Some of the best snipers in the game play right wing. Patrik Laine, Nikita Kucherov, David Pastrnak, Phil Kessel and Vladimir Tarasenko are all top scorers in the NHL. There are also plenty of playmakers at RW as well: Blake Wheeler, Jakub Voracek, Alexander Radulov, Mitch Marner and Patrick Kane. Even some of the best mid-to-late-round targets play right wing such as Nick Bjugstad and Mark Stone. In the right wing profiles that follow I’ve tried to zero in on the important information you need to know for the 2018-19 fantasy hockey season.
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Fantasy Hockey Right Wing Profiles
The Following Right Wing profiles are in alphabetical order. For a better idea of their values please check out my Right Wing Rankings for the 2018-19 Fantasy Hockey season.
Viktor Arvidsson, Nashville Predators
Fantasy Quality: undervalued fantasy asset
Viktor Arvidsson followed up his 31 goals and 61 points in 2016 by scoring 29 goals and 61 points last season. He also went from 246 shots to 247 shots. Arvidsson basically had identical seasons and it’s very possible to think another 30 goals, 60 points, and 200-plus shots are on the way again. He has one of the friendliest contracts in the league as well which makes him a strong target in salary cap leagues.
Cam Atkinson, Columbus Blue Jackets
Fantasy Quality: great late round target
Cam Atkinson was one of the biggest busts in the first half of 2017. He only had seven goals and 14 points in his first 33 games and suffered an injury which had him sidelined for almost 20 games. It’s probably the reason many don’t want to draft him again. He was dropped almost everywhere, but if you grabbed him you loved every minute of it. Atkinson turned it around nicely in the second half with 17 goals and 32 points in his final 32 games. He caught fire on a line with Artemi Panarin and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Atkinson has always been a volume shooter, but he had 35 more shots in his final 32 games than his first 33. He had nine fewer shots than his career-high set in 2016-17 with 17 fewer games played. Atkinson is a good bet for 200 shots and 20-plus goals in what would be the sixth straight time he’s done that. The Blue Jacket’s winger is one of the better values out there.
Josh Bailey, New York Islanders
Fantasy Quality: expected decline in production; pass on draft day
Josh Bailey had a career-high 18 goals, 53 assists, and 71 points last season. He was rewarded halfway through the year with a new five-year, $25 million contract. Bailey and Anders Lee will both suffer from the loss of their center John Tavares; Lee in the goal department and Bailey in the assist category. Bailey has 96 assists in the last two seasons playing primarily on Tavares’ wing. He went from a career-best 12 power play points in 2016-17 to 31 last season. Expect Bailey’s numbers to dip all around and maybe think about drafting someone else.
Nick Bjugstad, Florida Panthers
Fantasy Quality: great mid-to-late round target; breakout coming
After scoring only seven goals and 14 points in 2016-17, Nick Bjugstad scored 19 goals last season and had a career-high 48 points and 230 shots. Bjugstad only managed 22 points in his first 47 games before notching 26 points in his final 34 contests. His strong play resulted in a promotion to the top line alongside Aleksander Barkov. Bjugstad has the potential to hit the 60-point mark, provide plenty of shots and hits while contributing on the power play. He’s one of the better sleepers out there and primed for a breakout season.
Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks
Fantasy Quality: strong target
Brock Boeser was fantastic in his rookie season and may have won the Calder Trophy if not for a couple injuries which slowed him down. Boeser scored 29 goals and had 55 points in 62 games. He has a great release and isn’t afraid to let it rip. Boeser picked up 10 power play goals and had 23 total points on the man advantage. 200-plus shots and 30-35 goals are within reach in his sophomore season.
