Matt Larkin’s fantasy hockey top 300 player rankings for 2026-27

Is it that time already? Well, the 2026-27 NHL season opens Sept. 29, the earliest puck drop since 2007-08, meaning we should start waking our fantasy hockey brains up. I’m here to help with the offseason’s first edition of my top 300 player rankings.

Who are the best, safest and riskiest picks in the first round? Who gained or lost significant value as a result of summer roster movement? Who are the key rookies, sleepers, breakouts and busts to know? I answer all those questions below.

If you’re discovering my annual list for the first time and don’t know the ground rules, please 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: my initial impression after examining every team’s 2025-26 statistics, offseason roster additions and subtractions and prospect lists. Version 2 in mid to late August: 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 the end of September, a.k.a. fantasy draft season, I’ll deliver pretty much daily updates leading up to the start of the NHL season.

(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 Moritz Seider and Juraj Slafkovsky, get boosts. So do the precious few goaltenders who log heavy workloads and can compile beefy counting stats, like reigning Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy.

(c) Real-life value does not always translate equally to fantasy value. Robert Thomas is the example I pick on the most nowadays. He’s a tremendous real-life player and viable No. 1 center. In fantasy? Mildly overrated. He doesn’t score many goals, doesn’t shoot the puck enough and doesn’t throw hits. You’ll therefore see some inferior real-life players ranked ahead of him 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 Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall. 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 Jet Greaves 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 X/Twitter @MLarkinHockey and let me know.

With that, the 2026-27 rankings begin…now!

1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Avalanche: At least 111 points in four straight seasons. Has led the league in shots three straight seasons. Reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner to boot. The only question is whether he should be pick No. 1 or pick No. 2.

2. Connor McDavid, C, Oilers: Still worthy of a No. 1 overall pick if you want to lean that way. I slot him second because, while he’s the safest point accumulator you can find, he’s not a shooter and a goal scorer every year. That part of McDavid’s game tends to fluctuate season to season.

3. Macklin Celebrini, C, Sharks: Aaargh! I was so tempted to put him first but chickened out. It’s bananas to have a 115-point season at 19, but on the off chance he scales back his offense a tiny bit while developing a complete all-around game on a San Jose Sharks team trying to make the playoffs, I place him just below the bankable icons. That said, the margin is so thin that you have my blessing to take him as high as first.

4. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Lightning: Every year, I feel like I’m disrespecting the three-time scoring champion putting him “only” fourth. But I’m just playing the percentages here; he’s the oldest of the god-tier fantasy assets and thus likelier than the others to begin a slight decline one of these years. That said: Kucherov still qualifies for the “any of these guys is fine to pick first” group.

5. Leon Draisaitl, C, Oilers: He’ll still produce like the guys above when in the lineup, but Draisaitl has missed 11 and 17 games, respectively, over his past two seasons. With load management in play for him, he belongs in his own tier as the clear No. 5 guy. That said, picking fifth isn’t a bad spot, as a healthy Draisaitl still has a No. 1 overall ceiling in fantasy.

6. David Pastrnak, RW, Bruins: Only 18 players in NHL history have recorded four consecutive 100-point seasons. ‘Pasta’ is one of them. He’s missed five total games in the past four seasons to boot. An incredibly safe first-rounder, and I expect his goal total to rebound back into the 40s at minimum.

7. Cale Makar, D, Avalanche: Still in his prime, but you no longer need to reach on him with a top-five pick. We’re in a golden era of offensive defensemen in which many match or occasionally outproduce the generationally great Makar. He’s still my No. 1 fantasy blueliner given how high his floor is, but the margin is thin now.

8. Kirill Kaprizov, LW, Wild: I still hope to see him with an elite center someday. Even without one, he’s a rock-solid first-rounder who averages 48-50-98 per 82 games so far in his career.

9. Evan Bouchard, D, Oilers: I almost ranked Bouchard above Makar. The 95 points last season show that Bouchard can match Makar’s upside, and Bouchard has missed two games in the past five seasons. The only reason I have Makar higher is that I feel his best-ever fantasy year hasn’t happened yet, whereas Bouchard’s was probably 2025-26.

10. Martin Necas, RW, Avalanche: The goal total might dip from 38 as it came with the highest shooting percentage of his career. But I still expect at least 90 points and possibly another 100 from Necas, a slick-handed scorer attached to two other elite superstars on the Colorado Avalanche.

11. Zach Werenski, D, Blue Jackets: Unlike some of the other tier-1 fantasy D-men, Werenski is the engine of his team rather than support for a superstar forward. Werenski racks up shots and goals like few others at his position. And if he gets traded to a loaded contender at some point: oh man, he could go nuclear on top of his already high ceiling.

12. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Stars: Still only 29, was pretty durable before last season and has 95 points in 84 games since being traded to Dallas. All is well.

13. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Lightning: An absolute fantasy stud in nine of his 10 seasons since he became a starter. During that same stretch, Vasilevskiy has led the league in wins six times and posted a save percentage of .911 or better nine times. He’s the safest goalie pick on the board – albeit safe is a relative term when it comes to the position.

14. Jason Robertson, LW, Stars: He’s ninth among all NHLers in scoring over the past five seasons. Robertson has such a consistently high floor that I value him more than a couple players who have greater upside. You want safe early in the draft.

15. Lane Hutson, D, Canadiens: In just his second year in the NHL, he matched Quinn Hughes’ production. Spun differently: Hutson isn’t close to his peak yet, and that peak could launch him north of 90 points. A year from now, he might be the first D-man off the board.

16. Quinn Hughes, D, Wild: The other top-tier fantasy D-men have higher annual goal-scoring ceilings, but Hughes accumulates points as well as anyone at his position. You can build your team around him.

17. Nick Suzuki, C, Canadiens: Wow. I never knew he could peak this high. Suzuki joined Doug Gilmour and Sergei Fedorov as the only players to win the Selke Trophy and notch 100 points in the same season. Even though Suzuki’s more of an all-around stud than pure scoring machine, he has so much good talent around him on the Habs that he can probably maintain production close to this going forward. We love a 90-point floor.

18. Kyle Connor, LW, Jets: Several players just below Connor on this list had to break out last year just to post stat lines he gets every year. He’s automatic for roughly 40-50-90. I’ll repeat myself: you want safe in the early rounds.

19. Cole Caufield, LW, Canadiens: He was building toward it and finally got there: a 50-goal season. No reason why he can’t score at least 45 again, with upside for 55, albeit he’s probably hit his points ceiling at last year’s 88.

20. Cutter Gauthier, LW, Ducks: Across his first two seasons in the NHL, Gauthier sits first in shot attempts per 60 and second in shots on goal per 60 at 5-on-5. So, yes, the 41-goal sophomore breakout is super sustainable, and there’s room for even more. He’s a dark horse to lead the NHL in shots (and goals?) this season.

21. Wyatt Johnston, C, Stars: My colleague Scott Maxwell said it best: while Johnston’s power-play scoring luck should negatively regress, his 5-on-5 luck should positively regress, and when we factor in that he’s still just 23, last year’s 45-41-86 campaign might be the floor.

22. Brady Tkachuk, LW, Panthers: I figure Brady gets the bigger fantasy boost than Matthew with the trade, as the Florida Panthers’ supporting cast is deeper and better than Brady had in Ottawa. Maybe he’s never a 40-goal scorer, but the point total might climb into the mid-80s, complementing his typical massive shot and hit totals.

23. Matt Boldy, RW, Wild: On top of the numbers, the eye test tells me Boldy still has another gear. He’s big, intelligent and talented, and he might become a 90-point guy now. Buy, buy, buy.

24. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Sabres: The hit and block totals have dropped significantly, so he’s less of a combo-meal god these days, but he’s “only” a point-per-game defenseman who still helps in all categories, so we still love him in fantasy.

25. Tage Thompson, C, Sabres: At least 38 goals in four of his past five seasons. He’s as safe as it gets if you want a big-ticket goal scorer early in the draft. Only the relatively modest points ceiling keeps Tage out of Round 1, as it does Caufield.

26. Leo Carlsson, C, Ducks: So he won’t be $18-million good this season (too soon?), but that’s fine. He’s an all-around dominator up the middle on a rising team full of exciting young talents. I love that picking him gives you floor (a point per game) plus ceiling (100 points incoming?).

27. Jack Eichel, C, Golden Knights: Consistent 90-point production and doesn’t even need 82 games to get there. Eichel is also juuust young enough that he could bump to 100 points should he ever play a full season. Either way, he’s a great early-round pick.

28. William Nylander, RW, Maple Leafs: Feels weird to rank him above Auston Matthews. But Nylander has delivered between 30 and 45 goals and between 79 and 98 points in five straight seasons. Straight up: his floor is higher than Matthews’.

29. Auston Matthews, C, Maple Leafs: Let’s operate on the premise he can be…85 percent of his peak and play 80 percent of the games? Maybe Matthews can be a 35-45-80 guy across 65 games this season? That’s still great. It’s just not first-round elite anymore, though he still has the ceiling to be a monster if he gets his game count north of 75.

30. Mitch Marner, RW, Golden Knights: Regressed to an 80-point guy, but Marner’s life was uprooted. He was a new dad adjusting to a new market. My take: the playoff version who led the NHL with 29 points in 22 games was closer to what we get this time. I’d bank on 25-30 goals and around 90 points.

31. Jack Hughes, C, Devils: Has played 62, 62 and 61 games the past three seasons. He’ll be great when he’s in your lineup, but I’m done paying a first-round price. If you can get him in the second or third depending on league size, go for it.

32. Connor Hellebuyck, G, Jets: I haven’t had Hellebuyck this low for years. If the Jets trade him to a contender between now and training camp, he’ll vault into the top 10. But a shallow Winnipeg team coming off a playoff miss might hold back his upside a second consecutive year if he stays put.

33. Matthew Tkachuk, RW, Panthers: Production-wise, he’s good enough to go 10 spots higher, sure. But he carries as much annual injury risk as anyone in the top 50, and the Brady trade may create temptation to reach. Be careful.

34. Matthew Schaefer, D, Islanders: He already tied a rookie D-man record with 23 goals last year. He’s a monster. I’ve given him this relatively conservative ranking only because his supporting cast hasn’t improved much, but he should be a 70-point guy in Year 2.

35. Logan Thompson, G, Capitals: Over the past two years combined, he’s arguably been the best goalie in the NHL. Also working in Thompson’s favor: he has pulled away from Charlie Lindgren for a true bellcow role, and the Washington Capitals improved their roster a ton. Thompson’s an easy top-five netminder, and the conditions are right for him to be finish No. 1 at the position in 2026-27.

36. Tim Stutzle, C, Senators: The goal totals aren’t consistent year to year, but he’s a reliable source of 80-plus points and 100-plus hits. He’s also young enough at 24 that we may not have seen his best season yet.

37. Jake Guentzel, LW, Lightning: So amazingly reliable for pretty much his whole career. You’ll get 30 goals and 80 points at minimum. He’s as good as the 10 guys I’ve ranked above him, but Guentzel is here because he’s 31 and has a bit less upside.

38. Ilya Sorokin, G, Islanders: The New York Islanders haven’t broken through as a surefire contender, limiting Sorokin’s win total, but he’s consistently great in the rate stats – and he leads all goalies in shutouts over the past five seasons with 26, five more than the next-best netminder.

39. Mark Scheifele, C, Jets: I’m a bit skeptical he repeats a career-best 103 points when they came in his age-32 season. But the goal totals should remain healthy because Scheifele is an unbelievably accurate shooter; he’s been north of 20 percent three of his past four seasons.

40. Brandon Hagel, LW, Lightning: He didn’t match his career year of 2024-25, but his goal-scoring pace actually improved last season. Can’t go wrong with a prime-year stud attached to an elite offense.

