We've had a few weeks to digest the Brandon Bussi and the Carolina Hurricanes raising the Stanley Cup over their heads, Gavin McKenna going first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, and seeing many of the league's best change teams this offseason. Now, the NHL has released the schedule for the 2026-27 season, so you can get excited about the best matchups and the lineup strategy for the 84-game regular season. Now it's time to think about what comes next, like where every player fits into your fantasy hockey strategy.
The top of the rankings should look familiar from where we left off, with Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Hart Trophy-winner Nikita Kucherov leading the pack. Norris Trophy-winner Zach Werenski leads all defenseman and Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is the top-ranked goalie.
These rankings are based on the ESPN Fantasy standard game (for skaters: goals = 2 points, assists = 1 point, shots and hits = 0.1 points, blocked shots and special-teams points = 0.5 points; for goaltenders: wins = 4 points, OT losses = 1 point, shutouts = 3 points, saves = 0.2 points, goals against = -2 points).
Top 250 players for 2026
1. Nathan MacKinnon, COL (C1)
2. Connor McDavid, EDM (C2)
3. Nikita Kucherov, TB (RW1)
4. Macklin Celebrini, SJ (C3)
5. Jason Robertson, DAL (LW1)
6. David Pastrnak, BOS (RW2)
7. Matt Boldy, MIN (LW2)
8. Auston Matthews, TOR (C4)
9. Zach Werenski, CBJ (D1)
10. Filip Forsberg, NSH (RW3)
11. Cole Caufield, MTL (RW4)
12. Brady Tkachuk, FLA (LW3)
13. Leon Draisaitl, EDM (C5)
14. Alex DeBrincat, DET (RW5)
15. Cale Makar, COL (D2)
16. Evan Bouchard, EDM (D3)
17. Kyle Connor, WPG (LW4)
18. Alex Tuch, WSH (RW6)
19. Tage Thompson, BUF (C6)
20. Jake Guentzel, TB (LW5)
21. Kirill Kaprizov, MIN (LW6)
22. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB (G1)
23. Nick Suzuki, MTL (C7)
24. Jack Eichel, VGK (C8)
25. Moritz Seider, DET (D4)
26. Wyatt Johnston, DAL (C9)
27. Matthew Tkachuk, FLA (LW7)
28. Mika Zibanejad, NYR (C10)
29. Artemi Panarin, LA (LW8)
30. Zach Hyman, EDM (RW7)
31. Martin Necas, COL (C11)
32. Noah Dobson, MTL (D5)
33. William Nylander, TOR (RW8)
34. Clayton Keller, UTA (RW9)
35. Adrian Kempe, LA (C12)
36. Cutter Gauthier, FA (LW9)
37. Matthew Schaefer, NYI (D6)
38. Alex Ovechkin, WSH (LW10)
39. Steven Stamkos, NSH (C13)
40. Mark Scheifele, WPG (C14)
41. Tim Stutzle, OTT (C15)
42. MacKenzie Weegar, UTA (D7)
43. Roman Josi, NSH (D8)
44. Sam Reinhart, FLA (RW10)
45. Jakob Chychrun, WSH (D9)
46. Dylan Larkin, DET (C16)
47. Dylan Guenther, UTA (RW11)
48. Rasmus Dahlin, BUF (D10)
49. Nico Hischier, NJ (C17)
50. Scott Wedgewood, COL (G2)
51. Quinn Hughes, MIN (D11)
52. Jack Hughes, NJ (C18)
53. Jake Oettinger, DAL (G3)
54. Logan Thompson, WSH (G4)
55. Timo Meier, NJ (LW11)
56. Sebastian Aho, CAR (C19)
57. Juraj Slafkovsky, MTL (LW12)
58. Brandon Hagel, TB (LW13)
59. Kirill Marchenko, CBJ (LW14)
60. Seth Jarvis, CAR (RW12)