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings
Fantasy Quality: undervalued fantasy asset; decline likely coming
Dustin Brown had a career season in his 14th year in the NHL. He was one of the better late-round picks or waiver wire adds of 2017. Especially in leagues with shots, hits and penalty minutes. Brown touches a lot of categories while playing in the top six. He scored 28 goals (most since 2009), had a career-high 33 assists and 61 points. He looked like the Brown of old who had five straight 50 point seasons from 2006-2011. The 19:50 per game Brown played last season was the highest over the last five years. It’s not a stretch to think Brown can flirt with 60 points again, but I wouldn’t count on 28 goals. If you don’t play with hits or penalty minutes he’s a pass.
Pavel Buchnevich, New York Rangers
Fantasy Quality: breakout candidate; late-round target
Pavel Buchnevich is right on the cusp of breaking out and you can just feel it. Buchnevich had eight goals and 20 points over 41 games as a rookie in 2016-17. The winger improved in his sophomore season with 14 goals and 43 points. 17 of those points came on the power play. His ice time jumped from 13 minutes per game to 15 and that could climb even more in season three. 20 goals and 50 points with 180 shots is well within range.
Alex Debrincat, Chicago Blackhawks
Fantasy Quality: strong rookie campaign; no fluke
Alex Debrincat quietly had one of the better rookie seasons in the NHL in 2017-18. Debrincat scored 28 goals and had 52 points in 82 games. He had six power play goals and 12 power play points with 181 shots. Expect an increase in the 14:48 he played per games last season, and while the goal total may decline a bit, he can get to that 50-point mark again while playing with Patrick Kane.
Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders
Fantasy Quality: capable of repeating last season’s numbers
Jordan Eberle had his best season in three years in what was his first with the New York Islanders. He finished with 25 goals and 59 points, but played the fewest minutes per game (16:04) he’s ever played. His 10 power play points were the lowest he’s put up in a season since 2012-13. He should get more ice time on the man advantage and overall with the loss of John Tavares. The right winger has reached the 60 point plateau three times and hit the 70 point mark once, but those Edmonton days seem like forever ago now. Eberle will have something to prove as he enters the final year of his deal. It’s possible he’s on the move near the trade deadline if he and New York don’t work something out throughout the season.
Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens
Fantasy Quality: undervalued asset in fantasy in league with shots
Brendan Gallagher was the lone bright spot for the Montreal Canadiens last season. He’s always been a sneaky fantasy asset in leagues with hits and shots. Gallagher is coming off a career season in which he notched 31 goals, 54 points, 17 power play points, 90 hits, and 278 shots. It’s the third time in his career he’s hit the 200 shot total in a season. He would have hit the 200 shot total in 2015 and 2016 as well if not for unfortunate hand injuries. He’s had 19 plus goals four times and is capable of 25-30 again with another 250 plus shots. If you’re playing in roto leagues with those categories he’ll help round out your draft.
Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild
Fantasy Quality: points league target
Mikael Granlund had a very slow start to the season last year, but still ended up with 21 goals and 67 points. This after scoring 26 goals and 69 points the year before. Granlund put more pucks on net and repeated his success on the power play (19 PPP). Granlund doesn’t project as a 30-goal scorer, but 20 with 60-plus points is attainable again. He doesn’t touch many grit categories.
Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks
Fantasy Quality: could improve on career season; strong target
Tomas Hertl scored a career-high 22 goals and tied a career-high with 46 points last season. He played the most minutes he’s every played (18:06 per game) and had a career-high 12 power play points. Hertl has sneaky value in leagues with hits and shots as well. He had a very strong playoffs with six goals and nine points in 10 games. Look for him to take another step forward this season on one of the best scoring teams in the NHL.
Patric Hornqvist, Pittsburgh Penguins
Fantasy Quality: underrated fantasy asset; strong target in leagues with hits and shots
If you’re playing with hits, shots, power play points and penalty minutes, Patric Hornqvist should be on your list of targets. Hornqvist has over 500 hits and 34 power play goals in his last three seasons. The right winger has had at least 220 shots and 20-plus goals in eight of his 10 seasons. His rookie year and lockout season are the only two in which he never hit those marks. He’s one of the few who touches all categories while playing with highly skilled guys every night.
Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
Fantasy Quality: strong targets; great value in drafts
Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov were split up last season and neither of them suffered, which is fantastic news for the Florida Panthers. In year six, Huberdeau had a career-high 27 goals, 42 assists, 69 points, 19 power play points, 204 shots and played 19:12 per game. Whether it’s Barkov or Vincent Trocheck, Huberdeau will be playing with a fantastic center. He’s one of the better right wing values out there.
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Fantasy Quality: value in drafts
In the last three seasons, Patrick Kane has gone from 106 points to 89 points to 76 points. His goals have also declined from 46 to 34, to 27. Now, everybody wants to forget about him. Kane is still a rock-solid point producer in the NHL. He’s an even better value now as you don’t have to spend a first-round pick on him. Kane may even fall to you in the third round and if that happens, just take his point per game totals and run. Kane has had at least 285 shots and 19 power play points in three straight seasons.
Clayton Keller, RW
Fantasy Quality: upside, upside, upside
Clayton Keller finished second in rookie scoring last season with 65 points in 85 games. His 42 assists also ranked second and he led all first-year players with 212 shots. Keller had an impressive 20 power play points and should improve on that number with the addition of Alex Galchenyuk. Keller showed tremendous skill and play making abilities in his first season making him one of the more intriguing dynasty selections out there. Keller led his team in goals, assists, points, and shots while getting 18 minutes a game. The sky’s the limit for this kid.
Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins
Fantasy Quality: likely headed for point total decline
When Phil Kessel was traded to Pittsburgh three years ago he had 50-goal and 100-point expectations. They were completely unfair, but the excitement of playing with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin was there. Kessel never really clicked with either in his first year in Pittsburgh, but had a respectable 26 goals and 59 points. It was well below his two 37-goal and 80-point seasons in Toronto. Kessel improved in year two, playing mostly with Evgeni Malkin (Crosby on power play). It was a very unimpressive 23 goals by his standards, but he had 70 points.
It was a sign of thing to come as Kessel got back in the 30-goal column with 34 snipes and a career-high 92 points on 2017. His 58 assists and 42 power play points were also career-highs. In fact, Kessel led the league in power play points and his 92 points were the seventh most in the league. All of this, while playing away from Crosby and Malkin at times last season. There were reports of a possible trade to free up some cap space, which would hurt his value. He’s also not as appealing in some formats that count for hits, penalty minutes and blocks. 90 points may be a bit of a stretch this season, but we know the ceiling is there.
Travis Konecny, RW
Fantasy Quality: solid late-round target
Travis Konecny has breakout written all over him in 2018-19. It was a very slow start to last season, but the 2015 first-round pick found his way on the top line with Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. After only scoring four goals and 13 points in his first 38 games, Konecny notched 20 goals and 34 points in his final 43 games. He also went from playing 11:18 minutes a game in December to 17:54 in February. It remains to be seen if he can fight off Wayne Simmonds for a top-six role with the addition of James van Riemsdyk, but it’s worth a draft pick. Konecny is skilled enough and proved he belonged with the big boys last season. He contributed in the hits, blocks, shots and takeaway categories as well. Don’t count on much power play production, though, as Simmonds has that spot on lockdown.
Ilya Kovalchuk, Los Angeles Kings
Fantasy Quality: goal scoring potential there; don’t pay a premium price
The last time Ilya Kovalchuk played in the NHL, he scored 11 goals and 31 points in 37 games with the Devils (2012-13). Kovalchuk had two 30-goal seasons prior to that one with the Devils. In fact, Kovalchuk has nine 30-goal seasons in the NHL, including two 52-goal campaigns. He has four seasons with at least 300 shots and finished with a remarkable 27 goals and 56 power play points in 2005-06. Kovalchuk has no chance to hit those kind of numbers in his return to the NHL. Make no mistake, Kovalchuk can still snipe. He had 63 goals and 141 points in his last two seasons (113 games) playing for St. Petersburgh in the KHL. 25-30 goals with 50 points is a fair line for Kovalchuk. Half of those points could come on the power play. 200-plus shots is a given as well.
