Jets bringing ex-ref to practice to counter NHL crackdown

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

With the NHL's crackdown on both stick infractions and faceoff violations in full force, the Winnipeg Jets are going the extra mile to give them a special teams advantage.

The club will welcome former NHL referee Paul Devorski to training camp to help the club curb penalties, according to Sportsnet's Sean Reynolds.

Head coach Paul Maurice reached out to the NHL to help them fix their penalty woes. The plan is to have Devorski on the ice with the club while they do battle drills where the former ref of 26 years will point out ways the club can avoid taking penalties, per Reynolds.

The ploy is not just to help with the league's new stricter sanctions, but also to correct the team's previous discipline issues:

Related: Enraged Daley likens penalty-filled game to 'special teams practice'

On top of finishing sixth in the NHL last season with 835 penalty minutes, the Jets also boasted the fifth-worst penalty kill, so figuring out a way to take fewer penalties is imperative for the club.

In their first two preseason games, the Jets have taken 12 penalties, but surprisingly just three slashing minors and none for faceoff violations.

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5 offseason signings that will prove to be steals

Who will be this year's Jonathan Marchessault?

The diminutive forward signed a two-year, $1.5-million contract with the Panthers last summer and went on to score 30 goals.

The following five players all signed new contracts in the offseason. Whether they were RFAs and re-upped with their current clubs or UFAs who signed with new (or old) teams, these five deals will all prove to be steals:

Connor Brown, Maple Leafs

Term: 3 years
Average annual value: $2.1 million

A 20-goal campaign from a Toronto-born Maple Leafs rookie would have been the talk of the town in any other season. But in 2016-17, the big three of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner stole the spotlight.

Brown's stellar rookie campaign went seemingly unnoticed by the hockey world, partly because he isn't a flashy player. The 23-year-old doesn't have blazing speed or a lethal shot. What he does have, though, is a high hockey IQ. He's creative in the offensive zone and smart enough defensively to play on a checking line and kill penalties.

Despite his 20-goal, 36-point season, he isn't a lock to play in Toronto's top nine. The offseason addition of Patrick Marleau creates an even bigger logjam among Toronto's forwards. However, as a sixth-round pick who had to claw his way into the NHL, this will no doubt provide added motivation for the youngster.

Brown's defining moment may not come this season, but with James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and Leo Komarov all being pending UFAs, he could be counted on for big minutes come 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Senators

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Term: 3 years
AAV: $3.1 million

Jean-Gabriel Pageau's point total fell from 43 in 2015-16 to 33 in 2016-17. It's understandable considering head coach Guy Boucher implemented his 1-3-1 neutral zone trap. However, Pageau made up for it during Ottawa's magical run to the Eastern Conference Final, scoring eight goals in 19 playoff games.

With Colin White (wrist) out for six-to-eight weeks and Derick Brassard (shoulder) potentially out to begin the season, Pageau will be relied upon to center the team's second line. Considering Brassard was largely unimpressive in his first season in Canada's capital, it wouldn't be shocking if the 24-year-old Pageau stuck in that role.

He's already an elite faceoff man with a strong two-way game, finishing in the top 25 in Selke Trophy voting each of the past two years. With more ice time (he averaged just 16:08 per game last year), he could conceivably collect 45-50 points.

Scott Hartnell, Predators

Term: 1 year
AAV: $1 million

Hartnell signed a one-year prove-it deal after what was considered a down season in Columbus. He scored 13 goals and added 24 assists in 78 games, but his ice time plummeted to 12:04 minutes per game. However, his 2.45 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five was his best since Natural Stat Trick began recording it in 2010-11.

Returning to the team that drafted him sixth overall way back in 2000, Hartnell could have a bounce-back season - especially if he's reunited with former linemate Ryan Johansen. A 25-goal season isn't out of the question.

Patrick Sharp, Blackhawks

Term: 1 year
AAV: $1 million

Sharp also signed a one-year prove-it deal with his former team after tallying just 18 points in an injury-riddled 48-game campaign.

The departure of Artemi Panarin opens up a gaping hole at left wing opposite Patrick Kane. At 35, Sharp clearly isn't the player Panarin is, but he could easily have a bounce-back season of 50 points if he can avoid the Q blender (coach Joel Quenneville is known for constant line juggling) and stick with Kane for the majority of the season.

