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Yesterday, many Americans were glued to their TV sets or streaming devices watching the first Sunday of the NFL season. For some, professional football is a religion. They wake up, turn on the pregame show, grill up some brats, and most importantly set their fantasy lineups. The NHL is not known for being a mass fantasy sport but it’s widely popular among diehard puckheads. This week the best 2023-24 fantasy player rankings came out and several Golden Knights made the experts’ draft list.
Let’s start with the most desired.
#32 – Jack Eichel
While the championship center is ranked the highest on the Golden Knights he’s far behind some of his contemporaries. Obviously, Connor McDavid is ranked first overall but fourteen other centers were ranked ahead of Eichel. It’s not a knock on the World Champion but a compliment to the structure of the Stanley Cup Golden Knights.
Eichel had his lowest average time on ice in his career last season, as Vegas likes to roll four lines in a balanced attack. Given that, and the fact Eichel has missed substantial time in all but two of his NHL seasons, it’s tough to count on him for more than 70 games and 70 points. –Michael Amato on Sportsnet.ca
#92 – Mark Stone
Let’s be fair, dozens of teams would select Stone before the 92nd pick but in fantasy sports, points are the only figure that matters. The Golden Knights captain can do a little bit of everything, and much better than anyone else. However, he isn’t a scoring winger like David Pastrnak, Matthew Tkachuk, or Mikko Rantanen. Not to mention Stone’s past injury absences will likely scare fantasy GMs from drafting him any higher. If picking pockets were a statistic in fantasy hockey then that’s a different story. In that case, Stone would be selected much higher than 92.
The only thing holding Stone back in fantasy is health. His numbers are always solid but he just misses so much time due to injuries, and the odds of that improving as he’s now 31 seem slim. Don’t reach too high for him. –Amato on Sportsnet.ca
#105 – Alex Pietrangelo
There are many defensemen ranked above Pietrangelo because his fantasy stats get watered down due to Vegas’ defensive balance. That will likely keep fantasy GMs away from spending one of their earlier-round picks on a VGK defender.
A safe and reliable pick, Pietrangelo checks a lot of boxes. He gives you 50-point potential and fills out the shots and blocks columns fairly well. Don’t expect him to wow you in any one area, but there’s nothing wrong with grabbing someone steady and consistent at this point in your draft. –Amato on Sportsnet.ca
#112 – Jonathan Marchessault
It’s surprising that a strict offensive forward like Marchessault couldn’t crack the Top 100. All he does is shoot and score. Plus, he’s a power play fixture. However, fantasy GMs can’t rely on the Conn Smythe winner to be a point-per-game player. His point total has been relatively mediocre for the past few seasons. I always assumed Marchessault was holding back some of his offense for the postseason, happy we got to truly see it.
Marchessault’s playoffs were incredible, but don’t get fooled into drafting him too high. He’s reached 60 points only once in the past five seasons and I’d bet over a long season linemate Ivan Barbashev comes back down to earth. –Amato on Sportsnet.ca
#136 – Chandler Stephenson
Stephenson has been nothing short of extraordinary since his arrival in 2019.
He’s been a consistent point getter for the Golden Knights and takes advantage of playing with Stone. The two have created a successful partnership on the ice and tend to come up with important goals at the right time. Unfortunately, that type of chemistry doesn’t get appreciated on a fantasy hockey lineup.
Stephenson’s numbers last year look good overall, but a lot of that production came while playing with Eichel and Stone. He was a lot quieter in the second half, after Stone got hurt, and he wasn’t deployed on the Golden Knights’ top line in the playoffs. I’m not as high on Stephenson if he isn’t reunited with Eichel and Stone.-Amato on Sportsnet.ca
#139 – Shea Theodore
It’s surprising that Pietrangelo is ranked 34 spots higher than Theodore. At this point in his career, the 28-year-old should be expected to be scoring at a higher pace than his elder defenseman. I believe Theodore will break his career high in goals and top 15 or more in 2023-24. In my opinion, Theodore is a value at pick #139.
It could have been a career year for Theodore in 2022-23, if not for injuries. He scored at a 61-point pace over 55 games and was only 11 blocks away from his career best. You’d like Theodore to shoot and hit more, but it definitely feels like there’s a 60-point season in him if he can stay healthy and put everything together.-Amato on Sportsnet.ca
Overall, there are six Golden Knights that represent the team in the Top 150 fantasy player rankings. It’s possible Eichel, Marchessault, Stephenson, and Theodore are all projected lower than they should be. Either way, that would make for a great season statistically for the reigning champs.
