1. Alex Ovechkin, WSH (Age: 24)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 79 GP, 56 G, 54 A, 110 PTS, +8, 72 PIM
3-Year Average: 81 GP, 56 G, 49 A, 107 PTS, +6, 55 PIM
Note: AO should be the #1 player taken in every draft…hands down, no questions asked! The numbers speak for themselves and the LW position has the shallowest talent pool IMO.
2. Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL (Age: 26)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 79 GP, 43 G, 48 A, 91 PTS, -12, 50 PIM
3-Year Average: 80 GP, 46 G, 39 A, 85 PTS, -9, 56 PIM
Note: Kovalchuk has been one of the league’s most consistent performers, recording at least 75 points in each of his last 5 seasons. He is in the final year of his contract and will be motivated to earn a huge payday come July 1, 2010.
3. Zach Parise, NJD (Age: 25)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 45 G, 49 A, 94 PTS, +30, 24 PIM
3-Year Average: 82 GP, 36 G, 38 A, 74 PTS, +13, 26 PIM
Note: Parise had a monster season for the Devils in ’08-’09. He ranked in the top 10 in four major fantasy categories a year ago (G, PTS, +/-, PPG). With the departure of Gionta, Parise could see a slight drop in production but should still be good for 80-90 points.
4. Alexander Semin, WSH (Age: 25)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 62 GP, 34 G, 45 A, 79 PTS, +25, 77 PIM
3-Year Average: 67 GP, 33 G, 32 A, 65 PTS, +0, 74 PIM
Note: Semin put up beastly numbers despite missing significant time due to injury in the middle of the season. He recorded at least one point in 50 of his 62 games played.
5. Rick Nash, CBJ (Age: 25)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 78 GP, 40 G, 39 A, 79 PTS, +11, 52 PIM
3-Year Average: 78 GP, 35 G, 33 A, 68 PTS, +2, 73 PIM
Note: Nash’s helpers have increased in each season since the lockout. He scored 40 goals for the 2nd time in his career in ’08-’09, but only 6 of them came on the power play.
6. Henrik Zetterberg, DET (Age: 29)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 77 GP, 31 G, 42 A, 73 PTS, +13, 36 PIM
3-Year Average: 72 GP, 36 G, 42 A, 78 PTS, +23, 35 PIM
Note: Zetterberg saw a drop in his numbers after putting up huge stats in '07-'08 (43 G, 92 PTS). Expect him to bounce back and record 80 points once again.
7. Daniel Sedin, VAN (Age: 30)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 31 G, 51 A, 82 PTS, +24, 36 PIM
3-Year Average: 82 GP, 32 G, 48 A, 80 PTS, +16, 41 PIM
Note: Daniel will continue to rack up the points as long as Henrik is centering his line (and that figures to be a long time). He has recorded at least 70 points in each season since the lockout.
8. Thomas Vanek, BUF (Age: 25)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 73 GP, 40 G, 24 A, 64 PTS, -1, 44 PIM
3-Year Average: 79 GP, 40 G, 31 A, 71 PTS, +14, 49 PIM
Note: Vanek scored an NHL-best 20 PPG in ’08-‘09. He is an elite goal scorer but has not topped 30 assists since tallying 41 in ’06-’07.
9. Simon Gagne, PHI (Age: 29)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 79 GP, 34 G, 40 A, 74 PTS, +21, 42 PIM
3-Year Average: 60 GP, 27 G, 26 A, 53 PTS, +5, 76 PIM
Note: Gagne shot out of the gates in ’08-’09 (20 GP, 30 PTS) after concussions ended his ’07-’08 campaign prematurely. He is recovering from hip surgery this offseason but should be ready to go for training camp.
10. Dany Heatley, OTT (Age: 28)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 39 G, 33 A, 72 PTS, -11, 88 PIM
3-Year Average: 78 GP, 43 G, 43 A, 86 PTS, +18, 79 PIM
Note: Heatley has been on the decline and his situation in Ottawa does not look promising. He still has the talent to be a top 10 LW, but the baggage that comes with Heater makes him a risky pick.
