Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. With training camps underway, here are some points to consider when drafting your teams for the 2025-2026 season, starting with some bad news out of Florida.
#1 The Florida Panthers are going to be looking to win a third straight Stanley Cup, but it could be an uphill fight from the outset, as captain Aleksander Barkov was injured in practice and required knee surgery that could be season ending. With Matthew Tkachuk already expected to miss at least a couple of months of action while he recovers from surgery for a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle. Since the 2017-2018 season, Barkov has produced 611 points (213 G, 398 A) in 552 games and has won three Selke Trophies as the league’s best defensive forward. If he is indeed out for the season, that will be an enormous hole to fill.
#2 To the Panthers’ credit, they at least have options. Sam Bennett may not handle a much bigger role than what he has already taken on as Florida’s No. 2 centre, but Anton Lundell could be thrust into a bigger role in his fifth NHL season. Lundell played at least 18 minutes in 22 games last season, delivering 17 points (7 G, 10 A) in those games. That contrasts with 28 points (10 G, 18 A) in 55 games when he played fewer than 18 minutes in a game. Fourth-line centre Tomas Nosek is also injured, so the Barkov injury could really test Florida’s centre depth, to the point that they might need to try Sam Reinhart or Evan Rodrigues down the middle. Both veterans have played centre but have spent more time on the wing in recent seasons.
#3 The Montreal Canadiens head into this season with expectations. They are not looking to be in the playoff hunt but instead be a surefire playoff team. A lot could depend on how their second line turns out and, at the moment, it looks like a boom-or-bust situation for the trio of Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, and Ivan Demidov. Laine scored 12 goals in his first 18 games for the Habs last season, but managed eight in his next 37 games, and was injured after minimal playing time in the first two games of the playoffs. Dach has flashed potential but has also torn his ACL twice which has not helped in his development path. Demidov had 49 points (19 G, 30 A) in 65 games for St. Petersburg in the KHL last season and has electrifying skill which makes him the preseason favourite to win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. If everything clicks, this trio could be potent, but the worst-case scenario for them could be pretty bleak, too, given the ups and downs that Laine and Dach have experienced in their careers.
#4 The Calgary Flames are giving rookie Zayne Parekh a shot on their blueline and the 19-year-old has a high offensive ceiling that would play well for fantasy managers. Parekh scored in his NHL debut with the Flames late last season and scored 66 goals and 203 points in 127 games for Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League in the past two seasons. The ninth pick in the 2024 Draft, Parekh still has junior eligibility, but Calgary could decide that his offensive upside is too great to turn down, especially on a team that only had two defencemen, Mackenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson, with more than 20 points last season and one of them (Andersson) is rumoured to be on the move.
#5 Can Dylan Cozens get his game back in Ottawa? After scoring 68 points (31 G, 37 A) in 81 games for the Buffalo Sabres during the 2022-2023 season, when he was 21, Cozens saw is production tail off. He had back-to-back 47-point seasons and had 31 points (11 G, 20 A) in 61 games last season before getting traded to the Senators. In Ottawa, Cozens had 16 points (5 G, 11 A) with 49 shots on goal in 21 games, despite playing 36 fewer seconds per game than he had in Buffalo. With skilled players in Ottawa and a chance to play on PP1, maybe Cozens will find his way back to 60-plus points.
#6 The Edmonton Oilers have some exciting rookies pushing for forward spots, including highly-touted youngsters Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie, but a 29-year-old Czech winger could be worth watching, too. David Tomasek spent a couple of seasons with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League more than a decade ago before returning to Europe. Last season, he put up 57 points (24 G, 33 A) in 47 games for Farjestad of the Swedish Hockey League and that kind of production could make him a viable candidate to play in Edmonton’s top six. Far too soon to start predicting success for him but at least see how his training camp unfolds and monitor to see if he could actually make the team.
#7 Stars left winger Jamie Benn is out with a collapsed lung, to be re-evaluated in four weeks. Benn is typically very durable, but this does not seem like something that the 36-year-old captain will be able to play through. Benn’s absence could create a bigger opportunity for Sam Steel, who could move up the depth chart, and possibly an opening for rookie Justin Hryckowian to start the season with the Stars. Hryckowian had 60 points (22 G, 38 A) in 67 AHL games for the Iowa Stars last season before adding 18 points (9 G, 9 A) in 14 playoff games.
#8 The goaltending market is due for some movement as the season approaches. The Utah Mammoth have placed Conor Ingram on waivers, after another stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last season. When he’s on his game, Ingram can be a starting calibre goaltender but, at the very least, could be a solid addition for many teams. Toronto is also going to be missing Joseph Woll for an indefinite period, while he deals with a family issue. With Woll out, the Maple Leafs have inked veteran James Reimer to a PTO and he could fulfill the role while Woll is absent. The thing for the Maple Leafs is that Anthony Stolarz has played great for them but also played a career-high 34 games last season, so he isn’t exactly Glenn Hall in terms of durability, which means that his partner in the tandem will not have an insignificant role.
#9 There will be a team that signs Carter Hart, who is lurking for any team that is willing to deal with the blowback from fans after his involvement in the Hockey Canada trial this summer. The former Flyers netminder has a .906 save percentage in 227 career games and has typically been slightly better than league average but Hart being a competent goaltender is not the hurdle that will need to be overcome. It will be similar for teams that sign Michael McLeod or Dillon Dube, who will be eligible to sign on October 15 and can return to action on December 1, but a starting goaltender is in the spotlight much more than a middle six forward. In any case, none of these players are strong enough to warrant drafting in fantasy, unless you have a massive reserve list, so just monitor the situations for these players in the first six weeks of the season.
