NHL Fantasy Hockey: Early Peek at Top 10 Centers for Next Season

A league-wide increase in scoring produced 38 players who averaged at least a point per game (minimum 50 games played) this season. It’s the second year in a row that the NHL has produced this many high-end scorers (they were 41 last season). 

High-end skill, more talent, more efficient power plays and a crackdown on stick infractions and interference leading to more power plays are all reasons that could explain the recent spike.

During the 2010s, they were roughly 15 to 20 players who managed to score more than a point per game. Don’t forget Jamie Benn’s 87 points were enough to win the Art Ross in 2014-15, which would’ve ranked 20th in 2022-23.

All this to say that, other than Connor McDavid, there’s no need to fret if you don’t get a high-end scorer in the first two rounds of your fantasy draft because there’s plenty more available. Players are also more versatile these days, leading to multiple-position eligibility and giving managers far more flexibility than before.

In case you missed it, here’s the list of top 10 goalies and defensemen.

1. Connor McDavid, Oilers

82 GP, 64-89-153, 71 PPP, 352 S, 22:23 TOI/GP

Center remains the deepest position, but you cannot deny McDavid’s otherworldly accomplishments. He’s the consensus No. 1 in any format. Don’t get cute, even in banger leagues. The only question is if McDavid should get the Gretzky treatment in fantasy, splitting his goals and assists into two separate fantasy players.

2. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

71 GP, 42-69-111, 34 PPP, 366 S, 22:19 TOI/GP

The mind-blowing stat for me is only 34 power-play points for MacKinnon, which means he led the league and outscored McDavid at even strength by two points. Had MacKinnon stayed healthy, he would’ve tied Draisaitl with 128 points, but the extreme shot volume gives MacKinnon the edge. Note that from January onward, MacKinnon had the second-best points per game (1.64), edging Draisaitl (1.61), and that was without having the league’s best power play. Should Gabriel Landeskog return next season, MacKinnon’s numbers might even improve.

3. Leon Draisaitl, Oilers

80 GP, 52-76-128, 62 PPP, 247 S, 21:44 TOI/GP

Draisaitl’s a fantastic player in his own right with his fourth 100-plus point season, and it would’ve been five straight if not for the pandemic. You could make the argument that McDavid wouldn’t have his record-breaking season if Draisaitl wasn’t by his side. Since 2018-19, Draisaitl ranks second in points per game (1.46) and is one of two forwards to score more than 500 points. (I’ll let you guess who the other player is). I know it might be difficult to fathom, but when good players play with good players, they can elevate each other’s play. The edge Draisaitl has over McDavid in fantasy will be his LW eligibility and faceoff wins.

4. Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs

74 GP, 40-45-85, 28 PPP, 327 S, 20:17 TOI/GP

Matthews’ goal-scoring rate, shooting percentage and faceoff-winning percentage all dropped, but by most standards, he still had a really productive season despite being hampered by a knee injury that forced him to miss time and lingering issues with his hands. Should Matthews enter the 2023-24 season with a clean bill of health, he’ll be back in contention for league MVP.

5. Jack Hughes, Devils

78 GP, 43-56-99, 31 PPP, 336 S, 19:58 TOI/GP

Entering the 2022-23 season, there were four centers who were clearly above the rest. That’s not so clear anymore because there are three, perhaps four, other players who could climb up a few spots. First up is Hughes, who broke out in his fourth full season with a 43-point improvement over the previous year. He’s excellent at carrying and shooting the puck, and he’s got fantastic wingers to play with in Jersey. Among the under-25 centers on this list, Hughes has the most offensive upside in total points, and he’s only scratching the surface.

6. Tage Thompson, Sabres

78 GP, 47-47-94, 34 PPP, 295 S, 18:35 TOI/GP

One look at Thompson’s release and you’ll realize his 47 goals were no fluke. His breakout actually started the season before with 38 goals in 78 games. Making him a full-time center was a genius move on Don Granato’s part, and all Thompson needed was just a little more ice time and shots on goal. The Sabres narrowly missed the playoffs and have an impressive young core of talent. Thompson may not score many points because he doesn’t profile as an elite playmaker, but goal-scoring is a premium in fantasy.

7. Elias Pettersson, Canucks

80 GP, 39-63-102, 25 PPP, 257 S, 20:33 TOI/GP

Pettersson is held back by a mediocre team, but at the top of the lineup, he’s joined by a good supporting cast in Andrei Kuzmenko, J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. His relatively low power-play points hold him back, but more focus on him on the man advantage with Bo Horvat gone means Pettersson could easily improve his total. There is nothing to suggest Pettersson’s 34-point improvement was a fluke; his shooting percentages have stayed flat, and he was on the verge of a breakout in his sophomore season (he received a fifth-place vote for the Hart) before injuries and a learning curve took that away.

