There’s no more exciting time than the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The hockey gets faster and more intense, and you have a chance at redemption if your fantasy team didn’t do as well as you’d hoped during the regular season. Playoff pools are always trickier because everyone isn’t guaranteed the same number of games. A third-line player on one team who goes all the way to the Cup Final could be more valuable than a first-liner on another team that gets swept in the first round. You have to balance talent and production with what teams you think have the best shot at going on a deep run when making your selections.
For these rankings, we are basing them on goals, assists, power-play points and shots for skaters, and for goalies, wins and shutouts. Some factors that went into the rankings were:
• regular-season performance
• past playoff history
• line combinations and deployment
• paths and probability of a long playoff run
• injury concerns
• competition for goalie starts
Here are the top 75 player rankings for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs:
1. Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers: A no-brainer top pick in the regular season, though this gets a bit trickier in the playoffs if the Oilers don’t advance in Round 1. Still, six or seven games of McDavid with the potential to go on a deep run is too tough to pass up.
2. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning: Even though the Lightning are a wild-card team, they’ve been great down the stretch, and I think they can upset Florida. That makes Kucherov a solid early pick as he’s going to be incredibly productive if the Lightning go on a long run.
3. Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers: There are no easy matchups in the playoffs, but the Rangers have a favourable one based on how inept that race for the final wild-card spot in the East was. Panarin was probably the most overlooked player in the Hart conversation this season and he should have a great chance to give you at least two full rounds this post-season.
4. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche: Facing Connor Hellebuyck in the first round and the stingy Winnipeg Jets won’t be easy, but there’s obviously great value with someone such as MacKinnon. The Avs could easily go deep.
5. Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers: There hasn’t been as much hype around Draisaitl this season because a handful of players finished with more points than he did. If you believe in the Oilers this post-season, though, Draisaitl is still worthy of a top-five pick.
6. Sebastian Aho, C, Carolina Hurricanes: You might think Aho is a tad high on this list, but the Canes have one of the best matchups in the first round and a real shot at winning it all. It doesn’t hurt that he’s having a career year, either.
7. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Colorado Avalanche: Rantanen led all forwards in ice time this season and is one of the more unheralded superstars in the league. He’s coming off back-to-back 100-point campaigns and is averaging 1.2 points per game in his post-season career.
8. Jason Robertson, RW, Dallas Stars: The Stars might be the deepest team in the league and fell just short of the Presidents’ Trophy. You’ll want Robertson on your roster this spring.
9. David Pastrnak, RW, Boston Bruins: I like Pastrnak a lot more now that the Bruins avoided Tampa in the first round. Still, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be a tough out and Boston has won only one series in the past three playoffs.
10. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews hasn’t scored at the same rate in the post-season as he has in the regular season and the Leafs have only made it out of the first round once in his tenure. Is this the year Toronto puts it all together? Matthews will have major value if it does.
11. JT Miller, C/RW, Vancouver Canucks: Nobody competes harder than Miller and he’ll be extremely motivated in his first taste of playoff action in four years. Miller has been almost impossible to stop this season, topping 100 points for the first time in his career.
12. Zach Hyman, LW/RW, Edmonton Oilers: Hyman has 14 goals in his first two post-season runs with the Oilers and is coming off a 50-plus goal campaign. If the Oilers go far, Hyman could easily lead the playoffs in goals.
13. Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers: Bouchard’s coming-out party came last post-season, when he recorded 17 points in 12 games. He’s carried that right over to this year and it certainly doesn’t hurt that he gets to quarterback a loaded power play.
14. Sam Reinhart, C/RW, Florida Panthers: Everything went in for Reinhart this season and he scored eight goals during the Panthers’ run last spring. There’s no reason to think he won’t improve that number if Florida goes on another deep run.
15. Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks: In any other year, Hughes might be a candidate for the Hart after scoring more than 90 points. Nashville is going to have its hands full with Hughes.
16. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche: Makar has averaged more than a point per game in his playoff career and that’s incredible for a defenseman on a team with a chance at the Cup.
