Greg WyshynskiSep 22, 2025, 03:00 AM ET
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
“Please don’t draft my guy.”
We’ve all been there, right? Pick by pick, NHL players are coming off the board, but you have that one hidden MVP in the queue that you believe no one in your draft knows is an ATM for fantasy points. Finally, you’re on the clock. You check the board just to be sure and then make a selection that you know will power your team to victory and make the other fantasy owners rage with jealousy over your perceptiveness and ingenuity.
The 10 players discussed here are the ones on whom I plant my rhetorical flag for the 2025-26 NHL season. Some of them are obvious calls. But some of them are “please don’t draft my guy” players that you can queue up right now for glory.
As noted, my selections are based on how I believe the players will perform this season and how they’ll rack up the points in the ESPN Fantasy standard fantasy game scoring:
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Skaters: Goals = 2 points, Assists = 1 point, Shots and Hits = 0.1 points Blocked shots and Special-teams points = 0.5 points;
Goaltenders: Wins = 4 points, OT losses = 1 point, Shutouts = 3 points Saves = 0.2 points, Goals against = -2 points.
Here’s the Plant My Flag list for 2025-26. May all your picks turn out to be great ones!
Nikita Kucherov, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
Most fantasy hockey projections have the same five or six forwards ranked near the top — Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak and Kucherov. Draft any of them, and you’re doing pretty good for yourself … but I’m a Kucherov man for a couple of reasons.
While he has led the NHL in assists for two straight seasons, it hasn’t come at the expense of his goal scoring. Kucherov had 44 goals in 2023-24 and another 37 last season. He has had three straight seasons of at least 265 shots on goal. No one has tallied more power-play points (99) over the past two seasons. There’s no reason to believe that consistency is going to wane, given the personnel that still surrounds him in Tampa Bay, from Victor Hedman (66 points) on the blue line to Kucherov’s linemates Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point. Their line averaged just over four goals for every 60 minutes of even-strength ice time they played.
He’s an offensive machine and a durable one at that, missing only five games over the past three regular seasons — and since Russia isn’t participating in the Olympic hockey tournament means he’ll get a midseason breather, too. While Kucherov doesn’t exactly have to prove his worth to anyone, keep in mind that he’s entering the last two years of his contract.
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Pavel Dorofeyev, F, Vegas Golden Knights
The biggest blockbuster move of a rather quiet offseason was when the Golden Knights acquired star winger Mitch Marner from the Maple Leafs. Which naturally means one of the biggest questions entering the 2025-26 season is where and how Marner fits into the Vegas forward group and on special teams and which players will benefit the most from his presence.
There was immediate speculation upon his arrival that Marner will play with No. 1 center Jack Eichel. Coach Bruce Cassidy told NHL.com recently that the two stars still must pass a chemistry test. The fact is that they both like to hang onto the puck and create plays. That could mean they ultimately drive their own lines, but if their chemistry clicks and they become a dynamic duo, Cassidy said they’ll need to find someone that can finish to play on their wing.
That’s where Dorofeyev comes in.
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The 24-year-old winger had the breakout season many predicted he would have last season with 35 goals and 52 points in 82 games. His shooting percentage (13.8) remained consistent year over year while his shot total increased to 254, the highest of his four-season career. He scored 13 of his goals on the power play, which finished second to Winnipeg last season in efficiency (28.3%). Now that unit has Marner, who is 10th in power-play points (96) over the past three seasons.
Am I concerned that Ivan Barbashev could get the spot next to Eichel and Marner, should they pair up? Of course I am, given Barbashev’s previous chemistry with Eichel. So I’m wagering that Dorofeyev’s finishing ability earns him ice time with Eichel or Marner or both, and that last season was the teaser for greater things.
Nick Suzuki, F, Montreal Canadiens
Suzuki has seen notable growth in his point totals over the past three seasons: 66 to 77 to a career high 89 points last season. He’s crossed the 30-goal mark in each of the past two seasons. Still hitting 30 goals while having his power-play goal total drop from 12 to four is pretty impressive.
Like Kucherov, there’s a level of predictability I like here with Suzuki. One assumes he’ll be partnered up with Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky again for the Habs. That line produced 4.3 goals per 60 minutes of even-strength play together last season, which was the highest of any line with at least 500 minutes played together as a trio.
Anything less than 30 goals and between 80-90 points for Suzuki would be disappointing. From a fantasy perspective, he’s averaged 2.11 shots per game over the last three seasons and gets a higher number of blocks and hits than you might expect from a top line center. He also begins the season with a giant carrot in front of him: Team Canada, which didn’t bring him to the 4 Nations Face-Off but is considering him for the Olympics.
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Alex Tuch, F, Buffalo Sabres
Alex Tuch’s all-around game makes him a great fit on ESPN Fantasy Hockey rosters. Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Some players are just perfectly suited for ESPN Fantasy Hockey. There’s nothing more valuable than goals among skaters in standard league scoring, earning two fantasy points per tally. But blocked shots are also at a premium in standard leagues, earning 0.5 points for every block. A player who can score a significant number of goals while blocking a significant number of shots would seem to be one to target on the draft board.
Which brings us to Tuch.
No forward in the NHL last season blocked as many shots at Tuch (113), throwing in 73 hits for good measure. He scored 36 goals (on 196 shots) for the second time in three seasons, tallying 67 points in 82 games last season — the first time he played the full 82 in his career. That he spent a good amount of minutes with star center Tage Thompson certainly helped and hopefully will help again this season. There’s room for improvement, like on the power play where he had a paltry 11 points.
