceiling isn’t there anymore for the veteran of 1,088 games, but he’ll dutifully provide 50 points and playable shot and block totals while still getting plenty of power-play time. Carlson is an ideal D2.

125. Quinton Byfield, C, Kings: The actual production hasn’t yet caught up to the perception of his talent as our tongues wag at his highlight reels. But Byfield will only be 23 when the season starts. It’s not too late for his true breakout campaign. If it doesn’t happen, at least his 20-35-55 floor provides a safety net.

126. Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, Golden Knights: I was not familiar with your game dot gif. We knew Dorofeyev had some scoring punch, but who saw the 35-goal breakout coming? Nothing about it was lucky, but given he’s already exceeded expectations this much, I wouldn’t mind seeing another season at this level before buying in.

127. Kent Johnson, LW, Blue Jackets: Werenski’s massive year and the Fantilli/Marchenko breakouts hid Johnson’s progression in plain sight. The 24 goals and 57 points came in just 68 games, too. He’s not going to carry you in multiple categories in a banger format, but the kid has the raw puck skills to assist in points and power-play points.

128. Mason McTavish, C, Ducks (+11): Yet another Duck who ended last season on a heater, posting a 16-17-33 line across his final 36 games. McTavish also has more possible linemate permutations with Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund in the fray. I’m bullish but not putting him in the must-reach category since Carlsson blocks him from being Anaheim’s alpha center. Still nice to know he’s signed and ready to rejoin his team.

129. Charlie McAvoy, D, Bruins: The category juice will always be pretty balanced when he plays. But Boston’s heart-and-soul captain is forever better in real life than fantasy and a pretty consistent injury risk given his playing style.

130. Owen Tippett, RW, Flyers: Career paths aren’t always linear. I didn’t see last season’s regression coming at 25. But Tippett still offers a nice power forward skill set and has proven pretty durable so far in his career. Maybe his ceiling is lower than expected now that higher-end players are breaking through on the depth chart and he’s not a locked in top-line, PP1 guy.

131. Matthew Tkachuk, RW, Panthers: Now we know it officially: surgery and a multi-month absence, which means you’re drafting him as a high-impact stash. Because he plays for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs, there’s truly no motivation to rush him back, meaning I’d be surprised if we see him before January.

132. Rickard Rakell, RW, Penguins: So is the real Rakell the guy who delivered career bests in goals (35) and points (70) last year, or the disappointing 37-point player of the season prior? It makes sense to predict something between the two and hope he’s traded to a contender.

133. Jakob Chychrun, D, Capitals: Whether he repeats 20 goals again or not, Chychrun has established himself as one of the best annual goal-scoring options among defensemen. Did you know that only Makar and Josi have more in the past six seasons?

134. Bryan Rust, RW, Penguins: As someone who broke into the NHL relatively late, Rust is quietly already 33. He’s still a trustworthy bet for 25 to 30 goals and someone who can carry you for stretches with his hot streaks. A trade to a better team would eliminate the plus-minus drain.

135. Jared McCann, LW, Kraken: Toiling in obscurity on a Kraken team that feels irrelevant right now. That said, McCann has never dipped below 22 goals, 50 points or 199 shots during his four years in Seattle. He’s a solid depth add in the late middle rounds.

136. Frederik Andersen, G, Hurricanes: Good goalie, great team, massive injury risk. Andersen can be a plug-in starter or year-long G2 in leagues that prioritize rate stats. In volume-heavy leagues weighing wins, saves and shutouts heavier, pick Andersen a round or two later.

137. Karel Vejmelka, G, Mammoth: Like Dostal and Montembeault, Vejmelka is an above-average goalie who has been hiding on a mediocre team on the verge of a glow-up. You could target offense in the early rounds, wait and pick those three as your goalies and look like a genius when all three end up top-15 at their position in 2025-26

138. Jackson LaCombe, D, Ducks: The breakout is real, and he’s Anaheim’s most important blueliner now. I’m not so sure he exceeds what he did last year given he’s no lock to man PP1. A better real-life player than fantasy one, though it’s clear now he has more offensive upside than we thought. As an update: I’ve been too presumptuous about the power-play deployment. We should still treat PP1 as LaCombe’s to lose.

139. Josh Norris, C, Sabres: Norris feels like a maddening player who can’t stay healthy long enough to maximize his potential. But he does damage when he plays, averaging 31 goals, 54 points, 173 shots and 133 hits per 82 games for his career. When he’s in your lineup, he will help you; just understand he won’t be in your lineup that often. Exciting to see him getting the early look as Buffalo’s top center, though.

140. Will Smith, C, Sharks: Raise your hand if you knew he had 30 points in 34 games to close out the season – with a positive plus-minus over that span, too. Celebrini is the better all-around player, but Smith’s scoring upside is actually pretty similar, and the breakout looms. Looks like he’s going to open the year as a winger with Celebrini, too. Fun.

141. Erik Karlsson, D, Penguins: As a lowly Penguin, he’ll gouge your plus-minus but chip in 10 goals and 50 points. On a new team…he could easily jump 25 spots on this list. Feels like we’re holding our breath on so many Pens players to be dealt, eh?

142. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Oilers: Averaged his fewest points per game in eight years last season. We can’t write that off as nothing given he’s 14 seasons into his career. The Nuge may be declining, though he can still help you in assists and power-play points as a 50-point guy.

143. Brock Boeser, RW, Canucks: His shooting talent is undeniable, but I prefer my goal-scorers to be high-volume guys who put approximately twice as many pucks on goal as Boeser did last season. He maintains that 25-25-50 floor but won’t be a 40-goal guy again when he’s only firing the biscuit 145 times.

144. Pavel Buchnevich, LW, Blues: If you’re reaching on a trendy rookie or breakout, you want to be extremely confident in him exceeding 20 goals and 55 points; if not, take Buchnevich instead for that guaranteed veteran production.

145. Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Avalanche: In fantasy, he and Nichushkin bleed together as top-six Colorado wingers who miss lots of action and produce when healthy. Lehkonen’s upside is just a bit lower, but he could score 30 goals if he ever played a full season.

146. Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Predators: Let’s hope he doesn’t kill us with a minus-29 again, as the rest of his contributions remain valuable: at least 20 goals, 50 points and 200 shots, with upside for a mild uptick if he’s traded.

147. Joey Daccord, G, Kraken: He has the fifth-best save percentage in the NHL over the past two seasons among goalies with at least 50 games played. I don’t love his team situation with the Seattle Kraken, but Daccord has proven himself valuable regardless.

148. Thatcher Demko, G, Canucks: I would’ve been more excited about Demko’s fantasy value had he chosen a new team in free agency. The Canucks are paying Kevin Lankinen far too much for him to be a pure backup; he’s a 1B who probably starts 40 percent of Vancouver’s games next season. The capped playing time upside, injury risk and volatile team play make me unlikely to target Demko in drafts, as talented as he is.

149. Gabe Vilardi, RW, Jets: Somewhat of a specialist. He can bury 25 goals for you, many of them on the power play, and is never a great bet to play a full season. Instead of the brand name like Boeser, you can probably get Vilardi at least a round later and receive similar production.

150. William Eklund, LW, Sharks: Celebrini, Smith and, soon, Michael Misa get the fanfare, but Eklund is that other Sharks first-round forward making strides. Playmakers never have the same upside as goal-scorers, but you don’t have to squint hard to envision 65 points.

151. Joseph Woll, G, Maple Leafs: The first backup or 1B in the rankings. Woll was a top-10 goalie in per-game fantasy value last season, and while Stolarz is the starter, Woll should still start 30 games at minimum, with the upside for more given Stolarz’s propensity to get dinged up. Woll remains away from the Leafs dealing with a personal family matter. Too early to know if he’ll miss regular-season games, so I don’t want to overreact and drop him in the ranks only for him to return tomorrow.

152. Juuse Saros, G, Predators: For rate stats, you go with someone like Woll on a good team. If you need volume and lots of it: Saros is your man instead. He’s no longer an elite fantasy option given Nashville’s stock is way down, but he’s still a workhorse who should rank among the NHL leaders in starts, shots faced and saves.

153. Tyler Toffoli, RW, Sharks: Nine 20-goal seasons and four 30-goal seasons, three of which have come in his past three campaigns. Toffoli’s plus-minus may hurt, but he deserves more love overall. Boeser for example has one 30-goal season!

154. Marco Rossi, C, Wild: I don’t understand the disrespect. He jumps to 60 points as a sophomore while spending much of the year as Minnesota’s first-line center, and he’s a fourth-liner by the playoffs? I have to price the confusing deployment into his ranking. If it continues, does he regress to a 40-point player? If the Wild wise up, is he an 80-point player? The range of outcomes is so damn wide. For now, the arrow aims upward again since he’s reattached to Kaprizov on line 1, but I’m not confident enough to change his ranking just yet.

155. Alexis Lafreniere, RW, Rangers: All the under-the-hood gains in his game, from shot generation to high-danger chances to expected goals, evaporated last season, to the point his great 2023-24 season is, statistically, the anomaly rather than the breakout. Most concerning is that the regression coincided with linemate Panarin’s. If the Bread Man’s decline has begun, is Lafreniere back to being the underachiever? Turning 24 in October, he’s still young enough to reverse the trend again, and he’ll cost less to acquire this time, so you could do worst for post-hype dice rolls.

156. Brock Nelson, C, Avalanche: The goal total has declined three straight seasons as Nelson creeps into his mid-30s. Playing on a better team might keep his floor at 25 goals and 50 points, but he also played almost two fewer minutes per game after being traded to Colorado and isn’t a lock for regular PP1 work. Trending down.

157. Jeremy Swayman, G, Bruins: We can throw last season out the window…or can we? Maybe Swayman was hindered by reporting to the team late because of his contract negotiation. But the team in front of him looks like, at most, the sixth-best in its division. I believe in the talent but not the team, so I’m probably out on Swayman this year.

158. Nick Schmaltz, RW, Mammoth: 23-35-59, 22-36-58. 22-39-61, 20-43-63 are his past four season lines. Talk about consistent. I like him as an underrated depth guy for points and assists, but I’m not too aggressive with the ranking as the improved Mammoth have more competition for prime deployment in their top six now.

159. Aliaksei Protas, RW, Capitals: My interior monologue: “He scored 30 goals…he’s big…he’s a matchup nightmare…he also shot 21.1 percent…he doesn’t play on the power play at all.” If a player confuses me, I’d rather avoid him than try to guess his fantasy value going forward. Incredible find for the Caps in real life, though. I applaud them.

160. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Capitals: If we zoom out, that terrible year in L.A. was PLD’s only bad output in his past four seasons. Otherwise he’s been a 20-goal, 60-point player every time out.

161. Cole Perfetti, LW, Jets: As the Jets’ depth dwindles, they’ll need Perfetti more and more. He’s a probable beneficiary of Ehlers’ departure. I’d expect a jump in ice time and a point total closer to 60, albeit with a modest goal number.

162. Steven Stamkos, C, Predators: Most concerning about his disastrous debut season with the Preds was that his shooting percentage didn’t drop. He wasn’t snakebitten; he just saw far fewer looks on an extremely disappointing team. At 35, he’s unlikely to reverse the trend. Maybe he surprises us with a 30-30-60 kind of year, but why gamble on that? Let someone else pay for the name.

163. Will Cuylle, LW, Rangers: Even if he simply maintains what he did last year, a 20-25-45 player who tops 300 hits is plenty valuable. But there’s clearly upside to improve on that if Cuylle can be a regular top-six forward and PP2 guy all year. A wise buy in banger formats.

164. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Avalanche (+39): Boosting him as promised since it appears he’s healthy to start the year. He looked good last spring in his return after a three-year layoff and hasn’t missed a beat in the preseason. But 82 games feel highly unlikely, so I’m ranking Landeskog as if he’ll play 60 games.

165. Dylan Cozens, C, Senators: Playing on a better team now, scored at a 62-point pace after being dealt to Ottawa, and he almost doubled his career high in hits last year, cresting 200. Post-hype sleeper.

166. Marco Kasper, C, Red Wings: Wrapped up a 15-game pointless streak Jan. 7. His pace from that point onward: 25 goals, 59 points, 185 hits. He found himself as a two-way forward and he’s arrived as a top-six contributor. One of my favorite breakout picks for 2025-26.

167. Ivan Barbashev, LW, Golden Knights: The 20 goals and 45 points with a triple-digit hit total make him safe to roster all year in any league medium or larger – and could there be a bit more upside if he spends the whole year with Eichel and Marner?

168. Devon Toews, D, Avalanche: 10 goals and 40 points like clockwork and maintains a super high floor since he’s always playing with Makar.

169. Zach Hyman, RW, Oilers: Throw out the horrible 20-game start, and Hyman scored at a 37-goal pace the rest of the way last season. He can still play. But he won’t play for a while. Recovering from the season-ending wrist injury he sustained in the 2025 playoffs, he won’t be back until November. Even then, he could take time to hit his stride. Wrist problems can be tricky for shooting.

170. Matt Coronato, RW, Flames: If we factor in the first-round pedigree and that he’s scored at every stop of his career, the 24-goal breakout feels real. And a jump to 30 doesn’t feel like a stretch for the 22-year-old.

171. Chris Kreider, LW, Ducks: Too soon to declare him totally cooked. He’s 34, not 40, and his net-front ability should earn him power-play time in Anaheim. He can still bag us 25 goals.

172. Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Hurricanes: The journeyman always makes for a good Zero D play. He lacks the upside of the bigger fantasy stars, but he still racks up points working the top power play on a strong team. Safe pick.

173. Drew Doughty, D, Kings: Still holding off Brandt Clarke for top dog status on the Kings’ blueline. I’m not too worried that Doughty only played 30 games last season, as the injury was of the freak variety, but he has a lot of mileage at 35, so the downside is real.

174. Trevor Zegras, C, Flyers: Hey, even the down-in-the-dumps, broken version of Zegras still managed 18 goals and 47 points in 88 games over the past two seasons. The floor is higher than many people realize, and so is the ceiling if he can stick on Michkov’s line. At Zegras’ probable price point, this is a fun swing to take.

175. Kiefer Sherwood, RW, Canucks: Surprising myself ranking a grinder this high. But hear me out: he broke the NHL’s single-season hits record by 69 hits last season. He singlehandedly wins you the category weekly in H2H. He also chipped in 19 goals and 40 points last season, so he’s hardly a zero on offense.

176. Brandon Montour, D, Kraken: one of the better sources of shots and goals among blueliners, and he comes cheaper now that he’s in relative obscurity as a Kraken.

177. Pyotr Kochetkov, G, Hurricanes: I’ve been bullish on him taking over as Carolina’s starter for years, but he has to play well for that to happen. Kochetkov is coming off a down year, and the 1A job remains Andersen’s when he’s healthy.

178. Rasmus Andersson, D, Flames: He provides at least 10 goals and 30 points and a beefy block total. He’s also a minus-49 over the past two seasons, so he’s someone to avoid in certain formats unless the Flames trade him to a top-tier contender.

179. Morgan Geekie, LW, Bruins: Careful. The 33 goals and 110 hits turned his managers a nice profit last season. That came on 22.0 percent shooting. Good chance last season goes down as a career year. I recommended letting an opposing GM pay to see if Geekie duplicates it.

180. Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, Flames: Last season was his best during a crushingly disappointing Calgary tenure. The huge ice time increase helped. I’m not sure the 28 goals happen again given they came with the highest shooting percentage of his career.

181. Vince Dunn, D, Kraken: Injuries have slowed him down the past couple years, but it was encouraging to see him and Montour coexist rather than cancel each other’s value out. Dunn remains an above-average fantasy option and passable third D-man.

182. Aaron Ekblad, D, Panthers: He feels so much older than 29, doesn’t he? Whether it’s injuries or a PED ban, something typically keeps him from playing a full season. His shot and goal output are also way down. So while his floor as a No. 1 blueliner makes him draftable, the upside isn’t there anymore. Maybe not worth the headache.

183. Patrick Kane, RW, Red Wings: He probably plays three quarters of a season, tops 50 points and helps Detroit’s power play again. But given he’s 37 in November, we don’t need to invest too high of a pick to find that out unless you’re in a deep league. In shallow or medium, he’s a great waiver-wire stopgap if one of your stars gets injured.

184. Morgan Rielly, D, Maple Leafs: I ranked him as a floor play, a declining veteran offensive defenseman who can still get 40 points, but with Marner gone, the Leafs have abandoned their five-forward PP1 and given Rielly his spot back. The ceiling returns – within reason. Maybe he climbs back toward 50 points.

185. Anton Lundell, C, Panthers (+19): Talented. Smart. Ascending. Based on his skill set, he’s likely the better long-term replacement than Bennett on Florida’s top line. Or it’s possible Lundell’s current line just becomes the second line instead of the third. Either way, Lundell’s stock skyrockets.

186. Logan Stankoven, RW, Hurricanes: We love him as a real-life player. And he has upside to become something special. If Jarvis stays on the first-line right wing, Stankoven’s upside increases quite a bit as the second-line center. Just don’t reach too hard on a player with 20 goals in 102 games to date.

187. Frank Vatrano, LW, Ducks: Averaging 29 goals, 53 points, 255 shots and 164 hits per game over his past two years. Excellent. But we should be mindful of the Ducks’ improvement. Vatrano isn’t necessarily even top-six forward on this team anymore, so the ice time and production could dip.