17. Matthew Tkachuk, LW/RW, Florida Panthers: Tkachuk’s offensive numbers slipped significantly this season, but he was built for the playoffs. He scored a lot of timely goals on Florida’s run a year ago and expect more of the same this time around.
18. Jake Guentzel, LW, Carolina Hurricanes: The Canes have finally added another offensive threat to help them get over the hump in the playoffs. Guentzel scored some big goals on a previous Cup run with Pittsburgh and there’s no reason to believe he won’t do it again.
19. Brayden Point, C, Tampa Bay Lightning: Point is no stranger to deep playoff runs and he’s averaged a point per game over his post-season career. Playing next to Kucherov definitely helps his cause.
20. Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks: Pettersson has blossomed into a superstar over the past two seasons and will have no issue putting up points. The Canucks have only two wins over playoff teams since March 9, though, so can they pull it together in time to go on a decent post-season run?
21. Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs: Marner is not averaging a point per game in his playoff career and for now it looks like he may not be playing with Matthews regularly at even strength this post-season. That hurts his cause but he’s still an elite passer on a team that has all the tools to at least win a couple of rounds.
22. Vincent Trocheck, C, New York Rangers: The Rangers have a very friendly opening-round matchup and very quietly, Trocheck finished second on a talented New York squad in scoring.
23. Jack Eichel, C, Vegas Golden Knights: Eichel had a massive post-season a year ago, but this year’s path for Vegas is really daunting. Dallas in the first round is going to be tough and it won’t be easy for Eichel to get another 22 games in this spring.
24. William Nylander, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs: Nylander could find himself on the third line with the Leafs spreading out their offence heading into the playoffs. He had a quiet finish to the regular season, so you may have to temper your expectations where Nylander is concerned this spring.
25. Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers: Shesterkin has given up more than three goals only three times since the All-Star break. He’s definitely put his first-half inconsistencies behind him.
26. Seth Jarvis, C/RW, Carolina Hurricanes: A breakout season should carry over to the playoffs for Jarvis, as the Canes have as good a chance as anyone to make it all the way to the Cup final.
27. Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars: Oettinger didn’t have a great post-season a year ago, but he’s played eight fewer games this year than he did in 2022-23. So, he should be fresher and has had a very strong finish to the regular season.
28. Adam Fox, D, New York Rangers: Fox is much more valuable in points leagues, which playoff pools often are. He’s a point-per-game defender all day on a team with a real shot to go far.
29. Roope Hintz, C, Dallas Stars: Hintz just missed out on his third straight 70-point season and scored 24 points in 19 post-season games last year. The Stars have all the pieces for a deep run, so load up on them where you can.
30. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers: Bobrovsky brought the Panthers to the Cup Final last year and he carried over his post-season heroics all the way through this season. He’s also one of the goalies heading into the post-season who is unquestionably the No. 1.
31. Mark Scheifele, C, Winnipeg Jets: The Jets have scored 17 goals against the Avalanche in three games this season. Scheifele is averaging a goal every two games in his playoff career and he’ll have good value if Winnipeg gets past the opening round.
32. Aleksander Barkov, C, Florida Panthers: Barkov has been well below a point per game in his playoff career, as his defensive responsibilities really ramp up in the spring. His value will be more quantity over quality if the Panthers go far.
33. Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks: Boeser went from never scoring 30 in his career to notching 40 goals this season. He has the benefit of playing with Miller and on a solid power play.
34. Carter Verhaeghe, C/LW, Florida Panthers: Grabbing someone like Verhaeghe can be a difference maker in a playoff pool. He’s not the flashiest name, but he’s scored 76 goals over the past two seasons and 13 over the last two playoff runs.
35. Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning: Hedman delivered a major bounce-back season, recording the second-highest point total of his career. The Lightning were one of the hottest teams down the stretch and Hedman quarterbacks their league-best power play.
36. Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes: The numbers are always strong, but it’s tough to imagine Andersen making it through a long playoff run fully healthy. Pyotr Kochetkov could be in the mix for starts, too.
37. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C/LW, Edmonton Oilers: Nugent-Hopkins didn’t come anywhere close to hitting 100 points again, but he’s still on an incredible power play and in a loaded top six.
38. Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins: There’s no denying Marchand is slowing down a bit, but he’s at his best when the games matter most. Marchand has 21 points in his past 14 playoff games.
39. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning: He wasn’t very good in the post-season last year, but Vasilevskiy’s strong play has been one of the catalysts for Tampa’s good finish. If the Lightning make any kind of a run this spring it’s because Vasilevskiy is carrying them.
40. Alexandar Georgiev, G, Colorado Avalanche: It’s hard to trust Georgiev, given his inconsistencies this season and the way he finished the year. Still, the Avs are a strong squad and Georgiev will be a high risk/reward pick.
41. Mika Zibanejad, C, New York Rangers: Zibanejad could be a good value selection because he’s having a down year. He’ll be an important piece if New York can win a couple of rounds.
42. Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets: Hellebuyck has the ability to carry a team on his back to a long playoff run. Unfortunately, Winnipeg’s toughest test could come in Round 1 against the high-flying Avs.
43. Jeremy Swayman, G, Boston Bruins: You’d think it would be Swayman’s net this year in the playoffs but there’s also a chance they could turn to Linus Ullmark if Swayman struggles in the first couple of games. Or they could continue to rotate. Grabbing one half of a tandem gets more risky in the post-season.
44. Chris Kreider, LW, New York Rangers: Kreider has 40 career playoff goals and 16 over the past two post-seasons. He’s a safe pick if you’re in a league that values goals.
45. Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Vegas Golden Knights: Last year’s Conn Smythe trophy winner carried his play right through to this season, scoring a career-high 42 goals. If Vegas makes another Cup run, Marchessault is going to find the back of the net plenty once again.
46. Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks are under .500 since Feb. 15, so they aren’t necessarily heading into the post-season on a high. Still, Demko missed a number of those games with injury and he’ll be the X-factor on any potential deep Vancouver run.
47. Kyle Connor, LW, Winnipeg Jets: Connor is a proven goal scorer but the Jets have a tough matchup to start with the Avs. Winnipeg would at least have to win a round or two for Connor to have real value in a playoff pool.
48. Wyatt Johnston, C/RW, Dallas Stars: Johnston enjoyed a breakout season and is the kind of player you’ll be thankful you picked if the deep and talented Stars put it all together this spring.
49. Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton Oilers: Skinner really struggled in the playoffs last year and this post-season the Oilers really don’t have another option to turn to. Can he handle the pressure?
50. Andrei Svechnikov, LW/RW, Carolina Hurricanes: Svechnikov appears to finally be healthy and finished the regular season strong. He missed last year’s post-season and could be the missing piece to finally help the Canes go all the way.
51. Joe Pavelski, C/RW, Dallas Stars: Pavelski has 139 career playoff points and, even at 39 years of age, he’ll be a productive part of any significant Stars run this post-season.
52. Steven Stamkos, C,LW, Tampa Bay Lightning: Stamkos proved he had plenty left in the tank this year and can be almost unstoppable on the half boards on Tampa’s league-best power play.
53. Filip Forsberg, LW, Nashville Predators: The Preds are probably an underdog to go on a deep run, but Forsberg is at least worth a look at this point given the incredible year he had and how good Nashville was down the stretch.
54. John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs: Tavares finished on a high with five goals in his final four games. He’s slowing down but still gets PP1 time and the Leafs have experimented with a loaded-up line of Tavares, Marner and Nylander. That could be a very productive trio.
55. Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas Stars: Heiskanen’s game doesn’t always translate the best for fantasy value, but he should pile up the points if the Stars go on a run.
56. Ilya Samsonov, G, Toronto Maple Leafs: Samsonov’s play has been a rollercoaster in 2023-24. He’ll be Toronto’s Game 1 starter but didn’t finish on a particularly high note. Can he hold the job if the Leafs go deep? It’s a risky pick that could potentially have a high reward.