41. Adrian Kempe, RW, Kings: Not only does he have 35 or more goals in four of his past five seasons, but he scored at a 53-goal pace from Feb. 25 onward last season…which is when Artemi Panarin arrived. He assisted on 11 of Kempe’s 16 goals over that span. Career year incoming for Kempe?

42. Igor Shesterkin, G, Rangers: He’s so good that he doesn’t even have to play on a good team, or even a mediocre one, to help you in fantasy. The win total will hold him back, but the good far outweighs the bad, and the Blueshirts did improve their D-corps this summer.

43. Artemi Panarin, LW, Kings: He turns 35 in October, and his 100-point campaigns are behind him, but this declining version of the Bread Man remains a frontline fantasy scorer who give you something in the 30-50-80 range.

44. Jake Oettinger, G, Stars: The epic, Vezina-grade season still hasn’t happened. But even the mildly disappointing version of Oettinger maintains one of the league’s higher floors playing on the Stars and, at 27, he still has upside left.

45. Clayton Keller, RW, Mammoth: Point-per-game production like clockwork. He’s probably peaked, especially with Logan Cooley trending toward overtaking him as the team’s top playmaker soon, but Keller is a rock-solid early pick because he’s so damn safe.

46. Moritz Seider, D, Red Wings: No D-man gives you better cross-category balance. The team around him isn’t good enough to elevate him past last season’s career highs of 10 goals and 60 points, but Seider’s shot, hit and block totals make him somewhat of a cheat code.

47. Adam Fox, D, Rangers: Averages 71 points per 82 games for his career. With so many exciting young D-men taking over the game, Fox is criminally underrated in fantasy and real life at this point – which is a great buying opportunity for us. We can wait on him and profit at his probable ADP.

48. Dylan Guenther, RW, Mammoth: A rising star who has jumped from 18 to 27 to 41 goals in consecutive seasons and, at 23, likely hasn’t peaked. He should push for 45 to 50 this season on a Utah Mammoth team that looks like a Stanley Cup contender.

49. Sam Reinhart, RW, Panthers: Reinhart is one of my favorite fantasy buy-lows coming off an injury-shortened season. He had at least 30 goals in each of the previous four seasons, including 57 in 2023-24, he’s not that old at 30, and the Brady Tkachuk trade plus Aleksander Barkov’s return might vacuum drafter attention away from Reinhart, who looks like a strong bet for 35-plus goals this season.

50. Alex DeBrincat, LW, Red Wings: Three seasons of at least 40 goals. Five of at least 30. Deserves more respect. Or, he did. We probably have to be cautious now; with the Detroit Red Wings’ roster held hostage by the Dylan Larkin trade request and Patrick Kane gone, it remains to be seen whom DeBrincat plays with going forward.

51. Sebastian Aho, C, Hurricanes: He’ll play almost every game, he’ll get at least 25 goals and 75 points, and you won’t lose an ounce of sleep over him all season.

52. Sidney Crosby, C, Penguins: The elder statesman still produces at a high level entering his age-39 campaign. I do think injury layoffs like last year’s will become more frequent, so we have to start pricing in that risk.

53. Jeremy Swayman, G, Bruins: Was tremendous for his team last season. I’m not all that bullish on him for 2026-27, as I don’t love the team around Swayman. The Boston Bruins are weak defensively, and that will make it a challenge for him to repeat his performance.

54. Jackson LaCombe, D, Ducks: Age wise, he should be at his peak, but there’s potential to stack a third consecutive breakout year because the talent around him is improving so much. Could we see a 15-55-70 type of season?

55. Logan Cooley, C, Mammoth: Too young to slap an injury-prone label on him yet. Hoping that’s just a bump in the road. Let’s focus on the positive: Cooley is a dynamic rising star on an ascending team, and he could overtake Keller to become Utah’s top scorer as soon as this season.

56. Filip Forsberg, LW, Predators: Has he become underrated in his 30s? Even if his peak has passed, he still does a good Kempe impression every year, with give or take 35 goals, 75 points, 250 shots and 100 hits.

57. Lucas Raymond, RW, Red Wings: I thought he’d have levelled up into a top-25 player by now, but perhaps there’s only so much he can do on a Detroit team stuck in neutral. Still, even if he’s merely a consistent 75-point player, that’s an extremely bankable fantasy asset.

58. Ivan Demidov, RW, Canadiens: I said it the day he was drafted, and I’ll say it again: as a pure point accumulator, he has the most upside of any Montreal Canadien since Guy Lafleur. Demidov passed his first test with a strong rookie year. I can see him inching toward the point-per-game range as a 20-year-old, though the true explosion might be a season away unless Montreal finds him a better veteran center to play with.

59. Juraj Slafkovsky, RW, Canadiens: With Suzuki and Caufield having such banner years, Slafkovksy’s breakout got overshadowed a bit. But the beastly power forward has grown into his body and, since he’s only 22, the 30-43-73 line of last season probably won’t go down as his apex.

60. John Carlson, D, Lightning: Still an excellent power-play asset, and he joins a juggernaut offense. Put another way: the obscure Darren Raddysh went off for 70 points in an age-29 breakout in that role. Carlson is a fringe future Hall of Famer, so what could he do in this spot? I think he has one more monster season in him, even at 36.

61. Jakob Chychrun, D, Capitals: Only two defensemen have more goals over the past eight seasons. He’s the most reliable contributor for that stat at his position, though last season was his first time even hitting 50 points, let alone the 60 he finished with.

62. Miro Heiskanen, D, Stars: We know he’s one of the best all-around blueliners in the game. We know he’s capable of borderline elite fantasy seasons. But the path is always bumpy year to year, with occasional injury layoffs or dips in production. He’s thus never my fave pick among the D1 crowd, as we simply can’t predict what he’s giving us year to year.

63. Beckett Sennecke, RW, Ducks: Already a strong multi-category contributor as a rookie. Sophomore slumps are always possible, but Sennecke has a fertile fantasy environment around him, and the combo-meal stat profile keeps his floor high – to accompany a rising ceiling.

64. Dylan Larkin, C, Red Wings: He’s automatic for 30-35-65 with 200 shots every year. Could he do more on his next team if traded? Maybe, maybe not. Certain destinations would increase his value while others could decrease it. For now I’m valuing him as ‘Detroit Larkin.’ But we can dare to dream of him playing with Kaprizov in Minnesota or the Tkachuks in Florida.

65. Connor Bedard, C, Blackhawks: Is this about right for Bedard? He’ll miss 15-20 games recovering from his shoulder injury. But he should deliver 30 goals and 70-75 points across the 65-ish games he does play, assuming he can find his sea legs quickly enough.

66. Darren Raddysh, D, Maple Leafs: I suspect drafters will show a healthy amount of skepticism toward his 22-goal, 70-point explosion at age 29. That’s great, as his draft cost should fall as a result and land him among the projected 55-60-point defensemen. His deployment alone should help him produce that much even if he regresses in Year 1 as a Toronto Maple Leaf. He’ll get ample power-play time with that booming shot of his and should get home as a low-end D1 – or better.

67. Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Hurricanes: We get wildly different games played, goal, assist, and point totals every year, so we have to dock Svechnikov a tiny bit for his annual inconsistency. But he’s still a player you want if he falls far enough, as he can carry you for weeks at a time with his power-forward profile in banger formats.

68. Jesper Bratt, RW, Devils: Extremely durable and reliable for at least 20 goals and 70 points. He needs the rest of his teammates to stay healthier if he wants to reach that 88-point ceiling again, but he’s still a great pick at his baseline, especially if you’re planning on some riskier picks later in your draft.

69. Will Smith, RW, Sharks: This ranking could be way too low, right? He could put up serious numbers if he stays on Celebrini’s right side, and Smith already broke out for 59 points in 69 games last season. I’ll project another 10-15-point jump but still slot him just below the Bratts of the world who are locks to produce at that rate.

70. Kirill Marchenko, RW, Blue Jackets: A first-line forward in his prime, averaging close to a point-per-game, and likely playing with ascendant Adam Fantilli. So much to like, regardless of whether Marchenko is traded.

71. Aleksander Barkov, C, Panthers: He should be back healthy to start the season, and he’ll produce better than a point per game when he plays, but the Panthers want a Stanley Cup, and they’ll likely load manage their top center a bit coming off ACL and MCL tears, so I only expect him to play give or take 65 games.

72. Drake Batherson, RW, Senators: Last year’s 33-goal outburst was tied to a shooting percentage spike, so I’d expect a return to the high 20s, but with 65 points and a triple-digit hit total, making him a prudent choice in banger leagues.

73. Alex Tuch, RW, Capitals: Yes, he’s joining a loaded-up Caps team that looks like a wagon. But that depth chart is also crowded, especially at the right wing, and could essentially roll three first lines, so I wouldn’t expect more than Tuch’s typical goal and point totals in the low 30s and mid 60s.

74. Morgan Geekie, C, Bruins: I was skeptical he could repeat his breakout, but he duplicated what I thought was an unsustainable shooting percentage. Maybe this is just him if he keeps getting high-percentage looks, though his individual chance-generation data isn’t overly impressive.

75. Lukas Dostal, G, Ducks: He’s a talented workhorse on a playoff team without a strong No. 2 to push him hard for work. The only thing keeping Dostal as a good, not great fantasy netminder for now is the fact his team still plays sloppy defense and actually got worse on the blueline compared last season. He’s also coming off a relatively down year. But we know he’ll help in the volume cats at least, and he’s good enough to bounce back in the rate stats.

76. Brayden Point, C, Lightning: He’s still just 30 and only a season removed from scoring 40 goals. You could do a lot worse hunting for bounce-back candidates. That said, I see a banged-up player whose totals have steadily declined across four seasons and I fear he’s aging quicker than most, so I’m not going crazy reaching on him.

77. Zach Hyman, RW, Oilers: He was quietly all the way back last season, with an 82-game pace of 44 goals. That said, he’s 34 now, so while I still like Hyman to produce while he’s in the lineup, the decline could begin any time, and the injury risk remains high.

78. Matthew Knies, LW, Maple Leafs: Past two seasons: 27 goals, 65 points and 174 hits per 82 games. The Leafs were wise not to trade their unicorn power forward this offseason, and you would be wise to target him, especially in banger formats.

79. Scott Wedgewood, G, Avalanche: Deserves a higher rank based on his team and stellar 2025-26, but coach Jared Bednar has a quicker hook than most. Mackenzie Blackwood is still going to play a lot.

80. Josh Morrissey, D, Jets: Still a reliable stud fantasy D-man, but he’s 31, and his point total has fallen from 76 to 69 to 61 to 55 in consecutive seasons. He appears to be declining, as has the team around him. That said, I think he can maintain his current level for a few seasons.

81. Dylan Holloway, LW, Blues: Bloomed somewhat late, so he’ll already be 25 when the season starts – meaning the current (very good) Holloway is in his prime and probably close to his top level. His career year should arrive right around now if he plays 75 or more games: 30-40-70 plus help in the banger categories.

82. Jesper Wallstedt, G, Wild: He shed the Best Goalie Prospect in the NHL tag and became, well, one the best goalies in the NHL, period, in 2025-26. I’m confident Wallstedt will continue to provide great rate stats. I’m less confident in his volume, as Filip Gustavsson still owns a large share of the pie, though Wallstedt could get a crucial head start in the competition if Gustavsson’s hip surgery recovery drags into the season. That’s a situation we must monitor intently.

83. Adam Fantilli, C, Blue Jackets: I was a year too early. The big breakout didn’t happen. I’m still a believer that he can become an All-Star-caliber forward. He was great in the final few months for a second consecutive season. If he can find some year-round consistency, he’ll become a coveted fantasy asset.

84. Jake Sanderson, D, Senators: He’s just so damned good at, well, everything? Sanderson is such a stalwart in all situations that we may never see him unleashed for elite-tier scoring, but he’s a focal point on an above-average team and a worthy low-end D1.

