As the year comes to an end and we all mark another lap around the sun, I can't help but reflect on how much we've aged in the process. Yet, every night we find ourselves glued to the screen, watching our favorite teams, players, and sports. It never fails to amaze me just how these athletes continue to perform at the highest level, night after night even for those aging veterans. With that I thought, let's take a look at the top 10 fantasy assets in our NHL leagues who are proving that even at or over the age of 35, they can still bring the heat. Enjoy!

10. Marc-Andre Fleury

At 40, the Flower is still blooming as one of the NHL's most beloved figures. Everyone he meets seems to have endless praise for him, not just as a player but as a person. At this point in his career, we have come to expect that Fleury isn't going to carry the load night after night but is still more than capable of delivering when called upon. He may not be a draft-worthy option in most fantasy leagues, but as a waiver-wire pickup, especially with the strong team playing in front of him, he's worth the add.

9. Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane's performance has noticeably dipped this year, pacing for a career-low 43-point season. He has picked it up over his last three games posting four points, but this is a stark contrast to last season when he nearly hit a point-per-game pace (0.94 PPG) with 27 goals and 27 assists in 50 games. His shooting percentage, time on ice (TOI), and power-play TOI are all down, which has clearly affected his production. Are we seeing the start of Kane’s decline? Perhaps, but even at 36, a 43-point pace seems uncharacteristically low for a player of his caliber.

8. Jamie Benn

Benn's mix of physicality and leadership keeps him entrenched as a key player for the Stars. His presence, both on the ice and in the locker room, makes him a vital piece in Dallas’. While his production has steadily dropped year-over-year, he remains a fixture on most fantasy rosters. That's because his multi-category contributions—hits, shots on goal, and face-off wins – keep him relevant, even if his point totals aren't what they used to be.

7. Brad Marchand

With Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci no longer down the middle in Boston, Brad Marchand's production has dipped, but he remains a cornerstone for the Bruins. His deployment, shooting percentage and usage are all still holding steady compared with previous seasons. After putting up 67 points over the past two seasons, it's fair to temper expectations as anything over 70 points seems unlikely moving forward. That said, even with a slight decline, Marchand's production is still more than valuable enough to warrant a spot on your roster.

6. Evgeni Malkin

Malkin came out blazing this season, proving he's still got it, but his pace has slowed recently. Whether it's the grind of the season, the team's state, or simply being 38, he's still producing numbers rookies dream of. Sid being by his side certainly doesn't hurt either. However, changes to the power play and splitting talent across two units have hurt Gino's output, and it's hard to imagine this setup lasting all year. Once he's back on the top unit, he should comfortably hit a 65–70-point pace. Not bad for a veteran you can always count on for steady production.

5. Mats Zuccarello

Mats Zuccarello's NHL career has been a story of injuries and trying remain a productive NHL player and yet he has done a good job of it. Since 2021, he's paced at 93, 70, 75, and 73 points. His chemistry with elite players has been a driving factor in his success. Now that he's back from injury (again) and reunited on the top line, there's little reason to doubt he'll continue delivering. Zuccarello's playmaking and veteran presence makes him a crucial piece for both the Wild and fantasy managers, proving that even under the radar, he's as reliable as they come.

4. Sergei Bobrovsky

Do I even need to say more than “Stanley Cup Champion”? At 35, Bob backstopped the Panthers to a Cup and was a massive reason they got it done. You expect to see a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover, but here we are, the Panthers sitting top 4 overall in the Eastern Conference. His numbers might not be stellar, but at 36, he's holding down the fort for a team that knows how to compete. He's doing exactly what's needed on the back end.

3. Anze Kopitar

Every time we start to count Anze Kopitar out, he reminds us why that's a mistake. Now in his 19^th NHL season and a 37-years-old, Kopitar is proving the doubters wrong yet again, posting 10 goals and 27 assists in 33 games. After back-to-back seasons of 70 and 74 points, who saw an 89-point pace coming? His career high was 92 points back in 2017, and the way he's producing this year, you could easily argue he belongs even higher on this list and honestly, I wouldn't push back.

2. Alex Ovechkin

If not for his injury, Ovi would easily top this list. Not far off from breaking Gretzky's goal-scoring record, it's only a matter of time. Prior to the injury, Ovechkin was at 1.39 PTS/GP, pacing for 114 points an entire season. With 15 goals and 10 assists in 18 games, he's proving he's still elite. For context, he's scored 50, 42, and 31 goals in his last three seasons. Just three weeks after breaking a bone in his leg, he's already traveling with the team. Ovi's built different and remains a must-have.

1.Sidney Crosby

With 20 seasons under his belt, Sid the Kid remains a fantasy hockey cornerstone. His career average of 1.23 PTS/GP speaks for itself. In what's being called a "down year," as he's pacing for 84 points over 82 games and is still a point-per-game player on an aging Penguins team. The last two seasons he recorded 94 and 93 points – pure consistency. If you snagged him in the second or third round of your draft, you're probably grinning ear to ear. Sid's middle name might as well be “reliability,” both for his NHL career and ours in fantasy hockey.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more content/fantasy hockey analysis, follow and message me on X @Punters_hockey.