61. Vincent Trocheck, UTA (C20)
62. Elias Pettersson, VAN (C21)
63. Mitch Marner, VGK (RW13)
64. Pavel Dorofeyev, NYR (LW15)
65. John Carlson, TB (D12)
66. Sidney Crosby, PIT (C22)
67. Owen Tippett, PHI (RW14)
68. Drake Batherson, OTT (RW15)
69. Bo Horvat, NYI (C23)
70. Dylan Cozens, OTT (C24)
71. Nick Schmaltz, UTA (RW16)
72. Karel Vejmelka, UTA (G5)
73. Brock Nelson, COL (C25)
74. Sergei Murashov, PIT (G6)
75. Dylan Holloway, STL (C26)
76. Mikko Rantanen, DAL (RW17)
77. John Tavares, TOR (C27)
78. Bryan Rust, PIT (RW18)
79. Adam Fantilli, FA (C28)
80. Aleksander Barkov, FLA (C29)
81. Nazem Kadri, COL (C30)
82. Rasmus Andersson, VGK (D13)
83. Jesper Bratt, NJ (LW16)
84. Andrei Svechnikov, CAR (RW19)
85. Nikolaj Ehlers, CAR (LW17)
86. J.T. Miller, NYR (C31)
87. Tomas Hertl, VGK (C32)
88. Ilya Sorokin, NYI (G7)
89. Patrick Kane, CHI (RW20)
90. Morgan Geekie, BOS (C33)
91. Jake Sanderson, OTT (D14)
92. Darren Raddysh, TOR (D15)
93. Linus Ullmark, OTT (G8)
94. Thomas Chabot, OTT (D16)
95. Igor Shesterkin, NYR (G9)
96. Lucas Raymond, DET (RW21)
97. Jeremy Swayman, BOS (G10)
98. Travis Konecny, PHI (RW22)
99. Brock Faber, MIN (D17)
100. Josh Morrissey, WPG (D18)
101. Brayden Point, TB (C34)
102. Sam Bennett, FLA (C35)
103. Erik Karlsson, PIT (D19)
104. Tom Wilson, WSH (RW23)
105. Connor Bedard, CHI (C36)
106. Ryan O'Reilly, NSH (C37)
107. Joel Hofer, STL (G11)
108. Mike Matheson, MTL (D20)
109. Mikhail Sergachev, UTA (D21)
110. Miro Heiskanen, DAL (D22)
111. Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (G12)
112. Jordan Kyrou, WSH (RW24)
113. Logan Cooley, UTA (C38)
114. Luke Evangelista, NJ (RW25)
115. Jake DeBrusk, VAN (LW18)
116. Bowen Byram, CHI (D23)
117. John Gibson, DET (G13)
118. Brandon Bussi, CAR (G14)
119. Mackenzie Blackwood, COL (G15)
120. Carter Verhaeghe, FLA (C39)
121. Matt Duchene, DAL (C40)
122. Lane Hutson, MTL (D24)
123. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF (G16)
124. Beckett Sennecke, ANA (RW26)
125. Roope Hintz, DAL (C41)
126. Jacob Trouba, SJ (D25)
127. Jackson LaCombe, ANA (D26)
128. Carter Hart, VGK (G17)
129. Rickard Rakell, PIT (RW27)
130. Darcy Kuemper, LA (G18)
131. Jared McCann, SEA (LW19)
132. Adam Fox, NYR (D27)
133. Leo Carlsson, ANA (C42)
134. Dan Vladar, PHI (G19)
135. Brad Marchand, FLA (LW20)
136. Gabriel Vilardi, WPG (C43)
137. Matvei Michkov, PHI (RW28)
138. Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN (C44)
139. Mark Stone, VGK (RW29)
140. Jakub Dobes, MTL (G20)
141. Brock Boeser, VAN (RW30)
142. Filip Gustavsson, MIN (G21)
143. Dylan Strome, WSH (C45)
144. Charlie McAvoy, BOS (D28)
145. Mathew Barzal, NYI (C46)
146. Jet Greaves, CBJ (G22)
147. Jesper Wallstedt, MIN (G23)
148. Brandt Clarke, LA (D29)
149. Kevin Fiala, LA (LW21)
150. Juuse Saros, NSH (G24)
151. Alex Laferriere, LA (RW31)
152. Darnell Nurse, SJ (D30)
153. Blake Coleman, MIN (C47)
154. Mikael Granlund, ANA (C48)
155. Morgan Rielly, TOR (D31)
