International Ice Hockey Federation

12 must-have fantasy players

12 must-have fantasy players

This cheat sheet will help you get started

Published 04.05.2017 12:09 GMT+2 | Author Callum Ng
12 must-have fantasy players
Photos: HHOF-IIHF Images
Five forwards, four defenceman, plus two goalies; that’s all you get. And you have to choose them all within budget. Here are some players who can help you win.

Your dream of becoming an international General Manager has come true. And, with a limited budget in Fantasy, your player choices are vital to success.

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To get you started, here are some must-have fantasy monsters to consider.

Forwards:

Mark Scheifele (CAN)
The big centre is fresh off a career year with the Winnipeg Jets, amassing 82 points in just 79 games. Scheifele has a lethal shot. He scores on one in every five shots (20%), which put him fifth-best in the NHL in 2016-17 (among players with 20 or more games).

David Pastrnak (CZE)
The Bruins winger was a critical asset in Boston’s first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs loss to Ottawa. Pastrnak had two goals and two assists. The 20-year-old also had a career year in the NHL, posting 34 goals in 75 games.

William Nylander (SWE)
The son of long-time pro, Michael Nylander, had an impressive rookie season with the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL). He had 61 points and enters the tournament after an inspired first-round exit from the playoffs. He also shoots a lot, and was third among rookies in this category.

Jan Kovar (CZE)
The Mettalurg Magnitogorsk forward out-paced everyone in the KHL playoffs with 25 points, including 10 goals. A career-long playmaker, Kovar often has more assists than goals but could be a high-value player costing only 16 points.

Sergei Mozyakin (RUS)
While he was second in points to his Mettalurg teammate, Jan Kovar, in the playoffs, Mozyakin was the KHL’s leading scorer in the regular season. His 48 goals and 37 assists in 60 games put him ahead of superstars such as Ilya Kovalchuk.

Johnny Gaudreau (USA)
The American’s soft hands and propensity to play keep away will transfer nicely to the international-sized ice. His Calgary Flames were swept out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so perhaps that sting will motivate the young forward.

Defenceman

Remember, almost all defenceman stats are worth more points than forwards, so choose wisely. (See ‘Rules of the Game’ in Fantasy for more)

Victor Hedman (SWE)
The six-foot-six rearguard had an incredible season in the NHL, tallying a massive 72 points (16 goals and 56 assists) for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 26-year-old was recently nominated for the Norris Trophy, which is given to the NHL’s top defenceman.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic (CAN)
This is the Olympic gold medallist’s third World Championship, so the 30-year-old has plenty of international experience. He also has a historically strong +/- and good offensive numbers. An all-NHL team of Canadians won’t hurt, either.

Jacob Trouba (USA)
The Winnipeg Jets’ defenceman turned in 33 points (8 goals and 25 assists) in his fourth pro season, more than he ever has. He is a responsible player (+/-) and shoots relatively often.

Dennis Seidenberg (GER)
The NHL veteran is super steady, indicated by a career best +25 for the New York Islanders this season. He’s also no stranger to international play (three World Championships, three Olympics), and will likely be enthused to skate in front of a home crowd.

Goaltenders

Andrei Vasilevski (RUS)
He’s young but already has an impressive resume from the NHL, including 41 career wins. His career save percentage with the Tampa Bay Lightning is .915. As usual, the Russian team will be stocked with elite talent and be hungry to help Vasilevski get some international Ws.

Petr Mrazek (CZE)
The 25-year-old carried the load for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings this season and collected 18 wins, although, the Red Wings ended up missing the playoffs. He has 10 shutouts in the NHL.

Don’t sleep on...

Skilled forwards like Mitch Marner (CAN), Jack Eichel (USA), and Nikita Kucherov (RUS) or young defencemen like Ivan Provorov (RUS) and John Klingberg (SWE). Goalie Thomas Greiss (GER) could steal a few games for one of the host countries.

 

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