Andre Burakovsky, Capitals

Term: 2 years
AAV: $3 million

The Capitals lost some key forwards in the offseason, most notably Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams. That opened up a top-six role for Burakovsky, who averaged just 13:16 minutes per game a year ago. In the limited role, here's where he ranked among Caps players in the following categories (all at five-on-five, excluding players who played less than 20 games):

Stat Burakovsky's ranking
Goals per 60 minutes 9th
Assists/60 2nd
Points/60 3rd
Shots/60 3rd
Individual scoring chances for/60 2nd
Takeaways/60 2nd
Corsi For/60 1st

As the stats show, all Burakovsky needs is an opportunity. At $3 million per season, the Caps could have a legitimate top-six forward. That would be extremely valuable for a team that's right against the cap.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images, unless otherwise noted)

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Messier doesn’t see faceoff crackdown being an issue in regular season

TORONTO - The NHL's third all-time leading point producer isn't too worried about the preseason crackdown on faceoff violations.

"It's just an adjustment period for the players. We got a little loose in the way we wanted the game officiated, and that happens," Mark Messier told theScore Wednesday at the launch of Bauer's "NeuroShield" collar.

"Every year, come September, (there's) a reminder for the players of what's tolerable and what's not, and the players will adjust," he said. "Once the season starts, I don't see it being an issue."

In the preseason, NHL officials have ramped up enforcement of slashing infractions as well as existing faceoff rules that previously went largely uncalled, drawing criticism from players as well as from fans and the media.

Offside challenges have been another source of officiating controversy, and while the league will reportedly attempt to curb the number of reviews with a minor penalty for lost challenges, Messier doesn't blame head coaches for using them to their advantage last season.

"Coaches are smart guys, and (if) they realize an opportunity to benefit the team, they'll use it," he said. "(Previously), there was no penalty for being wrong, and so they used it as a (way) to benefit the team, to rest a player or to get a timeout or whatever. Those are all things that are up for the general managers and the league, and all that. Whatever they decide upon, everybody will play by the rules."

Messier also weighed in on several other topics, including the NHL's lack of participation in the upcoming Olympic Games, the Stanley Cup hopes of the two franchises he's primarily associated with, and whether he sees any current player who reminds him of himself:

Alex Ovechkin has now accepted the NHL's position on the Olympics, and the league clearly isn't changing its mind on forgoing Pyeongchang, but do you think this is a missed opportunity?

"It's not (about) whether I like it or agree (about) whether they should or shouldn't go. It's a tough situation for the owners and it's a tough situation for the players. Ultimately, the players work for the owners, and (the) decision was not to go. The players have to live by it, it's just as simple as that. Who's right or who's wrong is really indifferent at this particular time. The decision has been made and everybody's going to have to live with it."

Are the Edmonton Oilers ready to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender or do they need a bit more time to grow as a team?

"Well, I think you can say (that) anybody that makes the playoffs can potentially be a Cup contender, and I think any time you've got a player like (Connor) McDavid leading the way, you have to be thinking that special things are on the horizon, but of course, they still have to prove it.

"They had a great year last year, and I think they might have been a little disappointed that they didn't go further because I think they probably could (have), so it'll be an interesting year for them this year. They're going to have to earn it. The teams around the league will be ready for them, and they won't surprise anybody this year. The better team you become, the tougher it could get, so it'll be interesting to see how it unfolds for the Oilers."

Can the New York Rangers get back to their Cup Final and conference final form of a few years ago, or are they going to continue to have difficulty getting back there?

"They're a playoff team for sure, (but) there's a lot of competition. A lot has to go right for any team to win the Stanley Cup. You've gotta be lucky, you've gotta be good, you've gotta stay healthy. They've proven that they've had the goaltending there, (but) they're in a bit of a transition period right now, so time will only tell there, but I think everybody would agree that they're a playoff team."

There are a lot of great players in the NHL these days, and you're one of the greatest of all time, but do you see any current players who remind you of yourself?

"(I) never compare players ever. Never liked to compare players. I don't think it's fair to any player to compare (them) to any player in the past or the future. I think every player has to make it on their own merits and their own individual characteristics.

"There will never be another Wayne Gretzky. There will never be another Mario Lemieux. There will never be another Gordie Howe. There will never be (another) Sidney Crosby. There will never be (another) Jonathan Toews. These guys are who they are, and the reason they are who they are is because they've been able to put their own (stamp) on it without comparisons (to) anybody else. I don't think it's fair to compare young kids. I think it puts undue pressure on them and I think it's important for them to make a name on their own for their own individual style and skill."

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How dissecting the NHL schedule can win you your fantasy league

There's so much more to fantasy hockey than just picking players. Knowing the ins and outs of the NHL schedule can give you a massive advantage over other players in your league. Here are two ways you can benefit.

Weird game days

Hockey fans know the vast majority of games are played on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This can often lead to a logjam for your fantasy team on those nights, forcing you to decide which active players to leave on your bench. However, on less popular game days (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays), you may find yourself with a nearly empty lineup.

To exploit the NHL schedule and maximize the number of man games your fantasy team has, target players from clubs that play plenty of games on these less crowded days.

