In the last bit of the NHL offseason before we start to get real news, real lines, and actual games I figured I would do a preliminary run-through of all of the top-100 players of so, and how I'm feeling about drafting them to begin sorting out my rankings for the year.

I'm going to run by Fantrax ADP to organize players off the start, as it's a much better base than Yahoo. All of my leagues include hits, shots, and power play points to some variation of value, among a few other stats. I'll take those base stats into consideration along with a main focus on points.

1-10

Connor McDavid: The top guy, and if you're considering anyone else with first overall then you're either getting too cute, or your league has some wacky categories/weightings.

Auston Matthews: A no-doubt top-three pick for fantasy this year, and especially valuable where shots and goals add extra value. Racks up a surprising number of hits and blocks as well.

Leon Draisaitl: Potentially listed as a winger depending on your provider, the second-highest points upside behind McDavid, and maybe some faceoffs on the wing too. Him talking about adding a new element to his game as a result of the ankle injury last spring should also be moderately terrifying for the rest of the league.

"But you get the hang of it and I think it just kind of evolves you as a complete hockey player. It feels good to know that I know I can play a different game, too, and be somewhat successful." (2/2)

Wouldn't we all like to be that "somewhat successful?"

— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) September 9, 2022

Nathan MacKinnon: Seems to be the consensus number four pick, but if I was sitting at fourth overall, I might prefer to take the chance on a specific one of his teammates… Still exceptional scoring upside and a huge ceiling for shots as well.

Cale Makar: Likely fourth on my final rankings list, Makar can score, hit, shoot, and do everything a forward can do, but as a defenceman. He's essentially prime Erik Karlsson that shoots more. That was a huge fantasy value, which I think some people have forgotten just how much of a difference maker it can be.

Nikita Kucherov: Sixth is probably my least-favourite spot to be drafting this year, as the second tier ends at five. Kucherov is one of the top options in the third tier, and his upside may be as high as those above him. However, there is some variability in his production has dipped in a few of the recent years. Check out Rick Roos' column later today for a much more in-depth break dow.

Kirill Kaprizov: Maybe the one I would take at sixth, Kaprizov could have an actual centre this year if Marco Rossi shows he's NHL-ready. Lots to like in the peripherals from the winger as well.

Mitch Marner: After narrowly missing 100-points last year due to his cold start, Marner is a solid bet to hit it this year, though he doesn't bring the same peripherals that a Kaprizov or a Jonathan Huberdeau might, depending on your league setup.

Mikko Rantanen: Another winger that I would consider at sixth, Rantanen may just have to carry a little more of the load this coming year as the Avs have lost some of their depth. RW is also looking like the toughest position to fill.

Alex Ovechkin: Still an easy top-ten pick, and maybe fringe-top-five depending on what categories you count, Ovie may see a bit of a dip this year as the team around him ages too, and Nicklas Backstrom will be missing for the foreseeable future.

11-20

Jonathan Huberdeau: Finished with 115 points last season playing mostly with Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair, he should now see steady ice-time alongside Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli. I would call that an upgrade. Don't worry about him falling off too far.

Aleksander Barkov: Loses Jonathan Huberdeau as a linemate option, but gains Matthew Tkachuk as a possible regular left-wing. May not hit 100 points again, but is still an excellent and safe fantasy asset, albeit a centre with no dual-eligibility.

David Pastrnak: It will be interesting to see how much Pastrnak misses Brad Marchand, but the return of David Krejci should help matters. His plus-minus won't stay as high, though we can always count on the shot volume.

Brady Tkachuk: Would be higher than 14^th on my list for any league that counts shots and hits, Tkachuk could see a spike in the offensive categories as the rising tide lifts all the boats in the Sens' top-six. An improved plus-minus will also make a huge difference.

Steven Stamkos: Coming off a career year at the age of 32, it seems a lot of people are greatly overestimating his ability to repeat it. He's an 80- to 85-point player at this point, not a 105-point player. Draft accordingly.

Roman Josi: Speaking of not repeating career seasons, Josi is also unlikely to approach 90 points again. That being said, he's still one of the top-three defencemen to draft in any league format, but maybe closer to 20^th on the draft board than top-15.

Kyle Connor: Put up an extremely quiet 47-goal season while shooting at his lowest percentage in five seasons. A 50-goal pace is a fairly reasonable bet for the upcoming season.

Artemi Panarin: I'm not sure how he's being picked ahead of Johnny Gaudreau at this point, who has the same upside while being a few years younger, but here we are. Both are slouches in the peripheral categories, but could finish anywhere from 90- to 115-points depending on how

Matthew Tkachuk: Another player who might not quite keep up his exceptional pace from last season Tkachuk got traded to the right season if he is going to make a push for it. His PIMs and Hits have dropped off a little in recent seasons, though he remains one of the better multi-category assets.

