The first interesting tidbit to come from the start of training camps was that the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to try William Nylander at centre, at least to start.
For the Leafs, who are thin at the position, it makes sense. But it’s not ideal in the fantasy hockey world. Outside of Nylander getting dual eligibility, there’s not much to be excited about if he moves to the middle of the ice. Nylander has always been much more effective as a winger and the few cameos he has received at centre haven’t gone well. Plus, in that situation, he likely won’t be playing with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner or John Tavares outside of the power play.
Nylander would also have extra defensive responsibilities at centre, which could ultimately hold his offence back a bit. He seems like the type of player who’s at his best and most productive when he’s playing carefree.
I’m not sure this experiment is going to stick throughout the season, but it’s another wrinkle to analyze if you’re spending a high pick on Nylander.
Let’s get to your questions:
That’s easy, I’m the only one who knows what they’re doing. So just listen to me.
I’m kidding, of course. I would say it takes time to build trust with readers/followers and you should reach out to whomever you’re comfortable with. A lot of people play fantasy hockey with their family members, friends, co-workers, etc., so it’s tough to have unbiased discussions with people around you, because oftentimes they are opponents in your league. I find most of the time people that ask for advice already have a plan in mind and are just looking for reassurance.
That’s why I try to provide as much information as I can when someone reaches out and then ultimately encourage them to make the call. So, if someone asks “Should I draft Auston Matthews or David Pastrnak?” I won’t give a one-word answer. I’ll try to outline the pros and cons of both and what makes the most sense for their team. You won’t always have the right answer but it shows that you care.
I like all these options as bargain goalies, but Logan Thompson is the safest bet. Bruce Cassidy loves rotating his goalies and Thompson should play at least 50 per cent of the games if he stays healthy. I think Adin Hill will have a tough time maintaining the level of play he showed in the playoffs, so there’s a chance Thompson could see even closer to 50 starts. Thompson was an All-Star last season and played two out of every three games before he got injured.
Brady Tkachuk and Mitch Marner are locks for me and because you have hits, I think I would go with Timo Meier and Andrei Svechnikov. If you’re really weak on defence you could prioritize Dougie Hamilton over Svechnikov, but I would personally prefer the four forwards. I wouldn’t keep Connor Hellebuyck just because I think there’s always a lot of value in goalies during the late rounds and off waivers. You could probably find a decent replacement there for Hellebuyck when someone emerges.
I would order them just the way you have them, except I’d put Matthew Knies ahead of Brandt Clarke. I think Adam Fantilli is in the best spot to succeed this year, but Logan Cooley has the best long-term outlook. Luke Hughes is in a great spot too with all the offensive talent in New Jersey and Knies has a lot of upside if he ends up playing in Toronto’s top six.
It’s not crazy, but I’d still prefer Leon Draisaitl. He’s going to be much better in four of the six categories you’ve listed there, although Tkachuk will be far superior in hits and probably significantly better for shots.
It also depends on your league scoring system. I always base these comparisons on head-to-head leagues where you get a point for winning each category, so one-on-one based on your categories, Draisaitl beats Tkachuk 4-2 all day long. If you’re in a roto league, that is a different discussion and it depends on your roster makeup, too. If you’re confident you have enough scoring, Tkachuk could be a real difference-maker because of his hit production. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to build a roster if you’re staying competitive.
I have Nathan MacKinnon at three in my rankings and Matthew Tkachuk at seventh overall. Outside of Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, MacKinnon had the best points per game last season, so he’ll give you the most value if he stays healthy in my opinion. If your league has penalty minutes, though, Tkachuk is more of a consideration. There aren’t many players that provide the category coverage he can.
I’m not sure I’d take these guys that high, but Sean Durzi, Luke Hughes and Owen Power are three who I think could be in for very productive seasons. Durzi especially interests me if he’s quarterbacking the top Arizona Coyotes power play.
For the forwards, I think I’d rank them Thomas Novak, Evan Rodrigues, Kent Johnson and Mason McTavish. That order would change if this is a keeper league and I’d prioritize Johnson and McTavish more. For now, I think Novak eventually ends up as Nashville’s top centre and gets to play with Filip Forsberg, while Rodrigues likely ends up in Florida’s top six and is great for shots on goal.
I’m not sure if you think that’s too high or too low, but I have Matt Boldy at 58, which is a fifth-round grade. He’s a 30-goal scorer and a 60-plus point player on the low end and he has the potential to eclipse 70 points if he plays significant minutes with Kirill Kaprizov. Boldy is also still just 22 and is only going to get better if you have him as a keeper.
I’d keep Alex Ovechkin. He hasn’t shown any signs of regression outside of maybe a slight dip in shots on goal and I think he’ll be extra motivated chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. Meier isn’t a bad option either, though I do get mildly concerned about rostering too many players from one team. That would make three Devils for you and if you get a week or two where New Jersey has a light schedule, it could be an issue.
Evander Kane could meet this criteria. He missed quite a bit of time with injuries last season and never seemed fully healthy after that wrist injury. He’ll still be in the Edmonton Oilers’ top six, likely playing a bunch with Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid and Kane is always great for hits. If Kane can score at the pace he did in 2021-22 and stay relatively healthy, you won’t regret drafting him that high.
I’m taking Connor Brown out of that group. There’s a good chance he plays with McDavid and he started there on the first day of camp, which gives him tremendous upside. He’ll probably fill up a decent amount of offence categories, with goals being the most helpful to you. Brown had 21 goals in 56 games a few years ago, so you’d think if he stays healthy, he may be able to flirt with 30 on McDavid’s wing.
Max Pacioretty is the main one for me. He definitely has a tough road back after two Achilles tears, but not many players can score the way he can. If it works out for him, your team is going to get a huge boost. Some others to consider would be Patrick Kane, Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad. Montour had a huge season last year and if he produces anywhere close to that again, he’ll be worth taking up one of your IR spots for a few months.
Mario Ferraro and Connor Clifton are a couple I would look at. Neither will give you much more than a shot a game, though. I might go with Adam Larsson if he’s available because if you want some shots as well, he just set a new career high with 143. That’s not great, but not bad for someone who could get you well over 200 hits and around 175 blocks.
Yes and no. Mikael Backlund set career highs in almost every metric last season at 34, which always makes me think there’s at least a slight regression coming because of age. The list of players improving their numbers in their mid-30s is small. Sam Bennett’s style of play can lead to durability issues, so while his production may be solid, I only have him pencilled in for 65-70 games. Also, both players are more valuable in multi-cat leagues than points leagues.
Sometimes there’s just the emergence of other players that can push players down the rankings, too. I think both are fine options this season, with just some mild concerns.