188. Gustav Forsling, D, Panthers: Doesn’t do power-play damage, but he’s underrated in certain scoring formats as a blueliner who gets double-digit goals and is a virtual lock for a difference-making plus-minus. His plus-166 in the past five years ranks second in the NHL

189. Evgeni Malkin, C, Penguins: He may be the most underrated superstar of all-time. I tip my cap to Geno. But he’s in pretty rapid decline now at 39 playing on a potential lottery team. No reason to draft him in shallow leagues unless he falls in your lap very late.

190. Anthony Cirelli, C, Lightning: Doesn’t need to score to be a great player given his defensive ability. Last year’s 27 goals and 59 points felt like gravy and clash with his previous career output. Averaged 18-26-44 in his previous seven seasons, so I feel more comfortable projecting him for that.

191. Pavel Zacha, LW, Bruins: A safe source of 15-plus goals and 45-plus points, but medium-leaguers are better off chasing upside and, if they whiff, snagging a Zacha type off the wire later in the year.

192. Elias Lindholm, C, Bruins: See above. Their production was almost identical last year. I lean toward Zacha as the younger player. Neither guy excites me much this season.

193. Claude Giroux, RW, Senators: Still a 50-point player in a plum role with the Ottawa Senators. But I see consecutive seasons of declining production for a 37-year-old and I’m likely to pass, though you could do worse with a late-round pick if you need to supplement your assists and power-play points.

194. Brock Faber, D, Wild: I’m struggling to figure out Faber’s value. He’s a minute muncher, a future captain, an all-situations horse. But the offensive upside isn’t that high, and it’s about to become Zeev Buium’s show. I’d rather wait on Buium than spend a pick on Faber’s more established name.

195. Zayne Parekh, D, Flames: If you’re searching for this year’s Hutson, here we are. Parekh put up 107 points in his final season of major junior. If he makes the team, it shouldn’t be long before he gets a look on PP1. A high-risk, high-reward pick in the late rounds.

196. Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, Blues: One of the safer rookie picks. He’s older than most at 21, he played against men in NCAA Div. I, he saw late-season NHL action (playoffs included), and the Blues like him as a top-six forward, to the point they were comfortable trading Zach Bolduc.

197. Bowen Byram, D, Sabres: Finally a full season from him. He isn’t a standout in any particular fantasy category, but he does a bit of everything and still carries some leftover upside as a 24-year-old former elite prospect.

198. Jake Neighbours, LW, Blues: Good young player. First-round pedigree. Consecutive 20-goal seasons. Nice hit totals. I just can’t get too excited when he’s locked out of the top six in the projected lineup.

199. Brayden Schenn, C, Blues: More durable than most power forwards. Even as he slides down the Blues’ depth chart during his veteran years, we can count on him in the points and hits categories.

200. Michael Misa, C, Sharks: When I talk about passing on boring veterans for home run swings, this is the type of player I’m referring to. Maybe Misa returns to junior after nine games or doesn’t make the Sharks at all. Or maybe he gets 60 points as a rookie and wins the Calder Trophy. Pick him to find out, and if you have to drop him in redraft by early October, that’s OK.

201. Spencer Knight, G, Blackhawks: In volume-centric goalie scoring systems, Knight will be draftable. The young man has the starting gig to himself and is going to get peppered. In rate-stat formats, Knight is more of a wait-and-see pick. The ability is there, but the Hawks look like they’ll be a punching bag in the Central once more.

202. Darnell Nurse, D, Oilers: Hey, you don’t have to pay him $9.5 million on your fantasy team. He helps you in pretty much every category. He should be rostered in every deep banger league.

203. Thomas Chabot, D, Senators: It’s Sanderson’s team now, but the “grizzled vet” version of Chabot still brings secondary offense and can do the same for your fantasy team. Nothing wrong with a boring 40 points.

204. Zeev Buium, D, Wild: My colleague Steven Ellis calls Buium a pure winner. He’s going to be a star in the NHL, and he’s draftable as a rookie given he could earn a major role right away. But just understand defensemen take longer to break out. Not everyone is Hutson. Buium could have a great freshman year and that might mean 30 points.

205. Matthew Schaefer, D, Islanders: I expect him to be the first defenseman since Rasmus Dahlin to jump right to the NHL as a No. 1 overall pick. And I expect Schaefer to become a perennial All-Star. But he doesn’t even turn 18 until September, so I’m not sold on Year 1 fantasy relevance, assuming he makes the team. Still, the upside is undeniable. We can’t leave him undrafted.

206. Andrei Kuzmenko, LW, Kings: Including playoffs, had eight goals and 23 points in 28 games after the Kings acquired him. You never know when he’ll wear out his welcome again, but he opens the year as a first-liner, so he’s draftable.

207. Jackson Blake, LW, Hurricanes: The 17-17-34 line masks the fact he ended the year as a first-liner and PP1 member, scoring six goals in his final nine games. Blake could be one of the cheapest 25-goal scorers available, though the Ehlers signing dampens my enthusiasm a bit.

208. Noah Hanifin, D, Golden Knights: Hanifin kicks off a defense tier of “he won’t hurt you but won’t surprise you. At least 38 points in four straight seasons, with double-digit goals in three of those.

209. Jonathan Drouin, LW, Islanders: I don’t like to rely too much on intangibles for evaluation, but…Drouin historically isn’t the same player when he’s not teammates with MacKinnon. He won’t hurt for ice time on the Island, but the linemate quality plummets.

210. Teuvo Teravainen, RW, Blackhawks: I put him below most of the other surefire 50-point guys because the category juice isn’t strong and the plus-minus stings.

211. Sean Monahan, C, Blue Jackets: What a story he was last year. Better than a point per game! I applaud the effort, and he got my first-place Masterton vote, but we know better than to invest in this injury history, right?

