Analyst Lists Top 10 Players for Fantasy Hockey in 2024-25 Season

While the real National Hockey League general managers have done most of their heavy lifting already this summer, with the Draft and Free Agency decisions, and even a couple of big trades, it's soon time for the Fantasy GMs out there to start thinking about their draft strategies.

Analyst Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff has unveiled his Fantasy Hockey Top 300 for the coming season, and here, we'll take a look at the Top 10:

1. Connor McDavid

We'll bet this one doesn't take you much by surprise. Despite a slow start this past season that might have had some fantasy owners a little nervous, McDavid caught fire as his Edmonton Oilers did after the arrival of new head coach Kris Knoblauch, and the superstar three-time Hart Trophy winner and five-time Art Ross winner as league top scorer put up the 2nd-best point total of his career, with 132, and became only the 4th player in NHL history to top the 100 assist mark (soon to be joined by another member of this top 10 list as the 5th).

He's still the slam dunk as the No. 1 overall pick.

2. Nathan MacKinnon

The Avalanche center exploded for his best season of a stellar career, racking up 140 points on 51 goals and 89 assists. After his previous high of 111 points the year before, which was his first time over the 100-point mark, the massive 140-point total could be a bit of an outlier, but we wouldn't put anything past the Avs superstar.

3. Leon Draisaitl

Larkin calls this, a bit tongue-in-cheek, a "buy-low" opportunity, as the Oilers' second superstar had 106 points, his lowest total in a full season since 2018-19 (when he had 105). But let's say that there isn't too much risk in this "buy-low" target.

4. Auston Matthews

With 69 markers, the Toronto Maple Leafs sniper had the most goals in an NHL season in nearly 30 years and has now topped the 105-point mark twice in the last three seasons.

5. Nikita Kucherov

A 144-point season wasn't enough to get Kucherov higher than No. 5 on Larkin's list? The analyst explains that the Tampa Bay Lightning forward's age, 31, is the culprit in his "lower" ranking, as he is "more likely than the other four to have topped out last season." Kucherov, the top non-center on the list, also reached the 100-assist mark, joining McDavid in that ever-so-rare feat.

The rest of the Top 10 looks like this:

6. David Pastrnak (47 goals, 110 points)

7. Cale Makar (21 goals, 90 points, & the only defenseman in the top 10)

8. Mikko Rantanen (42 goals, 104 points)

9. Artemi Panarin (49 goals, 120 points)

10. Jack Hughes (27 goals, 74 points)

Hughes is the only player in the Top 10 who didn't play a full season, after skating in just 62 games in another frustratingly injury-plagued year for the second time in three seasons. If he can stay healthy for a full 82, watch out.

Good luck with your draft, whenever it might be, and we'll continue to keep you updated on the latest news surrounding the players you might be selecting in the next month or two.