A look at the top-10 left wingers to target in your fantasy hockey leagues this season …

After covering the top-five fantasy goalies, defensemen and right wings in the Eastern Conference for the 2015-16 season, this week we shift our focus to the top-10 left wingers in the East for the upcoming year. Due to this being a list for one-year leagues, age will not be a factor outside of predicting breakout young performers and declines among aging veterans. Offensive production will be the main focus although other scoring categories will be taken into consideration, mostly for tiebreakers. Of course, other factors will be taken into account such as projected power play opportunities, overall ice time and the quality of teammates.

Unfortunately, in some cases deciding which position a player should be listed under is not clear. It varies in the NHL and it also varies from one fantasy league host site to another. For the purpose of this series each forward will be assigned one position.

Just missing the cut

While there is endless speculation about him transitioning to center at some point, for now Alex Galchenyuk is a left wing and sits just outside of the top 10. The 21-year-old has immense potential but has limited upside for now on the Canadiens’ second line. With that said he still managed to put up 46 points last year despite a nasty late-season slump. He is also entering his fourth year which typically leads to a jump in production.

Also missing the cut is Sabres’ newcomer Evander Kane, who is one of the best multi-category players in terms of per-game production. His pitfall is a lack of big offensive numbers along with a proneness to injury. The good news is Kane will have a nice situation in Buffalo sitting at the top of the depth chart on a team that is gathering a lot of talent including young star Jack Eichel. This will help pad Kane’s point total.

10) Anders Lee – New York Islanders

Lee’s first full NHL season was a big success as he managed to score 25 times (41 points) while averaging just 14:24 in ice time. He did so while hitting the net 197 times, and his shooting percentage (12.7 percent) is not abnormally high. This indicates he was not a benefactor of shooter’s luck and should be able to sustain his current goal-scoring rate.

The other factor to consider heading into this year is Lee’s ice time. He received third-line minutes overall last year but in his final 30 games his average was actually 16:42. Assuming this trend continues in 2015-16 Lee will be in line for a big jump in production. Look for him to clear the 50-point mark while being very appealing in multi-category leagues that favor goal-scorers.

9) James van Riemsdyk – Toronto 

Since being acquired by the Leafs van Riemsdyk has become a very productive winger. The last two years indicate he is safe for 25-30 goal and 55-60 points but things have changed in Toronto. The team has undergone a rebuild of sorts and has brought in many project players to fill its roster. More importantly, his frequent linemate Phil Kessel has been shipped out. Simply put, van Riemsdyk will have less talent around him in 2015-16 and the lack of finishers will likely cut into his assists. But he will definitely be relied upon heavily and should still manage at least 50 points. Just keep in mind that he is likely in for another ugly plus/minus.

8) Tomas Tatar – Detroit 

Tatar had a big breakout campaign last year as he scored 29 goals and achieved 56 points in his second full NHL season. Obviously he has many great years ahead of him but projecting him for 2015-16 is a bit problematic. As mentioned here Tatar often finds himself on Pavel Datsyuk’s wing. While that is a great situation on the surface, Datsyuk finds himself on the sidelines very often and cannot be relied upon to play a full schedule. Can Tatar take the next step with Datsyuk’s available always an uncertainty? Play it safe with Tatar on draft day. He should be able to clear 50 again easily but reaching his potential this year will be very difficult.

7) Gustav Nyquist – Detroit 

Tatar’s teammate is in a slightly different situation as he lines up most frequently next to Henrik Zetterberg. While the Red Wings’ captain has also had his share of injuries, he is not as much of a risk as Datsyuk. Thus, Nyquist will likely enjoy more consistency in his line assignment. The two young Red Wings’ stars are excellent fantasy options this year but if you have to choose between the two you might want to rank Nyquist slightly ahead. Project him in the mid-50s as well but give him a slightly better chance to add a few extra points to his total.

6) Nick Foligno – Columbus 

Foligno had an incredible 73-point campaign last year but not many people are expecting a repeat. After all, he cleared the 50-point mark for the first time during a contract year and managed to score on 17% of his shots which is too high to sustain. With that said, Foligno’s new contract says he will be given every opportunity to continue producing and he is part of a strong up-and-coming club in Columbus. Put him down for 55-60 points along with outstanding multi-category contributions.

5) Jonathan Huberdeau – Florida 

Lost in Huberdeau’s impressive 54-point season is his red-hot finish down the stretch after a disappointing first half. In his final 20 games he posted 21 points and played almost exclusively with Jaromir Jagr following his deadline acquisition. A 22-year-old former third-overall pick finishing the year like that should put him on everyone’s radar heading into this year.

Also, the expectation is that Alexander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad, the Panthers’ top two centers, will continue improving as they mature as NHL players. Improved play at the center position can only help Huberdeau continue to put points on the board. All things considered, look for Huberdeau to clear 60 points this year.

4) Ondrej Palat – Tampa Bay

The last two years Palat has posted stats across the board that are eerily similar. That is a great thing as it shows reliability. With all of the talent around him in Tampa Bay he looks poised for a repeat and depending on the development of other players including frequent linemate Nikita Kucherov he could actually see a bump in production. Palat should be considered a safe option on draft day with his combination of peripheral stats giving him surprising value in multi-category leagues.

3) Max Pacioretty – Montreal  

Pacioretty has posted 30 or more goals and 60 or more points in each of his last three full seasons. He has also greatly improved in other areas, most notably plus/minus, hits and shorthanded points. While he has become an excellent contributor for any format, an offseason knee injury casts a cloud over his outlook for 2015-16. If he is not ready for opening night he will not be out for much longer but the setback definitely cuts into his training. This makes Pacioretty a bit of a risk and with that in mind it would be safer to project him at the lower end of the production range he has shown in recent years.

2) Rick Nash – New York Rangers

A disappointing 2013-14 campaign aside, Nash has been a very reliable producer in the mid-to-high 60s. Last year was no exception as he reached 69 points while also setting a career-best with 42 goals. It is worth noting that while Nash started last year red-hot and was very lucky in the goal-scoring department, his slow second half put his final numbers in a more reasonable spot. With the talent the Rangers possess down the middle it would not be unreasonable for Nash to push for 40 goals again while finishing close to 65 points.

1) Alexander Ovechkin – Washington 

Ovechkin has been one of the best fantasy players of the past decade and in some multi-category formats has been the best producer almost on a yearly basis. He adapted well to the arrival of new coach Barry Trotz and managed to get his plus/minus back above even while remaining an offensive force. He will not get you 100 points anymore but should still finish first among Eastern Conference left wingers and should once again push for 50 goals. He should be a top-five pick in just about any league this fall.

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