212. Cam Fowler, D, Blues: Quite the career rejuvenation. Between the regular season and playoffs, Fowler put up 46 points in 61 games after being traded to the Blues. He’s suddenly worthy of ownership even in medium leagues if he remains on the top pair and No. 1 power play.

213. Ryan Donato, LW, Blackhawks: Kudos to Donato on the career year. But he doubled his career highs in goals and points in his age-29 season. If he repeats it, good on him, but who wants to chase that?

214. Tyler Seguin, C, Stars: Not much point in burning a draft pick on someone likely to miss more games than he plays. In medium leagues, I like him more as someone to add off the wire when he’s healthy and use in short spurts. He did have 21 points in 20 games last season.

215. Frank Nazar, C, Blackhawks: Finished the year with five goals and nine points in his final eight games. A legit prospect in a top-six role. Absolutely a worthy sleeper pick, especially with Anton Frondell staying in Sweden this year.

216. Boone Jenner, C, Blue Jackets: When he plays, he produces brilliantly in banger formats. A combined line of 29-25-54 with 225 shots and 162 hits across 84 games in his past two seasons. But he’s going to give you half that line because of his consistent injury problems. I love him as a bench stash or savvy in-season add, but keep expectations realistic.

217. Shane Wright, C, Kraken: Finally stuck in the NHL and bagged 19 goals averaging just 14:04 of ice time. A shooting percentage north of 20 is tough to sustain – but Wright has a great release. He could be a 17 or 18 percent guy for his career. A legit sleeper to snipe 30 this season if he can push his way into the top six and PP1.

218. Connor McMichael, LW, Capitals: Is it still a breakout if half his goal total comes in the first 20 games of the season? It leaves me a bit wary, plus the higher-pedigreed Ryan Leonard will threaten to knock McMichael out of Washington’s top six.

219. Jake DeBrusk, LW, Canucks: Is it just me or is DeBrusk underrated in fantasy? Averages 25 goals per 82 games in his career, offering respectable shot and hit totals.

220. Mikael Granlund, C, Ducks: My first instinct is to throw last year’s 66 points out the window. But Granlund has quietly topped 60 in three of his past four seasons. The Ducks aren’t as exciting for his value as the Stars when he was on Rantanen’s line, but Granlund should continue helping in the assist category.

221. Ryan O’Reilly, C, Predators: Too low of a rank for a No. 2 center coming off a 53-point campaign? Maybe, but there’s just no upside here for a 34-year-old whose game has always been more valuable in real life.

222. Sam Rinzel, D, Blackhawks: Turned pro after college and seamlessly slid onto Chicago’s top pair playing more than 23 minutes a night. He looks like the team’s No. 1 blueliner heading into the season, which includes a spot on PP1. A clear breakout pick.

223. Mason Marchment, LW, Kraken: Good bet for his usual 45 to 50 points, and while he joins an inferior team in Seattle, that’s an easier lineup to ascend, so we could see Marchment playing more than his customary 15 minutes a night.

224. Troy Terry, RW, Ducks: Never dips below 20 goals or 50 points. But he’s one of several longtime Ducks in the process of being usurped by the next generation and some new signings. I could see Terry scoring below his norms if he’s a third-liner now.

225. Alex Laferriere, RW: Kings: Gets by more on moxie than raw skill, which is why I think the extremely low shooting percentage is the real him, but you could do worse than a second-liner who can score 20 goals with 200 shots and 100 hits.

226. Ryan Leonard, LW, Capitals: This kid is going to be a force in banger leagues, bringing an exciting blend of skill and sandpaper. I’m expecting a 20-20-40 rookie year with 175 hits. Upside for more, however, if he can find his way onto a scoring line. Let’s watch his camp closely.

227. Barrett Hayton, C, Mammoth: It was only a matter of time before the superior prospect Cooley passed Hayton on the depth chart. But until Caleb Desnoyers arrives, Hayton is safely slotted on line 2, with two of Keller, Guenther, Schmaltz and Peterka for wingers. Not a bad situation at all.

228. Jiri Kulich, C, Sabres: Under the radar. A good prospect who scored a ton in the AHL, and 15 goals in his first full season were nothing to sneeze at. His sleeper case takes a hit if he’s not centering Thompson, but even Kulich’s second-line deployment has potential to turn you fantasy profit.

229. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, Sabres: He’s been bad twice and good once in his three seasons as a full-time NHLer. We could see the good UPL return if the Sabres surprise, but it’s also a chicken-and-egg situation. If he plays poorly, they’ll struggle again as a team. It sounds like his injury is improving to the point he could be OK for opening night. But I’m not feeling enthused about him right now.

230. Seth Jones, D, Panthers: He always provided a high floor of category juice. As a Panther, he no longer drains our plus minus, so he rejoins in the fantasy circle of trust in deeper leagues.

231. Owen Power, D, Sabres: He doesn’t get the dynamic power-play looks, which limits his fantasy upside, but his mobility and large ice time share give him a high floor in the 35- to 40-point range.

232. Connor Zary, C, Flames: Like fellow first-rounder Coronato, Zary has arrived as a key part of Calgary’s next generation. Zary doesn’t have the same goal-scoring upside and thus excites me less, but I could see him delivering a 20-30-50 line if he plays a full season.

233. Brandt Clarke, D, Kings: Certainly deserves a higher ranking based off his considerable talent. But his team plays him 16 minutes a night. Two thirds of his points came from October to December last year – when he didn’t have to coexist with Doughty, who was injured at the time.

234. Zack Bolduc, LW, Canadiens: I love this get for the Habs…in real life. Bolduc plays a heady two-way game and is a dandy addition to Montreal’s third line. In fantasy, probably a 20-20-40 guy unless he can permanently unseat Patrik Laine on line 2.

235. Jake Allen, G, Devils: One of the league’s best backups. He doesn’t have massive upside in his mid-30s, but since his partner Markstrom is the same age and needs to have his load managed, Allen should start 25 to 30 games again and be playable whenever he’s out there.