J.T. Miller: It appears now that he is not going anywhere, Miller doesn't need to repeat his performance from last season now that he's locked-in to his long-term deal. Still a very high-level scorer with well-rounded production, expect Miller drop back down below an 85-point pace again. 

21-30

Victor Hedman: This is around where I would be looking to draft whichever defenceman of Josi, Hedman, or Adam Fox has fallen here. Hedman is as safe and reliable as they come.

Igor Shesterkin: The first goalie on the board, and about as early as I would be comfortable reaching for one, though I think it unlikely I will draft any goalie inside the top 75 this year, there's just always more value to be had later, and too much value to be lost early. The early part of the draft can't win you your league, but it can lose it for you. That's a lot more likely to happen by drafting goalies early.

Jake Guentzel: One of my favourite targets in this range the last few years, Guentzel can put up 85 points along with excellent peripherals. His upside and floor is comparable to players going 10 picks earlier, and he's still in his mid-20s.

Andrei Vasilevskiy: About as reliable as they come at the goaltending position. Still too early for me, but someone in your league will take the jump before this point.

Adam Fox: The last of the top-tier of defencemen, if Fox isn't gone by 25, he's worth locking up here.

Sidney Crosby: The name value is going to have him picked before this spot, but anywhere after 15 I would be happy taking Crosby in one-year leagues. He's still a 90-point threat with a strong support core.

Patrick Kane: Unlike Crosby, Kane has no support system this year. However, he's a solid bet to be traded by the deadline, so if he drops in your draft, he could be worth a look to hold for some top-20 value after the trade-deadline.

Jack Eichel: Finally healthy and with a full offseason to prepare for the season, expect Eichel to return to four shots per game as a game-breaking talent.

Timo Meier: One of the best multi-cat players in the league, Meier brings a very rare combination of shots and hits. His plus-minus could hurt you, and he may not hit 65 points, but the peripheral upside is too good to pass up at this point in the draft in any leagues that aren't just straight points.

Alex DeBrincat: The move to Ottawa may be driving up his value. He won't do much better than he did in Chicago, though that is still very valuable in a 24-year-old.

31-40

Sebastian Aho: At this point in the draft, centres are less necessary to key in on, and especially ones like Aho that are good, but don't seem to have the upside of the wingers in the same area.

Jack Hughes: If you are going to go for a centre at this point, then aim for one like Hughes who has 100+ point upside.

Johnny Gaudreau: Speaking of upside, we're getting to the point where I would consider a player like Hughes, Gaudreau, or Panarin that gives you only points upside, and nothing else. As for Gaudreau specifically, it will be interesting to see how he fares with a centre downgrade.

Aaron Ekblad: As the fifth defenceman on this list, Ekblad shows up a lot earlier than he should. He's maybe able to push the top-10 defencemen, not the top-five. Lots of other options still on the table at this point instead of a 50-point defenceman with moderate peripherals.

Evander Kane: If you're looking for peripherals, then look no further. If your league does have peripherals though, I expect Kane to go higher than this – at least in the top-30.

Gabriel Landeskog: As long as you can account for the 10-15 games Landeskog is going to miss every year, he's worthy of a selection here for his cross-category coverage. In keeper leagues he's probably worth offloading though, as his style of play lends itself to him slowing down relatively soon.

Jason Robertson: Another 80-point winger with average peripherals. Someone I would consider here, but I don't think he'll fall quite far enough to end up on any of my fantasy teams. Being only 23, someone will take him early.

Mika Zibanejad: Again, a centre who I feel can be nearly matched for value by those available 50 picks later. Zibanejad does bring some solid category coverage though, and with the rangers improving, he may see a small uptick from last season.

John Carlson: If Carlson and his high floor is available at this point in the draft, he's one to seriously consider. The defencemen available level off faster than the forwards over the next few rounds, and there's usually a run once most teams have their top-three forwards or so. 

Juuse Saros: It's still earlier than I like to take goalies, but a possible 70 starts with 40 wins is great value 20-30 picks after the top-two options will be taken off the board.

41-50

Andrei Svechnikov: This is very possibly one player that will end up on a few of my teams this year, as his situation is similar to Guentzel's, but with a slight trade-off of points for peripherals, and available one or two rounds later.

Kris Letang: Letang may fall due to his age and injury risk, but with this looking like the last little bit of the Penguins trying to keep their cup window open, we can expect him to be able to put up an excellent fantasy season alongside the rest of the Penguins core.