85. Brad Marchand, LW, Panthers: Including the playoffs, he’s logged 75 games as a Panther, during which he’s amassed 37 goals and 74 points. At 37, he has not aged out of relevance at all, though he’s a lock to miss double-digit games for bodily maintenance.

86. Jakub Dobes, G, Canadiens: The new contract carries a $5.358-million AAV. That’s not workhorse starter money, but it’s 1A money. That tells us Dobes is secure to start 50 games on a Cup contender despite the long-term threat of Jacob Fowler. Dobes is a borderline top-10 fantasy goalie.

87. Roman Josi, D, Predators: Deity-level Josi’s time has come and gone. But current Josi is still highly productive in his rover role. It’s a matter of landing him at the draft juncture that prices in his injury risk; if you do, and he can play 70 games, he’ll deliver you D1 value at the cost of a D2.

88. Robert Thomas, C, Blues: Don’t be fooled by the career-best goal-scoring rate. He reverted to rarely shooting the puck, and he was buoyed by the NHL’s highest shooting percentage. So it appears Thomas is back to being a guy who helps in points and assists but nowhere else. That’s still useful, but keep your expectations tempered.

89. Travis Konecny, RW, Flyers: Thought he had one more gear, but he never got there. That’s OK. He’s still useful for his bankable totals: at least 24 goals and 61 points in four straight seasons, with ceilings of 33 and 76.

90. Tom Wilson, RW, Capitals: He should keep chipping in 30-ish goals with big hit totals. But Wilson is 32, and the Caps have added a lot at forward, so between ice time and age, Wilson has a bit more downside than he used to.

91. Nico Hischier, C, Devils: Perfect No. 2 center for your fantasy squad. He’ll play a ton of minutes due to his two-way role, and while he hit his ceiling a couple years back, the floor yields something like last year’s 28-38-66 every year.

92. Steven Stamkos, C, Predators: OK then, he’s not cooked! The 42 goals did come with the highest shooting percentage of his 18-season career, but he was still a high-percentage shooter to begin with. I’ll say he scores his age in goals at 36 this season.

93. John Tavares, C, Maple Leafs: He’s never as washed as he’s perceived to be. Even on a terrible team last season, he managed 30 goals and 70 points. That said, he turns 36 in September, so the downward trend has begun, even if it only means incremental decline.

94. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Capitals: Pretty awesome that ‘Ovi,’ in his age-41 season, is still good enough that the almost-retired version of him is, uh, Tom Wilson. Ovechkin will still stand out there for the entirety of every power play and probably has another 30 goals in his peerless stick.

95. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Hurricanes: Didn’t get the huge ice time hike we envisioned after his team change, but it was an uptick nonetheless, and Ehlers amassed the highest point total of his career. The speedy Dane should be good for another 25 goals and 65 points in 2026-27.

96. Mark Stone, RW, Golden Knights: I tip my cap to Stone for scoring at a 100-point pace last season. A phenomenal all-around player in real life. But his body is slowly betraying him, and we all know it. He averages 52 games played over this past five seasons. You absolutely cannot pay full price for him.

97. Porter Martone, RW, Flyers: He’s probably the Flyers’ most dangerous forward already, and he’s 19. He’s my Calder Trophy favorite. I’m bullish on him – but just make sure you grab the guys you know are getting 70 points before deciding you think Martone is. That’s my rule for rookies. Ehlers is a perfect comparison point: he’s a lock for 65, and Martone needs to be Calder-level good to get there. Likely, just not guaranteed.

98. Karel Vejmelka, G, Mammoth: Only two goalies started more games over the past two seasons, and I love the team GM Bill Armstrong is putting together in Utah. I do think Sebastian Cossa is more talented that Vejmelka’s previous backups, however, meaning he might start half a dozen fewer games this season.

99. Bo Horvat, C, Islanders: A consistent secondary source of goals for your fantasy team. He’ll always get you 30, with a relatively modest point total, and I don’t expect much to change this season.

100. Brock Nelson, C, Avalanche: In fantasy, he’s essentially the same player as his former Isles teammate Horvat. Nelson is three and a half years older but has a better team around him. So why not slot these two side by side?

101. Jacob Markstrom, G, Panthers: You’re betting on the team and situation rather than the player if you draft him. Markstrom is 36, and he was one of the NHL’s weakest starters last year, but now he joins a stacked and stingy Florida team with designs on a third Cup in four years. Markstrom is a fascinating boom/bust pick.

102. Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, Rangers: He’s one of just 12 players to score at least 35 goals in each of the past two seasons. But his supporting cast permutations are weaker with the New York Rangers than they were in Vegas, and he has that $11-million price tag to live up to now. Is it irrational of me to be nervous about taking him too early?

103. Jet Greaves, G, Blue Jackets: Undersized, but he’s one of the most purely talented goaltenders in the NHL. I’d rank him higher if I had more confidence in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ trajectory as a franchise.

104. Jordan Kyrou, RW, Capitals: Averaged 34-40-74 across four seasons before last season’s setback. The sample size of excellence is big enough for us to trust in a major bounceback. He’s in his prime at 28 and could be a nice bargain.

105. Mika Zibanejad, C, Rangers: His durability is a plus. The production is tough to predict year to year, and the supporting cast is flimsier than normal, so I’m not loving the ceiling even if the floor remains strong.

106. Mathew Barzal, C, Islanders: He’ll forever frustrate me, as I truly believe he has 100-point natural ability. But, hey, it was nice to see him stay healthy all year. He’ll never help much in goals, but he’ll produce in the playmaker categories.

107. Quinton Byfield, C, Kings: It’s finally time to get aggressive on a Byfield projection. He shoots the puck more than he used to, he has almost zero competition for No. 1 center work in L.A., and he’ll have two of Panarin, Kempe, Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello on his wings. If Byfield doesn’t level up this season, he never will.

108. Roope Hintz, C, Stars: Becoming more of a floor guy than a ceiling guy. It feels like he’s always dinged up, but he had played at least 73 games in four straight seasons before the dip to 53 last season, so he gets a mulligan.

109. Gavin McKenna, LW, Maple Leafs: I’d expect a stat line highly similar to Ivan Demidov’s 19-43-62 last season. McKenna has the filthy mitts and confidence to deceive goalies right away, and the Leafs need him badly enough to hand him a prominent scoring-line role and power-play time right away.

110. Brandt Clarke, D, Kings: Clarke is now The Guy on L.A.’s blueline. He’s been an efficient generator of offense so far in his career, and now he’ll get ice time befitting his talent. Bet on a big-time breakout season.

111. Seth Jarvis, RW, Hurricanes: Three straight seasons between 32 and 33 goals and 66 and 67 points, but he’s getting that number in fewer games each time. Glass half full: Jarvis is maturing as a star-level scorer. Glass half empty: he’s playing fewer games each year as he gets nicked up. He’s recovering from shoulder surgery and will likely miss the first month of the season, but we’ll keep an eye out in case he’s ahead of schedule.

112. JJ Peterka, LW, Bruins: We know he has that 25-goal, 50-point floor, but what if he spends a full season with Pastrnak? I’m willing to chase that outcome given how likely it looks. The Bruins lack talented natural left wingers. Career year incoming for JJ playing for a German countryman in coach Marco Sturm.

113. Mikhail Sergachev, D, Mammoth: At least 10 goals and 53 points in three of his past four seasons. Sergachev deserves more love as a reliable blueline stud in fantasy.

114. Erik Karlsson, D, Penguins: Karlsson is a microcosm of the Pens’ 2025-26 campaign: I salute him for the surprise resurgence but remain wary on investing again given his age. That said, even if he regresses 20 percent, he’ll be a pretty useful source of 50 points.

115. Linus Ullmark, G, Senators: His mental health struggles led to a volatile 2025-26. But zoom out: he was better after the Olympic break and outstanding in the playoffs. Zoom out further: he’s been excellent for most of his career aside from the first half of last year. The sample size has far more good than bad, and Ullmark doesn’t have stiff competition for starts. I’d buy.

116. Vincent Trocheck, C, Mammoth: I’ve been a conductor on the Trocheck Train for years now, but it may be time to hop off. He’s 33, his scoring has declined two years in a row, and he’s joining a deep and crowded depth chart in Utah. He’s a great real-life addition, but I don’t see him playing as much as he did in New York.

117. Owen Tippett, RW, Flyers: A good specialist if you’re strong in assists and points; Tippett isn’t a plus contributor there, but he’s always good for 25 goals or so, with highly useful hit and shot counts.

118. Charlie McAvoy, D, Bruins: Was an overrated fantasy asset for so long, then he finally delivered a great offensive year. Still…the man gives and takes so much punishment that he’s a lock to miss double-digit games, so I don’t advise chasing what he accomplished last season. Crucial reminder: he’s suspended for Games 1-6 of the season for his slash on Zach Benson.

119. Nick Schmaltz, C, Mammoth: The coolest thing about his career-high 33 goals last season: they didn’t come because of a puck-luck bump. He actually shot the puck a lot more. This new, improved Schmaltz could be here to stay. If not, he’s still a 20-40-60 guy at worst.

120. Timo Meier, LW, Devils: Now that expectations for him have lowered, he could be a good boring-veteran value pick? Can’t go wrong with 25 goals, 250-plus shots and 100-plus hits, even if there’s no ceiling beyond that anymore.

121. Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Hurricanes: Averages 13-42-55 over his past five seasons. Doesn’t have the cachet of other top fantasy D-men, but he produces at close to their level every year. A great boring-veteran pick for your D2.

122. Jackson Blake, RW, Hurricanes: Nice, steady progression for the goal-scoring second liner. He followed up a career best 22-goal, 53-point campaign with 20 points in 19 playoff games. He might also get an early-season look on line 1 while Jarvis recovers. Giddyup.

123. Bowen Byram, D, Blackhawks: Use that $12.5-million overpay to your advantage. Just because he makes too much money doesn’t mean he won’t have a career year, as he’ll get a huge spike in ice time, particularly on the power play. Don’t be surprised if he explodes for 60 points, albeit with a yucky plus-minus.

124. Kevin Fiala, LW, Kings: Expected to be ready for training camp after breaking his leg at the Olympics in a horrific scene. Should return to giving us 25 to 30 goals and a bushel of shots.

125. Egor Chinakhov, RW, Penguins: If we extrapolate his numbers in 43 games post-trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins: 34 goals and 68 points. What a find. I believe he’s legit, but I’m keeping the projection cautiously optimistic. I’ve ranked him as if he’s give or take a 30-30-60 guy in a full season as a Pen.

126. Alexis Lafreniere, RW, Rangers: Just as we were ready to give up…Lafreniere finished last season with 25 points in his final 25 games. He’s still just 24, so we can chase that upside one more time, as we will with his fellow 2020 top-two pick Byfield.

127. Trevor Zegras, C, Flyers: Found the right environment, delivered a career-best 26-41-67, and while there was a time I thought he’d become a perennial top-10 scorer in the league, he’s still settled in as a productive scoring-line forward. I don’t think last season was a fluke.

128. Dan Vladar, G, Flyers: Has played his way to low-end G1 or high-end G2 status in fantasy after a breaking out in his first season as an NHL starter. The only thing giving me pause: Joseph Woll is a much bigger playing time threat than the stiffs Vladar had behind him last season.

129. Gabe Vilardi, RW, Jets: He’s sort of a poor man’s version of linemate Scheifele: low-volume shooter who piles up goals via amazing accuracy. Vilardi was an injury risk before he played 82 games last season, but he’s a handy pick to puff up your goal and power-play-point totals.

130. Brock Faber, D, Wild: Since Quinn Hughes arrived and joined him, Faber put up 13 goals and 46 points in 59 games across the regular season and playoffs. He doesn’t play PP1, but the Hughes factor erases concerns over Faber’s consistency, so I’m buying in.