156. Spencer Knight, CHI (G25)
157. Alexis Lafreniere, NYR (LW22)
158. Quinton Byfield, LA (C49)
159. Colton Parayko, STL (D32)
160. Will Cuylle, NYR (LW23)
161. Evgeni Malkin, PIT (C50)
162. Valeri Nichushkin, CBJ (LW24)
163. Tyler Toffoli, SJ (RW32)
164. Alex Lyon, BUF (G26)
165. Sergei Bobrovsky, TOR (G27)
166. Justin Faulk, DET (D33)
167. Tyler Bertuzzi, CHI (LW25)
168. Ryan Hartman, MIN (RW33)
169. Matthew Knies, TOR (LW26)
170. Vince Dunn, SEA (D34)
171. Anders Lee, UTA (LW27)
172. Noah Hanifin, VGK (D35)
173. Jonathan Marchessault, NSH (LW28)
174. Filip Hronek, VAN (D36)
175. Sean Walker, CAR (D37)
176. William Eklund, OTT (LW29)
177. Charlie Coyle, CBJ (C51)
178. Shayne Gostisbehere, CAR (D38)
179. Brandon Montour, SEA (D39)
180. Anton Forsberg, LA (G28)
181. Dougie Hamilton, NJ (D40)
182. Victor Hedman, TB (D41)
183. Eeli Tolvanen, NYR (LW30)
184. Matty Beniers, SEA (C52)
185. Pavel Zacha, BOS (C53)
186. Joey Daccord, SEA (G29)
187. Thomas Harley, DAL (D42)
188. Kiefer Sherwood, SJ (LW31)
189. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM (C54)
190. Matt Coronato, CGY (LW32)
191. Bobby McMann, SEA (C55)
192. Robert Thomas, STL (C56)
193. Dustin Wolf, CGY (G30)
194. Travis Sanheim, PHI (D43)
195. Jackson Blake, CAR (RW34)
196. Marco Rossi, VAN (C57)
197. Chris Kreider, MTL (LW33)
198. Pavel Buchnevich, STL (LW34)
199. Jake Allen, NJ (G31)
200. Jordan Eberle, SEA (RW35)
201. Oliver Bjorkstrand, NYR (RW36)
202. Elias Lindholm, BOS (C58)
203. Ivan Provorov, CBJ (D44)
204. Maxim Tsyplakov, CGY (RW37)
205. Gavin McKenna, TOR (LW35)
206. Brent Burns, COL (D45)
207. Kevin Lankinen, VAN (G32)
208. Trevor Zegras, PHI (C59)
209. Lawson Crouse, UTA (LW36)
210. Mats Zuccarello, LA (RW38)
211. JJ Peterka, BOS (RW39)
212. Jacob Markstrom, FLA (G33)
213. Brayden Schenn, NYI (C60)
214. Will Smith, SJ (C61)
215. Trevor Moore, LA (LW37)
216. Joseph Woll, PHI (G34)
217. Mattias Ekholm, EDM (D46)
218. Esa Lindell, DAL (D47)
219. Troy Terry, ANA (RW40)
220. Aliaksei Protas, WSH (C62)
221. Kyle Palmieri, NYI (RW41)
222. Yegor Sharangovich, CGY (LW38)
223. Anthony Mantha, NJ (RW42)
224. Anton Lundell, FLA (C63)
225. Kris Letang, PIT (D48)
226. Ivan Barbashev, VGK (LW39)
227. Frank Nazar, CHI (C64)
228. Jack Quinn, BUF (C65)
229. Fabian Zetterlund, OTT (LW40)
230. Anthony Cirelli, TB (C66)
231. Brady Skjei, NSH (D49)
232. Shane Pinto, OTT (C67)
233. Mattias Samuelsson, BUF (D50)
234. Jimmy Snuggerud, STL (RW43)
235. Vladimir Tarasenko, FA (RW44)
236. Viktor Arvidsson, DET (LW41)
237. Claude Giroux, OTT (C68)
238. Morgan Frost, CGY (C69)
239. Alexander Wennberg, SJ (C70)
240. Joel Farabee, CGY (LW42)
241. Alexander Nikishin, CAR (D51)
242. Devon Toews, COL (D52)
243. Mikael Backlund, CGY (C71)
244. Ryan Donato, CHI (C72)
245. Evander Kane, FA (LW43)
246. Vladislav Gavrikov, NYR (D53)
247. Mason McTavish, STL (C73)
248. Connor McMichael, STL (C74)
249. Tristan Jarry, EDM (G35)
250. Sean Monahan, CBJ (C75)