Hey guys! The season starts in two weeks, so I wanted to power through these rankings so you have them in time for your upcoming drafts. I am going to keep the comments to each player shorter than in the past unless it’s someone I feel most would be surprised at the ranking, but as always, feel free to ask anything in the comments section below. I will do these rankings through the top-200 and then have a separate post coming up for players that I like the most outside the top-200, mostly for upside reasons because that’s what you’re looking for with your last few picks. Here’s our Top-12, Top-25, Top-50, and Top-100. Let’s get right to it!
101) David Perron – Top line with Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel has Perron positioned to thrive. Great source of PIM and very good SOG. Only thing keeping him outside of top 100 is that he isn’t on the top PP unit. If he gets time there, he’s going to be a fantasy stud.
102) Eric Staal – Great player, poor team so he’s a near-certainty to be -10 or worse. Elite shot rate and proven 70 point potential keeps him this high.
103) Drew Doughty – More on Doughty here
104) James Neal – Elite shot rate and good source of PIM. Near-lock for 30 goals if he can stay healthy but has missed 15+ games the last two years. Assists won’t be great but there are few players with his goal scoring upside at this point in the draft.
105) Anders Lee – The best bet outside of the top 100 to score 30 goals, Lee buried 25 last year bouncing around the Islanders lines. He looks to be locked into the top line with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo and more importantly, on the first power play unit. Assists should make a big jump playing in these situations.
106) Duncan Keith – Keith analysis here
107) Jeff Carter – Carter became more of a playmaker last year and while the assists are nice, he had more value as a high volume shooter. He took 48 less shots last year than in 2013-14 and he played 10 more games. I’m willing to look at it as an anomaly and expect Carter to approach his non-points totals of two seasons ago.
108) Jonathan Huberdeau – I talked about the potential of a Huberdeau breakout in my first preseason writeup. If his shot rate can make another jump forward (61 more shots last year in just 10 more games), he’s a good bet for a 60 point season. He also scored 0 power play goals last year; that surely will not repeat itself.
109) Patrice Bergeron – Big step back last year for the Bruins (which kills Bergeron’s plus-minus, he was +20 or better 4 straight years before) keeps him outside the top 100. That said, he kept his elite shot rate, the Bruins will count on him for big minutes and he’s solid in all categories across the board.
110) Alex Pietrangelo – More on the Blues defenseman here.
111) Kyle Turris – Turris is entering his prime at the perfect time with Ottawa’s young talent coming up and providing great depth through their lineup. Turris posted 64 points last year with an average shot rate and PIM total. There’s a chance that he could push to 70 points this year with the talent around him.
112) Joe Thornton – If you drafted a bunch of high volume shooters early, Thornton is a great compliment in the middle rounds. He’s going to be near the top of the league in assists and power play points. That said, he has an atrocious shot rate and you need to have the studs on your roster to make up for it.
113) Henrik Sedin – Repeat everything I said about Thornton above but with an even worse shot rate. I don’t even know how it’s possible that he can only shoot 101 shots in 82 games. That said, 50+ assists and 25 STP is hard to come by.
114) John Klingberg – Klingberg analysis here. Unlike the two guys above, there is hope Klingberg can get his shot total to a respectable number for a defenseman.
115) Patrick Marleau – Marleau fell off hard in the goal department last year scoring 19 goals after scoring 30+ the 6 seasons before (prorating the lockout season over 82 games). That said, he had his worst career shooting percentage and while his shot rate declined, it is still very good which means that he should bounce back and get into the 20s. He’s an excellent source of special teams points as well.
116) Derick Brassard – Brassard finally had his breakout posting 60 points (19+41) when his previous career high was 45. He’s slated to start on the first line with Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello meaning this is definitely repeatable. There’s even some upside here if Brassard can benefit from the addition of Keith Yandle on the power play.
117) Tyler Ennis – Despite the Sabres being downright horrible the last two seasons, Ennis managed to score 20+ goals each season and put up above average special teams points. Now, Ennis stands to benefit the most from the Sabres’ big offseason moves playing on the right wing with Evander Kane and Ryan O’Reilly. That line has the potential to dominate games for long stretches; I expect Ennis to put up career highs across the board.
118) Tyson Barrie – Breakdown on Barrie here.
119) Tomas Hertl – I talked about how I expect Hertl to bounceback here. He should stick in the top 6 the whole season unlike last year when Todd McClellan demoted him for extended stretches.