Team Monday Wednesday Friday Sunday Total
Anaheim 9 12 15 12 48
Calgary 9 12 10 8 39
Detroit 6 9 12 11 38
NY Rangers 7 10 11 9 37
Toronto 13 15 5 3 36
Vegas 6 5 14 11 36
Washington 10 6 12 8 36
Chicago 6 10 8 11 35
NY Islanders 10 6 11 8 35
Winnipeg 7 4 13 11 35
Buffalo 9 7 13 5 34
Colorado 8 7 10 9 34
Columbus 9 5 15 4 33
Pittsburgh 4 9 11 9 33
Dallas 7 5 12 8 32
San Jose 8 6 8 10 32
Vancouver 6 7 9 10 32
Ottawa 7 9 11 3 30
St. Louis 5 9 10 6 30
Boston 8 10 3 8 29
Carolina 5 2 13 9 29
New Jersey 5 5 11 8 29
Edmonton 6 7 5 10 28
Minnesota 7 5 10 6 28
Florida 9 3 10 5 27
Los Angeles 10 5 6 5 26
Philadelphia 6 8 4 8 26
Montreal 7 8 5 5 25
Nashville 5 5 7 5 22
Tampa Bay 8 4 5 5 22
Arizona 8 5 3 5 21

Just because the Anaheim Ducks are the only team in the NHL that plays more than half its games on these days doesn't mean you should bump Ryan Getzlaf to the top of your draft board. However, it would definitely behoove you to try to grab a handful of players from teams near the top of this list.

Playoff schedules

Those who are confident enough in their fantasy hockey knowledge can take a peek at their fantasy hockey playoff schedule. In the majority of leagues, it's set up like this:

  • Round 1: March 5-11
  • Round 2: March 12-18
  • Round 3: March 19-25

Here's the number of games each NHL team plays during each of those periods.

Team Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Arizona 4 3 4 11
Boston 4 3 4 11
Dallas 4 4 3 11
Edmonton 3 4 4 11
Montreal 3 4 4 11
Vancouver 4 3 4 11
Anaheim 3 4 3 10
Buffalo 4 2 4 10
Calgary 4 3 3 10
Chicago 4 3 3 10
Colorado 3 4 3 10
Columbus 3 3 4 10
Detroit 3 4 3 10
Florida 3 3 4 10
Los Angeles 2 4 4 10
Nashville 3 3 4 10
Philadelphia 3 4 3 10
Pittsburgh 4 2 4 10
Ottawa 3 4 3 10
Vegas 3 4 3 10
Washington 3 4 3 10
Winnipeg 3 4 3 10
Carolina 2 4 3 9
Minnesota 3 3 3 9
New Jersey 3 3 3 9
NY Islanders 3 3 3 9
NY Rangers 3 3 3 9
San Jose 2 4 3 9
St. Louis 2 4 3 9
Tampa Bay 3 3 3 9
Toronto 2 3 3 8

Remember to go to your league settings to view your playoff schedule. If you're in a small league and the playoffs only consist of Rounds 2 and 3, selecting Kings, Oilers, and Canadiens players gives you a huge advantage.

The fact the Toronto Maple Leafs only have eight games during the fantasy hockey playoffs doesn't mean you should completely avoid drafting Auston Matthews, but picking multiple players with 11 games over that period to balance it out would be a good idea.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

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Ranking the NHL’s 100 Greatest Logos: Nos. 40-21

Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest team logos (active team logos courtesy NHL; defunct team logos courtesy SportsLogos.net):

100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1

Voter List

40. Kansas City Scouts (1974-76)

Oh, Scouts, you left us too soon. While the horse-and-rider image looks like something out of an insurance commercial, this does stand out as one of the more interesting logos in NHL history.

39. San Jose Sharks (2008-present)

The Sharks made subtle changes to their original logo 16 years after its initial release, and the results were terrific. A leaner, meaner shark highlights a sleeker, less rigid logo. And we love us some teal.

38. Washington Capitals (1974-1995)

The Capitals' original logo is a thing of beauty. The combination of lower- and upper-case letters is bold, but it works. Add the curved red stick and small blue puck, and you have a simple but impactful design.

37. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1995-96)

For one magical season in the mid-1990s, the above image actually appeared on Mighty Ducks jerseys. There's just so much to love about this logo. Our favorite part is the Michelin Man-style leg pads.

36. Nashville Predators (1998-2011)

The Predators have tinkered with their primary logo over the years, but none of the future versions compare to the original. Those menacing red eyes and the silver sheen make this one of the best NHL logos of the past 25 years.

35. Vancouver Canucks (1985-97)

After going with plainer logos for their first 16 years of existence, the Canucks reinvented themselves in a flourish of color and diagonal lines. Two decades after it last served as the primary logo, Vancouver fans still wear it proudly.

