jan levine
·6 min read
On every game day this season, THN Fantasy will highlight players and goalies for fantasy managers to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies can be used in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.
1. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets: (ninth in pre-season column)
Mylead to the pre-season column was certainly prescient. I wrote: “if you are looking for a near-lock to score 30+ goals, Connor is your man. He has only crossed the 40-goal milestone once in his career but has lit the lamp at least 30 times in six of his seven full seasons in the NHL. The one time he fell short of the mark was the pandemic season.” Connor already has 30 goals and 39 assists in 56 contests, given the stud winger good chance of beating his career-high 93 points from the 2021-22 campaign.
2. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild: (second in pre-season column)
Kirillthe Thrill was on pace to possibly set a new career-high across the board, as he sat with 23 goals and 29 assists in 37 games when he was sidelined by injury. Injured December 23, Kaprizov missed 12 games before returning to play in three contests. The lower-body injury that kept Kaprizov out initially required surgery at the end of January that will force him to miss at least a month. Best case scenario has the Thrill returning for Minnesota around the NHL trade deadline.
3. Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning (unranked in pre-season column)
It'scrazy to think a few people thought Tampa vastly overpaid when they sent a pair of first-round picks and a couple of prospects to Chicago in March 2022 to obtain Hagel's services. Hagel solidified the Lightning roster down the stretch, helping the team win a second Cup. He notched 64 points in 2022-23, his first full season with the team, upping that total to 75 points last season. Hagel is on pace to blow those numbers away, already sitting with 26 tallies and 36 helpers in 55 games, earning a spot on Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off squad.
4. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (not ranked in pre-season column)
Ovechkin has shown that his stretch run last season was no fluke. Only an injury has been able to slow down Ovechkin’s charge at Wayne Gretzky’s career goal mark. A broken fibula suffered on November 18 sidelined the high-scoring winger for 16 contests. Despite missing that amount of time, Ovi is up to 26 tallies, 43 points (12 on the power play), 141 shots on net, 74 hits and a plus-18 rating through 39 appearances this season. With 878 markers, Ovi sits just 17 shy of passing the Great One.
5. Clayton Keller, Utah Hockey Club (ninth RW in pre-season column)
Kelleroperated in a little bit of obscurity in Arizona. The move to Utah has brought increased focus on the team and Keller and he has not disappointed. Keller posted 20 goals, 60 points (24 on the power play), 147 shots on net and a minus-7 rating across 55 appearances this season prior to the break. His fine start just builds on the norm for Keller, who in the prior three seasons, potted 98 goals to go with his 127 assists in 227 contests. Keller could challenge his career high of 86 points from the 2022-23 campaign if he stays on his current pace.
6. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers: (first in pre-season column)
The Breadman has had a good season, but his impact is well short of what he provided last season. Panarin, off a disappointing playoff series in 2023 against the Devils, potted a career-best 49 goals and 120 points last season. He got off to a strong start to 2024-25, but his “swoon” coincided with the team’s 4-15-0 mark that has left them chasing a playoff spot. Panarin still has 23 markers and 34 helpers in 53 contests, so the year has not been a complete bust.
7. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs (unranked in pre-season column)
Nylandermay not reach the 100-point mark, but that doesn’t diminish his season to date. His goal-scoring has been on full display, as Nylander is already up to 33 tallies in 55 contests. This is the fifth straight time Nylander has potted at least 30 goals when he plays 51 or more contests. He is on pace to exceed the career-high 40 lamplighters he scored in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, aided by an uptick in shooting percentage despite a decline in shots-per-game.
8. Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars: (third in pre-season column)
Offseasonfoot surgery resulted in J-Rob having a slow start to the regular season. On November 18, Robertson sat with just four goals and four assists in 17 contests. Coming off a decline from 46 goals and 63 assists in 2022-23 to 29 and 51 last year, whispers that Robertson had lost a step, and his scoring touch started to become prevalent. Robertson certainly has quieted those critics, as he is up to 20 markers and 31 helpers in 55 games, aided by 17 points over his last 15 outings prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
9. Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators (sixth in pre-season column)
Nashville,despite the addition of several big-name players this offseason, is having a rough campaign. One constant has been the performance of Forsberg, who has been one of the few to answer the bell solidly almost nightly. Forsberg sits at 21 goals, 53 points (18 on the power play), 195 shots on net, 110 hits and a minus-13 rating over 54 appearances this season. That output comes after Forsberg, for the first time in six seasons, suited up all 82 games last year, posting career highs in goals (48) and assists (46) aided by 347 shots on goal and 32 power-play points.
10. Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens (unranked in pre-season column)
Caufieldraised his game last season, notching 28 goals and 37 assists in 82 contests. He has built off that success this season, tallying 26 markers and 23 helpers in 56 games, skating on the top line for the bleu-blanc-et rouge. Caufield has been aided by a marked increase in his shooting percentage, which has offset a significant decline in shots-per-game. He is on track to top the 30-goal and 70-point marks for the first time in his career.
Honorable Mention:
Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings
Nikolai Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets
Aliaksei Protas, Washington Capitals
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