120) Aaron Ekblad – More on Ekblad here . I’m all aboard the Ekblad train. If you’re in a keeper league where you keep 8 guys or less, this will probably be the less chance you have to take him before he’s a no-brainer keeper.
121) Ryan O’Reilly – After playing second fiddle in Colorado, the move to Buffalo gives O’Reilly the chance to show he deserves the love the analytics community gives him and justify the massive contract he received after the trade. As I mentioned above in the Ennis blurb, this line has the chance to be great. O’Reilly is almost a complete blank in PIM but he has a very good chance of repeating his 2013-14 season in which he scored 28 goals and 34 assists with potential for more.
122) Milan Lucic – One of the few players with 20 goal and 100 PIM upside, Lucic’s move to Los Angeles should help his fantasy value. He’s slated to play on the first line with Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik (more on him soon) and more importantly, on the first power play unit. I don’t expect a 60 point season but 20+30 with a return to 120 PIM being in the feistier Western Conference seems reasonable.
123) Dougie Hamilton – Info on Dougie’s move to Calgary here.
124) Brandon Dubinsky – Dubinsky was in the midst of his best season as a pro before he was slowed down by injury, limiting him to 47 games. The injury isn’t much of a concern since Dubinsky has stayed healthy most of his career. He’s the last player who is a good bet for 50 points and 100 PIM so if you’re in bad shape in PIM in the middle of your draft, Lucic and Dubinsky should be your targets.
125) Steve Mason – Mason had his best season of his career last year posting an incredible .928 sv% and 2.25 GAA for the Flyers in 51 starts. So why is he so low? He’s not going to play a ton of games with the Flyers have a competent backup in Michal Neuvirth and the Flyers defense is very, very bad. He’s a quality goalie who should have a solid save percentage but there is virtually no chance his 2.25 GAA is repeatable in that division with arguably the worst defensemen core in the NHL.
126) Justin Faulk – Faulk broke out in a big way last season on a terrible Hurricanes team putting 49 points (15+34) and more importantly, took 86 more shots than the season before. He’s an absolute stud in real life but there’s one thing keeping him down in fantasy; plus-minus. He was -19 last season and there’s not much to suggest that will change. In points league, boost Faulk up 10-15 spots.
127) Jason Pominville – One of the most underrated players in hockey, Pominville is an incredibly safe pick. He almost always plays 82 games and he’s good for 30+ assists. He only scored 18 goals last season but he took the most shots of his career; his shooting percentage was the lowest by far in his career and that should progress back to his mean. He’s a blank in PIM but he’s a safe bet for 60 PIM and an elite shot total.
128) Mark Streit – To be blunt, Streit is the only good defenseman the Flyers have right now (their system is loaded but that’s a few years away) and as a result, he benefits greatly on the first power play unit. Streit had 30 power play points last year which is outstanding. If he can come close to repeating last year’s totals, this is the perfect spot for Streit to slot into.
129) James Van Reimsdyk – The Charlie Conway look-alike belongs in the top 75 on talent alone. However, there’s one reason why he’s this low: the Leafs are terrible. He’s the first Leaf on my list (all 30 teams have a representative now) because he posted a -33 last season, simply detrimental to your roster unless the rest of your team ends up plus. JVR should come close to 30+30 (possibly better) with an elite shot rate. This ranking has him ending up in the -20 to -25 range; adjust accordingly if you think different. Move him into the top 100 if you’re in a points league or don’t have plus-minus as a category.
130) Alex Galchenyuk – The former third overall pick took a step forward last season posting his first 20 goal season while adding 26 assists. He should take another step forward this season but the big breakthrough is probably a couple years away. He doesn’t get time on the first power play unit yet (Montreal plays their top unit much more than the second) and there isn’t much offensive talent for him to play with as long as he’s not on a line with Max Pacioretty.
131) Andrei Markov – A key cog to the Canadiens power play, Markov scored over half of his points on special teams the last three years. His shot totals are mediocre, even for a defenseman, but he’s a lock for 20+ power play points, 35+ assists and a solid plus-minus.
132) Jonathan Drouin – An incredibly gifted offensive talent, it should only be a matter of time before Drouin gets a chance to play with Steven Stamkos. Drouin’s shot total was dreadful but it should take a massive step forward this year. With an increase in playing time and power play time, Drouin should end up with 50+ points and solid penalty minutes. He has more upside than anyone outside the top 100.
