The start of NHL training camps is still a month away but getting an early look at where the top players rank is always a good idea. The best of the best likely won't have their positions altered much, though there could be some movement in the rankings ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Starting with the forwards, Connor McDavid remains the cream of the crop. He has comfortably surpassed the 100-point plateau in four straight seasons while racking up shots and hitting more frequently. McDavid has led the league in scoring in three of the past four campaigns. Nathan MacKinnon finally got back to playing a full year in 2023-24, and he exploded offensively with 51 goals and 140 points. Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov, Auston Matthews, and David Pastrnak remain excellent building blocks for any Fantasy roster.
For defensemen, Cale Makar has some company at the top of the Fantasy hockey food chain. Roman Josi, Evan Bouchard, and Quinn Hughes are all coming off extraordinary performances last season. Makar and Hughes cracked the 90-point mark in 2023-24 while flirting with 40 power-play points. Meanwhile, Josi and Bouchard were point-per-game producers, and they were integral in other categories as well. Any one of them would be a great way to start a Fantasy defense corps.
Goaltending has become increasingly difficult to manage and predict in the Fantasy landscape, leading several managers to wait until the later rounds to address the position on draft day. Still, investing in the most reliable options on the strongest teams is a great way to construct a lineup and win a championship. Connor Hellebuyck is a workhorse, starting at least 60 games in three consecutive campaigns, and has proven to be more than capable of stealing games. The 2023-24 Vezina Trophy winner is a good bet to be the first netminder off the board in Fantasy drafts. Igor Shesterkin had a bit of a down year by his standards but still managed to record valuable statistics last season, making him a solid option between the pipes. Fantasy managers looking for other strong options will likely look in the direction of Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Juuse Saros going into the 2024-25 campaign.
- Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
- Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche
- Leon Draisaitl, C/LW, Edmonton Oilers - - Moving up to this spot may surprise some after he finished seventh in scoring last season. However, Draisaitl should be able to improve upon his numbers in 2024-25 while benefiting from the additions of wingers Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson.
- Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
- David Pastrnak, RW, Boston Bruins
- Mikko Rantanen, RW, Colorado Avalanche
- Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
- Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers
- Matthew Tkachuk, LW/RW, Florida Panthers - - A return to the 100-point mark should be in the cards for the 26-year-old shift disturber. His 9.3 shooting percentage will improve, especially after he scored 21 of his 26 goals in his final 44 outings.
- Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey Devils
- Kirill Kaprizov, LW, Minnesota Wild
- Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa Senators
- Roman Josi, D, Nashville Predators - - Still can pile up goals and shots with the best of them while chipping in plenty of blocks. The 34-year-old will also get a boost from Nashville's offensive upgrades in the summer.
- J.T. Miller, C/RW, Vancouver Canucks
- Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
- Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets
- Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks - - In terms of pure point production, Hughes is one of the better blueliners in the league. However, he doesn't do as much in other categories as the defenders ranked higher than him.
- Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks
- Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo Sabres
- Filip Forsberg, LW, Nashville Predators
- William Nylander, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers
- Brayden Point, C, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas Stars
- Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Jake Guentzel, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Sebastian Aho, C, Carolina Hurricanes
- Jeremy Swayman, G, Boston Bruins
- Connor Bedard, C, Chicago Blackhawks - - Fantasy managers will likely reach for Bedard in drafts this year, so he could potentially go higher than this. The 19-year-old phenom has the potential to erupt offensively in 2024-25 following an impressive 22-goal, 61-point display in his rookie campaign.
- Sam Reinhart, RW, Florida Panthers
- Zach Hyman, LW, Edmonton Oilers
- Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
- Adam Fox, D, New York Rangers
- Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers
- Kyle Connor, LW, Winnipeg Jets
- Aleksander Barkov, C, Florida Panthers
- Noah Dobson, D, New York Islanders
- Juuse Saros, G, Nashville Predators
- Tage Thompson, C/RW, Buffalo Sabres - - There's still hope he can be the offensive terror he was in 2022-23 when he registered 47 goals and 94 points in 78 contests.
