THN.com/podcast. From The Hockey News Podcast: Comebacks, Upsets and D.B. Sweeney Jason Robertson [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk3ODA0MzIyODc0OTkxOTE3/usatsi_20573133.jpg] Jason Robertson The elite NHL wingers can score enough on their own, but the rest remain far more dependent on usage. How many minutes and who their linemates will be are all important factors to consider. That may also be the case with certain wingers, such as Mats Zuccarello, who score at a higher rate when he’s playing with Kirill Kaprizov (obviously). Grabbing an elite winger in the early rounds is still a great strategy. No one will blink if Mikko Rantanen, Nikita Kucherov or Kirill Kaprizov are taken in the first round. And, even if they’re not, they’re great value picks after the first round. Good centers are abundant, and Cale Makar is arguably the lone defenseman worth taking in the first few rounds. Entering the 2023-24 season, the depth at the right wing seems to be far better than the left wing. In past years, left wing tends to be the easier position to fill. Of the top 50 scorers this season, only 18 were right-hand shots. Coaches tend to prefer players play on their strong side, which means more left wingers than right wingers, but that’s also been somewhat negated by fantasy leagues becoming more proactive in providing multiple position eligibility. Players with LW/RW eligibility are now fairly common, except for those who may play on one side exclusively, and you could make the argument that being eligible for one position only is actually a detriment for fantasy managers looking for flexibility. Here’s an early look at the top 10 NHL fantasy hockey left wingers going into next season, with points and offensive categories as the main focus. In case you missed it, here’s the list of top 10 goalies [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-fantasy-hockey-early-look-at-top-10-goalies-for-next-season], defensemen [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-fantasy-hockey-early-glimpse-at-top-10-defensemen-for-next-season] and centers [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-fantasy-hockey-early-peek-at-top-10-centers-for-next-season]. 1. JASON ROBERTSON, STARS 82 GP, 46-63-109, 313 S, 41 PPP, 18:50 TOI/GP There should be little question that Robertson is the top left winger today. It’s thin at the top at left wing, and given his production, age and surrounding cast, Robertson stands alone. He’s been very consistent and doesn’t play a physical style where injury risk is a big consideration. Over the past two seasons, only four players have scored more even-strength goals than Robertson: Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak and Mikko Rantanen. 2. KIRILL KAPRIZOV, WILD 67 GP, 40-35-75, 261 S, 32 PPP, 21:07 TOI/GP In short, Kaprizov needs help. Joel Eriksson Ek usually plays on a separate line, leaving Kaprizov with Ryan Hartman or Sam Steel. Hartman’s been very good, but he’s miscast as a No. 1 center, and opposing teams know to clamp down on Kaprizov. Until he finds chemistry with a more offensively-gifted center, Kaprizov may not realize his full potential but remains a top-three left winger based purely on his own talent. 3. BRADY TKACHUK, SENATORS 82 GP, 35-48-83, 347 S, 29 PPP, 18:38 TOI/GP Tkachuk was already a unicorn in banger leagues for delivering 30-plus goals and 200-plus hits, but being a point-per-game player rockets him to the top of the list. Like brother Matthew, there’s nothing particularly outstanding about Tkachuk’s talent, and they simply get the job done in their own way. Of minor concern is Tkachuk’s relatively average shooting percentage, but much of that is skewed by in-close rebounds that aren’t always high-percentage shots. 4. ARTEMI PANARIN, RANGERS 82 GP. 29-63-92. 204 S, 36 PPP, 19:36 TOI/GP Panarin will turn 32 in October, and his latest playoff showing wasn’t encouraging. Their opening-round loss shouldn’t be all on Panarin’s shoulders, but it certainly feels like changes are afoot on Broadway. Regardless, Panarin has been remarkably consistent; his 445 assists since entering the league rank second behind only McDavid, and he also ranks 11th in power-play points (195) and ninth in points per game (1.12). We should expect some sort of drop-off due to age, though it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen just yet. 5. KYLE CONNOR, JETS 82 GP, 31-49-80, 273 S, 29 PPP, 20:32 TOI/GP There’s a ton to like about Connor. He shoots the puck a lot, and in any given season, he’s a threat to score 50 goals. What’s not to like is the roster around him and the Jets’ uncertain future plans with key players likely to leave this summer or the next. He scored just seven goals in the final 30 games of the season as the Jets experienced a major slump, and while that cannot be discounted, his overall body of work has been impressive with five straight 30-goal seasons, the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season excluded. Over the past six seasons, Connor ranks seventh with 207 total goals and fifth with 149 even-strength goals. The goal for next season is to see if Connor can become more efficient on the power play, having scored fewer than 10 power-play goals in four of his six seasons. 6. ALEX OVECHKIN, CAPITALS 73 GP, 42-33-75. 