131. Shea Theodore, D, Golden Knights: He’s become a more complete all-around defenseman, but he doesn’t get bonus marks for that in fantasy, and he’s also one of the most injury-prone players at his position. Still a solid D2, but feel free to chase greater upside elsewhere.

132. Bryan Rust, RW, Penguins: He’s missed double-digit games in four of his five past seasons. Still, he’s as productive as ever when in the lineup. He doesn’t need a full season to get 30 goals and 60 points.

133. Dylan Cozens, C, Senators: Not only did his offense surge last season, but he’s developed into quite a banger-league asset, good for 200-plus hits. I’m not ranking him aggressively as I’d like to see him deliver consecutive strong seasons before I’m fully in.

134. William Eklund, LW, Senators: The playmaker will clearly get a major opportunity in Ottawa. They gave up the Keaton Verhoeff pick to acquire Eklund, and I fully expect him to take Brady Tkachuk’s spot alongside Stutzle. Eklund’s fantasy value increases with the trade, and while he’s never going to be a big-time goal scorer, I expect he’ll beat his career high of 58 points.

135. Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, Blues: Better than a point-per-game player after the Olympic break. First-round pedigree. First-round role. Everything you want in a breakout pick coming off a good rookie year.

136. J.T. Miller, C, Rangers: Hard to believe he was a 100-point player two seasons ago. Miller is declining and so is the team around him, it seems, but he’s still rosterable even in shallow leagues. This version of him can still amass 50 or 60 points with 100-plus hits.

137. Dylan Strome, C, Capitals: If you notice a recurring theme: I envision the loaded Caps forward group cannibalizing each other’s fantasy value a bit. So maybe Strome’s ceiling isn’t eye-popping. But he’s as safe a bet as you’ll find for 20 goals and 60 points.

138. Matvei Michkov, RW, Flyers: Such a disappointing sophomore campaign. But it also established that his rock-bottom floor of 20 goals and 51 points is playable. The ceiling hasn’t gone anywhere. If he can show up in shape and win over coach Rick Tocchet, Michkov could turn you quite a profit in fantasy given he’ll carry considerably less hype than he did a year ago.

139. Ryan O’Reilly, C, Predators: Scored at the second-highest rate of his career last season. But I see a 35-year-old two-way center who likely regresses to his norm of the previous few seasons and doesn’t help in many cats aside from points. He doesn’t excite me.

140. Thomas Harley, D, Stars: Talent wise, deserves a much higher rank, but he’s more of an event-strength asset, with a lower points ceiling, as long as he’s stuck behind Heiskanen on PP2.

141. Zach Benson, LW, Sabres: Such a tough player to rank. First things first: I love this kid in real life. He’s a game-breaking agitator. In fantasy: his playmaker profile provides empty calories. But if we extrapolate his playoff production? He was shooting the puck more and far more physical. My gut says that was the real him, and he could break out massively this season.

142. Valeri Nichushkin, LW, Blue Jackets: Sleeper for a bounce-back year? The Blue Jackets need him a lot more than the Avs did. He should play more than the 17:44 he averaged last year. I smell a 60-point campaign, or at least a 60-point pace, as he never plays a full season and is thus a better pick for head-to-head formats than roto.

143. Anton Frondell, C, Blackhawks: Should be one of the best two or three rookies in the NHL. Plays a pro-ready game. Averaged three shots nightly across his 12-game taste late last season. There was some talk of him starting on the wing, but will Bedard’s injury thrust Frondell into major duty up the middle? Maybe this ranking proves way too low.

144. Josh Doan, RW, Sabres: Don’t be surprised if Doan benefits more than anyone from Tuch’s departure. It means less competition at right wing, and Doan already established a playable floor with his 25-goal breakout. Is there a world in which Doan outproduces Tuch this season? It’s not that big of a stretch.

145. Logan Stankoven, C, Hurricanes: The pit bull progressed in his first full season with the Carolina Hurricanes and levelled up with 11 goals in 19 games during their run to the Cup. Stankoven won’t score that much over a full season, but he’s established as Carolina’s No. 2 pivot, he’s only 23, and he’s ascending. It feels like the right time to buy.

146. Sam Bennett, C, Panthers: Was a profitable pick last season playing the most minutes of his career with Barkov out. Now Bennett slides back down the depth chart, though he’ll still have great linemates no matter what, so we don’t have to penalize him too much.

147. Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Avalanche: A good depth winger on your fantasy squad given he’s typically playing with MacKinnon, but Lehkonen still has never exceeded 27 goals or 51 points in a season, partially because he never plays a full one, so don’t overbid.

148. Nazem Kadri, C, Avalanche: Even after being traded back to the Avs, he put up a modest 18 points in 29 games across the regular season and playoffs. He turns 36 in early October. The decline years are here.

149. Aliaksei Protas, LW, Capitals: The shooting percentage regressed, and the goal total game down. The big fella is a nice real-life asset for the Caps, but his ceiling is capped in fantasy considering he gets no power-play time – not even the second unit.

150. Joel Eriksson Ek, C, Wild: He just plays the sport too hard not to miss bushels of games. When he’s in Minnesota’s lineup and our fantasy lineups, Eriksson Ek remains a solid source of power-play goals who piles up shots and hits.

151. Noah Dobson, D, Canadiens: Even if he’s blocked from PP1 work, Dobson has as least 10 goals in five straight seasons and at least 47 points in four of his past five. He’s underappreciated as a 5-on-5 weapon.

152. Mason McTavish, C, Blues: I recognize that McTavish has done little to earn our trust in fantasy. But look at the St. Louis Blues’ acquisition cost of two first-round picks. They intend to play the man and hand him lots of responsibility. He’s still just 23 – a year younger than Holloway, to put it in perspective – so a post-hype breakout feels plausible.

153. Frederik Andersen, G, Oilers: Some boom/bust to picking Andersen. The good: it shouldn’t be hard to hold off Tristan Jarry for 1A work, which will be a boon for Andersen’s win total. The bad: he won’t have the Hurricanes’ elite structure in front of him anymore. Maybe the higher shot volume actually helps the save percentage, though?

154. Jared McCann, LW, Kraken: He was durable before last season, so that gives us hope going forward. I’d love to see him traded to a team with a high-end playmaker to facilitate him, but we’ll have to settle for him being the best fantasy asset on a depressing Seattle Kraken team.

155. Carter Hart, G, Golden Knights: Hart was bad for much of last season, then excelled down the stretch as he found his rhythm, and it was a mixed bag in the playoffs. One could justify ranking him higher than this as the starting goalie on a team that just reached the Cup Final, but the Vegas Golden Knights are notoriously ruthless, particularly with their goalies. They’ll abandon any starter at any moment if they see a better one in play, and Hart hasn’t been so good that he’s cemented himself as their long-term answer.

156. Ivan Barbashev, LW, Golden Knights: One of those sturdy veteran mid-draft picks every fantasy team needs to keep its floor high. Because he’s an accurate shooter, he doesn’t need volume to get 20 goals, and he’ll add 50-60 points and a robust hit total to that.

157. Tomas Hertl, C, Golden Knights: Maybe his big slump and relative obscurity overshadowed by other stars in Vegas can make him a draft-day value now? Hertl still has at least 22 goals and 58 points in four of his past five seasons.

158. Ryan Leonard, RW, Capitals: I’m a huge believer in the talent. Leonard is a future star to me. It’s that pesky depth chart, eh? So many wingers competing for minutes. Can Leonard escape the third line yet? At least he gets power-play time.

159. Rickard Rakell, LW, Penguins: Still productive playing with Crosby. But inconsistency and/or injuries make Rakell’s overall fantasy value yo-yo from year to year. Best bet is to look at his career average of 25-29-54 and project that for one of the NHL’s least predictable players season to season.

160. Elias Pettersson, C, Canucks: At this point, you’re drafting him for the 50-point floor and hoping he gets traded, as the right environment could jump him back to the point-per-game range. He’s still talented enough to be special, just not in Vancouver anymore.

161. Carter Verhaeghe, LW, Panthers: A classic late bloomer who is older than many people realize. He’ll be 31 when the season starts, and his fantasy peak came two to three years go. Today, he’s a safe source of 25 goals in medium leagues or larger but probably a borderline pick in very shallow leagues.

162. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, Sabres: Has the 1A edge over Alex Lyon, but those two traded spots so many times in the pecking order last season that I have to rank both with capped volume in mind.

163. Matt Savoie, RW, Oilers: Oh, it’s happenin’. He went 9-10-19 in 24 games after the Olympic break, and he’s secure in the top six. He already established a useable deep-league floor last season, and he has major breakout potential for 2026-27. I’m taking the swing. You with me?

164. Brandon Bussi, G, Hurricanes: With Freddie Andersen out, Bussi is the starter for the defending Stanley Cup champs… probably. He was also the starter during the regular season for a while, then he wasn’t for Rounds 1-3 of the playoffs, and he’ll compete with the younger, higher-ceilinged Pyotr Kochetkov who is healthy for 2026-27. I still like Bussi, don’t get me wrong, but the Canes aren’t predictable with their goalie usage, so be careful not to pay the inflated price here.

165. Matt Duchene, C, Stars: Why do I distrust Duchene and regularly underrate him in fantasy? How about I just display the point totals for every season of his career and let them do the talking: 55, 67, 28, 43, 70, 55, 59, 41, 59, 70, 42, 13, 86, 56, 65, 82, 45.

166. Jake Allen, G, Devils: Allen has been above average across his two seasons as a New Jersey Devil. He also has his best path to starter-level playing time in at least half a decade. That said, he turns 36 in August, and the Devils aren’t an elite team, so the upside isn’t sky-high.

167. Pavel Zacha, C, Bruins: He’s not a goal scorer. He got 30 last season when his accuracy almost doubled his career right. I’m not paying for that in drafts, nor should you.

168. Rasmus Andersson, D, Golden Knights: He’s a brand name who delivered a strong fantasy season between the Flames and Golden Knights but was a zero in the postseason offensively. I’m not sure what to make of Andersson. He’s overrated in real life given his defensive shortcomings, and as a second-pair, PP2 guy in Vegas, might he be overrated in fantasy now too?

169. John Gibson, G, Red Wings: Was quite good last season, but the Wings are a tire fire right now, and we don’t know what they’ll look like going forward. Wins may be tough to accumulate, but the good news is Gibson has played well on bad teams for much of his career, so he can probably do so again.

170. Bobby McMann, LW, Kraken: Buried 10 goals in 18 games after the trade to Seattle, which coincided with a TOI increase of 2:39 per game. The 29-goal campaign of last season might be repeatable, then – though I’m conservative with McMann’s rank because I see him as more of a speedy, overachieving bottom-sixer rather than a natural scoring talent. He’s also quietly 30 already.

171. Josh Norris, C, Sabres: On a per-game basis, he’s closer to a top-100 fantasy player. Emphasis on per-game. He just doesn’t play many of ’em. He’s thus not worth a big draft investment unless he tumbles pretty far.

172. Ivar Stenberg, LW, Sharks: Has the pedigree and mature hockey brain to be an impact player immediately in the NHL. As for where to draft him, I’ve tried to find the exact cutoff point of, “If I’m a year too early on him, I’m OK that I missed out on the guys below to pick him.”

173. Spencer Knight, G, Blackhawks: Knight is an excellent goalie, one of the best in the league. The team around him is just putrid, though. If the Hawks’ collection of young talent finally starts winning one of these years, Knight will go from bench fodder to a viable fantasy star. It’s worth stashing him on the chance that this is the year.

174. Dustin Wolf, G, Flames: Just like Knight, Wolf is a talented young goalie, but he’s not going to help much in wins or goals-against average with such a poor team in front of him. The Calgary Flames still look years away from relevance to me.