Emmanuel
The VGK are a team built for the playoffs not “fantasy”.
They would be tough to beat in Strat-o-Matic though……
THE hockey GOD
kessel is a 1 -1 in strat o matic
Emmanuel
True, I was thinking that. I’d line up my best LW against him in S-a-M!
I’m not sure he’s a 1 on O though….
THE hockey GOD
Hockey Current Edition Cards
Hockey Current Edition Cards quantity
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Release Date September 21, 2023
Hockey Current Edition Cards
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Highlights
NEW THIS YEAR – Cards printed on heavier paper stock
Viva Las Vegas! Best in the West romps Florida for first Stanley Cup
100 and More: 12 teams reach 100-plus points, led by single best season ever 135 point Boston
Lamp Lighters: McDavid 64 goals/153 points leads 5 50+ goal scorers, 11 100+ point scorers
Full Summary
Some are calling the 2022-23 season of the National Hockey League one of the most notable in decades, as records fell while the action seemed hotter than ever. Strat-O-Matic gamers now can guide any one of dozens of great teams and stars to championships, records, and more.
Certainly, it was a season of surprises: The Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers four games to one in the best-of-seven series to earn their first championship in only their sixth season in the league. It made the record books in more ways than one: This marked the first Finals since 2018 where neither squad had ever won a Stanley Cup.
The unexpected Stanley Cup finals combatants, however, were only the fraction of the story for the NHL, as scoring was fast and furious – and you can try to lead your choice of players and teams to top or equal some eye-popping stats. The season ranks as the highest-scoring in 29 years (6.4 G/GP).
The last days of the season brought about an occurrence almost unheard of in any sport: The league saw 13 of 16 playoff seeds, seven of eight First Round matchups, three of four division titles, and the final trios playoff teams decided in the final four days of the campaign. In fact, the last division winner and final two matchups were secured with a game-winning goal in the final two minutes of the final game of the NHL 1,312-game schedule.
Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers became only the sixth player in NHL history to notch a 150-point season, which ranks as the most productive season by an NHL player in a generation. It all led to his third consecutive and fifth career Art Ross Trophy, along with his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. McDavid is only the fifth player in NHL history to lead the league in goals, assists, and points during a single season; the last player to do so was Wayne Gretzky in 1986-87.
More amazing stats: The NHL had 11 players with 100 or more points – one of whom was Eric Karlsson of the Montreal Canadiens, who became the first defenseman to reach triple digits in 31 years, and ranks as only the sixth player in history to reach the milestone. There were also two players with more than 60 goals, and five players with more than 50 goals. Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins just skates on and on, just completing his 18th season and compiling 550 goals (ranking at #29 in league history) and 952 assists heading into this upcoming campaign.
GOALIES
As always, defense is paramount, and the league’s top goalies were key with their contributions to winning teams. The Bruins’ Linus Ullmark led the NHL in save percentage with .938 – which topped the previous season’s Vezina Trophy winner, the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin, whose .935 mark was among the Top 10 in league history at that time. Ullmark emerged with not only the Vezina Trophy, but also the William M. Jennings Trophy that he shared with teammate Jeremy Swayman.
Ullmark also tied the league lead in wins with 40, matching the mark set by Alexandar Georgiev of Colorado. Four goalies logged 37 wins during the campaign. The top GAA for the season was also logged by Ullmark, capping his remarkable season (1.89).
Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders had the most shutouts by a goalie in 2022-23 with six as his impressive career rolls on. Three goalies finished with five shutouts: Alexandar Georgiev of Colorado, Darcy Kuemper of Washington, and Jake Oettinger of Dallas.
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THE hockey GOD
author meant EK played for San Jose in racking up those points , not Habs ,
Emmanuel
You can run all kind of interesting Sims w/S-o-M like an all American or French Canadian or all European 6 team league…..I like how defense is a big factor. To me the “golden years” of S-o-M where during the clutch and grab era. If you played human vs human there where lotsa 2-1 or 3-2 games.
THE hockey GOD
youtube
/watch?v=5DKPfv6R6W4
TS
It isn’t the individual, it is the sum total talent of ALL the players together that makes winning teams. So Fantasy Hockey passes us by?? Good..let them all underrate and underestimate us…it just inspires the team!