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Over the next few weeks, RotoBaller will be kicking off the NHL offseason with a feature breaking down the top 100 player rankings heading into the 2018-2019 fantasy hockey season.
The top 100 rankings will be released in six segments, starting from the bottom (100-81) and concluding with a two-piece set featuring our top 20 players for next season. The rankings are subject to change throughout the off-season as the NHL Entry Draft and ensuing free agency period can alter player outlooks.
Note: Rankings are determined considering a standard Yahoo league format (goals, assists, plus-minus, penalty minutes, power play points and shots for skaters; wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for goalies).
Top 100 Fantasy Hockey Rankings for 2018-2019 (60-41)
60) Rickard Rakell (C/LW, ANA)
Rickard Rakell took a massive step forward in his fourth NHL season in 2017-2018, earning his first All-Star appearance and finishing the season with 69 poinyd (34 goals, 35 assists). After spending the majority of his first three years bouncing around between the second and third lines, Rakell quickly solidified himself on the Ducks’ top line and premier power play unit. The 25-year old forward has game-breaking talent, plays with one of the best playmaking centers in the game in Ryan Getzlaf, and could very well set a new career-high in goals and points again this season.
After getting off to a slow start last season (9 points in his first 20 games), Joe Pavelski finished the 2017-2018 season on an absolute tear, posting 57 points in the final 62 contests. Having spent much of the past half-decade playing alongside Joe Thornton, Pavelski proved he has the ability to drive his own line. The 34-year-old, Wisconsin native might no longer be a lock to eclipse the 70-point mark, but he’s proved that he still has plenty of gas in the tank and should continue to produce big numbers in a loaded forward core in San Jose this upcoming season.
The 2017-2018 campaign was a challenging one for Jeff Carter. After suffering a lacerated ankle tendon from an opposing skate blade in October, Carter was kept off the ice for much of the next four months. The nature of his injury kept didn’t allow him to touch the ice for most of his recovery, but he didn’t seem to miss a beat upon return – registering 19 points (13 goals, six assists), six power play points, and 72 shots on goal in 21 games to close out the season. Even at 33-years-old, Carter remains one of the game’s most dangerous scorers and he should continue to benefit from L.A.’s newfound emphasis on offensive creativity.
57) Frederik Andersen (G, TOR)
Despite Toronto’s struggles in its own zone last season, Frederik Andersen proved to be one the league’s most dynamic netminders last season. Andersen, in his second year as a Maple Leaf, posted 38 wins, a 2.81 goals-against average, and a strong .918 save percentage in 66 games. He may not lead the league in fewest goals against in 2018-2019 but the Denmark native should rack up the wins on a very good Leafs team and sit near the top ten in save percentage.
Mark Stone was one of the few bright spots in a fairly miserable season for the Ottawa Senators in 2017-2018. After registering 187 points (75 goals, 112 assists) in his first 249 NHL games, Stone jumped up to over a point-per-game last season with 62 points (20 goals, 42 assists) in 58 games before having his season cut short due to a shoulder injury. With the Senators entering into full rebuild mode, Stone’s value may decrease some, but the winger should still rack up great all-around numbers next season thanks to his supreme skill and high hockey IQ.
Before seeing his season get cut short in December due to a lingering head injury, Corey Crawford was in the midst of posting some of the best statistics of his career. In just 28 games, Crawford registered 16 wins to go along with a 2.27 goal-against average, a .929 save percentage, and two shutouts. With that said, there is still significant uncertainty surrounding Crawford’s health heading into the 2018-2019 season, with some speculating he might not be ready to go at the start of training camp. We hope Crawford can get past the injuries and build off what was looking to be a Vezina candidacy season last year.
Logging his first full NHL season at just 20-years-old in 2016-2017, Mikko Rantanen grabbed some attention with his 38 points (20 goals, 18 assists) in 75 games. Rantanen blew his rookie season out of the water in 2017-2018 – jumping into the top 20 in NHL scoring with 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists) in 82 games. The former tenth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft showcased incredible chemistry with MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon – cementing himself on Colorado’s top line and first power play unit. Rantanen is an outstanding playmaker whose game should only continue to grow as he gains more NHL games under his belt.