175. Alexander Nikishin, D, Hurricanes: His value could explode if he’s traded. Nikishin is a talented puck-mover who helps in the banger categories with his physical play. But he’s just a background player in the Canes’ championship cast at the moment. He needs someone to age out or a new home to maximize his vast potential.

176. Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Avalanche: Blackwood has a decent enough floor as a busy 1B on a dominant team. But he also has the ceiling to take the net back from Wedgewood and be a top-15 fantasy goalie. Blackwood is a high-upside third or fourth goalie to keep on your bench and stream when he plays.

177. Mavrik Bourque, RW, Predators: On one hand, his linemate quality will go down. On the other, his ice time should climb. The player who had 26 points in 34 games to close out last season intrigued me, and I think he can continue scoring at that rate.

178. Tyson Foerster, LW, Flyers: Better real-life player than fantasy given his two-way acumen, but he averages 26 goals per 82 games, and he could break out for 30 if he plays a full healthy season.

179. Tyler Bertuzzi, LW, Blackhawks: You need a clothespin on the nose for the plus-minus, but Bertuzzi should remain an affordable source of 25-30 goals in the back half of drafts if you need to target that category.

180. Vince Dunn, D, Kraken: If you’re building a Zero-D roster, Dunn might be a good first pick for your D-corps. He’s lost in the beigeness of the Kraken, but he always gets 10 goals and 40 points or better as the team’s top offensive defenseman, and it’s a contract year.

181. Frank Nazar, C, Blackhawks: Production hasn’t increased at the rate I expected. But the Bedard injury opens a door for him to be leaned on more early. Breakout season still within reach.

182. Mason Marchment, LW, Sharks: Was close to a point-per-game player in Columbus after he was traded there last season. As a Shark, he’ll have more depth-chart competition, but “lands on Celebrini’s left wing and blows away career highs” is in Marchment’s range of outcomes. Sleeper.

183. Anton Forsberg, G, Kings: Overtook Darcy Kuemper for the Kings’ starting job by playoff time and presumably has the net to start the season. If I hear otherwise, I’ll adjust this ranking. I expect their split to be almost even, though.

184. Dougie Hamilton, D, Devils: Finished his season with 31 points in 41 games from January onward. He’s not totally cooked. Good blueline asset for goals and shots.

185. Cole Hutson, D, Capitals: Clear favorite to lead rookie defensemen in scoring this season. But since he’s likely third-pair and PP2 on a stacked roster, that might hold his ceiling back in the 45-point range. The upside for more than that is undeniable, though.

186. Luke Hughes, D, Devils: I thought he’d explode last year, but he failed to overtake Hamilton for PP1. Until he does, Hughes will remain more of a D2 or high-end D3 in fantasy. To the moon if New Jersey trades Hamilton, however.

187. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Maple Leafs: He was a fun real-life signing, and in fantasy, he offers some risk-reward fun if you grab him as your third goalie. Maybe the famously hardworking ‘Bob’ finds one more great season, and maybe the Leafs’ wild offseason moves work. But it’s just as likely the Leafs and Bobrovsky are toast. Place your bets.

188. Joel Hofer, G, Blues: Hofer has been the better goalie than Jordan Binnington for a while now, and it was finally reflected in the starts last season, with Hofer getting 43 of them. I’m not gaga over picking him, though, as Binnington will still play a lot, and it’s debatable if the Blues are a good team.

189. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, LW, Oilers: Did that 104-point season really happen? Talk about a fever dream. Now he’s producing about half that total. At least a 20-30-50 floor is nice and high.

190. Victor Hedman, D, Lightning: What does the future Hall of Famer have left, mentally and physically? He was an elite fantasy asset as recently as 2024-25, and he might be again this coming season, but he’s 35, he played just 33 games last season, and Carlson will steal power-play time from him. Too many reasons not to pick him.

191. Patrick Kane, RW, Blackhawks: ‘Showtime’ can still produce points in bunches, especially on the power play, where he’ll get all the time he wants with the Chicago Blackhawks. The plus-minus should be ugly, but he can probably replicate last season’s 57 points in 67 games. He may get to play with Bedard once he’s back from injury, too.

192. Evgeni Malkin, C, Penguins: My hat’s off to ‘Geno’ on still producing north of a point-per-game in his age-38 campaign. But we can only project 55 to 60 games, which means 50-60 points at best if he doesn’t decline any further at 39. Similar to picking Kane, just with slightly more downside.

193. Connor McMichael, LW, Blues: The six-year contract at a $6.75-million AAV makes me bullish on McMichael’s playing time with his new team. Don’t be surprised if he bounces back toward his career-best line of 26-31-57 from 2024-25.

194. Mats Zuccarello, RW, Kings: No longer attached at the hip to Kaprizov, and it’s unlikely Zuccarello plays on the Los Angeles Kings’ first line with Panarin and Kempe in those winger spots, so Zuccarello’s new destination hurts his value. That said, he can still give you 15-30-45 at minimum.

195. Anton Lundell, C, Panthers: Very hard player to appraise for 2026-27. The no-Barkov breakout happened, as Lundell scored at the highest rate of his career while his ice time jumped two-and-a-half minutes per game. Now Barkov is back, meaning Lundell returns to third-line center duty unless he can overtake Bennett. Great player, but the depth chart caps Lundell’s upside this time.

196. Juuse Saros, G, Predators: He can be a key piece of your team if your stat configuration favors volume. He has led the NHL in shots faced and saves in three of the past four seasons. But if we’re talking rate stats: Saros has been below average a couple years running, and the Preds are no sure bet to be a competitive club.

197. Shane Pinto, C, Senators: Excellent real-life player, one of the best defensive forwards in hockey. In fantasy: still a third-line center who will be hard-pressed to improve on last season’s 23-23-46 line based on role, though simply getting through 82 games would bump the totals slightly.

198. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Avalanche: He’ll never be the same player again after the three-year injury layoff. But he did show signs of getting his timing back. If you add up his numbers from the Olympic break through the end of the postseason: 13-11-24 in 32 games. So he’s clearly still a draftable asset in medium leagues or bigger.

199. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Capitals: Don’t forget about him. He missed most of last season but was a 66-point player the year before that. Dubois does carry more risk now, not just because of health but because he could fall as low as the third line with Boone Jenner joining the Caps.

200. Anders Lee, LW, Mammoth: He was one of the best play-driving wingers in the NHL last season. But I’m not too jazzed about drafting Lee season only because of where he signed. He has a lot of competition on the depth chart in Utah and will need to stay on the top two lines for fantasy relevance.

201. Will Cuyle, LW, Rangers: Didn’t take the additional step forward I envisioned. But Cuylle has a safe floor of 20 goals and 300 hits, which makes him a must-draft player in banger leagues.

202. Anthony Cirelli, C, Lightning: He gets his 20 goals and 50 points but is more of a two-way forward who isn’t going to exceed those numbers. He’s Pinto with less of a goal-scoring ceiling.

203. Konsta Helenius, C, Sabres: In a loaded rookie class, he’ll fly under the radar. Helenius, a chance-generation machine, can really play. He made the AHL look easy, and you can probably get him 100 picks after the Gavin McKennas and Anton Frondells of the world.

204. Matt Coronato, RW, Flames: He’s not a first-liner on almost any other team, but he’ll continue getting all the opportunities he wants in Calgary, so we can expect another 20 goals and 200 shots.

205. Chris Kreider, LW, Ducks: The decline is here for the power forward. But he’s still a top-sixer on a potent Anaheim Ducks squad, so we can keep relying on him for 20-30-50.

206. Brock Boeser, RW, Canucks: The Vancouver Canucks are a dead end, and so is Boeser’s ceiling for now, but you can get a safe 20-25 goals and 45-50 points. Just be warned in plus-minus leagues; he’s minus-73 over the past two seasons.

207. Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Red Wings: Had a really nice bounce-back season in Boston. Arvidsson can still bag 25 goals, and the Wings certainly need him. He remains a massive injury risk year to year, however.

208. Matvei Gridin, LW, Flames: Early statistical profile in the NHL suggests playmaker, but Gridin was much more of a goal scorer in junior, so there’s plenty of untapped upside to unlock. 

209. Pyotr Kochetkov, G, Hurricanes: Bussi has the net after backstopping the Cup win. But Kochetkov is a year younger and arguably possesses more upside. No matter what, he’ll play quite a bit more than most backups while still carrying potential to flip roles with Bussi.

210. Jake DeBrusk, LW, Canucks: Same situation as Boeser’s. We take the 20-plus goals and pray for a trade – though DeBrusk has never shown the same peak form as Boeser’s.

211. Luke Evangelista, RW, Predators: For hockey pool purposes, he’s becoming a Zuccarello-type player who can buoy you in assists but hasn’t shown upside yet in other stat categories.

212. Filip Hronek, D, Canucks: Not a bad Zero-D pick in that Hronek plays a ton – more than 25 minutes a game after the Quinn Hughes trade – and will accumulate a nice point total. I just have to issue the plus-minus disclaimer for pretty much every Canucks player. I’ll stop now. Consider it implied.

213. Pavel Buchnevich, RW Blues: He’s in his boring-veteran era now. It’s not exciting to draft him, but he’s a reliable source of 20-plus goals and 50 or so points as long as he’s a top-six forward in St. Louis.

214. Jack Quinn, RW, Sabres: Pretty quietly smoked his career highs with a 20-30-51 line last year. Quinn was an exciting prospect and has the talent to best that… if the playing time is there. I’m not so sure it is. He’s a 15-minute TOI guy, so I’ll project a repeat of last year.

215. Simon Nemec, D, Flames: Zayne Parekh obviously has the higher ceiling, but Nemec is the safer young Flames D-man to pick in redraft leagues if you want a higher floor. Why: $7.25 million reasons. They’re paying him to play well north of 20 minutes a night, which means he’ll deliver volume.

216. Olen Zellweger, D, Sabres: He’s not going to be an instant Bowen Byram facsimile…or is he? There’s room for Zellweger to make an immediate impact as a secondary offensive defenseman and a PP2 quarterback. I’d expect a nice uptick in 5-on-5 ice time and a rise to 40 points, give or take.

217. Roman Kantserov, RW, Blackhawks: Casual-league drafters can wait until pretty late and bamboozle their rivals with a Kantserov pick. He’s ready to help right away, fresh off leading the KHL in goals.

218. Sergei Murashov, G, Penguins: You can learn a lot about a player by how a team handles his internal competition. The Pens let Stuart Skinner walk as a UFA and didn’t replace him. Translation: they love Murashov and no longer want to block him. Maybe he starts as Arturs Silovs’ 1B, but I’d bet on Murashov overtaking him for the 1A by December.

219. Gabe Perreault, LW, Rangers: Finished his season with 19 points in 23 games. Was a record-breaking scorer for the USNTDP. And it appears he’ll get a first-line opportunity to open the season. A great breakout pick hiding in plain sight with so many other exciting rookies and sophomores commanding attention.

220. Mackie Samoskevich, LW, Kraken: Already has a floor of 15 goals, 150 shots and 130 hits… and he’ll play more than 14:38 a night going forward, with less competition on the depth chart. Offsetting the breakout potential is a weaker team around him, so maybe it’s just a mini-breakout.

221. Anthony Mantha, RW, Devils: Just like the UFA market, I’m not showing Mantha the respect a 30-goal season should command. But only a fool will pay full price on him staying healthy and maintaining a shooting percentage of 21.7. He won’t be nearly as profitable a pick this time.

222. Yaroslav Askarov, G, Sharks: Askarov, one of the century’s most hyped goalie prospects, is getting to play plenty now. He isn’t actually playing well yet, though? So we can’t reach too hard. But he’s just 24, younger than a lot of rookie netminders, so his upside remains as high as ever.

