The New NHL Season and ESPN Fantasy Hockey
The new NHL season brings with it the return of ESPN Fantasy Hockey. While the Florida Panthers celebrate their second consecutive Stanley Cup victory, teams are preparing for the 2025-26 season.
From Matthew Schaefer’s draft by the New York Islanders with the first pick, to the Mitch Marner trade and the signing of veteran Brent Burns with the Colorado Avalanche by the Vegas Golden Knights, you can catch up on all the moves.
It’s the ideal time to start planning your teams, whether you’re debating which players to keep or preparing for your draft. Get ahead of the game with the latest fantasy hockey rankings.
These rankings are based on fantasy point expectations produced throughout the entire 2025-26 NHL season. Fantasy points are based on standard ESPN Fantasy play (for skaters: goals = 2 points, assists = 1 point, shots and hits = 0.1 points, blocked shots and special teams points = 0.5 points; for goalies: wins = 4 points, overtime losses = 1 point, shutouts = 3 points, saves = 0.2 points, goals against = -2 points).
Register today on ESPN Fantasy Hockey and customize your league with a wide variety of settings and features!
- Nathan MacKinnon, Col (C1)
- Auston Matthews, Tor (C2)
- Connor Hellebuyck, Wpg (G1)
- David Pastrnak, Bos (RW1)
- Connor McDavid, Edm (C3)
- Matthew Tkachuk, Fla (LW1)
- Cale Makar, Col (D1)
- Brady Tkachuk, Ott (LW2)
- Filip Forsberg, Nsh (RW2)
- Leon Draisaitl, Edm (C4)
- Jake Oettinger, Dal (G2)
- Nikita Kucherov, TB (RW3)
- Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB (G3)
- William Nylander, Tor (C5)
- Artemi Panarin, NYR (LW3)
- Macklin Celebrini, SJ (C6)
- Kyle Connor, Wpg (LW4)
- Kirill Kaprizov, Min (LW5)
- Igor Shesterkin, NYR (G4)
- Filip Gustavsson, Min (G5)
- Jack Hughes, NJ (C7)
- Mikko Rantanen, Dal (RW4)
- Alex Ovechkin, Wsh (LW6)
- Cole Caufield, Mon (RW5)
- Roman Josi, Nsh (D2)
- Jack Eichel, VGK (C8)
- Sergei Bobrovsky, Fla (G6)
- Dustin Wolf, Cgy (G7)
- Steven Stamkos, Nsh (C9)
- Jake Guentzel, TB (LW7)
- MacKenzie Weegar, Cgy (D3)
- Kirill Marchenko, CBJ (LW8)
- Adin Hill, VGK (G8)
- Brayden Point, TB (C10)
- J.T. Miller, NYR (C11)
- Tim Stutzle, Ott (C12)
- Sidney Crosby, Pit (C13)
- Adrian Kempe, LA (C14)
- Sam Reinhart, Fla (RW6)
- Jason Robertson, Dal (LW9)
- Rasmus Dahlin, Buf (D4)
- Darcy Kuemper, LA (G9)
- Martin Necas, Col (C15)
- John Tavares, Tor (C16)
- Tage Thompson, Buf (C17)
- Evan Bouchard, Edm (D5)
- Zach Werenski, CBJ (D6)
- Elias Pettersson, Van (C18)
- Clayton Keller, UTA (RW7)
- Victor Hedman, TB (D7)
- Matt Coronato, Cgy (LW10)
- Nazem Kadri, Cgy (C19)
- Matt Boldy, Min (LW11)
- Dylan Guenther, UTA (RW8)
- Wyatt Johnston, Dal (C20)
- Adam Fantilli, CBJ (C21)
- Vincent Trocheck, NYR (C22)
