NHL training camps are here, which means it’s time to roll out projections for the Top 100 fantasy players in ’08-09.
When you mesh forwards, defencemen and goaltenders all together like this, a plethora of worthwhile players are MIA. No worries. We’ve also included a bonus section called Filler Material. Browsing through that area should help you target specific types of players to round out your roster.
Between that, Monday’s Goaltender Rankings and Tuesday’s Sleepers & Rebounders you should be set.
Criteria: These fantasy rankings are meant for single season leagues counting goals, assists, +/-, power play points, penalty minutes and shots for skaters with wins, goals against and save percentage for goaltenders.
Worth noting: Power forwards and offensive defencemen with helpful peripherals carry special significance in these standard formats because they’re a relatively rare commodity. It’s exactly why you’ll see them rated ahead of guys who are projected to get more points but who tend to take fewer shots or that don’t spend much time in the penalty box.
Even though fantasy hockey is all about cold, hard statistics; the fact remains that part of the rankings process is based on intangibles. Are there higher than normal injury worries? Are an extra 40 PIM worth sacrificing 15 points? Is a young player ready to break through? Who can build on last year’s success and who’s going to fall flat on his face?
Take in all of the information you want, but sometimes you’ve just got go with your gut and you’ve also got to adjust your thinking on the fly to fine-tune your roster into a well-balanced fantasy decimation machine.
Welcome to the wonderful world of drafting.
Aside from stockpiling as many point/ PIM players as possible, you can often come out ahead by taking offensive guys first in the draft. Where possible, wait on your goaltending until the fourth, fifth or sixth rounds.
Again though, you’ve got to stay flexible enough to know where those goaltending bargains are going to come and when you’ll need to grab them before you risk losing out. Wait too long and you could sink your team’s chances right out of the gate.
If you like the security of having your goaltending locked up early, just use the goalie rankings from Monday and adjust your list as you go.
Chris Nichols — Sportsnet.ca
1. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington: Goal scoring wizard has earned the top slot.
2. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh: Art Ross favourite; should be downright dominant.
3. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey: Mr. Consistency always gets it done.
4. Dany Heatley, Ottawa: Hungry to resume his 50 goal ways with outstanding peripherals.
5. Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay: New captain excellent all-around; repaired shoulder ok.
6. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh: Points, PIM and he’s 22. Career potential is off the charts.
7. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit: No Datsyuk? No worries. Hank is bank.
8. Jarome Iginla, Calgary: Average of 96 points in each of the past two years; PIM bonus
9. Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose: Rebooted San Jose team; same rock in net.
10. Joe Thornton, San Jose: Absolutely ridiculous point totals since move to SJ.
11. Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit: 38 and still going strong; 0.75 career ppg average.
12. Dion Phaneuf, Calgary: Arguably just as valuable as Lidstrom, all categories considered.
13. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers: New-look team still has The King in net.
14. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver: One of a handful of time-tested fantasy studs.
15. Olli Jokinen, Phoenix: Upgraded talent on his wings with Coyotes; peripherals rock.
16. Rick Nash, Columbus: Career year should mean surpassing point-per-game, 90 PIM, 300 SOG.
17. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit: Has averaged 90 points for three straight years; lethal +/-
18. Marian Hossa, Detroit: Look for statistical increases across the board for this Czech sniper.
19. Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta: One of the best pure snipers in the game.
20. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim: Burgeoning power forward is emerging into fantasy stud.
21. Jason Spezza, Ottawa: Elite point producer; overall game set to improve.
22. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Anaheim: Well-rested Ducks should return to form in ’08-9.
23. Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh: Power play engineer; high-end producer.
24. Marty Turco, Dallas: Five straight years with at least 31 W; should hit 40 this year.
25. Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa: Veteran Swedish winger will thrive on any line.
26. Daniel Briere, Philadelphia: May move to wing on super-potent line with Richards-Gagne.
27. Dan Boyle, San Jose: +/- no longer a concern; colossal campaign on the way.
28. Zdeno Chara, Boston: Solid all-around; coming off shoulder surgery.
29. Brenden Morrow, Dallas: Contributes everywhere; 1.56 PIM-per-game career average.
30. Eric Staal, Carolina: 2nd overall pick from 2003 inked big money extension; he’ll earn it.
31. Mike Richards, Philadelphia: Point-per-game threat with strong peripherals; now captain.
32. Jonathan Toews, Chicago: Winnipeg native will shine as the new captain.
33. Simon Gagne, Philadelphia: A 50-goal, high SOG threat if he’s as healthy as they say.
34. Chris Pronger, Anaheim: Love him or hate him, he’s outstanding annually.
35. Marian Gaborik, Minnesota: No question about his talent, but back-to-back healthy seasons?
36. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh: Can Pens give him a full season of defensive effort?