Filip Forsberg: Coming off of a career year and having signed a fat new contract, Forsberg may be over-drafted a little. He also often misses games, and neither him or linemate Matt Duchene are likely to shoot close to 20% again.

Moritz Seider: The younger and healthier version of Letang, there's a possibility for a sophomore slump and a lagging plus-minus, but the good news is that he was already seeing the toughest deployment on the team – that can't get any harder on him.

Vladimir Tarasenko: Not the Blue that I would take first, but it was good to see that his bio-mechanical shoulder was able to keep up with the rigors of an NHL season. Still a constant 40-goal threat when healthy.

Elias Pettersson: Now this is a tough piece to project, and as a result he's likely sliding down my draft board. As a centre with questions about his production, the risk is too great this early. The payoff could be huge though, as maybe the last player on the board with realistic 100-point upside for the coming season.

Morgan Rielly: Another defenceman that is being taken too early. I have a feeling that Mark Giordano may actually be running the top power play unit more than Rielly. Make of that what you will.

Kevin Fiala: The upside with Fiala is the ability to put up a little over a point-per-game, but the certainty isn't there yet, especially on a new team. Not a bad pick in this range, but I feel like there will always be players still available that I like more than him.

Elias Lindholm: The Flames' number-one centre lost both of his wingers that helped him to a career year, but the addition of Jonathan Huberdeau should help hold his value up. He may not hit 85 points or a plus-60

Brent Burns: As great as Burns is, it's tough to know exactly how he is going to be deployed in Carolina, and to what extent his age-related decline in production will continue. With so many other options still on the board for defencemen, this is too early for my taste.

51-60

William Nylander: The most talked-about and maligned player in Leaf land, Nylander finally hit the 80-point mark last season. He should hit that mark again in a full year, but doesn't bring much other than points.

Patrik Laine: If you're one to swing for upside, Laine and his 50-goal potential along with high peripherals potential is worth a look here, though I might want to wait another round on him.

Quinn Hughes: Hughes puts up zero peripherals as a defenceman, which makes him a bit of a drag on the roster in leagues counting anything aside from points. The points he does bring in bunches though, and is a top-five rearguard in points-only formats, worth bumping up to the top-30 for those leagues.

Dougie Hamilton: Hamilton is likely someone I will end up with as my #2 defenceman in a few leagues as a pick in round five, giving me three forwards and two defencemen early. I expect Hamilton to rebound to 50+ points with huge shot totals on a higher-scoring New Jersey team.

Brad Marchand: I've stated my theory already that Marchand returns sooner than expected. Getting 65+ games out of a top-15 player for a pick outside the top-50 is excellent value.

Zach Werenski: Another defenceman whose value peaks in points-only leagues, Werenski should top 50 points for the first time in his career assuming he can finally play 80 games this year.

Jacob Markstrom: Looking at goalie tiers, Markstrom could be as valuable as the other goalies who have been taken ahead of him thus far, but he costs a lot less. If you are a manager that feels the need to land a top-end starter, Markstrom may be one of your last safe chances to do so, and at a more reasonable spot too.

Connor Hellebuyck: Likely being taken by the managers that need to have a goalie but miss-out on the top four, Helle is a good goalie, but the team in front of him has been sub-par of late, and his track record is inconsistent to say the least.

Thomas Chabot: Another one of the players I expect to own a few shares in this season, Chabot will likely be the main PPQB for the Senators on a vastly improved top-unit. The only downside is the defence around him has not been shored-up…yet.

Nikolaj Ehlers: One of those players that we have all been waiting on that one gigantic season from for so long, that we've all just become a little blind to the fact that he's still one of the best forwards out there. After Paul Maurice resigned, Ehlers was a point-per-game player. He's being drafted later than players like Nylander and Robertson, yet he could very-well out-produce them.

Sometimes I see Nikolaj Ehlers' stats on Evolving Hockey and kind of do a double take. He's consistently been a top ~20 forward in the league no one ever talks about him pic.twitter.com/ktsxSXKXG7

— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) September 13, 2022

61-70

John Tavares: Another centre that I will let someone else take. Tavares has really slowed of late, and unless he gets shifted to wing, I think the statistical drop-off will continue.

Chris Kreider: after jumping from a previous career high in goals of 28, all the way to 52, everyone is wondering exactly how Kreider is going to do this season. Both him and the team made adjustments to get the most out of his skillset, we can't expect 50 goals again, but 35-40 is not out of the question.

Thatcher Demko: Another high-volume goalie that may not be on a playoff team, Demko seems like a better bet than Hellebuyck at this point, and may be the last of the tier of goalies expected to reliably start 60+ games.