- Alex DeBrincat, Det (RW9)
- Mark Scheifele, Wpg (C23)
- Mitch Marner, VGK (RW10)
- Dylan Larkin, Det (C24)
- Quinn Hughes, Van (D8)
- Brandon Hagel, TB (LW12)
- Jesper Bratt, NJ (LW13)
- Dylan Holloway, StL (C25)
- Jordan Kyrou, StL (RW11)
- Bo Horvat, NYI (C26)
- Moritz Seider, Det (D9)
- Pavel Dorofeyev, VGK (LW14)
- Connor Bedard, Chi (C27)
- Sebastian Aho, Car (C28)
- Anthony Stolarz, Tor (G10)
- Nick Suzuki, Mon (C29)
- Mika Zibanejad, NYR (C30)
- Seth Jarvis, Car (RW12)
- Matvei Michkov, Phi (RW13)
- Ilya Sorokin, NYI (G11)
- Nico Hischier, NJ (C31)
- Joey Daccord, Sea (G12)
- Alex Tuch, Buf (RW14)
- John Carlson, Wsh (D10)
- Logan Thompson, Wsh (G13)
- Brock Nelson, Col (C32)
- Kevin Fiala, LA (LW15)
- Lucas Raymond, Det (RW15)
- Frank Vatrano, Ana (LW16)
- Logan Cooley, UTA (C33)
- Joel Eriksson Ek, Min (C34)
- Travis Konecny, Phi (RW16)
- Rickard Rakell, Pit (C35)
- Jake Sanderson, Ott (D11)
- Timo Meier, NJ (LW17)
- Jordan Binnington, StL (G14)
- Jackson LaCombe, Ana (D12)
- Mackenzie Blackwood, Col (G15)
- Josh Morrissey, Wpg (D13)
- Alex Laferriere, LA (RW17)
- Aleksander Barkov, Fla (C36)
- Carter Verhaeghe, Fla (C37)
- Roope Hintz, Dal (C38)
- Chris Kreider, Ana (LW18)
- Mikhail Sergachev, UTA (D14)
- Erik Karlsson, Pit (D15)
- Sam Montembeault, Mon (G16)
- Adam Fox, NYR (D16)
- Juuse Saros, Nsh (G17)
- Jonathan Marchessault, Nsh (LW19)
- JJ Peterka, UTA (RW18)
- Drake Batherson, Ott (RW19)
- Brandon Montour, Sea (D17)
- Mike Matheson, Mon (D18)
- Cutter Gauthier, Ana (LW20)
- Anders Lee, NYI (LW21)
- Frederik Andersen, Car (G18)
- Tomas Hertl, VGK (C39)
- Dylan Strome, Wsh (C40)
- Bryan Rust, Pit (RW20)
- Marco Kasper, Det (C41)
- Will Cuylle, NYR (LW22)
- Thatcher Demko, Van (G19)
- Nikolaj Ehlers, Car (LW23)
- Noah Dobson, Mon (D19)
- Rasmus Andersson, Cgy (D20)
- Zach Hyman, Edm (RW21)
- Tom Wilson, Wsh (RW22)
- Tyler Toffoli, SJ (RW23)
- Jared McCann, Sea (LW24)
- Mason Marchment, Sea (LW25)
- Owen Tippett, Phi (RW24)
- Brock Faber, Min (D21)
- Brad Marchand, Fla (LW26)
- Matthew Knies, Tor (LW27)
- Kris Letang, Pit (D22)
- Gabriel Vilardi, Wpg (C42)
- Andrei Svechnikov, Car (RW25)
- Robert Thomas, StL (C43)
- Charlie McAvoy, Bos (D23)
- Dmitri Voronkov, CBJ (C44)
- Mason McTavish, Ana (C45)
- Stuart Skinner, Edm (G20)
- Seth Jones, Fla (D24)
- Neal Pionk, Wpg (D25)
- Marco Rossi, Min (C46)
- Jakob Chychrun, Wsh (D26)
- Brock Boeser, Van (RW26)
- Ryan O’Reilly, Nsh (C47)
- Darnell Nurse, Edm (D27)
- Jacob Markstrom, NJ (G21)
- Fabian Zetterlund, Ott (LW28)
- Thomas Harley, Dal (D28)
- Sam Bennett, Fla (LW29)
- Colton Parayko, StL (D29)
- Evander Kane, Van (LW30)
- Miro Heiskanen, Dal (D30)
- Evgeni Malkin, Pit (C48)
- Dougie Hamilton, NJ (D31)
- Conor Garland, Van (RW27)
- Jonathan Huberdeau, Cgy (L