Five THN.com staffers assembled a six-round fantasy pool draft for the 2026 NHL playoffs, which featured differing strategies, bold picks and snubbed teams.
It's time to get your NHL playoff fantasy pool drafts done before the quest for the Stanley Cup begins Saturday.
Five of us at TheHockeyNews.com wanted to get in on the action as well. We hopped on a video call Wednesday afternoon and drafted the team we think will win us the ultimate bragging rights. After some quick thinking and the customary chirps, we created our rosters.
Fortunately for whoever took players on the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche, the standings did not change Thursday, avoiding a powerhouse first-round matchup between the two teams.
Here are our rules:
- Three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender had to be selected.
- Goals and assists are worth one point each.
- Goaltender wins are worth two points, and a shutout is worth one extra point.
- The draft followed a snake format.
Presenting our participants in order of selection, as determined at random:
- Ryan Kennedy, editor in chief and co-host of The Hockey News Big Show
- Michael Traikos, managing editor, digital media, and co-host of The Hockey News Big Show
- Frank Zawrazky, co-editor, The Hockey News' NCAA site
- Jonathan Tovell, deputy managing editor, digital media
- Adam Proteau, senior digital correspondent
Here are the picks in order, followed by more analysis of the team representation and fantasy hockey strategies to consider.
1. Ryan: Nikita Kucherov, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Michael: Nathan MacKinnon, F, Colorado Avalanche
3. Frank: Connor McDavid, F, Edmonton Oilers
4. Jonathan: Martin Necas, F, Colorado Avalanche
5. Adam: Jake Guentzel, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
6. Adam: Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning
7. Jonathan: Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
8. Frank: Tage Thompson, F, Buffalo Sabres
9. Michael: David Pastrnak, F, Boston Bruins
10. Ryan: Mikko Rantanen, F, Dallas Stars
11. Ryan: Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
12. Michael: Quinn Hughes, D, Minnesota Wild
13. Frank: Lane Hutson, D, Montreal Canadiens
14. Jonathan: Sebastian Aho, F, Carolina Hurricanes
15. Adam: Kirill Kaprizov, F, Minnesota Wild
16. Adam: Tim Stutzle, F, Ottawa Senators
17. Jonathan: Scott Wedgewood, G, Colorado Avalanche
18. Frank: Nick Schmaltz, F, Utah Mammoth
19. Michael: Leon Draisaitl, F, Edmonton Oilers
20. Ryan: Wyatt Johnston, F, Dallas Stars
21. Ryan: Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
22. Michael: Darren Raddysh, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
23. Frank: Brandon Bussi, G, Carolina Hurricanes
24. Jonathan: Jason Robertson, F, Dallas Stars
25. Adam: Jake Sanderson, D, Ottawa Senators
26. Adam: Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild
27. Jonathan: Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo Sabres
28. Frank: Jamie Drysdale, D, Philadelphia Flyers
29. Michael: Jeremy Swayman, G, Boston Bruins
30. Ryan: Erik Karlsson, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
Strategies
Ryan said he's counting on Dallas to make a deep run. Beyond that, he went with players he believes will get a lot of points in at least two rounds.
Michael has five NHL teams represented in his playoff pool roster. He said that should leave him with a ton of options regardless of when they go out.
Frank agreed, saying he diversified his portfolio of players while choosing skaters who can shine on their own.
I (Jonathan) chose three players from the Avalanche since I believe they'll go far, although whether Wedgewood or Mackenzie Blackwood gets the starts remains to be seen. Carolina and Dallas have the potential to get to at least the conference finals again, while Dahlin should produce a decent amount in however long the Sabres are in the playoffs.
Adam said he predicts the Bolts will make the final and the Senators will get to at least Round 2. In the West, he felt well with taking Kaprizov and Faber from the Wild.
Analysis
Thirteen teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs had players selected in our post-season fantasy pool draft.
The Lightning, Stars and Avalanche had the most representation, with four players each. The Avs and Lightning have the top two shortest odds of winning the Stanley Cup on BetMGM, while the Stars have the fifth-shortest odds.
Carolina, which had two players selected, has the third-shortest odds of winning the Cup. There was some doubt that they could beat the Senators and go far, which gives the two people who selected Hurricanes players an advantage if they can pull it off. Of course, the opposite holds true for Adam, who picked two Sens players.
The most consequential series of the first round for this pool could be between the Stars and Wild, with a combined seven players on this list.
The three playoff teams that were not represented in this draft are the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.
All three come from the Pacific Division, although the Kings will be on the Central Division side of the bracket since they're a wild-card team facing the Avalanche in Round 1. The Ducks are also the lower seed in their series versus Edmonton.
Snubbing the Golden Knights could be risky, considering they finished first in the Pacific. That said, they face the Mammoth, which had just three fewer points this season. One team that missed the playoffs actually finished one place above the Pacific winners in the standings: the Washington Capitals.
As always, taking a player on an underdog could pay off in spades if their team eliminates a higher seed. But in general, more playoff series means more games played, which means more chances for points and goalie wins.
Of course, if there's a superstar available on a team that isn't predicted to go far, they could wind up scoring more points than someone on a squad that goes far.
For more playoff pool strategies and rankings, visit The Hockey News' fantasy hockey site at THN.com/fantasy, and let the games begin.
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