133) Thomas Vanek – Vanek’s first year in Minnesota was somewhat of a disappointment scoring 21 goals and 31 assists. The biggest concern is that his shot total plummeted from 248 to 171. He’s still amazing on the power play and will get 20+ goals; the days of him getting 30 are over unless he starts shooting the puck like he used to.
134) Mike Green – Green’s move to Detroit look bad at first glance but it should actually help his value. He should be in the Red Wings top 4 giving him more minutes and he lost his spot on the first power play in Washington to John Carlson. He’ll get to run Detroit’s power play now which should be among the best in the league. The only thing keeping Green this low is injury risk.
135) Craig Smith – Although his assist total slightly dropped last season, there are plenty of reasons to like Smith. He has an elite shot rate now, he increased his PIM to being average and more importantly, he didn’t do much on the power play last season. Smith is currently slotted into the top unit and should surely increase his 9 STP from last season. There’s 30+30 upside here.
136) Bryan Little – One of the most underrated players in the league, Little tied a career high in goals last season (24) as Winnipeg’s first line center despite missing 12 games. He’s a very safe pick in this spot; you can expect low 20s in goals, 30+ assists and a very good STP total.
137-138) Jonas Hiller / Karri Ramo – I’m putting these two together because it’s a mystery who is going to start for the Flames this year. Both goalies played well last year with Hiller being slightly better across the board and starting more games. At this point in the draft, taking both of them would be a wise move. The Flames should be very good this year and their defense is absolutely loaded.
139) Justin Schultz – Schultz is quite simply, a horrible player defensively but that doesn’t matter to us. He gets to play on the first power play with all of Edmonton’s young stars which should be incredible. He’s been a big minus player every season so far but Edmonton should be much improved with the addition of Connor McDavid, Andrej Sekera and Cam Talbot. He doesn’t take many penalties and his shot rate is below average but there’s 40 assist and 25 STP upside here.
140) Mats Zuccarello – Zuccarello made his first appearance on the ice since his skull fracture last April on Thursday and was stellar. His absence was a big reason why the Rangers failed to make the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year. The Norwegian Hobbit has the first line right wing role locked in along with top power play time. His shot totals are mediocre but he has 60 point potential and a very good chance of 50 (15+35).
141) Ryan Strome – Strome’s first full season was a big part of the Islanders success last season. Strome put up 50 points (17+33) while being +23 and taking 47 PIM. There’s a good chance he tops that this season. He only had 9 special teams points last year and he’s currently slotted into the first power play unit for the Islanders. You’re looking at 55-60 points here while being average or better across the board.
142) Tomas Plekanec – Plekanec had a big bounceback last season posting 60 points (26+34) with good PIM and an elite shot rate. Plekanec rarely misses games so he’s one of the safest picks in this part of the draft. He’ll probably be slightly worse than last year as last season wasn’t in line with what he’s done the few years before but he’s a good bet for 20 goals, 30 assists and a great source of shots.
143) Marian Gaborik – If only Gaborik could stay healthy. If he plays 70+ games, he’s a good bet for 30 goals but it’s a big question mark. At this point in the draft (12th round in a 12 teamer), it’s worth taking the gamble on because there are very few players who can score 30 goals left.
144) Marko Dano – The centerpiece of the Brandon Saad trade, Dano looked great as a rookie scoring 21 points (8+13) in 35 games with zero power play time. The early talk in Chicago is that Dano is going to play with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa on the first line and if that happens, Dano is going to produce in a big way. He should get second unit power play time as well which is better than nothing. It’s an aggressive rank but I’m all aboard the Dano train.
145) Bobby Ryan – The move to Ottawa has been a massive downgrade to Ryan’s fantasy value the past two seasons. After scoring 30 goals 4 straight seasons with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, he’s only scored 41 goals the past two seasons combined. The penalty minutes have dropped significantly as well. In the 12th or 13th round, he’s worth it but let somebody else reach for Ryan based on his past.
146) Torey Krug – Despite the Bruins taking a big step back last season, Krug put up another solid season with 39 points (12+27) and a very good shot rate for a defenseman. I expect the Bruins power play to improve from last season with a healthy David Krejci and that gives Krug the chance to set a new career high in points this year.