Rasmus Dahlin: Similar upside to Hughes, but without the forwards that have 100-point potential playing in front of him. Much better peripherals too, making him a great selection in this range.

Roope Hintz: Hintz has some solid upside and consistency, but is extremely injury prone. He's someone that I would wait to see if he slides another round or two, and if not, then he's just someone else's headache.

Drake Batherson: With Batherson's name still not ruled out from the allegations against players from the 2018 Hockey Canada team, he's someone that I'm just crossing off my draft list. There are similar players to draft without having the risk of indefinite suspension, and there's also the matter of whether I even want him on my team.

Joe Pavelski: The third member of the Stars' top line will have to drop off someday, but his skillset is one that doesn't necessarily drop off early or quickly. This is sooner than I would take any 38-year-old player, but he may end up as a bargain a couple rounds from now if all of your league-mates think along the same lines.

Drew Doughty: The options on defence are starting to widen, but there are still some younger options with just as much upside available that I would prefer. I'll let someone jump on the name value.

Sam Reinhart: Reinhart could possibly be the third player on the top line in Florida, and quietly put up a point per game last season mostly playing on line three. Could he top it with first line deployment this year? That kind of upside is very intriguing at this point.

Brayden Point: Speaking of upside, the last few years Point has been picked around 20^th in drafts. Now he's all the way down at 70 and no one seems to be tripping over themselves to draft him. The Lighning got shallower at the top of their lineup, but they do have excellent depth that can manage their own end. Point's floor at this point has to be at least a 70-point-pace, with a very high upside above that. If you don't have many centres drafted, this might be the time to start looking at options like Point who are dropping.

71-80

Mark Stone: Stone's value is ultimately going to come down to his health. His back has been giving him some issues, and to this point there doesn't seem to be a clear indication either way whether it is something that will hold him… back, this year.

Mark Scheifele: Similar story as with Brayden Point, but on a slightly lesser team, and with a floor and ceiling a notch below Point's.

Ilya Sorokin: We're into our first timeshare goalie, but if anyone aside from Vas or Shesterkin is going to win the Vezina, Sorokin has to be the favourite. Depending on what categories your league counts, this could be a bargain spot for Sorokin (league that leans towards averages) or still a "wait" (more volume based league).

Pavel Buchnevich: Another breakout Blue, Buchnevich seems like one of those players that is not talked about nearly enough, and despite thinking you can probably wait a little longer on him, he probably should be gone by this point in drafts.

Darnell Nurse: Nurse could and probably should be a top-35 pick in leagues that count hits, blocks, shots, and PIMs in addition to the base categories. His cross-category coverage is among the best in the game from a defenceman, and especially one at the higher end of the scoring spectrum. Owning him gives you a lot of flexibility to cheat on another defenceman or two that you own, like drafting a Quinn Hughes.

Josh Norris: Another one of those centres you can wait on until this point or even a bit later, Norris has the upside of youth, an excellent goal scoring ability, and is another one in that Ottawa top-six that is going to be feeding off each other.

Evgeni Malkin: Here we get to maybe the biggest centre drop of them all. Malkin is still a point-per game centre that brings solid peripherals, and big power play totals. The biggest problem is his inability to be healthy for the fantasy playoffs. A good guy to draft and flip for someone as productive, but more reliable.

Jake Oettinger: If Sorokin was the outside favourite to dethrone one of the top-two goalies, then Oettinger is the not-so-dark-horse. He put up one of the most outstanding seven-game-series we have even seen last spring, and if he can play that way over the course of a full season, he's a shoe-in Vezina finalist.

Noah Dobson: After a huge second-half breakout, Dobson looks to be a part of the new wave of young fantasy studs on the blueline. Some solid peripherals, and he managed to score even on a stringent Islanders team. If the reigns ever loosen up on Long Island, Dobson's floor jumps with it.

Miro Heiskanen: As much as I like Dobson, I couldn't bring myself to draft him (or many of the other defencemen already taken) while Heiskanen was still on the board. The former fourth overall pick is going to be the main workhorse in Dallas this year with Klingberg gone. The question at this point isn't whether he is going to hit 50 points, it's whether he can go for 60+.

81-90

Dylan Larkin: The number one guy in Detroit is finally being insulated with some decent talent around him. He's still closer to a 70-point guy than anything, which makes him someone that doesn't need to go this early, as there a still LOTS of similar centres on the board at this point.

Shea Theodore: Another defenceman that I would put in a tier above Dobson, just because the floor is higher on Theodore. He's a 50-point defenceman with upside for 60+, and Vegas can't miss the playoffs again because of injuries… right?