53) Nicklas Backstrom (C, WAS)
Turning 31-years-old this upcoming season, Nicklas Backstrom has done nothing but solidify himself as one of the finest playmakers this league has to offer. But after five straight finishes inside the league’s top 20 scorers between 2012 and 2017, Backstom fell to 32nd in scoring last season. With that said, the immaculate passer still closed the campaign with 71 points (21 goals, 50 assists). Still, with the abundance of playmaking centers available in fantasy drafts, Backstrom’s days of being taken in the first or second round might be over.
52) Leon Draisaitl (C/RW, EDM)
Taken as the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft, Leon Draisaitl has already established himself as one of the premiere young talents in the league today. With a 77-point season (29 goals, 48 assists) at just 21 years of age in 2016-2017, Draisaitl helped take the Edmonton Oilers from the bottom of the standings to the top of the Pacific Division. While the Oilers certainly took a step back last season, the German-born center still managed to register 70 points (25 goals, 45 assists) despite seeing his power play production drop by 16 points. Draisaitl has proven he can generate scoring centering the team’s second line. However, if the Oilers decide that the young talent can stick alongside Connor McDavid’s wing for extended periods next season, Draisaitl’s ceiling is sky high.
51) William Karlsson (C/LW, VGK)
William Karlsson becoming one of the most lethal scorers in the NHL was perhaps the most surprising individual story of the 2017-2018 season. Having never posted more than 25 points in his previous two full seasons, Karlsson found a completely new gear with his new team, earning 78 points (43 goals, 35 assists) to go along with 16 power play points, a league leading +49 plus/minus, and 184 shots on goal. It’s scary to imagine what kind of ceiling Karlsson may have if he can establish himself as a true weapon on the power play next season but many, including myself, will need to see a repeat of his individual production in order to move him up the rankings.
50) Marc-Andre Fleury (G, VGK)
After seeing Marc-Andre Fleury battle injuries and ultimately give up his starting job to Matt Murray in Pittsburgh, many speculated that the former 2003 first-overall draft pick’s best days were behind him. After Pittsburgh sent along a draft pick just to ensure that the Golden Knights would take Fleury in the expansion draft, Fleury went out and put together the best statistical season of his career with his new team in 2017-2018. In his 46 starts, Fleury’s 29 wins, 2.24 goals against average, and .927 save percentage led Vegas all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Fleury, and Vegas as a whole, might have trouble replicating last year’s success but there’s very little reason to believe that the team’s starting netminder can’t finish as a top 10 goaltender once again in 2018-2019.
Despite being regarded as one of the game’s most valuable defenseman, Roman Josi somehow remains underrated year after year in fantasy pools. Not one statistic really stands out as elite. He won’t likely ever finish a season as the number one fantasy hockey defenseman. But what Josi does is he fills out almost all fantasy categories. And he does it very well. Last year, the 28-year-old blueliner finished the season tenth in goals (14), 17th in assists (39), 14th in points (53), 8th in plus-minus, and 3rd in shots (253) among his peers. All of this adds up to Josi checking in as the sixth most valuable defenseman in standard Yahoo leagues last season. Steady, balanced production from blueliners is highly valuable in fantasy hockey and the Swiss defenseman looks primed to provide that once again in 2018-2019.
Tukka Rask struggled out of the gate last season before settling in and posting very respectable numbers for a surprising strong Bruins team. Rask closed out the campaign with 34 wins, a 2.36 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage, and three shutouts – earning an All-Star appearance and finishing seventh in Vezina voting. Set to turn 32-years-old this season, Rask may no longer be an elite goaltender, but he’s still proven himself to be an above average option in the crease and someone who should collect a ton of wins in Boston in 2018-2019.