236. Filip Hronek, D, Canucks: ‘Quinn Hughes’ partner’ is a nice gig. Hronek isn’t going to deliver more than half a point per game, but he’s a respectable floor play in deeper leagues. Why’d he stop shooting the puck last year, though?

237. Jet Greaves, G, Blue Jackets: His incredible late-season heater probably won a few GMs their fantasy championships last year: 5-0-0 with a .975 SV% in April! I’d love to see Columbus name him its starter. If that happens, I’ll bump Greaves 50 spots. He has serious upside.

238. Max Domi RW, Maple Leafs (NR): Consider this the Domi/Matias Maccelli slot. Domi has the latest edge in the battle for first-line status alongside Knies and Matthews. I personally see more fantasy upside if Maccelli is in the role. If he rallies and overtakes Domi, I’ll rank Maccelli higher than I have Domi at the moment. For now, consider Maccelli player No. 301.

239. Patrik Laine, LW, Canadiens: He’s a one-trick pony now, which is weird to say given he’s still just 27. Draft him for 20 goals, 15 on the power play, and nothing else.

240. Neal Pionk, D, Jets: I’m not expecting 10 goals again as that was a shooting percentage spike. But at least 30 points with 100 hits and blocks? Sure. Nice floor.

241. Dan Vladar, G, Flyers: He’s being paid 1A money, and his competition, Sam Ersson, was the league’s worst starting goalie last year. Vladar has sneaky top-20 goalie potential if the Flyers improve under new coach Rick Tocchet.

242. Charlie Lindgren, G, Capitals: He’s the 1B behind Thompson, a netminder who has struggled to stay healthy and has never exceeded 42 starts. If all the good starters are off the board, Lindgren ranks among the better backup picks because of his relatively high volume floor.

243. Cam Talbot, G, Red Wings: Taking a backseat to Gibson now. But Talbot should still start more than most backups, and he’s capable of helping you as a stopgap during the grind of the season if injuries strike your squad.

244. John Klingberg, D, Sharks: Klingberg hasn’t been fantasy-relevant for years, but I like his landing spot. He’s a strong bet to quarterback San Jose’s power play alongside multiple ascendant forwards. I smell a comeback. Just don’t look at the plus-minus.

245. Joel Hofer, G, Blues: Hofer is good enough to start for multiple teams but doesn’t play on one of those teams. For now, he’s a quality backup to Binnington and viable streamer in daily transaction leagues.

246. Jake Walman, D, Oilers: Was actually more valuable playing on a bad team. As an Oiler, he’s a third-pair and PP2 guy, meaning he tops out at half a point per game at best. Excellent source of blocks, at least.

247. Dmitry Voronkov, LW, Blue Jackets: More than just a grinder. His 23 goals last year included eight on the power play. I’m not predicting another level up, however, unless we know for sure he’s a top-six forward.

248. Anders Lee, LW, Islanders (-4): Ageless. Quietly topped 25 goals for a seventh time last season. Wasn’t he supposed to be declining? Still a cheap source of goals and shots. Has a minor upper-body injury but it sounds like it’ll cost him a couple regular-season games at most.

249. Jack Quinn, RW, Sabres: Finished with 15 points in his final 16 games. I’m telling you, Quinn can play. A healthy season could even yield 30 goals if he wins a big enough role. That’s hardly a guarantee, but I’m just saying he’s a nice low-risk, medium-reward pick.

250. Zach Benson, LW, Sabres: Not showing much goal-scoring upside yet. But he is shooting the puck quite a bit and likely ticketed for top-six duty. The 20-year-old has serious skill. Plenty of time to break out still.

251. Casey Mittelstadt, C, Bruins: He’s probably just a 40-point player, but any top-six forward deserves consideration in deeper leagues. And hey, what if he ends up on Pastrnak’s line at some point? Mittelstadt has talent as a playmaker.

252. Dawson Mercer, C, Devils: Ice time up…production down? Hm. I’m confused. Mercer seemed a couple years ago like he’d mature into a top-100 player. Is he destined to be a third-liner instead?

253. Tony DeAngelo, D, Islanders: Sneaky Zero D pick. With Dobson off to Montreal, DeAngelo is the Isles’ top scoring threat on right defense. And he probably starts on PP1. As cheap as 40-point blueliners can get.

254. Conor Garland, RW, Canucks: Pure floor play. In a deep league, a guaranteed 15 goals and 45 points have value.

255. Mackie Samoskevich, RW, Panthers: Talent wise, there’s some upside here for a guy taken in the first round of the 2021 Draft. He scored 15 goals in 72 games playing 13 minutes a night last season. But it’s telling that he dressed for only four playoff games. The Panthers are so good and so deep that he doesn’t get the opportunities he should. But everything changes now with Tkachuk out. Samoskevich’s stock is trending up. Breakout season incoming.

256. Matty Beniers, C, Kraken: Is he ever going to be an above-average offensive player? He’s deep-league draftable based on role alone, but the gap between his floor and ceiling is miniscule. Worst case 40 points, best case 50?

257. Alex Killorn, LW, Ducks: Since he’s an even-strength guy, his annual goal total in the 20 range is reliable. But there’s just no ceiling to speak of here.

258. Kevin Lankinen, G, Canucks: The Canucks are a bottom-three team in the Pacific Division for me, meaning I won’t rush to draft their goalies. But among the 1Bs, Lankinen is among the most likely to earn 30-plus starts given Demko’s brittleness.

259. Chandler Stephenson, C, Kraken (-17): Enjoy your 50 points. Stephenson doesn’t even average a shot on goal per game, though. Empty calories in fantasy and murky injury status now as well. Hard pass.

260. Ryan McLeod, C, Sabres: Buffalo fans got high off McLeod’s breakout given because I was so critical of the Matt Savoie trade. Meh. McLeod scored 20 goals on just 97 shots, converting at a ridiculous 20.6 percent, and he’s a third-liner when Norris is healthy. I suspect McLeod returns to being a 30-point guy.