223. Lawson Crouse, LW, Mammoth: Crouse delivers Cuylle-like production minus the potential for more. Crouse is at his peak and may slide down the depth chart as the Mammoth continue to improve the roster around him. But we can enjoy the 20 goals and 200 hits.

224. Seth Jones, D, Panthers: The rangy righty’s body seems to be failing him, costing him games every season, but he can help in every category when he’s in the lineup.

225. Troy Terry, RW, Ducks: Classic example of a solid veteran scorer suddenly surging in production as his supporting cast drastically improves. He’s out until November or December recovering from hip surgery but makes for a good late-round stash.

226. Joey Daccord, G, Kraken: Outplayed by tandem partner Philipp Grubauer last season, but that’s the first time it happened. I still trust Daccord more. Across the past three seasons, among 41 goalies with 100 or more games played, he’s eighth in SV%. If only the team around him wasn’t so hopeless. I could not be more out on the Kraken.

227. Matty Beniers, C, Kraken: I’m not a big believer in the fantasy profile or the team, but Beniers is draftable in deep leagues for volume. He’ll play 19 minutes a night and get PP1 work on a team with no better option for its No. 1 center.

228. Jacob Fowler, G, Canadiens: He’s arguably the best goalie prospect in the game. The Habs are committed to Jakub Dobes as their starter, but Fowler will play a healthy amount. It’s not inconceivable that he pushes Dobes hard for No. 1 work, though I think that happens in 2027-28, not this season.

229. Boone Jenner, C, Capitals: Jenner never plays anywhere close to a complete season but is an excellent banger-league contributor on a per-game basis. At least, he has been. He has fantasy bust potential even when on the ice this season as he might not play as much on such a deep team. He’s not even a lock for PP2, let alone PP1.

230. Ilya Protas, LW, Capitals: Aliaksei’s younger brother obliterated major junior in 2024-25, made it look breezy in his first AHL season and had four points in four NHL games for his debut. Major upside here. The obstacle is not knowing where he’ll play – it could be as low as the fourth line – so we’ll have to see how training camp plays out. Protas could be a big riser in future rankings updates.

231. Igor Chernyshov, LW, Sharks: If you think he can stay on the Celebrini line, Chernyshov can turn a huge profit this season, especially because his sample size of 9-10-19 in 28 games was small enough not to attract too much attention last season. Casual drafters will overlook him.

232. Jordan Eberle, RW, Kraken: He’s the leader of a Kraken group that seemingly features a million 45-50-point players. You can stream him, but why not take some bigger swings at this point in the draft? You can always add Eberle types off the wire later.

233. Michael Misa, C, Sharks: To continue the Eberle point: grab Misa instead. He’s a pure leap-of-faith pick, having not done much damage as a rookie, but his raw offensive talent could progress to the point he explodes in Year 2.

234. Collin Graf, RW, Sharks: Already was deep-league usable last season with his 21-goal, 46-point breakout, and he’s a top-six forward entering his prime in an ascending offense. That is the definition of a wise investment to me.

235. Christian Dvorak, C, Flyers: I literally yawned typing his name. A 50-point center who doesn’t score goals is such a low-upside play in fantasy that I prefer boom/bust picks over guys like Dvorak at this stage of the draft.

236. Marco Rossi, C, Canucks: He’s handed Vancouver’s No. 2 center gig out of the gate and, between Elias Pettersson’s disappointing play and trade rumors, Rossi could easily end up as the No. 1 center. The role alone could get him back over the 50-point line.

237. Ryan McLeod, C, Sabres: In real life: a good soldier who plays in all situations and has held down No. 2 center duty when needed. In fantasy: only helps in points, and that’s not a guarantee anymore either if Helenius ends up overtaking him on the depth chart.

238. Claude Giroux, C, Senators: The type of twilight-year vet who barely hangs on the fantasy roster bubble in most leagues and will get added and dropped several times throughout the year. Can give you a small lift in assists and power-play points in deeper leagues.

239. Filip Gustavsson, G, Wild: He had already lost the 1A job to Wallstedt by the playoffs, and hip surgery puts Gustavsson further back in the race now. Still rosterable as he’ll help you when he does play, which will still be a healthy amount once he’s healed up.

240. Mattias Samuelsson, D, Sabres: What was last season? He’d never scored like that at any level coming up, so I’m nervous to project a repeat for the big two-way blueliner.

241. MacKenzie Weegar, D, Mammoth: He’s still an elite accumulator in the banger categories, and I’m wondering if the offensive totals can rebound a bit with a full season playing a prominent role on a rising team.

242. Alex Laferriere, RW, Kings: Underrated in leagues that count hits and shots on goal. He’ll give you robust totals in both and add 20 goals and 40 points.

243. Zeev Buium, D, Canucks: A year ago, Buium was absolutely an all-world prospect. He still is. He was the key to the Quinn Hughes trade. He’ll get every chance to inherit a similar role in Vancouver. It doesn’t mean the breakout will be instantaneous, but Buium has the ability to become a special player, so he’s worth a flier.

244. Sebastian Cossa, G, Mammoth: Love him in dynasty. We should pump the brakes in redraft, though. Utah’s starter Vejmelka is a true workhorse, and Cossa has one career NHL game to his name, so there still might be a learning curve despite his immense potential.

245. Philip Broberg, D, Blues: A great real-life find for St. Louis. In fantasy, though, he has to get all his numbers for you at 5-on-5, which really caps his upside, so he’s not too exciting. If he can secure PP1 work to open the season, however, I’ll likely jump him 50 spots.

246. Emil Heineman, LW, Islanders: I didn’t know he had this much offense in him to complement all the hits. I like this kid. At 24, he’s young enough to level up again.

247. Elias Lindholm, C, Bruins: He could not be less exciting to draft, as back issues have limited his effectiveness, but he’s still a second-line center on a team coming off a playoff berth.

248. Thomas Chabot, D, Senators: He’s still pretty productive when playing, putting up 48 points per 82 games across his past five seasons, but he’s missed 19 games per year across that span. If you pick him, you’ll need some insurance during his IR stint(s).

249. Jake Neighbours, LW, Blues: A pretty handy banger-league blend of goals and hits, but you’ll notice that he’s plateaued. He’s blocked from top-six work by Holloway, Snuggerud, Buchnevich and now McMichael, so Neighbours won’t do much better than what he is now for fantasy purposes.

250. Zayne Parekh, D, Flames: He obviously has the upside to become a top-100 player at any point, but he’s only 20, his team is terrible, and the Nemec acquisition creates power-play competition. I’m not in hard on Parekh this season.

251. Andrei Kuzmenko, LW, Penguins: This year’s Mantha? Kuzmenko is one of the league’s more efficient power-play generators, and he could get some quality looks on Pens team looking to get cost-efficient scoring. Sleeper to snipe 25 goals.

252. Danila Yurov, C, Wild: The Wild sound loath to part with Yurov in a trade for a No. 1 center, perhaps because they believe Yurov can still become one. He held his own decently as a rookie. He has upside to double last year’s 27-point debut if he can stick with Kaprizov all season.

253. Charlie Coyle, C, Blue Jackets: This is an incredibly low ranking for someone coming off a 58-point season, I know, but it was a clear outlier for a 34-year-old who will have to compete with Sean Monahan for No. 2 center work. Pass.

254. Nick Lardis, LW, Blackhawks: Don’t sleep on him. He’s lost in a sea of exciting Blackhawks prospects, but he scored 71 goals in his last major junior season, then posted 18 goals in 35 games as an AHL rookie, then had 10 in 41 games with Chicago playing only 12:15 a night. All Lardis has done in his life is score at every stop.

255. Joseph Woll, G, Flyers: Woll is a clear No. 2 behind Vladar. But Woll still has the raw talent of a No. 1 and could push Vladar with a well-timed hot streak. Either way, Woll should be a high-end backup who plays 25-plus games.

256. Dawson Mercer, RW, Devils: Not a bad player by any means, but the big breakout never happened, and I’m no longer convinced it will. He’s had enough chances at this point.

257. Ike Howard, LW, Oilers: The Edmonton Oiler depth chart is still shallow enough that Howard will get another chance at a key scoring-line role. And after he tore up the AHL last season, he’s clearly readier than he was a year ago. Might be the right time to buy.

258. Maxim Shabanov, RW, Wild: Didn’t do much as a rookie with the Isles. But he was a big-time KHL scorer, he’s only 25, and the Wild will likely try him with Kaprizov. Interesting deep-league sleeper.

259. Mikael Granlund, C, Ducks: Lacks upside at this stage of his career but plays a lot of minutes in Anaheim’s top six. Can still help in assists.

260. Jacob Trouba, D, Sharks: The scoring hasn’t been consistent enough that we can count on a repeat of last year. But he’ll play plenty on his new team and accumulate plus totals in shots, hits and blocks.

261. Jaden Schwartz, LW, Avalanche: Can a 34-year-old be a…sleeper? Schwartz could play with some of his highest-quality linemates in years if he’s a top-sixer in Colorado. If he can stay healthy and can force his way onto the second line, he has a 25-25-50 type of season in him, but he’s more of a late-round flier since he’s just as likely to play on line 3.

262. Tyler Toffoli, LW, Sharks: Toffoli can still score, but the depth chart around him is getting crowded, and his ice time shrunk to a decade-low 14:59 last season. Fewer looks means he has to be a lot more efficient just to get 20 goals.

263. Akira Schmid, G, Panthers: A voice has slowly gotten louder in my head this summer. “Akira Schmid, league winner,” it beckons. Hey – it could happen. What if Markstrom is finished? Do yourself a favor and stash Schmid on your bench with an endgame pick in deep drafts.

264. Jamie Drysdale, D, Flyers: He’s a talented puck mover who has finally found himself with the Flyers and deserved his shiny new contract. That said: the fantasy production hasn’t popped yet at all. He has yet to top 32 points in a season.

265. Brandon Montour, D, Kraken: A Zero-D GM could do worse than Montour to fill out the roster. He’ll help in goals and shots.

266. Alexander Wennberg, C, Sharks: Don’t chase the 55-point season from a career bottom-six center. It came out of necessity. Better, younger players will soon push Wennberg down the depth chart. He was a nice find for the Sharks, but I’m not buying the fantasy value boost one bit.

267. Mattias Ekholm, D, Oilers: Helpful in assists and plus-minus, but any fantasy value Ekholm accrues is incidental. He’s a real-life stopper who doesn’t play much on the power play but will accumulate stats sharing the ice with some of the world’s greatest scorers.

268. Darcy Kuemper, G, Kings: Only a season removed from huge fantasy value, but it feels like only one of Kuemper and Forsberg is rosterable on a mediocre Kings team. If Kuemper wins the upper hand back during camp, we can swap their rankings.

269. Travis Sanheim, D, Flyers: One of those real-life workhorses who can deliver a tiny bit of deep-league fantasy value because he’s on the ice so much that he’ll compile some volume. Pencil him in 35 points and a bunch of blocks.

270. Blake Coleman, LW, Wild: My early gut feeling is the move to a better team hurts Coleman’s value. He might slide from a 17-minute guy to a 15-minute guy in Minnesota. Still, the floor of 20 goals and 150 hits is playable, with a tiny bit of upside for more should the Wild try him at center.

271. Yakov Trenin, C, Wild: Banger-league pick only, but what a pick. He threw 413 friggin’ hits last year, the second most in NHL history.

272. Arturs Silovs, G, Penguins: A vote of non-confidence here. I recognize that Silovs is a slight favorite to open the season starting, but I don’t expect him to keep that job. Murashov SZN!

273. Mike Matheson, D, Canadiens: A least 30 points in five consecutive seasons, and three straight with at least 150 blocks. Deep-league floor play.

274. Tyler Seguin, C, Stars: Sounds like he’ll be back from his ACL injury by training camp. Seguin is about as injury prone as any player in the league, but the Stars might need him more than normal with their depth chart thinned out, and he still produces when he plays.