Not every fantasy hockey scoring system is the same. Some might not value Tuch’s particular brand of whimsy. But for ESPN standard scoring, this guy is prototypical.
Will Cuylle, F, New York Rangers
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Talk about a player poised for a breakout. In his second full NHL season, Cuylle had 20 goals and 25 assists in 82 games, with his shot total jumping by 33 shots. He also had 301 hits, 50 blocked shots and three shorthanded points, including two goals. If his year-over-year improvement was tantalizing enough, he’s also likely earned himself a spot in the Rangers’ top six this season.
Cuylle skated a bunch with J.T. Miller at center and with Mika Zibanejad at right wing. Assuming new coach Mike Sullivan decides to keep Zibanejad on the wing — where the veteran scorer found his groove after a terrible first few months of the season — that line averaged 3.8 goals per 60 minutes at even strength together.
My biggest question about Cuylle is on the power play. He averaged only 0:45 on the man advantage last season for the Rangers, and hence mustered only three power-play points. Chris Kreider averaged 2:54 in power-play ice time for the Rangers last season. He’s now draped in Anaheim Ducks orange. Cuylle could be his replacement at the net front of the New York power play and if that happens, his stats could soar.
Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
Bouchard is the embodiment of the difference between hockey and fantasy hockey. In the NHL, he’s criticized as an incomplete defenseman who can be a liability in his own end and who gave away the puck 128 times last season, the third most in the league. In fantasy hockey, all of that is overshadowed by elite point production while playing with McDavid, Draisaitl and the rest of the Oilers.
Bouchard is ninth over the last three seasons in points (189) and tied for fourth in power play points (74) among defensemen. He’s also tied for eighth in goals (40), which is one of the most enticing aspects of his game from a fantasy perspective: That booming shot on the Oilers power play.
I really hope I’m not planting my flag on a piece of land that’s in slow erosion. His 2024-25 campaign saw his numbers regress across the board, thanks to nine fewer power play points. That’s why ESPN has him ranked No. 45 overall this season. I’m assuming that’s an anomaly and that the point-per-game defenseman we saw in 2023-24 is the real Bouch Bomb. Either way, he’ll also be good for around 230 shots on goal, too.
Jackson LaCombe, D, Anaheim Ducks
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If you don’t know the name, get ready to learn it. The 24-year-old completed his second full NHL season with 43 points (14 goals, 29 assists) in 75 games, with his shots on goal jumping by 79 year-over-year. He also had 129 blocked shots. That earned LaCombe an invite to Team USA Olympic orientation camp this summer.
I expect the Ducks to be an improved team overall with Joel Quenneville behind the bench of a maturing group of talents. That alone is bound to benefit LaCombe. I’m also intrigued to see which defenseman sees the most time with LaCombe, who played a bunch with both Radko Gudas and Olen Zellweger last season.
LaCombe is poised to take another leap in his offensive production with a higher shot volume and some additional power-play time, and he might be just under the radar enough to be a hipster pick in your fantasy draft.
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Sam Rinzel, D, Chicago Blackhawks
There’s a lot of chalk on this list. “Hey, draft Nikita Kucherov!” is not exactly an audacious suggestion. So let’s take a chance on a slightly less sure thing. Let’s plant our flag on a neophyte.
Sam Rinzel enters the 2025-26 season with nine games of NHL experience, in which he had five assists last season. The buzz around this rookie is palpable, with many in Chicago predicting that he could be a top pairing defenseman for the Blackhawks this season.
Rinzel was drafted 25th overall in 2022 out of Chaska High School in Minnesota. He was a raw talent that needed to develop physically and in his own zone. He played two NCAA seasons at Minnesota before making the jump to the NHL last season.
Look, it’s anyone’s guess what he offers the Hawks this season, assuming he gets the spotlight. Maybe 40-plus points with enough power-play time? A combination of blocks and hits that make him a viable fantasy defenseman? That’s the upside.
I should mention that Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh was under consideration here, too. If he makes the team in training camp, I might sprint to the waiver wire because that kid can flat out score.
Karel Vejmelka, G, Utah Mammoth
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Utah has two things this season: A nickname and actual playoff expectations after last season’s 89-point debut in Salt Lake City. They added a couple of nice players (JJ Peterka, Nate Schmidt) to an improving young team with an eye towards contention. If they’re ascendent in the standings, Vejmelka should be the beneficiary.
The 29-year-old goalie inked a five-year extension back in March to solidify his status as the Utah starter. He played 58 games last season out of necessity due to the Utah goaltending depth chart, including 21 games in March and April. The ESPN Fantasy standard scoring puts a premium on wins. Vejmelka had 26 of them last season and could be in line to improve on that if Utah meets expectations.
Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are poised to have another 100-point season in the Western Conference and Blackwood is poised to build on his performance from last season. He had 22 wins in 37 games after coming over from the San Jose Sharks, including three shutouts.
Now for the caveat: Last season was the first time that Blackwood played more than 50 games in his career. While some of that can be chalked up to being a tandem goalie in some seasons, much of it was due to his inability to stay in the lineup previously. That he was already dealing with an injury in the preseason doesn’t inspire much confidence in his stability. That established: If he plays, he could be a fantasy-point producing netminder for a Stanley Cup contender.
Emphasis on “if he plays.” Otherwise, it’s time to plant my flag in another crease.
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