11. Michael Cammalleri, MTL (Age: 27)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 81 GP, 39 G, 43 A, 82 PTS, -2, 44 PIM
3-Year Average: 75 GP, 31 G, 39 A, 70 PTS, -4, 15 PIM
Note: Cammalleri had a great year in his lone season with Calgary, tallying a career-high 39 goals. Some adjustments will have to be made, though, if he wants to have the same kind of success in Jacques Martin’s defensive-minded system.
12. Brenden Morrow, DAL (Age: 30)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 18 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 15 PTS, -4, 49 PIM
3-Year Average: 47 GP, 18 G, 22 A, 40 PTS, +5, 62 PIM
Note: Morrow is close to being a point-per-game guy when healthy and can rack up the penalty minutes, which is a plus. He should be a 30 goal scorer if he plays a full season.
13. Patrick Marleau, SJS (Age: 30)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 76 GP, 38 G, 33 A, 71 PTS, +16, 18 PIM
3-Year Average: 77 GP, 30 G, 36 A, 66 PTS, +2, 28 PIM
Note: Marleau rebounded nicely from an awful season by his standards in ’07-’08 (19 G, 48 PTS). He set career highs in goals (38) and +/- (+16) in ’08-’09.
14. Scott Hartnell, PHI (Age: 27)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 30 G, 30 A, 60 PTS, +14, 143 PIM
3-Year Average: 75 GP, 25 G, 22 A, 47 PTS, +12, 133 PIM
Note: Hartnell is one of the most underrated fantasy players IMO. He was a 30-30-100 guy in ’08-’09 (G-A-PIM).
15. Alexander Frolov, LAK (Age: 27)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 77 GP, 32 G, 27 A, 59 PTS, -6, 30 PIM
3-Year Average: 77 GP, 30 G, 36 A, 66 PTS, -4, 29 PIM
Note: Look for Frolov to score 30 goals once again and record 60-70 points on an improved Kings team.
16. Loui Eriksson, DAL (Age: 24)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 36 G, 27 A, 63 PTS, +14, 14 PIM
3-Year Average: 70 GP, 19 G, 19 A, 38 PTS, +5, 20 PIM
Note: Eriksson will be out to prove that he was no fluke in ’08-’09. I’m confident that he is the real deal and expect him to put up similar numbers to a year ago.
17. Dustin Brown, LAK (Age: 24)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 80 GP, 24 G, 29 A, 53 PTS, -15, 64 PIM
3-Year Average: 80 GP, 25 G, 28 A, 53 PTS, -16, 58 PIM
Note: I’m feeling a big year from Brown, as the Kings’ top line of Smyth, Kopitar, and Brown could be dynamite. He faded at the end of the season (22 GP, 5 PTS), but the Kings were not in serious playoff contention.
18. Patrik Elias, NJD (Age: 33)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 77 GP, 31 G, 47 A, 78 PTS, +18, 32 PIM
3-Year Average: 75 GP, 24 G, 43 A, 67 PTS, +10, 36 PIM
Note: Elias ’08-’09 campaign may have been a bit of an aberration, as he recorded his highest point total since the lockout. He is more of a 55-65 point guy than a 70-80 point guy IMO.
19. Ryan Smyth, LAK (Age: 33)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 77 GP, 26 G, 33 A, 59 PTS, -15, 62 PIM
3-Year Average: 68 GP, 25 G, 29 A, 54 PTS, -6, 55 PIM
Note: Smyth found his stride again after a disappointing season with Colorado in ’07-’08 (55 GP, 37 PTS). Expect him to perform like he did in Edmonton and score 30 goals in his first season in Hollywood.
20. David Booth, FLA (Age: 24)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 72 GP, 31 G, 29 A, 60 PTS, +10, 38 PIM
3-Year Average: 73 GP, 27 G, 19 A, 46 PTS, +12, 32 PIM**
Note: Like Eriksson, Booth will try to prove that his breakout year was no fluke. He scored 11 PPG in ’08-’09, 10 more than the previous season.