8. Tim Stutzle, Senators

78 GP, 39-51-90, 28 PPP, 228 S, 21:16 TOI/GP

From Jan. 1, Stutzle ranked ninth with 1.28 points per game and eighth in total points with 59 in 46 games. That ranked fourth among centers behind the big three of McDavid, Draisaitl and MacKinnon. Given the optimism behind an impressive young core and new ownership, the Sens are on a trajectory not seen in franchise history. One note of concern is the spike in shooting percentage and also Stutzle’s Individual Point Percentage (IPP) at 74.19 percent, which is higher than most elite players and his career average. In essence, Stutzle was abnormally efficient on the ice, but any regression should be offset by ongoing improvement both individually and by the team.

9. Aleksander Barkov, Panthers

68 GP, 23-55-78, 30 PPP, 208 S, 21:13 TOI/GP

It was easy to forget about Barkov, who missed significant time due to injury and the Panthers’ own woes, their first-round upset notwithstanding. On a per-game basis, he scored as many points as Stutzle and Matthews and also edged the likes of Sidney Crosby and Mika Zibanejad, both of whom finished top 20 in scoring. Poor injury luck has robbed Barkov of being in the conversation of elite scorers, but over the past two seasons, he ranks 11th with 1.23 points per game. He’ll be overlooked next season but by all accounts is worthy of a first-round pick.

10. Sidney Crosby, Penguins

82 GP, 33-60-93, 27 PPP, 255 S, 20:09 TOI/GP

Crosby gets the benefit of the doubt, and it’s astounding he had one of the most productive campaigns in his age-35 season. Crosby’s 66 even-strength points ranked 10th in the league, and no other forward ahead of him was older than 30. Changes are afoot in Pittsburgh, but there’s no doubt they will be looking to surround Crosby with a strong supporting cast even though their window is closing. Crosby’s been one of the safest picks in fantasy and playing the full season is hopefully a sign that he can stay healthy.

Honorable Mentions

Brayden Point, Lightning

Point was only one of five players to score more than 50 goals in the season, but he won’t sniff any individual awards. It’s the curse of playing on a really good team with really good players, but that was also Point’s second 90-point season of his career. With Steven Stamkos now switching between center and wing on a regular basis, Point is undoubtedly the Lightning’s top center.

Roope Hintz, Stars

Hintz will be coming off back-to-back 37-goal seasons, and he’s drawn praise for his all-round game. Being attached to Jason Robertson’s hip certainly helps, and the 2023-24 season will hopefully tell us if Hintz can be more than a point-per-game player.

Dylan Larkin, Red Wings

Larkin has an outside chance to crack the top 10, but much of it will also depend on the continued improvement of his wingers, namely Lucas Raymond. If Larkin’s a point-per-game player in his own right, better linemates could push him to new heights. He’ll be 27 years old next season, a ripe age for a big breakout campaign.

Mika Zibanejad, Rangers

You can’t leave Zibanejad off the list because he’s been so consistent over the past five seasons with the Rangers. He will turn 31 next season, however, and historically speaking, players don’t peak in their 30s.

Jack Eichel, Golden Knights

Is Eichel a franchise-level player or just another No. 1 center? Both are good results for the Knights, but there’s a vast difference between the two. Eichel’s disappearing act can be frustrating, and taking his play to the next level will involve staying healthy. It’s also perplexing that for such an offensively gifted player, his power-play production has been very mediocre, scoring just six power-play goals in his past 122 games.

J.T. Miller, Canucks

Miller’s production is likely far too dependent on the Canucks’ power play to come close to cracking the top 10. But he did show a bunch of jump under Rick Tocchet, and he’s got point-per-game talent. The conditions just need to be right.

John Tavares, Maple Leafs

Tavares will be 33 in September, but he’s remained remarkably consistent. One thing to note is that Tavares has been shooting the puck slightly more, and even a small spike in shooting percentage could put him in the 90-point range.

Connor Bedard

Overhyping No. 1 picks just tends to be the standard in fantasy, but don’t forget how much Jack Hughes struggled in his first season and how Alexis Lafreniere still hasn’t lived up to the hype. Even if Bedard is truly generational, he’s likely stuck on a really bad team with few quality linemates to play with. But there’s always a chance that he really explodes onto the scene like Connor McDavid, who ranked third in points per game (minimum of 25 games played) in his rookie season, and for that reason, we should keep Bedard in our minds.