20 Fantasy Thoughts: Everything you need to know to prep for your playoff pool 

There’s nothing quite like playoff hockey.  

After a long and grueling regular season, the Stanley Cup playoffs are somehow played at a frenetic pace and at a level of speed that can’t be duplicated until the games matter most. It also allows fantasy hockey enthusiasts one more shot at glory if things didn’t end as you hoped in your league.  

Playoff pools are a different animal, though. So much of your success is predicated on how well the teams of your players do, unlike in the regular season, where a player like Erik Karlsson can still have a ton of value even if he’s playing on one of the NHL’s worst teams. For instance, if the Edmonton Oilers lose in the first round, would Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have as much value as Seth Jarvis let’s say, if the Carolina Hurricanes make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final? 

If you were drafting for next season Nugent-Hopkins coming off 100-plus points would be the no brainer pick, but if he only plays six or seven playoff games, there might be other players that seem like lesser options who actually have more value.  

These nuances in playoff pools make things more interesting and really allow you to put your skills to the test as a fantasy GM. 

1. Further to the point above, you must be careful about not spreading yourself too thin in playoff pools. There is a tendency to try and build a perfectly balanced team by taking players from all of the 16 teams competing in the playoffs, but if 60 per cent of your players are out after the first round, you’re going to be in trouble.

I find the best strategy is to take the majority of your players from the four teams you think will reach the conference finals, or at least from teams who you like to advance to Round 2. That’s easier said than done, of course, as predicting the playoff bracket is tough, but you certainly have to make your picks with who you believe is going to go on a long run. 

2. There are exceptions, though, and Connor McDavid would qualify as one. Even if the Oilers don’t advance past the first round, McDavid could easily have 15 or 16 points in an opening round series. Don’t overthink things when McDavid is involved.  

3. If you do plan to use this strategy, common sense would indicate you should stack up on Boston Bruins players after their historically dominant season. However, keep in mind, since the Presidents’ Trophy was first awarded in 1985-86, only eight teams that won the award went on to win the Stanley Cup that year. Not only that, but seven Presidents’ Trophy winners have lost in the first round and the last one to win the Cup was the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012-13.

I’m not saying the Bruins are in trouble at all, but when you consider history isn’t on their side and they’ll have to deal with either the Toronto Maple Leafs or Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round, Boston going on a long playoff run isn’t as sure of a thing as you might think.  

4. If you’re trying to determine who has the easiest path to the Cup Final, you’ll probably want to look West. The East is much more of a difficult path in my opinion. Take the New Jersey Devils for example, as they would have to go through Igor Shesterkin and the New York Rangers first, then possibly the Hurricanes and the Bruins just to reach the final. It’s certainly possible for the Devils to do it and it’s not like there are any easy teams to play in the postseason, but Carolina and Boston finished 1^st and 2^nd in points in the NHL. That’s a tough road for the Devils. Just something to ponder if you plan to use a high pick on Jack Hughes.  

5. The East actually has the top four teams in the NHL based on points, so the West figures to be more wide open. If I had a later round pick and a lot of the big names were gone, I’d look more to players from the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild or Dallas Stars, as opposed to the Lightning or Devils. Players like Adrian Kempe, Matt Boldy and Jamie Benn could end up having huge value in a playoff pool if their teams win a couple of rounds.  

6. One thing to be careful about is assuming a goalie that starts Game 1 for a team is the only netminder that will get playing time. Would anyone be surprised if teams like Minnesota, Vegas and Los Angeles went on a decent playoff run using multiple goalies? For example, it wouldn’t shock me if the Wild start Filip Gustavsson in their series and then turn to Marc-Andre Fleury if they got down 0-2.

If Minnesota comes back to win that series and keeps rolling with Fleury, you’ll be in trouble if you were banking on plenty of starts from Gustavsson. The safer option are goalies like Shesterkin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, or Jake Oettinger, who don’t have anyone to challenge them for playing time. If their respective teams go on a deep run, they’ll be seeing all the action. 

7. Vegas might be the best example of this. I know Laurent Brossoit has been fairly solid down the stretch here, but it feels like his grasp on that job is tenuous at best. Jonathan Quick and Adin Hill could potentially have a say in things if Brossoit has a bad game, and Logan Thompson could eventually come back. It’s too risky for my liking to use a high pick on Brossoit.  

8. Matthew Tkachuk is probably going to be the most difficult player to put a value on in playoff drafts. In standard leagues this fall he’s going to be a top 10 pick and arguably a top five, but are the Florida Panthers going to be around long enough this spring to make him worthy of a pick that high? I’ve got him at 17 in my playoff rankings, simply because I think it’s going to be incredibly challenging for the Panthers to knock off the Bruins in the first round.  