#10 With Mitch Marner gone to Las Vegas, it appears that Morgan Rielly will be back at quarterback on PP1 for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Rielly struggled at times last season and his 41 points (7 G, 34 A) in 82 games represented his lowest points per game since 2016-2017, but a refreshed Rielly in a prime role has a chance to exceed expectations in a way that he hasn’t in recent seasons because his previous production had been so reliable.
#11 Anaheim Ducks centre Mason McTavish is one of the more high-profile restricted free agents still without contract and if he does not start the season in Anaheim, the Ducks are a little better prepared to handle his absence after acquiring veterans like Mikael Granlund and Chris Kreider, who offer some insurance. If there is an extra opening in the lineup, then prospect Sam Colangelo could squeeze into a regular role if McTavish actually misses game time. Usually, these things get worked out in time for the start of the season, but every once in a while, it can drag on, so be cautious with McTavish, Nashville’s Luke Evangelista, and New Jersey’s Luke Hughes.
#12 After scoring 39 goals in the American Hockey League last season, Matej Blumel is getting a long look in Bruins camp. The Bruins are desperate for more sources of offence behind David Pastrnak, and if Blumel can provide it, then he could stick in a middle six role for Boston. The 25-year-old winger has two goals in 13 career NHL games, so expectations should not get out of hand, but he’s worth tracking as the season approaches.
#13 On a Chicago Blackhawks team desperately seeking more skill, Andre Burakovsky may have a chance at some quality ice time, including first-line action alongside Connor Bedard. Burakovsky has managed 53 points (17 G, 36 A) in 128 games across the past two seasons with the Seattle Kraken, but he also scored on just 8.2 percent of his shots in those two seasons after scoring on 14.4 percent in his career up to that point. If he plays with a finisher like Bedard, Burakovsky’s playmaking skills could deliver much better results than he has offered recently.
#14 An underrated fantasy performer because he is not a huge scorer, and injuries have been catching up to him, but Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner had 19 points (7 G, 12 A) with 70 shots on goal and 43 hits in 26 games last season. On a per-game basis, Jenner is still productive enough to have fantasy value when he’s healthy enough to play, in part because he has a spot on Columbus’ top power play unit and that should not be ignored.
#15 Russian winger Maxim Shabanov is an intriguing addition for the New York Islanders. Shabanov is 5-foot-8 but put up 67 points (23 G, 44 A) in 65 games for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL last season, adding 20 points (10 G, 10 A) in 21 playoff games, and on an Islanders team that has not exactly been overrun by skilled forwards, Shabanov is looking like he could have a shot to play alongside Bo Horvat on the top line.
#16 While most teams are aspiring to big things this year, playing for the Stanley Cup, reaching the playoffs, it does not necessarily seem like the same is true for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who may be in the position to deal some quality veterans this season. As the Penguins cobbled together a roster in the offseason, they took a couple of chances on big wingers with offensive upside. Anthony Mantha tore his ACL after producing seven points (4 G, 3 A) in 13 games for Calgary last season, but he is a three-time 20-goal scorer who maybe hasn’t reached expectations in his career but is a capable member of the supporting cast on an NHL team. Justin Brazeau is not as accomplished but does have 29 points (16 G, 13 A) in 95 career games despite playing fewer than 12 minutes per game. If he can find his way to more ice time, Brazeau could contribute more.
#17 Staying in Pittsburgh, winger Ville Koivunen has a shot to be a breakthrough player for the Penguins after he had seven assists in eight games for the Penguins last season. The 22-year-old, who was acquired from Carolina as part of the package for Jake Guentzel, had 56 points (21 G, 35 A) in 63 AHL games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, so it’s time to find out if he can produce in a full-time role in the NHL. It looks like he should have a chance to start in Pittsburgh’s top six, and from there it’s going to be up to him.
#18 While the San Jose Sharks are still not likely to be a particularly strong hockey team this season, they are getting more talented and that could reap rewards for fantasy managers. Second overall draft pick Michael Misa is worth considering because he has such offensive upside. He ripped up the OHL last season with 134 points (62 G, 72 A) in 63 games and it’s conceivable that he starts the season as the Sharks’ No. 2 centre behind Macklin Celebrini.
#19 Also in San Jose, veteran winger Jeff Skinner might be worth considering as a late-round flier after he managed just 29 points (16 G, 13 A) in 72 games for the Edmonton Oilers last season. He also played just 13 minutes per game, so if Skinner plays 16-17 minutes per game, which is more standard for his career, then his numbers will improve, and if he is skating alongside the Sharks’ skilled young forwards, there will be a chance for Skinner to enjoy a bounce-back season. He is a 10-time 20-goal scorer who is just to years removed from a 35-goal campaign.
#20 Seattle Kraken right winger Kappo Kakko suffered an upper-body injury in preseason action and if it keeps him out for the start of the season, that could mean a better opportunity for Jani Nyman, who had six points (3 G, 3 A) with 22 shots on goal and 13 hits in 12 games for Seattle last season. Expectations are high for Kakko, who had 30 points (10 G, 20 A) in 49 games for the Kraken after he was acquired from the Rangers last season.