With great anticipation, fans look forward to the puck drop for the 2024-2025 National Hockey League season. Now is the time people gather their friends and families, and get set to tango in another year of fantasy hockey.
The draft is the most crucial part of the season. This guide will help you earn your keep’s for this year’s campaign.
Let’s start off with the all-important first round, this player will be your star player for your team. If you have a 1-3 overall pick, you are set. Nathan MacKinnon is coming off a career season, earning his first Hart trophy, with a Ted Lindsay, it will be interesting to see if he can keep up these deranged stats. Speaking of deranged, Auston Matthews put up a staggering 69 goals, words cannot describe how crazy that is to do in the 21st century. Connor McDavid is set to hit his prime within these next couple of seasons. MacKinnon is at the peak of his prime, will McDavid be able to out-compete MacKinnon this year? If one of these three studs are able to land on the roster, it will be a great season.
Rounds two through five are often focused on building depth. Taking players like Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard are considered good picks, if looking for well-reputable players. There is no need to take any risks yet, somewhere in the four or five-round range will be the time to pick a goaltender. Looking for a guy who is consistent and on his come-up is the wisest choice.
Rounds five and up will be where the true fantasy players shine, league managers will be looking for any diamond-in-the-rough players, and Brad Marchand will fall down to this range, coming off of surgery. Some players that will be on the radar is Wyatt Johnston, Marco Rossi, Tyler Toffoli, Luke Hughes, Jake Guentzel, and Brock Boeser. The list goes on.
Although they are not considered a make or break player, It is important to take them as soon as they start coming off the board. Thacher Demko is overlooked, coming off of a surgery, he is set to have a break-through year. Make sure there is a set-in-stone plan to acquire depth before selecting a goal-minder.
With this guide, team managers will be at the peak of their game. At the end of the day, it is only fantasy, so have fun. Being active with lineups, proposing trades, and keeping a close eye on opponents and players, it is key to having a good year in fantasy.