- Clayton Keller, LW/RW, Utah Hockey Club
- Steven Stamkos, C/LW, Nashville Predators
- Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jack Eichel, C, Vegas Golden Knights
- Tim Stutzle, C, Ottawa Senators - - Possesses the upside to blow past this ranking if he returns to the 90-point mark in 2024-25 while increasing his shot and hit totals.
- Jesper Bratt, LW/RW, New Jersey Devils
- Andrei Svechnikov, LW, Carolina Hurricanes - - Has all the tools to be a multi-category fantasy monster but hasn't played a full 82-game schedule since his rookie year.
- Wyatt Johnston, C/RW, Dallas Stars - - Expected to take another step forward after scoring 32 goals and 65 points in 82 games last season. He also added 10 tallies and 16 points in 19 playoff outings.
- Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks
- Adrian Kempe, C/RW, Los Angeles Kings
- Chris Kreider, LW, New York Rangers
- Timo Meier, LW/RW, New Jersey Devils - - Wrapped up a tumultuous 2023-24 with 18 goals and 30 points in 26 outings, making him an intriguing rebound candidate. He's expected to be ready for camp after having shoulder surgery in the offseason.
- Vincent Trocheck, C, New York Rangers
- Josh Morrissey, D, Winnipeg Jets
- Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals
- Mika Zibanejad, C, New York Rangers
- Seth Jarvis, RW, Carolina Hurricanes
- Dylan Larkin, C, Detroit Red Wings
- Carter Verhaeghe, C/LW, Florida Panthers
- Jacob Markstrom, G, New Jersey Devils - - Makes for an intriguing gamble in fantasy after being acquired from Calgary. New Jersey's offense and improved defense could help the 34-year-old netminder bounce back in a big way.
- Joel Eriksson Ek, C, Minnesota Wild
- Kevin Fiala, LW, Los Angeles Kings
- Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas Stars
- Mathew Barzal, C/RW, New York Islanders
- Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis Blues
- Lucas Raymond, LW/RW, Detroit Red Wings
- Matt Boldy, LW/RW, Minnesota Wild
- Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins
- Stuart Skinner, G. Edmonton Oilers
- Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils - - After being limited to 20 contests last season, he has tremendous bounce-back appeal if he can stay healthy. The 31-year-old could be among the highest-scoring blueliners by the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
- Travis Konecny, LW/RW, Philadelphia Flyers
- Alexandar Georgiev, G. Colorado Avalanche
- Jeff Skinner, LW, Edmonton Oilers - - Getting to play alongside Draisaitl or McDavid should do wonders for his fantasy value.
- Jordan Kyrou, C/RW, St. Louis Blues
- Mark Scheifele, C, Winnipeg Jets
- Nick Suzuki, C, Montreal Canadiens
- Bo Horvat, C, New York Islanders
- Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames
- Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings
- Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks
- Cole Caufield, RW, Montreal Canadiens
- Brock Nelson, C, New York Islanders
- Erik Karlsson, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Ilya Sorokin, G, New York Islanders
- Alexis Lafreniere, LW/RW, New York Rangers - - Accounted for 28 goals and 57 points in 82 regular-season outings before adding eight tallies and 14 points in 16 playoff appearances. He could level up again in 2024-25.
- John Carlson, D, Washington Capitals
- Alex DeBrincat, LW/RW, Detroit Red Wings
- Quinton Byfield, C/LW, Los Angeles Kings
- Drake Batherson, LW/RW, Ottawa Senators
- Pavel Buchnevich, C/LW, St. Louis Blues
- Alex Tuch, LW, Buffalo Sabres - - Bounce-back candidate after slipping to 22 goals and 59 points last season from 36 markers and 79 points across 74 appearances in 2022-23.
- Brandon Hagel, LW/RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Nashville Predators
- Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, Montreal Canadiens
- Shea Theodore, D, Vegas Golden Knights - - The offensive upside is undeniable but injuries have hindered his fantasy value for the past two years.
- Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings
- John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Tomas Hertl, C, Vegas Golden Knights