275. Jason Zucker, LW, Sabres: I disrespect Zucker every year in these rankings, and he always pops 20 goals. If your league is too shallow to draft him, he’s at least a reliable waiver guy year to year.

276. Sam Malinski, D, Avalanche: What a steal for the Avs finding the undrafted Malinski. He’s entrenched in Colorado’s top four and coming off a fantasy-relevant season of 40 points and 164 shots. I could see him repeating it, but I’m wary of the fact 20 percent of his points came during a 10-game stretch when Makar was injured.

277. Ryan Hartman, C, Wild: His line placement tends to fluctuate throughout the year, but he typically gets his 20 goals and 40 points. Might he be better off traded to a weaker team that would use him more consistently in the top six?

278. Matthew Wood, C, Predators: 17 goals for the towering rookie were nothing to sneeze at. Bigger breakout coming if he cements himself all season as the No. 2 center?

279. Oliver Kapanen, C, Canadiens: Intriguing as a shooter coming off a 22-goal rookie campaign, but I’m hesitant to buy all the way in since he can play anywhere from line 2 to 4.

280. Alex Lyon, G, Sabres: Can dominate for extended stretches, but he’s still likely just a 30-35-game guy playing second fiddle to ‘UPL.’ Good streamer during the season.

281. Luca Cagnoni, D, Sharks: Someone has to man that top power-play unit for San Jose, and the early indications suggest Cagnoni, an AHL power-play wizard, is their guy. Huge breakout potential as a late-round pick in that case. Let’s watch the camp deployments intently.

282. Taylor Hall, LW, Hurricanes: Careful not to let his point-per-game playoff run sway you. Regular-season Hall is a fairly low-ceiling guy at this stage of his career, putting up 15-20 goals and 40 or so points. He’ll outscore dozens of players I’ve ranked higher than him – but this is the point of a draft where we want to take the upside swings. If they don’t pan out, we can drop those guys for Hall types.

283. Jack Roslovic, RW, Maple Leafs: Doesn’t have the highest ceiling or floor. But he’s coming off a 21-goal year, and there’s a decent chance the Leafs try him with his old USNTDP linemate Matthews. We’ll keep a close eye on the line combos in training camp.

284. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, free agent: Let’s see where he lands. He still has another 20-goal season in his stick if he finds the right fit.

285. Patrik Laine, RW, free agent: Remember Laine if your league counts power-play points. He remains the most efficient scorer in the NHL with the man-advantage on a per-60 basis over the past three seasons. Will someone give him a chance?

286. Denton Mateychuk, D, Blue Jackets: He’s blocked by Werenski, but this kid has some real offensive talent, as evidenced by his 13 goals as a sophomore. Maybe not a must-draft player yet but someone for your watch list in the event of a Werenski injury or trade.

287. Devon Toews, D, Avalanche: He’ll outscore plenty of D-men I have listed above him, but there’s no upside anymore with Toews. He’s not on PP1, and he’s not useful in many categories aside from assists and plus-minus now.

288. Noah Cates, C, Flyers: An important real-life player who was productive enough for deep-league rostering last season. But I’m wary chasing 47 points from a third-liner. That’ll be tough to repeat.

289. Sean Monahan, C, Blue Jackets: I’m low-key stunned he played 78 games last season. He didn’t do much in them, but he’s just a year removed from averaging better than a point per game, so he could be playable if he holds off Coyle for second-line center duty.

290. James Hagens, LW, Bruins: I’m bearish, pun intended, on Hagens’ early-season prospects. But his upside remains significant, and he only has to overtake Casey Mittelstadt to become a top-sixer in Boston. Don’t forget about Hagens.

291. Vasily Podkolzin, LW, Oilers: At least for now, he’s a projected second-liner in Edmonton. A high-teens goal total and well north of 200 hits make for a fine late-round roster filler in banger leagues.

292. Artyom Levshunov, D, Blackhawks: It hasn’t been pretty so far. But Levshunov has a combo-meal skill set that could turn him into a Seider-like asset in fantasy someday. Why not use your last pick on him in case the Hawks look improved in Week 1 of the season? If it’s not his time yet, you drop him, no biggie.

293. Tij Iginla, LW, Mammoth: One of the more important rookies to monitor in camp. He was close to a goal per game in the WHL last season. If he makes the Mammoth, he’s an immediate threat to lead NHL rookies in snipes.

294. Simon Edvinsson, D, Red Wings: Ice time is increasing, the goal totals are good for a young blueliner, and his size and physicality should keep growing those hit and block totals. Draftable even if the ceiling isn’t exciting yet.

295. Easton Cowan, RW, Maple Leafs: Had a respectable rookie season, and being a large part of an AHL title run should help accelerate his development. Whether he’s a priority late-round pick will depend on his line deployments in camp. He’s not all that exciting if he’s a bottom-sixer.

296. Victor Eklund, LW, Islanders: This guy blends scoring acumen with a relentless motor. He’s a dawg. He likely needs more AHL seasoning, but he also could work his way onto the Isles out of camp and become worthy flier. It’s only a matter of time before the 2025 Draft’s 16^th overall pick makes an impact in the NHL.

297. Erik Haula, C, Kings: Not an exciting fantasy asset at all – but he doesn’t have much competition to be L.A.’s No. 2 center and will have something like Fiala/Zuccarello as his wingers. Not bad?

298. Casey DeSmith, G, Stars: Earns points for being one of the best backups in the NHL several years running. Loses points because that’s all he’ll ever be. He ain’t usurping Oettinger.

299. Michael DiPietro, G, Bruins: Deep post-hype sleeper who could help your rate stats in a backup role for the Bruins. He was the best player in the AHL over the past couple seasons, and he finally gets a chance at regular NHL work.

300. Brett Howden, C, Golden Knights: Is it worth taking a late-round flier on a guy who led the 2025-26 playoffs with 14 goals in 22 games? Meh, probably not, as they came on 34.5 percent shooting. But there’s at least a tiny bit of intrigue in the chemistry he found with Marner and William Karlsson on Vegas’ second line.

ON THE BUBBLE

K’Andre Miller
Fraser Minten
Jonathan Marchessault
Darnell Nurse
Peyton Krebs
Justin Faulk
Benjamin Kindel
Brayden Schenn
Pavel Mintyukov
Devin Cooley
Thatcher Demko
Jordan Binnington
Charlie Lindgren
Eeli Tolvanen
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Morgan Frost
Shane Wright
Tony DeAngelo
Owen Power
Tommy Novak
Kyle Palmieri
Calum Ritchie
Dennis Hildeby
Nick Robertson
Adin Hill
Anthony Stolarz
Gustav Forsling
Alex Newhook
Kent Johnson
Kiefer Sherwood
Mathieu Olivier
Brent Burns
Drew Doughty
Aaron Ekblad
Ridly Greig
Fabian Zetterlund
Chandler Stephenson
William Karlsson
Kaapo Kakko
Casey Mittelstadt
Kevin Lankinen
Conor Garland
Jamie Benn
Michael Bunting
Alex Killorn
Teuvo Teravainen
Jordan Staal
Noah Ostlund
Esa Lindell
Morgan Rielly
Caleb Desnoyers
Philipp Grubauer
Nikita Zadorov
Jordan Spence
Zach Bolduc
Dmitry Voronkov
Dalibor Dvorsky
Matias Maccelli
Connor Brown
Justin Sourdif
Emmitt Finnie
J.J. Moser
Ryan Shea
Berkly Catton
Artem Zub
John Marino
Cam Fowler
Arseny Gritsyuk
Simon Holmstrom
Dmitry Orlov
Sam Dickinson
Jake Walman
Andrew Copp
Evan Rodrigues
Damon Severson
Eetu Luostarinen
Linus Karlsson
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Marat Khusnutdinov
Ivan Provorov
Sam Rinzel
Sean Durzi
Alexandre Texier
Ross Colton
Trevor Moore
Ryan Donato
Noah Hanifin
Stuart Skinner
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Tristan Jarry
Parker Kelly
Joel Farabee
Cole Eiserman
Gage Goncalves
A.J. Greer
Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Ryan Poehling
Brady Martin
Mikael Backlund
Jiri Kulich
Liam Ohgren
Ilya Mikheyev
Justin Brazeau
Nate Danielson
Bradly Nadeau
Kirby Dach
Rutger McGroarty
Isak Rosen
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
Colten Ellis
Marco Kasper
Sean Walker
Axel Sandin Pellikka
Connor Zary
Devon Levi
Ryan Strome
Jonathan Huberdeau
Cole Sillinger
Victor Olofsson
Yegor Sharangovich
Andre Burakovsky
Josh Manson
Alex Bump
Logan Mailloux
Lian Bischel
Carter Yakemchuk
Jagger Firkus