57. Brent Burns, D, Carolina Hurricanes: Burns didn’t have a great year by any means, but he’s getting big minutes and top power-play time on a team with a great path to go deep.
58. Josh Morrissey, D, Winnipeg Jets: Morrissey proved last season wasn’t a fluke with another tremendous campaign. He’ll be a somewhat under-the-radar pick if you’re banking on a Jets run.
59. Valeri Nichushkin, LW/RW, Colorado Avalanche: Nichushkin was a force during Colorado’s championship run a couple of years ago and he is more than capable of doing it again.
60. Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs: Rielly was arguably the Leafs’ best player in the playoffs last year and really raises his level of play when the games matter most.
61. Roman Josi, D, Nashville Predators: Much like Forsberg, Josi gets devalued because Nashville needs to pull off a couple of upsets for a deep run. It’s not impossible and there are only a few defencemen who are more productive than Josi.
62. Alexis Lafreniere, LW/RW, New York Rangers: Coming off a career-high 28 goals and 57 points, Lafreniere is in a great spot playing with Panarin and Trocheck. If you’re stacking up on Rangers, don’t forget about Lafreniere.
63. Tomas Hertl, C, Vegas Golden Knights: We haven’t seen much of Hertl with the Golden Knights yet, but he’s a very experienced playoff performer who has 24 post-season goals to his credit.
64. Brandon Hagel, LW/RW, Tampa Bay Lightning: Hagel had one of the quietest 75-point seasons in 2023-24. He’ll have major value if the Lightning can get back to a Cup Final.
65. Kevin Fiala, LW, Los Angeles Kings: The Kings will have to go on a Cinderella run to get out of the West, so he comes with some risk. Fiala had six points in three games in the Edmonton series last year, though, and will be key to any Los Angeles upset.
66. Juuse Saros, G, Nashville Predators: If Nashville goes on an improbable run this spring, it’s going to be because Saros is standing on his head, night in and night out.
67. Adrian Kempe, C/RW, Los Angeles Kings: Kempe might be one of the more underrated players in the NHL, but the Kings will need to pull off a first-round upset for the Los Angeles forward to have any value.
68. Mat Barzal, C/RW, New York Islanders: The Isles are a long shot to get out of the first round, though they are coming into the playoffs hot, winning eight of their final nine games. Barzal could be a sneaky pick if New York can continue its momentum.
69. Shea Theodore, D, Vegas Golden Knights: It’s hard to believe Theodore has already skated in 107 playoff games. He has struggled to stay healthy over the past two seasons but was excellent in helping Vegas to the Cup last spring.
70. Charlie Coyle, C, Boston Bruins: Coyle finished with 60 points, third on the Bruins in scoring this year. He’s a great option if the Bruins go far, though it’s going to be a tough road through the Atlantic.
71. Mark Stone, RW, Vegas Golden Knights: A high-risk, high-reward pick if there ever was one. Stone’s only issue is staying healthy and he averaged more than a point per game last year during Vegas’ Cup run.
72. Vladimir Tarasenko, LW/RW, Florida Panthers: Tarasenko’s goals per game jump from 0.39 in his regular-season career to 0.45 in the post-season. He should be a very important piece to a playoff pool if the Panthers replicate what they did last year.
73. Adin Hill, G, Vegas Golden Knights: Hill is just finding his footing after returning from an injury and Vegas has a tough path back to the Final. I think it’s going to be challenging for Hill to replicate last year’s magic.
74. Jamie Benn, LW, Dallas Stars: One of the reasons the Stars are arguably the deepest team in the league is because someone like Benn is on the third line. Benn was very productive once again this season and should do the same in the playoffs if Dallas reaches its potential.
75. Pyotr, Kochetkov, G, Carolina Hurricanes: Kochetkov could be an insurance pick, as Andersen has battled injuries in recent years. I could easily see a scenario where Kochetkov comes on in relief for Andersen and the Canes don’t miss a beat.