Last week I created a "If He Gets PP1" All-Star team, which you can view here. The players listed are deserving candidates for their team's top power play, but for various reasons did not appear there for at least part of 2025-26.

Looking at the other side of the coin, here are some players who were not particularly productive on their team's top power play in 2025-26. Could these be candidates to be moved off the top power play in 2026-27? These players all appeared in at least 60 games with above 55% of their team's available power-play minutes while they were in the lineup.

Brayden Point (63 GP, 11 PPP, 74.7% PP)

Point was a disappointment in 2025‑26, as covered previously. At age 30, it's fair to wonder whether he's entering the early stages of decline, though the lower‑body injury that cost him nearly 20 games may have played a major role in his downturn. What shouldn't be in question, however, is his spot on Tampa Bay's top power‑play unit.

Point remains the only true center on the Lightning's PP1, and his track record there is elite: three straight seasons with 30‑plus power‑play points prior to last year's injury‑affected campaign. That kind of sustained production makes it highly unlikely he'll be replaced, especially by someone like Anthony Cirelli, who managed just four power‑play points last season.

Even if Point's overall scoring doesn't fully rebound, his PP1 role is secure. That alone keeps his fantasy value afloat heading into 2026‑27.

Alexander Wennberg (80 GP, 15 PPP, 64.5% PP)

Wennberg looks poised to lose his spot on San Jose's top power‑play unit. The Sharks have younger, higher‑upside options on the way in Michael Misa and Ivar Stenberg who could step into PP1 sooner rather than later. Wennberg may have been used on the top unit primarily for faceoffs, but even that justification is shaky given his 46.8% FOW rate last season.

His 55‑point campaign also appears to be an outlier when compared to the 30–40‑point range he posted in each of the previous four seasons. Without PP1 deployment, maintaining last year's production becomes unlikely. Over that time, Wennberg has mainly been deployed on his team's second-unit power play anyway.

Unless injuries open the door, Wennberg is trending toward an even‑strength and penalty-killing role with limited power‑play involvement. That means his fantasy value will take a hit, especially in formats that rely heavily on special‑teams scoring.

Tyler Toffoli (79 GP, 15 PPP, 57.3% PP)

Toffoli's power‑play production mirrors Wennberg's on paper, but his role seems more secure — at least for now. Toffoli has long been a power‑play specialist, using his shot to record double‑digit power‑play points in seven straight seasons, and that track record gives him a stronger claim to San Jose's PP1 than most veterans.

He's not without risk, though. The same factors threatening Wennberg's PP1 spot apply to Toffoli as well: the Sharks have young, high‑upside forwards pushing for more responsibility, and Toffoli's own usage trended downward last season. His average power‑play time dropped from 3:05 in Quarter 1 to 2:08 in Quarter 4, a meaningful decline.

Toffoli should open the season on PP1, but his grip on that role isn't ironclad. If his minutes continue to slip or a younger Shark forces the issue, his power‑play value and overall fantasy ceiling could take a hit.

Sam Bennett (76 GP, 14 PPP, 59.2% PP)

Bennett held a PP1 spot in 2025‑26 largely because Florida spent most of the season battling injuries and because the Panthers simply needed a healthy center to anchor the unit. That situation won't repeat itself in 2026‑27.

The answer to whether Bennett stays on PP1 is straightforward: Aleksander Barkov almost certainly bumps him off. Barkov missed the entire 2025-26 season with a knee injury, and he has consistently recorded 25-30 PPP over the last four seasons. Bennett has been below 50% power‑play usage in every other season of his career, and his temporary promotion last year was more about necessity than long‑term role.

With Barkov healthy and the Panthers' forward group deeper again, Bennett is expected to return to his usual PP2 deployment. That shift limits his ceiling and makes last season's power‑play totals unlikely to repeat.

Adrian Kempe (81 GP, 12 PPP, 66.9% PP)

The Kings' power play was a major weakness in 2025‑26, finishing bottom‑five in both conversion rate (17.0%) and total power‑play goals (38). Kevin Fiala's absence after the Olympics only amplified the problem — he led the team with 17 PPP in just 56 games, and losing him left a noticeable void. Kempe ended up tied for fourth on the roster in power‑play production, which underscores how thin the Kings were in that area.

Given his scoring ability and the team's lack of established PP1 options, it's hard to imagine Kempe not returning to the top unit. That said, he shouldn't be viewed as a premium power‑play producer relative to others in his fantasy tier. His value on the man advantage is more about opportunity than elite power-play efficiency.

Kempe should remain a PP1 fixture, but expectations should be tempered. He's a strong even‑strength scorer who benefits from volume and role, not a power‑play specialist.

Tom Wilson (72 GP, 12 PPP, 56.9% PP)

Washington's offseason forward additions raise a real question: can Wilson hold onto his PP1 spot? The Capitals brought in Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, while Ryan Leonard is pushing hard for more responsibility. That's a lot of competition for a role Wilson only secured two seasons ago.

Wilson has never been an elite power‑play producer — his career highs of 11 PPG and 17 PPP both came in 2024‑25, the first season he was consistently used on PP1. Prior to that, he spent most of his career on secondary units, relying on even‑strength scoring and physical categories for fantasy value.

He could still open 2026‑27 on PP1, but the path is far less clear than it was two years ago. With new talent arriving and his power‑play track record limited, Wilson's grip on the top unit is anything but guaranteed. His fantasy value remains strongest in banger formats, but managers should be prepared for a potential drop in power-play usage.

Morgan Rielly (78 GP, 6 PPP, 54.9% PP)

Leafs fans don't need convincing about how ineffective Rielly was on the power play last season. The numbers, and Toronto's subsequent decisions, make the case even clearer. Even though Rielly didn't spend the entire year on PP1, finishing with just 6 power‑play points and a 26.1% PPIPP is exceedingly poor for a veteran offensive defenseman.

Toronto's acquisition of Darren Raddysh signals a definitive shift: Rielly's days on PP1 are effectively over, whether the Leafs trade him or keep Rielly. At 32 years old, he no longer profiles as a reliable top‑unit quarterback, and the team has clearly moved on.

Rielly can still provide value at even strength, but fantasy managers should adjust expectation. His era as a regular PP1 contributor for any team appears to have ended.

Honorable mentions:

Travis Konecny (77 GP, 14 PPP, 57.4% PP) – Role appears safe and second on team in power-play points, but Philly's 15.7 PP% was dead last in 2025-26 and needs upgrades

Auston Matthews (60 GP, 12 PPP, 66.6% PP) – Meets bare minimum of this article for games played, but power-play total will need to be much better for him to remain a truly elite option

Matty Beniers (82 GP, 11 PPP, 60.3% PP) – PP1 slightly more defined under Lane Lambert than in years past, but Beniers will need to improve to maintain his spot

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