Max Pacioretty is still providing elite value in multicategory leagues.

Last week I talked a little about the underperforming Canadiens and how most of their players have provided a lot less fantasy value than expected. Besides all the preseason hype, Jonathan Drouin has struggled to deliver the value he was expected to bring. But despite all the problems in Montreal, there have still been some players who are providing poolies with excellent value. Even though it’s been rumored that Montreal is looking to get rid of him, Max Pacioretty has been one of the few bright spots on Montreal for poolies this season.

Earlier this season I had actually written about Pacioretty, mentioning that he would be one of the best options heading into the season. Throughout his entire career he has been one of the most consistent and dependable wingers in the league. In the past six seasons Pacioretty has averaged at least 60+ points and has only failed to top 30 goals in a season once (when he scored 15 goals in 44 games during the lockout). And even last year Pacioretty had a fantastic season, ranking 32^nd overall in fantasy value out of all skaters.
 

His 35 goals were tied for the eighth most in the NHL while his 268 shots were good for the ninth best. Even though most people don’t think of him as an elite winger, Pacioretty has always provided top-notch value.

Now over 50 games into the season, Pacioretty has held up his reputation as one of the most consistent fantasy producers in the game. Using our Fantasy Hockey Geek Tool, we can see that Pacioretty is once again among the best at providing value in most fantasy hockey league formats (for our example we will be using an average Yahoo fantasy league measuring G, A, SOG, PPP, and HITS).
 

While the Montreal Canadiens have struggled, Pacioretty has still put up fantastic numbers, ranking him as the 30^th most valuable skater and 20^th most valuable forward. And this is despite his relatively low point production. After scoring the 15^th most goals out of all teams last season, the Canadiens are only ranked 27^th overall in goals per game this year.

The lack of offense has affected most players and Pacioretty is no exception, as he’s only on pace for around 50 points. And yet Pacioretty still provides just about the same value as players like Claude Giroux, Jonathan Marchessault, and Connor McDavid, even though all of those players are averaging over a point-per-game. McDavid has the fourth most points in the league with 64 and still ranks behind Pacioretty, mostly because of Pacioretty’s superb peripherals.

Pacioretty has the eighth-most shots in the NHL with 195 while his 13 power-play points are still very respectable. His hit totals have been off the charts, as he’s already close to his career high in hits and the season’s not even close to being over. There are only four players in the NHL who have more hits and more goals than Pacioretty, as he’s one of the few players who’s registering both at elite levels this season.

Pacioretty has taken a lot of heat this year and when taking a quick look at his stats it looks like it’s warranted. However, despite his lower point production, Pacioretty is still providing the same fantastic fantasy value he has always provided throughout his career.