261. Ike Howard, LW, Oilers: Yes, he won the Hobey Baker, but can we pump the brakes on the hype? He’s never played a second of pro hockey. We can’t just assume he’s ready to hang with McDavid. There’s certainly upside, sure, but I fear he’s already overvalued. He’s in the top six for now, so I give him the edge, but as you can see by the minimal change in my rankings, I’m starting to view the Savoie/Howard/Mangiapane/Tomasek/Frederic blender as a headache to avoid.

262. Matt Savoie, LW, Oilers: He has less goal-scoring upside than Ike Howard but is a bit more experienced, having played in the AHL and tasted a few NHL games. Savoie can also crack the lineup in more ways because of his PK acumen. He was the standout of Edmonton’s rookie games.

263. Andrew Mangiapane, RW, Oilers: For all the hype Howard and Savoie are getting…have we considered that Mangiapane could end up on McDavid’s wing? Keep in mind that he can play either side and that Hyman will likely miss the start of the season…

264. Elvis Merzlikins, G, Blue Jackets: I want to see Greaves win the job, but it’s not guaranteed, so we have to keep Merzlikins on the radar as the possible Columbus starter until we know more.

265. Simon Edvinsson, D, Red Wings: The towering Swede is slowly coming into his own. Not a power-play weapon, but he quietly put up 31 points last year, and he should gradually become more of an asset in the banger categories. Sounds like his lower-body injury could cost him a few games to open the year but not enough to deter me from drafting him before the names listed below him here.

266. Yaroslav Askarov, G, Sharks: Probably a year too early to reach. His time will come, but the Sharks are likely a basement dweller for another season or two. Keep him in the back of your mind just in case they’re ahead of schedule.

267. Tyson Foerster, LW, Flyers: Two for two in 20-goal efforts across his first two full seasons. I don’t see much more upside than that given he has competition on the wings in the Flyers’ lineup, especially if Zegras doesn’t end up at center.

268. Mattias Ekholm, D, Oilers: Showed signs of decline during the 2025 playoffs. But Ekholm remains a top-pair guy on a contender who should provide 30 points and a nice plus-minus figure.

269. Blake Coleman, LW, Flames: Here’s hoping you took my advice last season and didn’t overbid on the career year. Now he’s back to his usual handy self in banger leagues: goal total in the high teens, point total in the high 30s and some nice juice in the shot and hit categories.

270. Evander Kane, LW, Canucks: Hasn’t played regular-season hockey since 2023-24. No longer a banger-league juggernaut, but I could talk myself into projecting 20 goals and 200 hits, which means you can consider him for a late-round pick.

271. Tyler Bertuzzi, LW, Blackhawks: The 23-23-46 line was decent enough last season, but it came with a minus-39. That should scare us away given the Blackhawks seem destined for another lottery-tier campaign.

272. Kyle Palmieri, RW, Islanders: I’ve forgotten about him a bit as he creeps deeper into his 30s, yet he’s still providing a quiet 20-plus goals. I’d rather chase upside at this point in the draft, but if you need a safe-ish source of goals, he’s fine.

273. Eetu Luostarinen, LW, Panthers (NR): Playing a hunch here. Sure, he could lose Lundell as his center, but it’s possible the entire third line just gets promoted. With two key top-sixers out long term, it feels like Luostarinen’s ice time and opportunities have to rise. He had 19 points in 23 games last postseason

274. Victor Olofsson, LW, Avalanche: Look how injury prone Colorado’s top wingers are. Easy path for Olofsson to play meaningful minutes in the top six and on the power play this season, and coach Jared Bednar has already suggested the opportunities are coming.

275. Taylor Hall, LW, Hurricanes: Finally found a longer-term home, which is great for him in real life, but he’s more of a cog in a machine now, being pushed down the depth chart with Ehlers signing and Blake ascending. Probably can still be a 20-20-40 player but not much more.

276. Brady Skjei, D, Predators: He’s not a fantasy stud, but only eight defensemen have scored more goals in the past four seasons, so he deserves a look in leagues that weigh goals heavier in scoring.

277. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Wild: Wasn’t rosterable in pretty much any league size last year. The arrow trends back up a bit with Minnesota, especially if he gets a look with countryman Kaprizov at any point.

278. Andre Burakovsky, RW, Blackhawks: Became a ghost in Seattle. But he should get some top-six minutes and power-play time on a Chicago team that really needs him. I could see him rebounding with a 50-point year (and terrible plus-minus).

279. William Karlsson, C, Golden Knights: He’s better than the 283rd-best player, I get it. But you have no idea what the production or game total will be year to year. That devalues ‘Wild Bill’ for me and lands him on my Do Not Draft list.

280. Kris Letang, D, Penguins: An excellent career nears its end, and Letang can’t anchor your blueline anymore, but even the hollowed out version of him can help in pretty much every category aside from plus-minus.

281. Colton Parayko, D, Blues: Too name-brandy for me now that he’s a Team Canada guy and on the Olympic radar. No power-play production. He’ll assist you in goals and blocks at least.

282. Eeli Tolvanen, RW, Kraken: Found his fantasy niche as a guy you can count on for 20 goals and 200 hits. That was not his projected role when he was an elite-scoring prospect. Who knew?

283. Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Lightning (NR): Still a third-liner on his new-ish team, but the current PP1 deployment is very interesting if it sticks. He’s at least worth a late-round flier now in deep leagues.

284. Mats Zuccarello, RW, Wild (-38): 38 this September and doesn’t even reach 20 goals anymore, but he’s draftable for assists and points as long as he remains stapled to Kaprizov’s line. Sadly, he’s out weeks, not days, with an undisclosed injury, and the latest update might even mean months. I’d still stash him if you have room.