147) Sami Vatanen – Vatanen took a big step forward last year posting 37 points (12+25) in 67 games. He’s the quarterback of the Ducks power play and will easily accumulate points with Getzlaf and Perry leading the way. His shot rate went up last season; one more jump would make him a top 20 defenseman.
148) Ryan Kesler – Kesler’s first year in Anaheim was in line with what he did in Vancouver at even strength. The problem is his special teams points dropped significantly as he went from the main trigger man for the Canucks power play to a secondary option for the Ducks. He’s a good bet for 20 goals, 25-30 assists and a very good PIM total but he doesn’t have much upside past that.
149) Brad Marchand – The Bruins troll is a safe bet for 20+ goals and strong penalty minutes. His ceiling is pretty low though; he posts poor assist totals for a first line winger and he contributes very little on the power play.
150) Nazem Kadri – Kadri will finally get the chance to be the top center in Toronto. Unfortunately for him, the talent on the team is very poor and the Leafs don’t have a strong candidate to play right wing with Kadri and James Van Reimsdyk. Kadri’s shot rate took a big step forward last year and he should play big minutes. Like the rest of the Leafs, he could have a horrible plus-minus and that’s what keeps him this low.
151) Chris Kunitz – Kunitz had arguably the worst season of his career last season and simply looked over the hill. That said, he’s still on the mighty Penguins and right now has the 5th spot on the Penguins amazing top power play unit. He’s going to be a good source of PIM as well. He should settle somewhere in between the 68 and 40 points he’s had the last two seasons.
152) Jeff Skinner – Skinner followed up his second 30 goal season last year with a dud scoring only 18 goals and 13 assists. However, there are some encouraging signs towards a bounceback. Skinner’s shot rate is still elite (well over 3 per game) and the Hurricanes plan to have one super line this year with Skinner and the Staal brothers. His plus-minus has always been bad but that should improve slightly playing with the Staals. If you’re behind the 8 ball in shots and goals, Skinner is a great selection.
153) Petr Mrazek – While the Red Wings are in great position to succeed, their goaltending situation is tough to predict. It looks like Mrazek will get first crack to be the starter but Jimmy Howard will be waiting in the wings and will surely get 25+ games. Much like the Flames goalies, it is a good plan to draft both goalies.
154) Cody Franson – Franson recently signed with the Sabres and he couldn’t have picked a better spot for his fantasy value. Franson should step right in and be the power play quarterback on the Sabres’ first unit. Franson’s totals from last year look poor but that was because he was dreadful in Nashville being stuck on their bottom pair; prorating his 55 games with Toronto last year is in line with what I expect from Franson in Buffalo this season. Ten goals, 35 assists, decent PIM and good STP totals are within his reach.
155) David Pastrnak – Here’s another kid with upside. As an 18 year old, Pastrnak came in and had 27 points (10+17) in 46 games. He is slated to be on the second line with great playmaker David Krejci as his center so good opportunities should be there. In a dynasty league, Pastrnak should be top 50.
156) Craig Anderson – Anderson was having a good season before he was injured and Andrew Hammond led the Senators on their miracle run. Despite that run, Anderson still looks to be the starting goalie for the Senators to begin the season. He always posts a very good save percentage and the wins will be there if he starts enough games. The uncertainty around how many games he’ll play keeps him this low.
157) Olli Maatta – Maatta had a cancerous tumor on his thyroid last season, thankfully beat it and came back in only two weeks to suffer a injury that ended his season in December. Now, fully healthy, Maatta is poised to break out offensively. He’ll be on the top pair with Kris Letang, get second unit power play time and showed flashes last year with 9 points in 20 games. There’s a ton of upside here, especially if Letang misses time again.
158) Brendan Gallagher – Gallagher had his best season as a pro last year scoring 47 points (24+23) while increasing his shot rate to an elite level. He’s not a great player but he’s in a great situation to succeed being on the Canadiens first line. A repeat of last season would be great in this spot. The only concern is the big dropoff in PIM last season; don’t count on him being a 70 PIM guy again and if he is it’s a bonus.
159) Jaromir Jagr – Jagr played incredible last season when he was traded to the Panthers putting up 18 points (6+12) in 20 games. He has a good shot rate, contributes in PIM and is set to play on the first line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. Despite being 43 (older than his linemate’s combined age), there’s 60 point upside here.
160) Justin Abdelkader – Abdelkader found offensive success for the first time in his career last season more than doubling his previous career high in goals (23). He also chipped in 72 PIM. 20 goals and 70 PIM are enough to justify a pick at this point. A healthy Pavel Datsyuk to play with could boost Abdelkader’s totals a little more.