Jordan Kyrou: The Blues signed Kyrou yesterday to the same extension that Robert Thomas got, which was only about $600K above what my projections had his extension valued at. He's a high-level scorer, but for fantasy he's an anchor in the peripheral categories. His value varies greatly based on setup, but that means you can either leave him for someone else, or get a bargain, as long as you understand your league dynamic well.

Kyrou gets PAID!

RW bonus for Fantasy, great points option. Much like the similarly paid $65m x 8yr Rob Thomas, doesn't do much riph'n pic.twitter.com/n6FUbIvKD8

— Five Hole Fantasy Hockey Podcast (@FHFHockey) September 13, 2022

Patrice Bergeron: We know what we're getting from the now-37-year-old, though what we don't know is how he is going to fare without Brad Marchand to start the year. Expect a 65-point pace with high shot totals, and you won't be disappointed. That is unless you draft him earlier than this.

Devon Toews: Despite putting up 57 points in 66 games, Toews isn't getting the same love that other defencemen are. As a result, he's slipping, and he's providing some solid value after pick 80. With all the defencemen available in this range, I hope you're taking note and realizing that wingers should probably be the priority earlier in the draft.

Frederik Andersen: If he's healthy, the reigning Jennings winner is an excellent fantasy own, and the Hurricanes should be just as stout defensively this upcoming season. If you're waiting for bargains on goalies, this could be a spot where you look to jump in (though it's still 20-40 picks earlier than I will).

Trevor Zegras: If you're at all considering Tavares or Larkin, Just wait another 15 picks and grab Zegras instead for some similar numbers. He's so much more fun to watch too.

Alex Pietrangelo: The name value is keeping him up here, and though he can still put up reasonable numbers, he's not a 50-point defenceman anymore.

Tristan Jarry: An underappreciated workhorse option, Jarry should be the main goalie for 55+ starts on a playoff team that isn't too dominant so as to keep his save numbers too low. Both some quality and quantity here, though I would still prefer to wait on Darcy Kuemper, Jordan Binnington, or Marc-Andre Fleury.

Tage Thompson: The Sabres' centre exploded for 38 goals last season. Though he likely won't keep up his 15% shooting percentage (over double his previous career number), he should still be reasonable productive as a focal point of Buffalo's emerging offence.

91-100

Evan Bouchard: Bouchard put up 43 points in his first full season, but we have to be ready for a bit of a sophomore slump here, and Tyson Barrie is still blocking the way to the top power play. The big breakout should be 2023-24, but in the meantime, he's someone I would leave to slide down the draft board from this point.

Charlie McAvoy: Expected to be out until Christmas, I would be a lot less patient waiting for him than Marchand. There are similar defencemen that you can get in the same range, so I'll be looking elsewhere.

Jack Campbell: Going from Toronto to Edmonton should be a similar situation for Campbell, but with how variable he was last season, which version is going to show up in 2022-23? I'll let someone else be the guinea pig on that one.

Bryan Rust: The return of Malin and Letang keeps Rust's value stable for now. He's an under-appreciated scorer and a bargain at this point.

MacKenzie Weegar: Has never bee nthe offensive focal point, and likely won't be in Calgary either. His multi-cat coverage is exceptional though, so he's someone to keep high on your queue around pick 100.

Nazem Kadri: Coming off a career year, even though he is moving to another decent team, he is likely going to return to being a 60-point centre, so I'll pass unless he really drops.

Robert Thomas: One of my personal favourites, Thomas will absolutely be on my draft lists at this point or higher, though like Kyrou his lack of peripherals has to be taken into account.

Tim Stuetzle: Similar offensive upside to Thomas and Kyrou, but he hits a ton and doesn't have the same perceived draft value quite yet.

Jacob Trouba: I get wanting to cover off peripherals with your defencemen, but you can do that outside of the top 150 with similar guys like Ryan Pulock and Jeff Petry. Hard-pass on Trouba this early.

Jonathan Marchessault: With Vegas looking to break up the misfits line in camp, Marchessault may be getting his first look on a line with Eichel and Stone. What a plum spot that would be for the volume shooter. There will be other players I like more in the top-100, but Marchesault isn't droppingtoo much further down my list.

*

Well, there you have it. Thoughts on the top 100 players being drafted in Fantrax pools thus far, with some tips, draft suggestions, and things to look out for. I'll try to cover some of my key guys that I will be looking at outside of the top-100 next week.

In the meantime, you can find me on Twitter @alexdmaclean if you have any fantasy hockey questions or comments.

See you next Wednesday!