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Fantasy Quality: Top 3 overall pick on average
Nikita Kucherov is one of the most electrifying players in the game today and continues to get better and better with each season. Kucherov scored a career-high 100 points, 36 power play points and 279 shots on goal in 2017. The right winger has scored 29 goals, 40, 40 and 39 over his last four seasons. He’s upped his point total in each year as well, and could definitely hit the century mark again this season. Kucherov is Chris Meaney’s second overall player after Connor McDavid.
Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets
Fantasy Quality: very strong target; volume shooter and scorer; room to grow
Patrik Laine is one of the better targets in the first couple rounds. The 20-year-old scored 44 goals last season and has 80 in his first two years in the NHL. Laine was going toe-to-toe with Alex Ovechkin for the Rocket Richard Trophy as the game’s top goal scorer. Liane had nine power play goals, 14 power play points and 204 shots as a rookie. In his sophomore season, Liane had 20 power play goals, 31 power play points and 241 shots on goal. Goals are hard to come by, so make him a target because he’s only going to continue to get better.
Anthony Mantha, Detroit Red Wings
Fantasy Quality: touches many categories; value play in Fantrax salary cap leagues
Anthony Mantha has done nothing but score since entering the NHL, and the Red Wings rewarded him with a two-year deal worth $6.6 million. Mantha improved on his 17-goal season as a rookie by putting up 24 last season with a career-high 48 points. He also had a career-high 91 hits, nine power play goals and 190 shots. He’s very affordable in the Fantrax salary cap setting and touches all categories.
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Fantasy Quality: very strong fantasy target
Mitch Marner struggled so much in the first part of his sophomore season that he was demoted to fourth-line duties. He turned things around pretty quickly and scored an impressive 35 points in his final 31 games. Marner improved on his 19 goals and 61 points in his rookie season by notching 22 goals and 69 points in 2017. Now he’ll get to play with either John Tavares (most likely) or Auston Matthews. That’s a pretty significant upgrade from his regular center last season, Tyler Bozak. Marner is a great third-round pick and an even better fourth-rounder if he falls. Marner’s 85 takeaways last season were the fourth most in the NHL and his 67 in his rookie season were the ninth highest. Marner is entering the final year of his rookie deal and could make for a great sell-high candidate depending on your keeper team outlook in Fantrax’s salary cap format.
James Neal, Calgary Flames
Fantasy Quality: proven sniper; later round upside
After losing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals with Nashville and Vegas, James Neal decided to try his luck with the Calgary Flames. The sniper signed a four-year, $22 million deal in the offseason. Neal scored 25 goals with Vegas last season and has at least 20 in all 10 of his seasons. Neal even scored 21 in 40 games during the lockout season. What you see with Neal is what you get: goals and shots. The winger has had at least 200 shots in eight seasons and he’s contributed in the hits department too. He’ll be surrounded by talent in Calgary and we could even see an increase in power play points. Neal has had five or fewer power play goals in four straight seasons. He’s almost a lock to get more than five this season playing alongside Johnny Gaudreau.
William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
Fantasy Quality: a fade until his contract gets sorted out
William Nylander had pretty much an identical sophomore campaign as his rookie season. Nylander went from 22 goals and 61 points to 20 goals and 61 points in his second full season. The Maple Leafs’ winger shot 10.7 percent as a rookie and 10.9 last season. There were some negatives, though, as Nylander had 14 fewer power play points and 19 fewer shots. Toronto’s top six improved with the addition of John Tavares, but it shouldn’t hurt Nylander much as he’s pretty much been paired up with Auston Matthews in their two seasons as teammates. Nylander still awaits a new contract, and it remains to be seen if Toronto will buy low on the potential superstar or sign him to a bridge deal. It’s also possible he’s shipped out of town for some help on defense.