161) Matt Moulson – Moulson is the type of player who is completely dependent on who is around him. When he was playing for the Islanders, he played with John Tavares and scored 30+ goals 3 times. Last season, with Buffalo tanking, he scored 13. Now, Moulson will be playing with Jack Eichel who I’m driving the bandwagon for in fantasy. Playing with Eichel, Moulson is a good bet for getting 20-25 goals.
162) Valeri Nichushkin – After a promising rookie season, Nichushkin only played 8 games last season due to injury. Whether he is on the first line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn or the second line with Jason Spezza, Nichushkin will have an excellent center setting him up. He’s probably a year off from a true breakout but 20 goals with a good plus-minus is expected.
163) Ondrej Pavelec – The last starter for a good hockey team, Pavelec has the best season of his career by a mile with a 2.28 GAA and .920 sv%. For his career, Pavelec has been a sub .910 save percentage goalie which means a regression is probably likely. He also isn’t used as a workhorse, his backup Michael Hutchinson will get 25-30 games, so the upside just isn’t there. If he’s your third goalie, that’s fine but counting on him for more is a risky proposition.
164) Johnny Boychuk – Boychuk’s first season with the Islanders was a massive success scoring 35 points (9+26) in 72 games with an elite shot rate from a defenseman. The penalty minutes took a big hit but I expect him to get back in the 40-50 PIM range like he was the rest of his career. He has an excellent shot that the Isles power play looks to set up. Look for about 45 points with good special teams points, a return to average PIM and for Boychuk to maintain his shot rate.
165) Brayden Schenn – Getting to play with superstars Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek both at even strength and the power play puts Schenn in a great spot to succeed. A slight uptick from last season to around 20 goals, 30 assists and elite special teams points should be expected.
166) Michael Cammalleri – If someone outside of the top 150 is scoring 30 goals, it’s probably Cammalleri. He scored 27 goals last season in 68 games. His shooting percentage was unsustainably high but that would be balanced out if Cammalleri played a full schedule. The problem is that Cammalleri has a history of missing time and the assists are extremely low. The Devils could also be very bad meaning a bad plus-minus could be in the cards. If you need goals late, this is your guy, just be aware that he could hurt you in other spots.
167) David Krejci – The opposite of Cammalleri, Krejci has the ability to put up 50 assists. The shot rate is below average and you’ll more than likely get only 15 goals but if you’re short of assists, Krejci would be a great value in this spot. This late in the draft, you should be drafting to your team needs.
168) Nail Yakupov – The former first overall pick started to show some promise at the end of last season drastically increasing his shot rate to an elite level and putting up some assists. Currently the Oilers plan to play Yakupov on the third line getting high offensive zone starts which is nice but at the same time, he won’t be playing with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Connor McDavid. The Oilers should finally be improved this year so don’t expect Yakupov to be -30 again. There’s a lot of upside here if he gets moved up to the top 6.
169) Robin Lehner – The Sabres paid a steep price to acquire Lehner from Ottawa. He’s the unquestioned starter and has huge upside long term. Short term, the Sabres defense is still sub-par and Lehner is coming back from concussion issues. The Sabres will be much improved but they still won’t be great for a few years so Lehner will probably have a low win total.
170) Cam Talbot – Prince Cam is no longer the future heir to King Henrik’s throne in New York. Instead, Talbot was traded to the Oilers where he’ll get the chance to be the full time starter for the first time in his career. The Oilers defense should be improved but their roster is still incredibly young. They will probably play a wide open game meaning Talbot’s goals against average will probably be poor. The upside of the Oilers plus being one of the last full time starting goalies gets Talbot ranked in this spot; ideally he’s your third goalie.
171) Jonathan Bernier – Bernier is a great goalie in real life but in fantasy the deck is stacked against him this year. He will post a good to great save percentage but the wins and goals against average will be poor playing for a terrible Leafs team.
172) Mika Zibanejad – Zibanejad locked himself into a top 6 role with the Senators and set a career high in goals and assists last season (20+26). His shot rate took a hit last season and a lack of PIM keeps him this low. He should be able to crack 50 points for the first time in his career which is what you’re looking for at the bottom of your roster.