37. Carey Price, Montreal: He’ll show us what the fuss is all about; summer weight loss too.
38. Marc Savard, Boston: Points, PIM declined in ’07-8; time to come back hard.
39. Corey Perry, Anaheim: Point-per-game threat with healthy PIM totals.
40. Brian Rafalski, Detroit: +/- makes up for low PIM total; Wings enhance his stability.
41. Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim: Full season; well-balanced points, PIM
42. Mike Green, Washington: Solid peripherals; will earn higher ranking with repeat of ’07-8.
43. Brian Campbell, Chicago: Ontario-born d-man has exciting future with Hawks set to soar.
44. Patrick Kane, Chicago: Calder winner has bulked up; ready to achieve more.
45. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington: Slightly downgraded with sprained ankle last week.
46. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary: Draft position has fallen, turning him into a steal.
47. Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay: +/- should be vastly improved over ’07-8’s -23 horror show.
48. Shane Doan, Phoenix: Addition of Jokinen only helps veteran power forward.
49. Scott Gomez, New York: Will benefit from more aggressive team style.
50. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver: Steady point producer; built-in comfort with Henrik on L1.
51. Alexei Kovalev, Montreal: Team desperately needs repeat of last year.
52. Thomas Vanek, Buffalo: Has overcome mental contract hurdle; goals should flow.
53. Paul Stastny, Colorado: Point potential is huge; SOG to rise; PIM totals hurt.
54. Brad Richards, Dallas: Should be his best output since 91-point effort in ’05-6.
55. Chris Osgood, Detroit: Not likely to start as many games as the higher-ranked goalies.
56. Pascal Leclaire, Columbus: Take F/D first and then grab someone like this guy.
57. Daniel Carcillo, Phoenix: Look for increased offensive totals, fewer 10-minute misconducts.
58. Ed Jovanovski, Phoenix: 80 GP last year stopped four straight injury-plagued campaigns.
59. Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota: Wild should have another competitive team.
60. Sean Avery, Dallas: PIM total should rise; only needs 40+ points to justify this slot.
61. Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix: Another mid-round goaltending steal.
62. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver: Weaker peripherals than Daniel, which hurts the poolie cause.
63. Lubomir Visnovsky, Edmonton: Offensive defenceman in high-octane system.
64. Bryan McCabe, Florida: Even 40 points acceptable with his PIM contributions.
65. Teemu Selanne, Anaheim: 38-year old can still snipe; high SOG, PPP.
66. Cristobal Huet, Chicago: Draft Khabi too in case goalie trade is delayed.
67. Ryan Miller, Buffalo: He committed to Buffalo – can they commit to improved D?
68. Andrei Markov, Montreal: 51 points-per-season average over past three years.
69. Ales Hemsky, Edmonton: Hemsky Nation will lead the team in points; SOG totals rise.
70. Martin Biron, Philadelphia: Flyers seek more consistency as they ready an Eastern rise.
71. Derek Roy, Buffalo: Looking for second straight point-per-game campaign.
72. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles: bad +/-, low PIM; otherwise, a budding star in this game.
73. Wade Redden, New York Rangers: Needs a big season to prove detractors wrong.
74. Nathan Horton, Florida: Sans Jokinen, this is Horton’s year to really step up.
75. Jose Theodore, Washington: Potential for great year is there for former MVP.
76. Tomas Kaberle, Toronto: No Sundin, McCabe; Czech blueliner will still get points.
77. Shawn Horcoff, Edmonton: Should pass 73-point career high from ’03-4.
78. Jason Pominville, Buffalo: Can exceed 30+ goals, 220+ SOG; signed five-year deal.
79. Joe Corvo, Carolina: First full season as Canes’ PP QB; could match ’07-8 career high.
80. Jason Arnott, Nashville: Solid power forward asset at this point of draft.
81. Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis: Getting up there in years; still solid overall value.
