In today's Ramblings, we'll discuss each of last year's top-15 scorers and set expectations for them in the upcoming campaign.

1. Nikita Kucherov – The Russian superstar posted a ludicrous 144 points to lead the league in scoring last year. He also led all skaters in power-play production as 53 of those points came with the man advantage. Tampa's power play ran smoothly thanks to years of established chemistry, so it'll be worth monitoring for growing pains now that Jake Guentzel is filling in for Steven Stamkos. Regardless, Kucherov's outstanding track record – which includes six-straight seasons of scoring above a 100-point pace – means he'll be one of the first four forwards drafted in most formats.

2. Nathan MacKinnon – A monster campaign saw him put up career highs in points (140) and power-play points (48) – significant jumps from his previous highs of 111 points and 37 PPPs. Even if he's unable to match last year's excellence, MacKinnon's exceptional talent and elite supporting cast ensure he'll be one of the league's top producers again. He's been incredibly valuable in leagues that track shots, posting a league-leading five per game over the past two seasons.  

3. Connor McDavid – The only player who routinely scores above a 120-point pace in a league where consistent 100-point seasons are rare. The NHL's best player doesn't need my endorsement.

4. Artemi Panarin – Last year, Breadman managed career highs in points (120), power-play points (44) and shots per game (3.7). Some of that success is explained by linemate Alexis Lafrenière's breakout, but another factor might have been new head coach Peter Laviolette. During his first four years – under David Quinn and Gerard Gallant – Panarin started around 54% of his shifts in the offensive zone. Under Laviolette last year, that number jumped to 80%. Alex Ovechkin saw similar offensively focused deployment under Laviolette in Washington, so I'd expect the trend to continue for Panarin next year. A high volume of offensive opportunity beside high-end players (at both even strength and on the power play) sets Panarin up to repeat last year's greatness.

5. David Pastrnak – My concern with Pasta is he lacks the luxury of a high-end supporting cast, which other top scorers can lean on when experiencing individual slumps. We'll see if the offseason addition of Elias Lindholm is enough to offset Brad Marchand's attenuated impact due to age and injuries. Team factors aside, Pastrnak is one of the league's most prolific goal scorers and a notorious high-volume shooter. He maintains those abilities heading into this season and will once again be a top-tier fantasy forward.

6. Auston Matthews – Since goals are more rare than assists, players that score a lot have extra value in fantasy formats. Being the league's best goal scorer takes Matthews to another level of value. With 69 goals last year, the gap between Matthews and second place Sam Reinhart (12 goals), was the same as the gap between second and ninth place. As is the case with most goal scorers, Matthews also contributes strong shot totals to your fantasy team. The one area that's been underwhelming – relative to other superstars at least – is the power play. Among the top-10 scorers, he's the only one that didn't crack top-15 in power-play production – finishing well back in 33^rd. Toronto had a good success rate with the man advantage last year, so this isn't something that can be blamed on the team. It seems Matthews has taken somewhat of a backseat role on the power play. Despite his status as a high-volume shooter, both John Tavares (87) and William Nylander (85) took more shots on the man advantage than Matthews last year. In addition, Matthews registered a point on just 57% of the power-play goals the Leafs scored while he was on the ice. That number seems to be around 70% or higher for other star players that facilitate offense on the PP. His talent and goal-scoring prowess are undeniable, but it'll be interesting to see if he can take over the power play more now that he's captain.

7. Leon Draisaitl – I think in recent years, rhetoric has shifted from Draisaitl riding McDavid's coattails, to the more accurate view of Draisaitl being a superstar in his own right. He's paced for 100-plus points in each of the last six seasons and only Matthews has more goals over the past three years.Unfortunately, while most elite goal scorers average four to five shots per game, Draisaitl sits at a more modest three per outing. Although his shot totals are somewhat underwhelming, the German phenom is incredibly valuable in leagues that track faceoffs. Since he holds dual position eligibility in Yahoo Leagues, he can slot in as a winger on your roster and supplement the faceoff wins your centers bring in. He ranks fourth in faceoff wins over the past three years and I'm pretty sure he's the only member of the top-10 with winger eligibility.

8. Mikko Rantanen – The Fantastic Finn remains one of the league's most underrated players in my eyes. Over the past three seasons, he ranks fifth in goals, sixth in points, fifth in power-play points and 10^th in total shots. Still, I don't think his name elicits the same amount of recognition or appreciation that other players on this list receive without hesitation. Exposure to an incredible supporting cast in Colorado will help him produce at a high level once again.

9. J.T. Miller – I think every name discussed so far is likely to return as a top-10 scorer in the upcoming campaign – but Miller is my first exception. Now Canucks' fans, I beseech you to put your pitchforks down. Miller is a very talented player who probably doesn't get the recognition he deserves for his achievements. However, there were some lofty shooting percentages behind last year's career-high 103-point output, and I think those percentages will be hard to replicate this year. I see him settling in with closer to 90 points – still good, just not a top-10 scorer again.

10. William Nylander – In need of a new contract, the super Swede racked up 54 points in his first 37 games last season. After news of his eight-year extension with Toronto became official, he posted a more modest point-per-game pace to finish with 98 points. Now, I don't want to dimmish the immense talent required to post such impressive career highs in assists, points, shots, power-play points, and ice time, but it's fair to wonder if he can match last year's output now that there's less motivation. I look to the previous year's 87-point output to come up with my 90-point estimate for the upcoming campaign.

11. Kirill Kaprizov – Over the past three years, Kaprizov ranks fourth in goals per game – behind only Matthews, Pastrnak, and Draisaitl. He started slow with four goals in his first 19 appearances last year, but caught fire with 40 in 56 after Minnesota made its coaching change. Kaprizov should benefit from an improved supporting cast as Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi continue to develop, leading to a fourth-straight season around that 45-goal/100-point mark.

12. Sam Reinhart – Last year's 57 goals were nearly double Reinhart's previous career high of 33. He did it with a lofty 24.5% shooting percentage, and he did it during a contract year – all red flags for Reinhart's fantasy outlook. While we're all expecting regression, I don't think his production is going to fall off completely. 40 goals and a point-per-game pace seems attainable, making him a highly valuable commodity in most formats – just make sure the acquisition cost isn't based on last year's production.

13. Filip Forsberg – Although last season's 94-point campaign was a career high for the Swedish sniper, it didn't come out of the blue. Forsberg scored at a 100-point pace in 2021-22 but didn't really get to follow up on it because he was hindered by a concussion in 2022-23. Although he's a high caliber goal-scorer, I'm concerned that adding two more big-name shooters in Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos will take some oxygen away from Forsberg's fire. I'd expect a small step back in the upcoming campaign.

14. Sidney Crosby – It's insane to think that in his age-36 season, Crosby finished seventh in even-strength scoring. He would've finished higher in the overall leaderboard if not for a horrendous Penguins' power play (15.3%; ranked 30^th) that left Crosby with a measly 23 PPPs. While it's fair to question the quality of his supporting cast, he's still an elite player who makes those around him better. Through 19 years in the NHL, he's never finished a season with less than an 87-point pace. I expect that trend to continue for #87 this year.

15. Quinn Hughes – Our list ends with last year's highest scoring defenseman, who put up a career-high 17 goals and 75 assists for 92 points last year. Given his youth, last season's heights are more likely a sign of what's to come, than an anomaly to fear. His shooting percentages were slightly high, so I might project closer to 85 points than a return to the 90-point club, but either way, he's set to be a top-tier blueliner both next year and going forward.