9. Another part of your research for a playoff draft should be looking at who elevates their game in the postseason. Sebastian Aho is a good example of this for me, as he’s averaged 0.9 points per game for his career during the regular season but jumps to nearly a point per game in his 48 playoff contests. It’s a small thing, yet it’s something that can make a big difference for your chances at winning your pool if Aho and the Hurricanes go far. 

10. It sounds like Cale Makar is going to be ready for Game 1 after dealing with an injury. Makar only played in 60 games this season because of injuries and his challenges staying healthy may push him down playoff draft boards a bit. If you’re picking late in the top 10, I still wouldn’t hesitate to grab him, though. He’s an elite talent that had 29 points in 20 postseason games a year ago. Makar is definitely worth taking on a little bit of risk.  

11. Speaking of injuries, you don’t see a lot of stashing in playoff pools and the best option for this year’s postseason would have been Gabriel Landeskog, but he’s now been officially ruled out for the playoffs. There are still a handful of other injured options that could make an impact in the postseason like Mat Barzal, Tanner Jeannot and Mark Stone.

12. Barzal’s issue is the New York Islanders are underdogs in the first round and would need to upset the Hurricanes for him to have any significant value. Jeannot hasn’t produced well offensively since joining the Lightning, so holding on to him would be wishful thinking at this point. Stone might be the most interesting because he is progressing and Vegas could easily go on a long run. He would be nice to have around if you need a boost late in your pool, but there is certainly no guarantee he’ll actually have any relevance in the playoffs. Buyer beware.

13. Is this the year the Toronto Maple Leafs finally get out of the first round? If they’re going to do it, William Nylander will no doubt play a critical role. Nylander has 19 points in his past 19 playoff games and had seven points versus the Lightning in the postseason a year ago. Everyone is likely going to grab Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews from the Leafs first in your draft, but Nylander is more than just a consolation prize.  

14. If you’re not that into playoff pools there’s still a few reasons to pay attention from a fantasy perspective. The main one being the postseason can be a good window into what someone might do next year. A player’s strong play during a playoff run could spill over into next season and make them a target in your drafts. There’s also young players that might be getting their first crack at meaningful hockey that could be interesting keeper options in deep leagues. Matthew Knies and Luke Hughes are two to keep an eye on during the playoffs.  

15. In any hockey pool, you have to hit on a few sleepers to have success. When it comes to the playoffs, it’s important to try and land some under-the-radar players that are going to be part of a deep run. Once the McDavids, Pastrnaks, and MacKinnons are taken, whoever grabs a second or third liner that makes it all the way to the Conference Final or even the Cup Final is going to have a huge advantage.  

16. One name that may be a candidate for a sleeper is Pavel Zacha. The Bruins forward quietly had 57 points this year and likely won’t be a heavily coveted option in drafts. Zacha should get a bunch of playing time with David Pastrnak and some minutes on the power play as well.  

17. How much stock should you put into a player not having a very strong finish to the regular season? Well, it depends on the player. Brad Marchand had one goal in his final 18 games, but I don’t think that should stop you whatsoever from taking him if it makes sense in your draft. Marchand has 118 career playoff points and raises his level when the games matter most.  

18. Evander Kane doesn’t have as much value in playoff pools because a lot of leagues don’t count hits, but don’t forget, Kane had 13 goals in 15 postseason games a year ago. Almost everyone in the Oilers top six should have value this spring.  

19. I took a bit of heat for not having a Winnipeg Jets skater ranked inside the top 60 of my playoff rankings. There’s no denying the likes of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor are supremely talented, I just don’t think they’ll be around long enough to make a huge fantasy impact. Vegas finished first in the West despite a bunch of injuries and using nearly a half dozen goalies this season. The Golden Knights are also incredibly well coached.

Could Connor Hellebuyck steal this series for the Jets? It’s possible, but I wouldn’t bank on it by stocking up on Winnipeg skaters. I don’t think that’s a smart strategy for success. 

20. Oettinger turned in one of the best performances of last year’s postseason, sporting a whopping .954 save percentage in a seven-game series. I think the Dallas Stars are a much deeper and better team this time around and will have a much more winnable opening-round matchup. The Minnesota Wild rank 23rd in scoring this season, the worst among all the playoff teams. It still won’t be an easy matchup, but I foresee a low-scoring series that if the Stars win, could propel them and Oettinger on a long run.