Top 300 at a glance

1 | Nathan MacKinnon | C | Avalanche
2 | Connor McDavid | C | Oilers
3 | Macklin Celebrini | C | Sharks
4 | Nikita Kucherov | RW | Lightning
5 | Leon Draisaitl | C | Oilers
6 | David Pastrnak | RW | Bruins
7 | Cale Makar | D | Avalanche
8 | Kirill Kaprizov | LW | Wild
9 | Evan Bouchard | D | Oilers
10 | Martin Necas | RW | Avalanche
11 | Zach Werenski | D | Blue Jackets
12 | Mikko Rantanen | RW | Stars
13 | Andrei Vasilevskiy | G | Lightning
14 | Jason Robertson | LW | Stars
15 | Lane Hutson | D | Canadiens
16 | Quinn Hughes | D | Wild
17 | Nick Suzuki | C | Canadiens
18 | Kyle Connor | LW | Jets
19 | Cole Caufield | LW | Canadiens
20 | Cutter Gauthier | LW | Ducks
21 | Wyatt Johnston | C | Stars
22 | Brady Tkachuk | LW | Panthers
23 | Matt Boldy | RW | Wild
24 | Rasmus Dahlin | D | Sabres
25 | Tage Thompson | C | Sabres
26 | Leo Carlsson | C | Ducks
27 | Jack Eichel | C | Golden Knights
28 | William Nylander | RW | Maple Leafs
29 | Auston Matthews | C | Maple Leafs
30 | Mitch Marner | RW | Golden Knights
31 | Jack Hughes | C | Devils
32 | Connor Hellebuyck | G | Jets
33 | Matthew Tkachuk | RW | Panthers
34 | Matthew Schaefer | D | Islanders
35 | Logan Thompson | G | Capitals
36 | Tim Stutzle | C | Senators
37 | Jake Guentzel | LW | Lightning
38 | Ilya Sorokin | G | Islanders
39 | Mark Scheifele | C | Jets
40 | Brandon Hagel | LW | Lightning
41 | Adrian Kempe | RW | Kings
42 | Igor Shesterkin | G | Rangers
43 | Artemi Panarin | LW | Kings
44 | Jake Oettinger | G | Stars
45 | Clayton Keller | RW | Mammoth
46 | Moritz Seider | D | Red Wings
47 | Adam Fox | D | Rangers
48 | Dylan Guenther | RW | Mammoth
49 | Sam Reinhart | RW | Panthers
50 | Alex DeBrincat | LW | Red Wings
51 | Sebastian Aho | C | Hurricanes
52 | Sidney Crosby | C | Penguins
53 | Jeremy Swayman | G | Bruins
54 | Jackson LaCombe | D | Ducks
55 | Logan Cooley | C | Mammoth
56 | Filip Forsberg | LW | Predators
57 | Lucas Raymond | RW | Red Wings
58 | Ivan Demidov | RW | Canadiens
59 | Juraj Slafkovsky | RW | Canadiens
60 | John Carlson | D | Lightning
61 | Jakob Chychrun | D | Capitals
62 | Miro Heiskanen | D | Stars
63 | Beckett Sennecke | RW | Ducks
64 | Dylan Larkin | C | Red Wings
65 | Connor Bedard | C | Blackhawks
66 | Darren Raddysh | D | Maple Leafs
67 | Andrei Svechnikov | RW | Hurricanes
68 | Jesper Bratt | RW | Devils
69 | Will Smith | RW | Sharks
70 | Kirill Marchenko | RW | Blue Jackets
71 | Aleksander Barkov | C | Panthers
72 | Drake Batherson | RW | Senators
73 | Alex Tuch | RW | Capitals
74 | Morgan Geekie | C | Bruins
75 | Lukas Dostal | G | Ducks
76 | Brayden Point | C | Lightning
77 | Zach Hyman | RW | Oilers
78 | Matthew Knies | LW | Maple Leafs
79 | Scott Wedgewood | G | Avalanche
80 | Josh Morrissey | D | Jets
81 | Dylan Holloway | LW | Blues
82 | Jesper Wallstedt | G | Wild
83 | Adam Fantilli | C | Blue Jackets
84 | Jake Sanderson | D | Senators
85 | Brad Marchand | LW | Panthers
86 | Jakub Dobes | G | Canadiens
87 | Roman Josi | D | Predators
88 | Robert Thomas | C | Blues
89 | Travis Konecny | RW | Flyers
90 | Tom Wilson | RW | Capitals
91 | Nico Hischier | C | Devils
92 | Steven Stamkos | C | Predators
93 | John Tavares | C | Maple Leafs
94 | Alex Ovechkin | LW | Capitals
95 | Nikolaj Ehlers | LW | Hurricanes
96 | Mark Stone | RW | Golden Knights
97 | Porter Martone | RW | Flyers
98 | Karel Vejmelka | G | Mammoth
99 | Bo Horvat | C | Islanders
100 | Brock Nelson | C | Avalanche
101 | Jacob Markstrom | G | Panthers
102 | Pavel Dorofeyev | LW | Rangers
103 | Jet Greaves | G | Blue Jackets
104 | Jordan Kyrou | RW | Capitals
105 | Mika Zibanejad | C | Rangers
106 | Mathew Barzal | C | Islanders
107 | Quinton Byfield | C | Kings
108 | Roope Hintz | C | Stars
109 | Gavin McKenna | LW | Maple Leafs
110 | Brandt Clarke | D | Kings
111 | Seth Jarvis | RW | Hurricanes
112 | JJ Peterka | LW | Bruins
113 | Mikhail Sergachev | D | Mammoth
114 | Erik Karlsson | D | Penguins
115 | Linus Ullmark | G | Senators
116 | Vincent Trocheck | C | Mammoth
117 | Owen Tippett | RW | Flyers
118 | Charlie McAvoy | D | Bruins
119 | Nick Schmaltz | C | Mammoth
120 | Timo Meier | LW | Devils
121 | Shayne Gostisbehere | D | Hurricanes
122 | Jackson Blake | RW | Hurricanes
123 | Bowen Byram | D | Blackhawks
124 | Kevin Fiala | LW | Kings
125 | Egor Chinakhov | RW | Penguins
126 | Alexis Lafreniere | RW | Rangers
127 | Trevor Zegras | C | Flyers
128 | Dan Vladar | G | Flyers
129 | Gabe Vilardi | RW | Jets
130 | Brock Faber | D | Wild
131 | Shea Theodore | D | Golden Knights
132 | Bryan Rust | RW | Penguins
133 | Dylan Cozens | C | Senators
134 | William Eklund | LW | Senators
135 | Jimmy Snuggerud | RW | Blues
136 | J.T. Miller | C | Rangers
137 | Dylan Strome | C | Capitals
138 | Matvei Michkov | RW | Flyers
139 | Ryan O’Reilly | C | Predators
140 | Thomas Harley | D | Stars
141 | Zach Benson | LW | Sabres
142 | Valeri Nichushkin | LW | Blue Jackets
143 | Anton Frondell | C | Blackhawks
144 | Josh Doan | RW | Sabres
145 | Logan Stankoven | C | Hurricanes
146 | Sam Bennett | C | Panthers
147 | Artturi Lehkonen | LW | Avalanche
148 | Nazem Kadri | C | Avalanche
149 | Aliaksei Protas | LW | Capitals
150 | Joel Eriksson Ek | C | Wild
151 | Noah Dobson | D | Canadiens
152 | Mason McTavish | C | Blues
153 | Frederik Andersen | G | Oilers
154 | Jared McCann | LW | Kraken
155 | Carter Hart | G | Golden Knights
156 | Ivan Barbashev | LW | Golden Knights
157 | Tomas Hertl | C | Golden Knights
158 | Ryan Leonard | RW | Capitals
159 | Rickard Rakell | LW | Penguins
160 | Elias Pettersson | C | Canucks
161 | Carter Verhaeghe | LW | Panthers
162 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | G | Sabres
163 | Matt Savoie | RW | Oilers
164 | Brandon Bussi | G | Hurricanes
165 | Matt Duchene | C | Stars
166 | Jake Allen | G | Devils
167 | Pavel Zacha | C | Bruins
168 | Rasmus Andersson | D | Golden Knights
169 | John Gibson | G | Red Wings
170 | Bobby McMann | LW | Kraken
171 | Josh Norris | C | Sabres
172 | Ivar Stenberg | LW | Sharks
173 | Spencer Knight | G | Blackhawks
174 | Dustin Wolf | G | Flames
175 | Alexander Nikishin | D | Hurricanes
176 | Mackenzie Blackwood | G | Avalanche
177 | Mavrik Bourque | RW | Predators
178 | Tyson Foerster | LW | Flyers
179 | Tyler Bertuzzi | LW | Blackhawks
180 | Vince Dunn | D | Kraken
181 | Frank Nazar | C | Blackhawks
182 | Mason Marchment | LW | Sharks
183 | Anton Forsberg | G | Kings
184 | Dougie Hamilton | D | Devils
185 | Cole Hutson | D | Capitals
186 | Luke Hughes | D | Devils
187 | Sergei Bobrovsky | G | Maple Leafs
188 | Joel Hofer | G | Blues
189 | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | LW | Oilers
190 | Victor Hedman | D | Lightning
191 | Patrick Kane | RW | Blackhawks
192 | Evgeni Malkin | C | Penguins
193 | Connor McMichael | LW | Blues
194 | Mats Zuccarello | RW | Kings
195 | Anton Lundell | C | Panthers
196 | Juuse Saros | G | Predators
197 | Shane Pinto | C | Senators
198 | Gabriel Landeskog | LW | Avalanche
199 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | C | Capitals
200 | Anders Lee | LW | Mammoth
201 | Will Cuyle | LW | Rangers
202 | Anthony Cirelli | C | Lightning
203 | Konsta Helenius | C | Sabres
204 | Matt Coronato | RW | Flames
205 | Chris Kreider | LW | Ducks
206 | Brock Boeser | RW | Canucks
207 | Viktor Arvidsson | RW | Red Wings
208 | Matvei Gridin | LW | Flames
209 | Pyotr Kochetkov | G | Hurricanes
210 | Jake DeBrusk | LW | Canucks
211 | Luke Evangelista | RW | Predators
212 | Filip Hronek | D | Canucks
213 | Pavel Buchnevich | RW | Blues
214 | Jack Quinn | RW | Sabres
215 | Simon Nemec | D | Flames
216 | Olen Zellweger | D | Sabres
217 | Roman Kantserov | RW | Blackhawks
218 | Sergei Murashov | G | Penguins
219 | Gabe Perreault | LW | Rangers
220 | Mackie Samoskevich | LW | Kraken
221 | Anthony Mantha | RW | Devils
222 | Yaroslav Askarov | G | Sharks
223 | Lawson Crouse | LW | Mammoth
224 | Seth Jones | D | Panthers
225 | Troy Terry | RW | Ducks
226 | Joey Daccord | G | Kraken
227 | Matty Beniers | C | Kraken
228 | Jacob Fowler | G | Canadiens
229 | Boone Jenner | C | Capitals
230 | Ilya Protas | LW | Capitals
231 | Igor Chernyshov | LW | Sharks
232 | Jordan Eberle | RW | Kraken
233 | Michael Misa | C | Sharks
234 | Collin Graf | RW | Sharks
235 | Christian Dvorak | C | Flyers
236 | Marco Rossi | C | Canucks
237 | Ryan McLeod | C | Sabres
238 | Claude Giroux | C | Senators
239 | Filip Gustavsson | G | Wild
240 | Mattias Samuelsson | D | Sabres
241 | MacKenzie Weegar | D | Mammoth
242 | Alex Laferriere | RW | Kings
243 | Zeev Buium | D | Canucks
244 | Sebastian Cossa | G | Mammoth
245 | Philip Broberg | D | Blues
246 | Emil Heineman | LW | Islanders
247 | Elias Lindholm | C | Bruins
248 | Thomas Chabot | D | Senators
249 | Jake Neighbours | LW | Blues
250 | Zayne Parekh | D | Flames
251 | Andrei Kuzmenko | LW | Penguins
252 | Danila Yurov | C | Wild
253 | Charlie Coyle | C | Blue Jackets
254 | Nick Lardis | LW | Blackhawks
255 | Joseph Woll | G | Flyers
256 | Dawson Mercer | RW | Devils
257 | Ike Howard | LW | Oilers
258 | Maxim Shabanov | RW | Wild
259 | Mikael Granlund | C | Ducks
260 | Jacob Trouba | D | Sharks
261 | Jaden Schwartz | LW | Avalanche
262 | Tyler Toffoli | LW | Sharks
263 | Akira Schmid | G | Panthers
264 | Jamie Drysdale | D | Flyers
265 | Brandon Montour | D | Kraken
266 | Alexander Wennberg | C | Sharks
267 | Mattias Ekholm | D | Oilers
268 | Darcy Kuemper | G | Kings
269 | Travis Sanheim | D | Flyers
270 | Blake Coleman | LW | Wild
271 | Yakov Trenin | C | Wild
272 | Arturs Silovs | G | Penguins
273 | Mike Matheson | D | Canadiens
274 | Tyler Seguin | C | Stars
275 | Jason Zucker | LW | Sabres
276 | Sam Malinski | D | Avalanche
277 | Ryan Hartman | C | Wild
278 | Matthew Wood | C | Predators
279 | Oliver Kapanen | C | Canadiens
280 | Alex Lyon | G | Sabres
281 | Luca Cagnoni | D | Sharks
282 | Taylor Hall | LW | Hurricanes
283 | Jack Roslovic | RW | Maple Leafs
284 | Vladimir Tarasenko | RW | free agent
285 | Patrik Laine | RW | free agent
286 | Denton Mateychuk | D | Blue Jackets
287 | Devon Toews | D | Avalanche
288 | Noah Cates | C | Flyers
289 | Sean Monahan | C | Blue Jackets
290 | James Hagens | LW | Bruins
291 | Vasily Podkolzin | LW | Oilers
292 | Artyom Levshunov | D | Blackhawks
293 | Tij Iginla | LW | Mammoth
294 | Simon Edvinsson | D | Red Wings
295 | Easton Cowan | RW | Maple Leafs
296 | Victor Eklund | LW | Islanders
297 | Erik Haula | C | Kings
298 | Casey DeSmith | G | Stars
299 | Michael DiPietro | G | Bruins
300 | Brett Howden | C | Golden Knights

_____

POST SPONSORED BY bet365

_____

Recently by Matt Larkin

• The five biggest unresolved storylines of the 2026 NHL offseason
• Stanley Cup Windows 2026-27: Pacific Division
• Stanley Cup Windows 2026-27: Metropolitan Division
• Stanley Cup Windows 2026-27: Central Division
• Stanley Cup Windows 2026-27: Atlantic Division