285. Yegor Chinakhov, LW, Blue Jackets: 16 goals per 82 games with upside to improve that rate. Chinahkov wants a trade, and so do we. Maybe he gets a bigger opportunity on a new team.

286. Ivan Provorov, D, Blue Jackets: We know now he’ll never be a D1 or even a D2 in fantasy. But any 30-point defenseman warrants a pick in a deep league.

287. Jason Zucker, LW, Sabres: A low rank for a player coming off a 53-point year, especially when Buffalo needs him in its top six. But that depth chart has younger guys nipping at his heels, and he’s 33.

288. Ridly Greig, C, Senators: More of a banger-league-only option, but he turns 23 in August and already has a floor of double-digit goals, 35 points and 130 hits.

289. Mathieu Olivier, RW, Blue Jackets: Beat his career goal total last season alone, so let’s not overbid, but if he can even score 15 again, with the 300 hits, that’ll play.

290. Scott Wedgewood, G, Avalanche: A must-draft to handcuff the injured Blackwood if you own him. And if you don’t: Wedgewood will be a priority early-season streamer as long as Blackwood is out, as Wedgewood is one of the league’s bettter backups.

291. Berkly Catton, C, Kraken (+6): The Kraken’s best prospect is a scoring machine, undersized but exactly the type of offensive weapon they lack in their top nine. I can see him pushing hard for a roster spot this year. Deep sleeper. Not that he was directly competing with Kaapo Kakko in any way, but Kakko’s injury ups the odds of Catton making the team, and he’s been earning some PP1 looks.

292. Filip Chytil, C, Canucks: Vancouver hopes he can be a No. 2 center. Chytil has the talent for the role. But that concussion history is so scary. He can break out if he stays upright, but there are few riskier picks in fantasy.

293. Jesper Wallstedt, G, Wild: He’s one of the best goalie prospects in the game. He had a terrible year in the AHL. He has an opportunity in the NHL. All these things can be true at once. Wallstedt hasn’t exactly earned the Wild backup job, but it’s his to lose.

294. Lian Bischel, D, Stars: He led all defensemen in hits per 60 minutes last season. As a 21-year-old rookie. He should eclipse 300 this season and can singlehandedly win you the category in weekly head-to-head matchups.

295. Gabe Perreault, LW, Rangers: He’s been a scoring machine at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and Boston College, and with Kreider traded, Perreault should see middle-six work in his first full NHL season. Deep sleeper.

296. Ville Koivunen, LW, Penguins: Writing a wrong here and including him. Koivunen scored a lot in the AHL last year and picked up seven points in eight games at the NHL level to boot. Likely to get a top-six look with Crosby or Malkin.

297. Maxim Shabanov, RW, Islanders: The Nifty-mitted KHL import is an “old” rookie, turning 25 in October, which could work in his favor. He’s already earning work in the Isles’ top six during camp. On a team desperate for young skill, he has a real chance to stick in that role.

298. Liam Ohgren, LW, Wild: When a first-rounder who averages close to a point-per-game in the AHL gets an opportunity on an NHL scoring line, we pay attention. Ohgren, 21, is the early beneficiary of the Zuccarello injury. Huge opportunity to break out playing with Eriksson Ek and Tarasenko.

299. Trent Frederic, RW, Oilers (NR): Fine, if he’s playing with McDavid and Drasaitil it’s a must-draft situation in deep leagues. But I really don’t expect this deployment to last, so don’t reach.

300. Kaapo Kakko, RW, Kraken (-69): Finally getting an opportunity to be a frontline player. That doesn’t mean he’s going to make good on his 2019 No. 2 overall pick status. But his first 50-point season wouldn’t shock me. Make that 50-point pace, as we’ve lost him for six weeks due to a broken hand.

Dropped out: Rutger McGroarty (upper-body injury, out indefinitely), Aleksander Barkov (knee injury, likely out for season), Jamie Benn (collapsed long, out at least a month)

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Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Cal Ritchie
Arturs Silovs
Olen Zellweger
Shane Pinto
K’Andre Miller
Nick Paul
Fabian Zetterlund
Alex Lyon
Travis Sanheim
Fedor Svechkov
Evan Rodrigues
Rasmus Sandin
Ryan Strome
Jamie Benn
Mason Lohrei
Anton Forsberg
Dalibor Dvorsky
Hampus Lindholm
Beckett Sennecke
Yegor Sharangovich
Jaden Schwartz
Nikita Zadorov
Martin Pospisil
Dmitry Orlov
Casey DeSmith
Jaccob Slavin
Radko Gudas
Jack Roslovic
Jeff Skinner
Warren Foegele
Michael Bunting
Logan Mailloux
Dante Fabbro
Pavel Mintyukov
Anthony Beauvillier
Philip Broberg
Easton Cowan
Leevi Merilainen
Simon Holmstrom
Mike Matheson
Brendan Gallagher
Phillip Danault
Charlie Coyle
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Jakub Dobes
Josh Doan
Bobby McMann
Luke Evangelista
Stefan Noesen
Rutger McGroarty
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Matias Maccelli
Danila Yurov
Isak Rosen
Sean Couturier
Devon Levi
Jordan Staal
Mikael Backlund
Alexander Nikishin
Artyom Levshunov
Bobby Brink
Darren Raddysh
Scott Morrow
Justin Faulk
Bradly Nadeau
Taylor Raddysh
Alex Vlasic
Sean Durzi
Ross Colton
Nick Foligno
Cole Silinger
Trevor Moore
Evgenii Dadonov
Reilly Smith
Ilya Mikheyev
Mavrik Bourque
Eric Comrie
Daniil Tarasov
James van Riemsdyk
Denton Mateychuk
Esa Lindell
Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Sergei Murashov
Tommy Novak
Jonatan Berggren
Seamus Casey
Kirby Dach
Ryan McDonagh
Jonathan Toews
Matthew Wood
Sebastian Cossa
Joakim Kemell
Carter Yakemchuk
David Tomasek

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