173) Ryan Callahan – Callahan had a solid first full season in Tampa Bay tying a career high with 54 points (24+30), good PIM and shots. His willingness to block shots and do all the dirty work leaves him susceptible to injury and it appears to be only a matter of time before he loses his spot on the first line to Jonathan Drouin.
174) Mike Ribeiro – Ribiero is a poor man’s version of Henrik Sedin or Joe Thornton although he does contribute above average PIM. Ribeiro put up 60 points again and is a decent bet to do it again or at least come close. The problem is he only took 96 shots last year in 82 games. It’s downright horrible and puts you in a massive hole in roto leagues. In head to head, bump Ribeiro up 15 spots or so.
175) Antoine Roussel – Again, this is about drafting for need. If you are short on PIM, Roussel is the best guy to take later in drafts. He’s had 357 PIM between the last two seasons and scored 27 total goals. You aren’t going to get a lot outside of the PIM but he can win you PIM by himself some weeks.
176) Troy Brouwer – Brouwer is one of the most consistent players in the league. You know you’re going to get around 20 goals, 20 assists and good PIM. I’d expect a bump up in plus-minus as well moving from Washington to St. Louis.
177) Clarke MacArthur – MacArthur has found a home in Ottawa posting back to back solid seasons on their first line. Despite missing 20 games, MacArthur put up 16 goals and 20 assists while getting his shot rate to league average. He’s a safe bet to be average in all categories across the board.
178) Dion Phaneuf – Once an elite fantasy defenseman, Phaneuf’s offense never came with him to Toronto from Calgary. That said, he’s still good for 30 points, a good shot rate and 100 PIM. As your last defenseman, he’d be a nice get if you need the PIM and can absorb what will likely be a terrible plus-minus.
179) Brian Elliott – Elliott looks to be on the wrong end of a timeshare with Jake Allen this season. That said, he’s going to give you elite goaltender stats for the 35 games or so that he plays. If Allen were to get hurt, Elliott would be a top 10 goalie (vice versa also holds true for Allen) so at this point in the draft, I’ll take the gamble on that potential over what’s left among the goalies.
180) Ryan McDonagh – One of the best defensemen in the league, McDonagh is a safe bet for 25 assists, a very good plus-minus and good shot rate. With the addition of Keith Yandle, there is upside that McDonagh’s power play production increases to an above-average level. I’d expect McDonagh to get to his totals from 2 seasons ago (14+29) this year.
181) Dennis Wideman – Wideman had a career season last year posting an amazing 56 points (15+41) with a good shot rate. There are a few things stacking against Wideman repeating that. Most notably, with the addition of Dougie Hamilton and return of Mark Giordano, Wideman’s power play time is sure to drop making it unlikely for him to match last year’s 21 special teams points. You can expect 40-45 points but counting on Wideman to repeat last season would be a mistake.
182) Anton Stralman – The run of defensemen continues! Stralman’s first season in Tampa was a success scoring 39 points (9+30) with a +22. An increase could be possible; Tampa has been using Stralman on the point of their first power play unit so far in preseason. If that sticks, Stralman should get in the 45-50 point range with elite special teams points.
183) Mikko Koivu – While Koivu took a step back last season, he still posted 48 points (14+34) with a good shot rate. He will still be on the first power play unit in Minnesota so last season should be close to his floor. Don’t expect the Koivu who scored 60-70 points to return but somewhere in the low to mid 50’s seems reasonable.
184) Tyler Myers – The trade to Winnipeg from Buffalo revitalized Myers’ career. In the 24 games with the Jets, Myers had 15 points (3+12) with good shots and PIM. He’s primed to have a big role for the Jets again and could finally return to the fantasy player he was his rookie season when he won the Calder trophy.
185) Kevin Hayes – Hayes had a tremendous rookie year for the Rangers scoring 45 points (17+28) despite only playing 13 minutes a game and getting little power play time. He should get more minutes this year and be on the Rangers second power play unit so 50 points is within reach. The only downside is a poor shot rate; hopefully it takes a jump up in year two.
186) Rasmus Ristolainen – Ristolainen is poised to have a major breakout this season. He’s going to play big minutes for a much improved team and has a great slapshot that will be utilized on the power play. You can probably wait to draft Risto with your last pick (he’s not in ESPN’s top 300) but 40 points is well within reach. If your league counts time on ice as a category, he’ll be absolutely worth it.