21. Ray Whitney, CAR (Age: 37)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 24 G, 53 A, 77 PTS, +2, 32 PIM
3-Year Average: 76 GP, 27 G, 47 A, 74 PTS, -3, 36 PIM
Note: Whitney recorded 50 assists for the 3rd time in his career in ’08-’09. He has 95 PPA since the lockout (292 GP).
22. Alex Burrows, VAN (Age: 28)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 28 G, 23 A, 51 PTS, +23, 150 PIM
3-Year Average: 82 GP, 14 G, 16 A, 30 PTS, +9, 141 PIM
Note: Burrows really benefited from playing on Vancouver’s top line with the Sedin twins. He had a great 2nd half (41 GP, 34 PTS).
23. Slava Kozlov, ATL (Age: 37)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 26 G, 50 A, 76 PTS, -14, 44 PIM
3-Year Average: 82 GP, 24 G, 42 A, 66 PTS, -5, 35 PIM
Note: Just when you thought Kozlov was over the hill, he responds with 43 PPP in ’08-’09. He’s not a sexy pick, but he’ll get the job done as a mid-round selection.
24. Milan Lucic, BOS (Age: 21)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 72 GP, 17 G, 25 A, 42 PTS, +17, 136 PIM
3-Year Average: 75 GP, 13 G, 22 A, 35 PTS, +8, 113 PIM**
Note: Look for Lucic to be a 20-goal scorer for the first time in his young career in ’09-’10. His good +/- rating and PIM numbers boost his rating somewhat.
25. Paul Kariya, STL (Age: 34)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 11 GP, 2 G, 13 A, 15 PTS, +1, 2 PIM
3-Year Average: 58 GP, 14 G, 38 A, 51 PTS, -1, 29 PIM
Note: Kariya was injured for most of last season but he recorded a point in 9 of his 11 games. He still has 20 goal, 60 point potential.
26. Jason Blake, TOR (Age: 36)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 78 GP, 25 G, 38 A, 63 PTS, -2, 40 PIM
3-Year Average: 81 GP, 27 G, 35 A, 62 PTS, -2, 34 PIM
Note: Blake doesn’t have much to work with in Toronto, but he can still put the puck in the net. Expect 50-60 points from him in ’09-’10.
27. Milan Michalek, SJS (Age: 24)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 77 GP, 23 G, 34 A, 57 PTS, +11, 52 PIM
3-Year Average: 78 GP, 24 G, 35 A, 59 PTS, +16, 45 PIM
Note: Michalek recorded 20 goals for the 3rd straight season in ’08-’09. He is consistent, but doesn’t have the big game that often (12 multi-point games last season).
28. Alex Tanguay, FA (Age: 29)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 50 GP, 16 G, 25 A, 41 PTS, +13, 34 PIM
3-Year Average: 70 GP, 22 G, 41 A, 63 PTS, +12, 42 PIM
Note: It is still yet to be determined where Tanguay will play this year, if he even plays in the NHL. He can still be a 25-goal scorer with the right team.
29. Chris Kunitz, PIT (Age: 30)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 82 GP, 23 G, 30 A, 53 PTS, +12, 71 PIM
3-Year Average: 82 GP, 23 G, 31 A, 54 PTS, +14, 77 PIM
Note: Kunitz was a new player after being traded from Anaheim to Pittsburgh at the deadline (20 GP, 18 PTS with the Pens). He only scored one goal in 24 playoff games, which is cause for concern. Kunitz will still be on the top line with Crosby and Guerin, though.
30. Ryan Malone, TBL (Age: 29)
‘08-‘09 Stats: 70 GP, 26 G, 19 A, 45 PTS, +4, 98 PIM
3-Year Average: 70 GP, 23 G, 19 A, 42 PTS, +7, 91 PIM
Note: Malone put up good numbers in his first season with the Bolts, a team that figures to be better offensively with the additions of Ohlund and Hedman. Malone should benefit and be a 50 point guy in ’09-’10.
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