294 S, 25 PPP, 20:12 TOI/GP There are not enough hyperboles to describe Ovechkin, who remains one of the league’s top goal-scorers. He has been overtaken on this list by Robertson and Connor, but he still hasn’t slowed down very much even though he will be 38 years old next season. The Caps’ core is old, but they seem pretty determined to squeeze every last drop out of them. A healthy John Carlson, Tom Wilson and an improved Dylan Strome should also help Ovechkin continue to pile up points on the power play. 7. JAKE GUENTZEL, PENGUINS 78 GP, 36-37-73, 244 S, 23 PPP, 20:07 TOI/GP Given how disappointing the Pens were, it’s easy to forget that Guentzel had another productive season as their top left winger. Being attached to Sidney Crosby’s hip certainly helps, and it’s debatable if Guentzel is actually good at creating his own scoring chances. However, his ability to get shots on net and finish a fairly high percentage of them keeps Guentzel in the top 10. He’s not an exciting fantasy player but has a very high floor and, barring an injury, should be one of the safer picks. 8. KEVIN FIALA, KINGS 69 GP, 23-49-72, 208 S, 24 PPP, 17:36 TOI/GP Fiala’s reputation as a second-half player should be well-known by now. He scored 37 points in 40 games in the first three months before scoring 35 in 29 games the rest of the way, the fourth straight season where he’s started a little slow before finishing on a higher note. That he made a relatively seamless transition from the Wild to the Kings is a good sign, and the Kings are flush with young talent they can surround Fiala. With a little more ice time and an injury-free season, it’s easy to see Fiala score at least 90 points next season. 9. ANDREI SVECHNIKOV, HURRICANES 64 GP, 23-32-55, 205 S, 16 PPP, 18:03 TOI/GP Svechnikov is a fantastic player, but his talent doesn’t always translate to numbers. Much like Sebastian Aho or Martin Necas, Svechnikov is more than capable of putting up some big numbers, but an offense-by-committee approach with two equal power-play units makes it difficult. There’s a ton of added value with his hits, making Svechnikov an easy pick in banger leagues. 10. CLAYTON KELLER, COYOTES 82 GP, 37-49-86, 223 S, 20 PPP, 20:45 TOI/GP Keller is the Coyotes’ Masterton Trophy nominee this season, capping off a career season that saw him tie the franchise record for points a year after breaking his leg. No one saw this coming; the Coyotes were a mere afterthought, and few players set records after suffering serious injuries. Instead, Keller, along with the underappreciated Nick Schmaltz and later Barrett Hayton, made Mullet Arena an exciting place to be. The Coyotes have amassed a ton of draft picks that won’t bear fruit until years down the road, but with Mattias Maccelli, Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley coming in, they’ve got some serious talent that shouldn’t be overlooked. HONORABLE MENTIONS RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS, OILERS You cannot deny what Nugent-Hopkins accomplished this season. He doubled his point total, becoming the third 100-point player on a scary Oilers offense. The big spike was, of course, largely due to the power play; he went from 23 power-play points last season, including just one goal, to 15 goals and 53 points this past season. That jump, along with a huge spike in shooting percentage, is extraordinary. It’s going to be a challenge to replicate. Of course, if RNH does it again, he’s clearly in the top 10, but he’s not the type of player to reach in drafts. BRAD MARCHAND, BRUINS Given the prospect of not playing with Patrice Bergeron for the first time in his career, you wonder if Marchand’s production will take a big hit. Since his breakout 61-point campaign in 2015-16, Marchand ranks eighth with 634 points, second among left wingers behind only Panarin and ahead of Alex Ovechkin. However, his style of play has given way to various injuries over the years, and those add up. For the first time in seven seasons, Marchand did not average more than a point per game. PAVEL BUCHNEVICH, BLUES No matter where the Blues played Buchnevich in the lineup – he even played center to finish the season – he was arguably their best player. The Blues fleeced the Rangers in the trade, and over the past two seasons Buchnevich has averaged 1.05 points per game, 29th in the league and on par with players such as Fiala, Guentzel and William Nylander. He’s a sneaky pick in the middle rounds and could potentially climb into the top 10 if the Blues can get their act together. MATT BOLDY, WILD If there’s one player on this list who could have a huge breakout season, it’s Boldy. He finished the season with 31 goals and 63 points, and sticking with Joel Eriksson Ek could really bump up those numbers even more. Boldy’s possession numbers were good, and his 255 shots on goal gave the Wild a legitimate scoring threat behind Kaprizov, whose presence will also allow Boldy to draw the easier matchups. ANDREI KUZMENKO, CANUCKS While technically not a rookie (he’s too old), Kuzmenko’s 39 goals were the most by a first-year pro in the NHL in the cap era since Auston Matthews scored 40 in 2016-17. Kuzmenko was highly recruited from the KHL but still managed to exceed expectations, and he instantly established chemistry with top center Elias Pettersson. Detractors will point out Kuzmenko’s unsustainably high 27.3 shooting percentage, but even if his percentages dip, he’s still a legitimate 30-goal threat with his crafty skill. The downside is that Kuzmenko was occasionally benched by both Bruce Boudreau and Rick Tocchet for poor defensive play and averaged just 16:15 per game.