Gustav Nyquist, Detroit Red Wings
Fantasy Quality: a fade in fantasy drafts
Gustav Nyquist has been a pretty big disappointment since scoring 28 and 27 goals in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014. He’s followed those seasons up with 17, 12 and 21 goals respectively. His 40-point total last season was his lowest in the last five seasons and he may even go undrafted in some leagues. Nyquist is nothing more than a streaming option when in a pinch or looking to take advantage of a four-game week. The 28-year-old may have some extra motivation on his hands as he’s in the final year of his contract.
T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals
Fantasy Quality: decent value this season
By no surprise, T.J. Oshie saw his career-high 23.1 shooting percentage in 2016-17 fall back down near his career average of 13.5. Oshie scored 26 goals in his first season with Washington, followed by 33 in 2016-17 and only 18 last season. He was over-drafted last season and will probably be under-drafted in 2018. 25-30 goals with another 50-plus points is what you’re going to get with Oshie. He’ll also provide owners with a fair share of hits and power play points along the way.
Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
Fantasy Quality: underrated fantasy asset
Kyle Palmieri is one of the most unappreciated fantasy players out there. The Devils winger contributes across the board, including shots, hits and power play points. Palmieri scored 24 goals and 44 points in 62 games last season. He added 94 hits, 181 shots and 23 power play points (11 goals). He has 80 goals and 154 points in his first three years with New Jersey. 65 of those points have come on the man advantage which includes 30 power play goals. Over those three seasons, Palmieri has averaged 26 goals, 24 assists, 22 power play points, 198 shots, 116 hits, and 45 blocks. He’s someone to think about in the mid-to-late rounds.
David Pastrnak, Bostin Bruins
Fantasy Quality: high volume shooter and goal scorer
David Pastrnak backed up his 34-goal season in 2016-17 by scoring 35 last year. He also added 10 more points for 70. Pastrnak was part of one of the best lines offensively and defensively with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Pastrnak has 23 goals and 50 power play points in his last two seasons. He’s also racked up 508 shots over that span. He took it to another level in the playoffs with six goals, 20 points and 44 shots in 12 games. He finished as a Top-12 fantasy player last season and is getting drafted outside the second round.
Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks
Fantasy Quality: upside to match career-highs
The loss of Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton (injury) resulted in a slow start for Joe Pavelski last season. The addition of Evander Kane really sparked his game and the Sharks now possess one of the most potent teams in the league. Pavelski’s 66 points were his lowest total since 2013-14, but it was the seventh time he’s hit that point total. He’s also had at least 220 shots in nine of his 10 seasons (lockout year only season he didn’t). You can count on 20-plus goals, 60-plus assists, 220-plus shits, 90-plus hits, 70-plus blocks, and 20-plus power play points. Pavelski has sneaky value in leagues with blocks as he’s had over 100 in two of his last three seasons. The addition of Erik Karlsson makes everyone better.
Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
Fantasy Quality: the decline is real
Corey Perry has seen a decline in goals, points, power play points and shots for two straight seasons. Excluding the lockout season, Perry’s 17 goals, 49 points, and 168 shots were his lowest totals since his sophomore season in 2006-07. Perry has lost the foot speed to maintain a top-six role on the Ducks. Even if he starts the season playing with Ryan Getzlaf, don’t be surprised if he doesn’t finish the season playing with him. He’s a fade is every format.
Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stara
Fantasy Quality: underrated asset; touches many categories
By no surprise, Alexander Radulov’s numbers increased with his move from Montreal to Dallas. Radulov played most of his hockey with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn en route to 27 goals, 45 assists and 23 power play points. Radulov touches all categories including takeaways, hits, shots and penalty minutes. He still has about two more solid 60 plus point seasons in him.
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Fantasy Quality: decline likely; don’t draft on last year’s output; still solid
Mikko Rantanen lit it up on Nathan MacKinnon’s wing by scoring a career-high 29 goals and 84 points in 81 games. Rantanen had 20 goals with a 15 shooting percentage as a rookie and some wondered if he could back that up in the following season. He had 45 more shots last season (178) and his shooting percentage worked out to be 16. Rantanen has an impressive 123 points in his last two seasons and while 80 may seem like a stretch, 70 points are within reach. Just know, you have to pay for him this season. He’s a steal in the Fantrax salary cap setting.
