Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli are headlining a vaunted 2023-24 rookie class, but don't forget about defensemen and goalies.

Defense is arguably the toughest position to play, which makes it all the more amazing when a rookie such as Moritz Seider can step in right away and make a huge impact. More often than not, these rookie defenders are paired with a veteran defender and play sheltered minutes.

In fantasy, when it comes to defensemen, there’s one thing that matters more than anything else: the power play. At a position where the primary job is to defend, the ones who can score a lot of points come at a big premium. Think Dougie Hamilton, or even reigning Norris winner Erik Karlsson, whose offensive capabilities are highly valued in fantasy even though they’re not the best in their own zone.

The rookie defensemen to target in fantasy are the ones who have the most offensive upside. In the cap era, only 16 (!) have managed to score at least 40 points, and nine of them scored at least 20 points on the power play. The high watermark is Quinn Hughes’ 53 points (including 25 power-play points), though Cale Makar has the highest per game average at 0.88 (min. 25 GP). Hughes and Makar’s outstanding seasons also highlight how the game has changed, and going forward, we can expect more rookie defensemen to score higher than normal point totals.

For goalies, it’s a similar story: playing time matters. A talented young goalie who is backing up workhorse starter has little value except for the odd streaming start, but on the flip side, a talented young goalie getting tons of reps on a losing team is not ideal for fantasy, either.

In fantasy, rookie goalies can generally be ignored altogether. In the cap era, only six of the 454 rookie goalies in the cap era won 30 games, and only seven of them managed to get 50 starts. That’s not to say rookie goalies and defensemen have no value; they’re just few and far between.

Good thing the 2023-24 rookie class has a chance to be an all-timer, led by a superb crop of forwards and a handful of future elite defensemen and No. 1 goalies. Here’s the shortlist.

1. Brandt Clarke, D, Kings

Clarke tops the list with his skillset as an elite offensive defenseman. After trading Sean Durzi to the Coyotes, and Drew Doughty turning 34 in December, the Kings need to start grooming a new quarterback for their power play. Clarke’s scoring is almost unparalleled, having scored 61 points in just 31 games for OHL Barrie last season and helped Canada win gold at the World Juniors.

Clarke will likely start the season on the third pairing playing sheltered minutes before given a chance to run the top power play unit. He is their quarterback of the future, and it’s matter of when, not if. He’s worth a late-round pick in deep, 10-team leagues that roster at least four defensemen per team.

2. Luke Hughes, D, Devils

We got a glimpse of Hughes last season and it was tasty. The problem is the Devils already have a premier quarterback in Hamilton. Their blue line overall is a little thin, with prospect Kevin Bahl and journeyman Colin Miller expected to play regular minutes. This opens the door for Hughes to play more minutes, and he’ll likely average the most among the defensemen on this list.

It’s easy to overreach for Hughes, and while his impact may be significant, remember that even most top-tier rookie defensemen rarely score more than 40 points, and so expectations must be tempered. Hughes ranks behind Clarke due to a slightly lower ceiling on the offensive side of the puck.

3. David Jiricek, D, Blue Jackets

Jiricek had an impressive first season in North America, leading all defensemen in scoring for AHL Cleveland with 38 points in 55 games and was named the best defenseman at the World Juniors. His offensive upside isn’t as high as Clarke’s or Hughes’, but Jiricek is expected to be a top-pairing, two-way defenseman.

The addition of Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov, however, puts a cap on Jiricek’s fantasy value for 2023-24. What was once a thin blueline is now stacked, and Jiricek will have to be either outstanding at camp or wait for his opportunity in the AHL.

4. Simon Edvinsson, D, Red Wings

A shoulder injury may keep Edvinsson out of the lineup for the start of the season, and he will likely return to the AHL for a rehab assignment before the Wings slot him into their lineup. He had a solid first season with Grand Rapids, scoring 27 points in 52 games, and the Wings have basically required their prospects to intern in the AHL for a few seasons before earning a role with the big club.

Jake Walman’s emergence as a quality top-four defender, and the additions of Justin Holl and Shayne Gostisbehere means there aren’t many spots available. Edvinsson’s fantasy value is nil until we can get a better read on both his and the team’s performance at the start of the season, but he’s certainly a name to remember.

5. Simon Nemec, D, Devils

There’s a chance Nemec wins a spot out of camp, but as it stands, he’s behind Hughes on the depth chart, not to mention Nemec is their youngest defender. He’s got oodles of offensive potential and ranks only behind Hughes and Hamilton in that regard. Don’t’ be surprised if Nemec gets called up a few times during the course of the season. Depending on the matchup, Nemec could be worth streaming for fantasy managers looking to fill a spot on defense in a pinch.

6. Devon Levi, G, Sabres

There are three goalies in the running for the starting job: Levi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie. The future is Levi and UPL, but don’t overlook Comrie, who was expected to play a big role alongside the now-retired Craig Anderson but limited to just 19 games last season due to injury.

Levi’s potential is extraordinary; he’s perhaps the best prospect to come out of Canada since Carey Price, but we all know the pitfalls of being overhyped. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Sabres go with a three-goalie rotation all season, though it’s worth noting Levi is the only one exempt from waivers. Salary cap logic suggests Levi is the odd-man out, and truthfully, he’ll likely get more playing time in the minors.

Levi’s absolutely worth drafting in keeper leagues considering the Sabres’ current trajectory, but his fantasy value for 2023-24 will be wholly dependent on whether or not he can stick with the big club.

7. Dustin Wolf, G, Flames

The undersized seventh-round pick has been phenomenal so far at every stop in his career and the best goalie prospect you’ve never heard of. Wolf graduated from the WHL with a career 106-34-6 record (1.84 GAA, .935 SP), and over the past two seasons has also compiled a 77-20-7 record (2.24 GAA, .927 SP) in the AHL. He’s been named the best goalie in his league for four (!) straight seasons, winning the Del Wilson Trophy in back-to-back seasons in the WHL, and the Baz Bastien Memorial Award in back-to-back seasons in the AHL, not to mention winning the league MVP last season. Wolf’s career so far has been John Cazale-esque; a string of massive hits, but unfortunately without the name recognition as some of his more popular peers.

The Flames go into the season with Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar as their tandem with a combined cost of $8.8 million, but as we all saw in this year’s playoffs, a high cap hit doesn’t always equate to high-quality play. There’s immense pressure to figure out the team’s plan going forward under new GM Craig Conroy, and it might get to a point where they cannot deny Wolf a chance to prove himself any longer. Keep Wolf’s name in your back pocket and be ready to pounce the moment he gets called up.

All positions courtesy of Yahoo! Fantasy. All advanced stats courtesy naturalstattrick.com.