187) Mikael Granlund – Granlund is in a great spot to set career high across the board this year. He will be centering the Wild first line with Zach Parise and Jason Pominville on his wings and on the first power play unit. His shot rate is sub-par and it will probably stay that way having two wingers who love to shoot on his line but there’s 40+ assist upside here.
188) Aleksander Barkov – Barkov’s second year started slow but once Jaromir Jagr joined the Panthers, Barkov took off. In the last 13 games, Barkov posted 12 points (5+7) and was starting to get big minutes. He also showed signs of getting his shot rate to average or better. There’s big upside for the Panthers first line; if you’re in a keeper league and Barkov isn’t kept, this is probably the last year you’ll be able to get him.
189) Marcus Johansson – Johansson scored 20 goals for the first time last year and raised his shot rate to below average from abysmal. He has a spot on the first power play unit in Washington so he’s a good source of special teams points late. A breakout from Evgeny Kuznetsov like I expect gives Johansson upside to best last year’s totals.
190) Patrick Maroon – Maroon is the lucky player on the Ducks who gets to play with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. He only scored 9 goals last year but Maroon showed what he could do in the playoffs scoring 7 goals and adding 4 assists in 16 games. He also is a very good source of PIM. The only question is how much power play time he gets. If he’s on the top unit, he has a good chance to push 50 points and be a steal.
191) Mark Scheifele – Scheifele’s second full season was much better than his first scoring 49 points (15+34) while getting his shot rate to average after being very poor. The addition of Drew Stafford gives Scheifele a better right winger to play with at even strength and on the second power play unit.
192) Christian Ehrhoff – Ehrhoff was a big flop in Pittsburgh but is in a good spot to bounce back in Los Angeles. Despite only scoring 3 goals last year, his shot rate stayed above-average for a defenseman and he didn’t get the power play time in Pittsburgh he will in L.A. I expect Ehrhoff to get back to 35-40 points with good PIM and shots.
193) Sergei Plotnikov – Plotnikov signed with the Pens this offseason after six seasons in the KHL. He will step right into a top 6 role in Pittsburgh on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. Plotnikov is not expected to get much power play time which keeps his ranking down but he should contribute right away playing with Malkin.
194) Mikkel Boedker – Boedker was on pace to have a career year before an injury caused his season to end after playing 45 games. There’s potential for 25+25 here but he’s almost certain to have a poor plus-minus playing for the Coyotes. He also takes very few penalties.
195) Alexander Edler – At this point, we know what Edler is going to give you. You’ll get around 50 PIM, elite shots for a defenseman and 30-40 points over a full season. It’s nothing special but enough to be fantasy relevant as your last defenseman, especially if you need shots.
196) Matt Beleskey – Beleskey turned his career year into a nice payday from the Bruins. Beleskey doubled his career high in goals last year with 22 in 65 games while being a good source of PIM. There are two problems with Beleskey though that keeps him this low. First, he has missed a bunch of games every season he’s been in the league. Second, he’s downright dreadful in assists (his career high is 15). It should go up slightly this year in Boston but it’s hard to see Beleskey getting to 50 points.
197) Paul Stastny – This is going to price me out on Stastny looking at ADP. The move to St. Louis put Stastny in a more defensive role and on the third line for most of the season. He’s a safe bet for around 50 points with okay shots and PIM but there isn’t much upside here at this point in his career.
198) Brent Seabrook – Seabrook is pretty much Edler with less PIM. You’ll get 30 points and a great shot rate but not much else. He should still see power play time on the second unit; how he does will have a big effect on whether he puts up 30 points or closer to 40.
199) Colin Wilson – Like most of his team, Wilson took a step forward last year scoring 20 goals and adding 22 assists. More importantly, he raised his shot rate to an above average level meaning 20 goals is repeatable. The Predators spread out their minutes so there’s not much upside here but he could push 50 points if he stays healthy.
200) Mathieu Perreault – Perreault’s first season in Winnipeg saw him score 18 goals and add 23 assists in only 62 games. The problem is that Perreault has missed time each of the last four seasons with injury. He’s worth taking the flier on this late because 50 points is a near certainty if he stayed healthy.
There’s your top 200! We will have an article about preseason action coming out on Wednesday and my breakdown of ESPN’s and Yahoo’s rankings should be out later in the week (cliff notes: they’re horrible). RCL’s are up so go ahead and join the league I setup or make your own here. As always, comment below with your thoughts and / or questions you have. Take care everyone!
