Frank Vatrano was arguably the most surprising hit in fantasy hockey last season. Whoever jumped on him early and didn’t drop or trade him had themselves an incredible pickup that spanned the entire season. He not only started very hot by hitting every category, he was one of the best all-around players.
When Vatrano wasn’t producing for short periods of time, he was still shooting, hitting, taking penalties, and blocking shots. But add in a breakout season offensively at 29 years old which included 37 goals, 60 points, and 28 power-play points, and he was one of the most valuable players in fantasy hockey in 2023-24. While he could very well replicate the strong season he had, that’s not why you’re here. Vatrano will inevitably rank a lot higher in drafts and be selected with much higher frequency than last year. You are here to find potential players who can do what Vatrano did and take advantage for the 2024-25 season, so let’s dive in.
Since Vatrano hit every category, that is important when finding a player who can also do that and improve his point totals to become the entire package.
Who is This Season’s Frank Vatrano?
Eeli Tolvanen, Seattle Kraken
Eeli Tolvanen had a career-high 41 points last season, his second with the Seattle Kraken. The 25-year-old still appears like he has more to give as the opportunity may be there for the taking. Jaden Schwartz is slowing down and doesn’t typically stay healthy for an entire season. Whichever one is the cause for Tolvanen getting more playing time and possibly seeing a good chunk of the season from the second line, it’s good for fantasy owners.
With middle-six minutes, Tolvanen is capable of scoring 20+ goals as he put up 18 in 2022-23 in just 61 games. We’re banking on him getting more time with better players this season as he could play alongside Chandler Stephenson and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Either way, Tolvanen is slated to play on the top power-play unit and hits a lot. While he could start shooting more because of his potential linemates’ ability to pass the puck, penalty minutes would be the only thing lacking in his game, but he could still cover a lot of categories and get a lot of fantasy points.
Ivan Barbashev, Vegas Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev came over to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022-23 at the trade deadline and played very well on the top line alongside Jack Eichel. That is where Barbashev spent much of last season, but did get demoted due to his struggles offensively. That shouldn’t happen again. The Golden Knights got a lot weaker on the wings and there aren’t many options to even give Barbashev any sort of challenge for playing time this season.
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Barbashev should be stuck to Eichel’s hip all season. With Jonathan Marhcessault and Chandler Stephenson on new teams, a spot on the top power-play unit is there for Barbeshev to take advantage of. He had next to no chances on the power play last season and this opportunity will provide the Russian with more chances at points, power-play points, shots, and ice time. He already has no problem hitting and blocks a fair amount of shots for a forward. There is no doubt that he will improve upon the 19 goals and 45 points he scored, even getting back to the 60-point scorer he was in 2021-22.
Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs got a bit worse up front over the offseason due to the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi, but that just makes room for Matthew Knies to step up and break out. He has shown flashes of really good stuff and will be on a line with two of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares all season.
Knies is going to play more than 13:41 per game this season, so he will inevitably deliver more hits, shoot the puck more, block more shots, and even get more penalties. He hits far more than the average player but could do with a little more blocks and shots. He is going to improve upon the 15 goals and 35 points he scored as well. It was a good rookie season for Knies, but bigger things are to come this season, and will be a solid fantasy player to take a chance on.
It is very difficult to do what Vatrano did last season. Not many players who won’t be picked very high in drafts have the ability to hit every category in fantasy with the same effectiveness. That doesn’t stop us from trying to see who could be the next player to come close and really help a team in fantasy anyway.