Sam Reinhart, Buffalo Sabres
Fantasy Quality: late round; upside target
Sam Reinhart had a career-high 25 goals, 50 points, and 188 shots last season. He also had a career-high 12 power play goals and 21 points on the man advantage. Reinhart has 29 power play goals in the last two seasons. The Sabres have a much different top six, and that should benefit Reinhart. The former second overall pick has all the tools to breakout and has improved each and every season. He’s a career minus-44 and was minus-24 last season which is the only knock on his game from a fantasy standpoint. The Sabres have improved but don’t expect that number to change much. Reinhart is a great late pick with some upside.
Bobby Ryan, Ottawa Senators
Fantasy Quality: nothing more than a streaming option
Bobby Ryan scored 30-plus goals four times in Anaheim and has yet to do so in five seasons with the Senators. In fact, Ryan has fewer than 20 goals in three of those seasons and only 24 in his last two. Ryan is very unlikely to get back to his 30-goal ways, but a change of scenery may do him well if Ottawa can get out of his contract. Ryan has unfortunately dealt with a similar hand injury numerous times over the past couple seasons, which has slowed him down significantly. Don’t buy into the past stats, he’s not worthy of a roster spot.
Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights
Fantasy Quality: hit ceiling last season; strong target
Reilly Smith had a career season in his first with Vegas as he had two 50-point seasons in his career, but he scored 60 with the Golden Knights. He scored 22 goals, which was the third time he’s hit the 20-goal mark. Smith had 14 power play points and was part of one of the better lines in the league last season. He’s more than capable of repeating his success from a year ago.
Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues
Fantasy Quality: deep league asset with upside
Alexander Steen is coming off his worst season in five years. He only scored 15 goals with 46 points and finished a career-worst -11. The plus/minus is hardly something to worry about, as Steen only averaged 18:42 a game which was his lowest total in six seasons. The addition of Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, Patrick Maroon, Tyler Bozak, and a healthy Robby Fabbri may cut into his ice time even more. With that said, Steen is going fairly late in drafts and is more than capable of hitting the 20 goal and 60 point marks.
Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators
Fantasy Quality: Undervalued; high upside
I don’t consider Mark Stone a late-round pick, but he’s falling down draft boards. He missed a chunk of time last season so he’s buried down ADP lists, but the fact that he plays for Ottawa is making a lot of people want to look elsewhere. Stone has a ton of fantasy value in leagues with shots, hits, and takeaways. He only played 58 games last season, but managed to score 20 goals for the fourth straight campaign. He also had 62 points which was the third time he’s hit the 60-point mark. Impressive, because he’s only played four full seasons in the NHL.
Stone has 249 points in 307 games and has 613 total shots. Stone will play top line minutes this season and could even find himself on a new team by the end of the year. He’s one of the better RW values out there with Top-10 upside at his position. Don’t let a potential bad plus/minus shy you away. You don’t even need to draft him early, just make sure you get him.
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues
Fantasy Quality: strong target; volume shooter and scorer
Vladimir Tarasenko regressed slightly last season, but he still managed to score 33 goals and 66 points. It was his first season in the last four where he failed to hit the 70-point mark. Tarasenko is one of the better shooters in the league as he’s scored at least 37 goals in three of the last four seasons. He’s had at least 286 shots on goal in three straight years and is coming off a career-high 306 in 2017. Tarasenko played a career-high 19:03 last season and is a major contributor on the power play. Make him a target, especially in leagues that award more for goals.
Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes
Fantasy Quality: undervalued; room to improve
Like his linemate, Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen had a career season last year. He had 23 goals and 64 points with 20 power play points and 185 shots. All career-highs, including 16:34 minutes per game. That number should only increase with the loss of Jeff Skinner. Teuvo doesn’t touch a lot of categories like hits, PIM or blocks, but it was nice to see him shoot the puck a bit more. The former Blackhawks’ first-round pick has a ton of skill and upside to be a 25-30 goal scorer in the league. If you’re playing without the ‘grit’ categories, make him a target toward the end of your draft.
Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings
Fantasy Quality: undervalued fantasy asset
Tyler Toffoli has proved to be a solid goal-scorer in this league. Toffoli scored 24 last season and had a career-high 251 shots. He has a 23- and a 31-goal season on the resume over the last four seasons. The addition of Ilya Kovalchuk may cut into some of his power play time on the number one unit, but he’ll still be involved. Toffoli struggled to find his game with Jeff Carter missing most of the first half, but those two should be strong out of the gate in 2018.
Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers
Fantasy Quality: touches all category; continues to get no respect in drafts
Depending on your league settings, Vincent Trocheck finished as a Top-5 fantasy hockey skater last season. Trocheck is one of just a few players who can contribute in every single category. The center had a career-high 31, goals, 44 assists, 75 points, 13 power play goals, 27 power play points, and 287 shots. He also had 145 hits and won 853 faceoffs while playing a career-high 21:22 minutes a game. Only Alex Ovechkin, Jamie Benn, Brayden Schenn and Vincent Trocheck had 70-plus points, 200 plus shots and 139 plus hits last season.
If you play in a faceoff league, Trocheck is definitely worth an early pick. He was the second overall skater on Fantrax last season in leagues that counted goals, assists, shots, special teams points, hits, blocks, and takeaways. Trocheck’s 65 takeaways were tied for the 25th most and his 31 special teams points were tied for 15th in 2017. On top of all that, only Barkov, Sean Couturier, Connor McDavid, and Ryan Getzlaf averaged more ice time per game than Trocheck last season.
Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers
Fantasy Quality: strong fantasy candidate
In 2014-15, Jakub Voracek had a career-high 59 assists and 81 points. It was his big breakout season that saw him top his previous best of 62 points the year prior. Voracek was drafted early everywhere the following season only to disappoint with 11 goals and 55 points. His ADP dipped slightly, but the bounce-back didn’t happen. Voracek got back in the 20-goal column but only scored 61 points and was a -24. He was basically forgotten about at drafts last season and ended up as a top 25 skater. The Flyers’ winger scored 20 goals with a career-high 65 assists, 85 points, and 35 power play points. Known for his playmaking abilities (30 plus assists eight times), Voracek has hit the 20-goal mark five times in his last six seasons. He also has 200-plus shots in his last five years. A third round pick is not a reach.
Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets
Fantasy Quality: decline likely coming
Blake Wheeler had a phenomenal 2017 and was one of the better fantasy hockey values last season. Especially in leagues with power play points, hits, and shots. Wheeler scored 23 goals and now has at least 23 in five straight seasons. He had a career-high 68 assists and 91 points in 2017. He also had a career-high 40 power play points (34 assists). Wheeler chipped in with 246 shots and 94 hits. He’s thrown up at least 90 hits in seven straight seasons and has at least 240 shots over the past four seasons. Wheeler played a career-high 20:15 last season and, although the ice time will be there this season, he’ll likely regress in the assist/point categories. Most of his assists were primary assists, which is a red flag. He’s still a strong asset in fantasy leagues.
Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers
Fantasy Quality: nothing more than a late round pick
Mats Zuccarello has been pretty consistent over the last five seasons. He’s had anywhere from 49 to 61 points and 154 to 189 shots on goal. He’s had at least 14 power play points in four of those five seasons and at least 15 goals in each year. He also contributes with hits and blocks. Zuccarello is an underrated late round flyer who will start the season with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. It could be worse.
Did you find these right wing profiles to be useful? Look for more fantasy hockey profiles in the coming days and stay tuned in to all of our Fantasy Hockey content as the regular season gets underway.