82. Joe Sakic, Colorado: Burnaby Joe may be 39, but he’s still a viable threat.
83. Brian Rolston, New Jersey: Massive shot total; otherwise he’s not here.
84. Ryan Malone, Tampa Bay: 60+ points, 100+ PIM would spell success for former Pen.
85. Sheldon Souray, Edmonton: Points and PIM will be there; will his GP?
86. Zach Parise, New Jersey: 24-year old looks to finally hit/pass 70-point mark.
87. Vaclav Prospal, Tampa Bay: His even/ odd point curse has to stop this year… right?
88. Johan Franzen, Detroit: Leap of faith; great linemates; G, SOG and PIM too.
89. Martin Gerber, Ottawa: Can he backstop Sens to comeback year?
90. Mathieu Garon, Edmonton: Oilers stand to be vastly-improved team.
91. Kimmo Timonen, Philadelphia: Driving force behind this deep offensive team.
92. Jonathan Cheechoo, San Jose: Big shots, decent PIM; 35+ goals reasonable.
93. Tomas Vokoun, Florida: More depth on D should help, but how many wins?
94. Cam Ward, Carolina: Could be his best regular season ever.
95. Michael Cammalleri, Calgary: 70+ points, 280+ SOG with better +/- than with Kings.
96. Mike Ribeiro, Dallas: Weak peripherals; otherwise excellent situation for points.
97. Todd Bertuzzi, Calgary: Even 55 points would be fine here with his high PIM.
98. Alexander Semin, Washington: Quiet PIM producer in addition to being sniper.
99. Petr Sykora, Pittsburgh: Chemistry with Malkin; no-lose centre proposition.
100. Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit: Steady, unflashy; has stud linemates.
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| With new season on the horizon, Sportsnet.ca fantasy expert Chris Nichols previews the players you will need to target on draft day.
• Monday: Rating the goaltenders • Tuesday: Sleepers & Rebounders • Wednesday: Fantasy Pool Etiquette • Thursday: Power Forwards • Friday: Top 100 Fantasy Players |
FILLER MATERIAL
Need some extra goals? Maybe a decent PIM contributor? Could you use a few more points and don’t really care about the peripherals? Still have to round out that defensive corps? Fill up your fantasy shopping cart with this overflow of helpful forwards and defencemen.
FORWARDS
Peter Mueller, Phoenix: 36 points in final 45 GP; 200+ SOG again.
Nikolai Zherdev, New York Rangers: Development trending upward; loves to shoot.
Alex Tanguay, Montreal: Move to Habs should pay dividends; weak peripherals.
Jeff Carter, Philadelphia: Can truly shine if he becomes this team’s L2 centre.
Miroslav Satan, Pittsburgh: Shift to Crosby’s wing (or Malkin, if he slums it) is golden.
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay: Tempting player; tempting situation with linemates.
Daymond Langkow, Calgary: Doesn’t hurt you anywhere; good line assignment.
Brad Boyes, St. Louis: Even 35 goals would be great follow-up to 40 from last year.
Erik Cole, Edmonton: Power forward aims to step up his game.
Andrei Kostitsyn, Montreal: What will he do for an encore to last year?
Joffrey Lupul, Philadelphia: This should be his time to shine.
Rod Brind’Amour: AARP membership kicks in any day; still in phenomenal shape.
Ryan Smyth, Colorado: Serviceable depth guy; helpful in several areas.
Jason Blake, Toronto: Even a 30-goal campaign would be fine with his SOG.
Pavol Demitra, Vancouver: Health is the main issue; possible C-W eligibility.
Kristian Huselius, Columbus: Starts the year opposite Nash on L1.
Patrice Bergeron, Boston: If he stays healthy, he’s a late steal.
Robert Lang, Montreal: Can play key role for up-tempo Habs
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles: Effective all-around, aside from +/-.
Markus Naslund, New York Rangers: Quality centre all season this time.
Radim Vrbata, Tampa Bay: Here’s the steady top six ice time – time to deliver regularly.
Patrick Sharp, Chicago: Denis Savard loves this guy and for good reason; SHP too.
Tomas Plekanec, Montreal: Will he build on last year’s breakout?
Patrick O’Sullivan, Los Angeles: Plenty of shots; points should grow; still RFA
Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles: 138 points in past two seasons; quality ice time.