When you break into the world’s top professional league and immediately earn yourself two Stanley Cup rings, you can create some ridiculously high expectations. After putting up 32 wins, a 2.41 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage in his first full rookie season, Matt Murray flung off most fantasy draft boards in either the second or third round in 2017-2018. Murray, as we know, failed to meet those high expectations last season and regressed to 27 wins, a 2.92 GAA, and a .907 SVP%. Murray’s decline could easily be attributed to mental and physical fatigue catching up to him from two consecutive deep playoff runs. Still, Murray possesses incredible upside in the net and could return some serious value for fantasy owners that take him in drafts this fall.
46) Alexander Radulov (RW, DAL)
Following nearly a full decade of playing in the KHL, Alexander Radulov returned to the NHL prior to the 2016-2017 season. After posting 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 76 games with Montreal, Dallas rewarded the skilled winger with a five-year deal last summer. Radulov did not disappoint in his new sweater, forming excellent chemistry with both Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin en route to NHL career-highs in goals (27), assists (45), shots (217), power play points (23), and penalty minutes (72). The Russian winger can take over games with a unique combination of skill and tenacity. He’s poised for another huge season in Dallas in 2018-2019.
The 2017-2018 season was filled with ups and downs for Capitals star netminder Braden Holtby. Taken in the first two rounds of most fantasy drafts, Holtby was one of the biggest draft day disappointments last year – recording a surprising 2.99 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 54 starts. The Saskatoon native turned his game around during the spring with a 2.16 GAA and a .922 save% that backed his team all the way to a Stanley Cup. Considering the 28-year-old’s sterling career numbers, one could hypothesize that Holtby’s season last year is simply a blip in the radar and that he will return to his pristine form in 2018-2019.
When the Dallas Stars hired Ken Hitchcock last summer, there was a belief that John Kingberg’s offensive production might take a hit in the new head coach's highly defensive-focused system. Instead, the former fifth-round draft pick finished the year second among all defenseman with 67 points (eight goals, 59 assists) in addition to 23 power play points, a plus-10 rating, and 204 shots on net. Klingberg has elite puck distributing skills and has a unique ability to create scoring opportunities from well-placed shots from the blue line. The slender defenseman could continue to progress next season as the Stars move toward a more balanced system under Jim Montgomery.
The Flyer’s new combination of Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, and Jakub Voracek proved to be one of the league’s most dangerous trios in 2017-2018. The top line’s immediate chemistry allowed Voracek to find rare production levels en route to registering his first career point-per-game season with 85 points (20 goals, 65 assists) in 82 games. In addition, the Czech winger finished inside the NHL’s top 10 in power play points (35) and peppered 222 shots on goal. Voracek, having just turned 29-years-old, appears to be right in the middle of his prime and will look to repeat his point-per-game production level this season.
After breaking into the NHL with an 85-point (22 goal, 63 assist) season, it’s baffling to think there were 15 players selected ahead of Mathew Barzal in the 2015 NHL draft. The 21-year-old center is already one of the most electrifying players this game has to offer –possessing incredible hands and elite skating. Things will expectedly get more difficult for the 2018 Calder Trophy winner in his sophomore campaign following the departure of John Tavares from Long Island. Expected to take over the team’s top line center role, Barzal will now be the focal point of scouting reports and, as a result, will face opposing checking lines and top defensive pairs. Regardless, Barzal’s immense talent level should prevail and he could easily move his way up the rankings as the season moves along.
The biggest question mark surrounding John Gibson’s game has never been his talent level but rather his ability to stay healthy over the course of an NHL season. Having never started 50 games in any given season in his young career, John Gibson established a career-high of 60 starts in 2017-2018. While mostly healthy, Gibson posted outstanding numbers with 31 wins, a 2.43 goals-against average, a .926 save percentage, and four shutouts. With his durability concerns hopefully behind him, Gibson could very well establish himself as a top three NHL netminder behind an expectedly strong Ducks squad in 2018-2019.
Stay tuned for the continuation of our weekly countdown of the top 100 players for 2018-2019 fantasy hockey.