Martin Havlat, Chicago: Can’t spell “Martin” without “IR”. How many GP this year?
Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Minnesota: Respectable points; brutal peripherals.
Andrew Cogliano, Edmonton: Looking to build on strong finish.
J.P. Dumont, Nashville: Will be counted on for even more this season.
Ray Whitney, Carolina: Decent SOG/ PPP to complement points.
R.J. Umberger, Columbus: Potentially a massive breakout campaign alongside Nash.
Nik Antropov, Toronto: Big minutes; don’t forget PIM value.
Patrick Marleau, San Jose: Should have significantly more impressive totals.
Patrik Elias, New Jersey: Loves to shoot; begins on Rolston’s wing.
Saku Koivu, Montreal: Where will he fit in with Lang on the scene?
Milan Hejduk, Colorado: Needs 260+ shots to be worthy and score goals.
Kyle Turris, Phoenix: How much of an impact will he have this year?
Scott Hartnell, Philadelphia: Monster PIM with so-so points; depth winger w/ upside.
Steve Bernier, Vancouver: Young power forward put with Sedins; breakout.
Petr Prucha, New York Rangers: Likely top six guy; depth goals.
Michael Ryder, Boston: Goal and shot totals could double from ’07-8 numbers.
Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo: Stay healthy, put up points, get those PIM.
Michael Nylander, Washington: Caps have enough talent to supplement talented vet.
Kyle Okposo, New York Islanders: One of few things to look forward to for Isles this year.
Mats Sundin, ???: Want to gamble a mid-to-late draft pick on the talented Swede?
Milan Michalek, San Jose: One of many Sharks that should improve.
Sam Gagner, Edmonton: 28 points in final 29GP; gifted offensive upside.
Fabian Brunnstrom, Dallas: Centre depth in Dallas helps his cause.
Chris Higgins, Montreal: Goals, SOG; top six role though?
DEFENCEMEN
Brent Burns, Minnesota: Rising star recently had elbow surgery.
Mathieu Schneider, ?: Steady, dependable; value TBA with new team.
Kevin Bieksa, Vancouver: Standard league owners love this guy’s PIM.
Pavel Kubina, Toronto: McCabe’s absence increases chances of ’07-8 repeat.
Sergei Zubov, Dallas: Out 4-8 weeks with arthroscopic hip surgery.
Braydon Coburn, Philadelphia: Becomes a fantasy fixture in ’08-9.
Philippe Boucher, Dallas: Sore foot already; PIM/ point combo when healthy.
Jay Bouwmeester, Florida: McCabe’s presence could actually help JB’s point totals.
Rob Blake, San Jose: Perfect complementary situation with Boyle; +/- worries erased.
Marek Zidlicky, Minnesota: PP specialist; helped with Burns there.
Erik Johnson, St. Louis: Is freak golf cart knee injury going to be serious?
Shea Weber, Nashville: Zidlicky gone; passing career high 40 points reasonable.
Mattias Ohlund, Vancouver: 35-40 points would truly complement good PIM total.
Dennis Wideman, Boston: Looking to build on breakout season.
Andrej Meszaros, Tampa Bay: New team; time to shake inconsistency label.
Mark Streit, New York Islanders: Move to Long Island doesn’t help his +/-.
John-Michael Liles, Colorado: Looking for 40+ point rebound season.
Tobias Enstrom, Atlanta: 38 points as a rookie, so now what?
Niklas Kronwall, Detroit: Points and +/- are asset; other peripherals need work.
Michal Rozsival, New York Rangers: Addition of Redden should help, not hurt.
Craig Rivet, Buffalo: Hidden gem in pools with points/ PIM.
Filip Kuba, Ottawa: Thrust into #1 PP QB role for the time being.
Cory Murphy, Florida: Is there enough roster room for him to repeat early ’07-8 success?
Joni Pitkanen, Carolina: Good PIM additions; back to 40+ points.
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh: He and Alex Goligoski should get offensive looks.
Ron Hainsey, Atlanta: Decent choice to round out a defensive unit.
Ryan Whitney, Pittsburgh: Take him later on and IR him for productive second half.
Zach Bogosian, Atlanta: Potential wildcard with his PIM/ point combo.
Brian Lee, Ottawa: Can he step in and help the PP depth?
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles: Stud one day; what’ll the rookie season look like?