34. Chicago Black Hawks (1959-present)

We know it's not for everyone, but there's something to be said for a logo that has adorned Chicago hockey jerseys for nearly six decades. It remains one of the most instantly recognizable logos in professional sports.

33. New York Rangers (2013-present)

How does a simple decal end up just outside the top-30 logos of all-time? When it looks as good as this. The lettering, logo, and color scheme all harken back to the Original Six days - and do so with understated elegance.

32. Vancouver Canucks (1970-78)

Vancouver's NHL tenure began with the simplest of logos - a white hockey stick in a pool of blue with a green border surrounding it. But you won't find many logos anywhere that look better on a white hockey jersey.

31. New Jersey Devils (1982-present)

Who needs a secondary logo? Not the Devils, who have gone with the same basic design - with only minor color changes - since entering the league 35 years ago. You couldn't design a more appropriate logo if you tried.

30. Dallas Stars (1994-2013)

The original emblem was fine, but the Stars decided to make the green a little greener the following season - and stuck with that updated version for nearly 20 years. It's a simple logo, but it's effective.

29. St. Louis Blues (2008-present)

Some circular logo revamps work, and others don't. This one works. With the famed Gateway Arch in the background and the wonderfully designed Blues logo in the foreground, this configuration is a winner.

28. California Golden Seals (1967-68)

The Golden Seals didn't last long, but the memory of that crazy logo will live on in our hockey-loving hearts forever. The black outlines throughout make it feel a little like you're seeing double.

27. Atlanta Flames (1972-1980)

These Flames were predecessors to the Calgary Flames in more ways than one. While we prefer the flaming "C" to the flickering "A", there's still plenty to like here. Orange and red always work great together.

26. Philadelphia Flyers (1967-present)

Another team that hasn't tried to fix what isn't broken, the Flyers have only slightly tweaked their orange-eyed P over their half-century of existence. It's easily the best logo on the Philadelphia sports scene.

25. Los Angeles Kings (1967-1975)

You have to admire the moxie of a team that opts for a banner logo; it looks like something you'd hang from the rafters, like a title pennant. There were none of those for the Kings until the 21st Century, but this logo is a winner.

24. Los Angeles Kings (1975-87)

As much as we like the logo above this one, the Kings' second shot at a banner-centric logo is just a little bit cooler. The tilted font, combined with those purple speed lines, give it more of a hockey feel.

23. Pittsburgh Penguins (1971-present)

This logo screams hockey. Cold-weather animal? Check. Multiple pieces of hockey equipment? Check. And give the Pens credit for sticking to the black-and-gold scheme that has become the trademark of Pittsburgh sports.

22. Hartford Whalers (1972-1985)

The Whalers gave hockey fans such joy - not necessarily with their play, of course, but with their logos. The actual alternate logo has the letters "ERS" at the end, which would make them the "Whaleers." But we digress.

21. Toronto Maple Leafs (1967-2017)

You can't blame the Maple Leafs for reaching back into the past last year after rolling with a more angular leaf design for the previous 50 years. After all, this logo didn't see a single Stanley Cup final appearance.

(NHL logos are used with permission and are courtesy of the National Hockey League.)

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Bruins’ Krug out at least 3 weeks after taking puck to face

Torey Krug will miss the duration of the preseason.

The Boston Bruins defenseman is out and will be re-evaluated in three weeks after sustaining a non-displaced fracture in his jaw after being struck by a shot during Tuesday's preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Bruins announced.

Boston will surely be hoping the injury doesn't keep Krug out for too long. Last season, the 26-year-old paced all Bruins defenders with 51 points, setting a new career high.

Boston opens the regular season Oct. 5 when it hosts the Nashville Predators.

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Flames: We were ready to pay $275M for new arena

The Calgary Flames insisted they were done negotiating with the city about a new arena, but that isn't stopping them from trying to sway public support.

A proposal released by the club Thursday morning claims it was prepared to contribute $275 million toward a new facility in Victoria Park, with the other $225 million coming from a "Community Revitalization Levy" generated from the development of the area around the facility.

The Flames once again stressed the city's proposal would leave them footing the entire bill, as opposed to the 33 percent figure Calgary lawmakers presented it as last week.

Related: Flames CEO claims city's arena pitch would've had team paying '120 percent'

Here's what the Flames released Thursday about their reluctance to continue negotiating with the city for a new arena:

In a "small market" city, even one with an NHL team, a privately funded arena is not economically viable. The City's proposal is just not workable (or even for that matter, "fair", based on other arena deals in comparable cities). As a result, after over two years of discussions, we see absolutely no basis upon which a new arena agreement can be achieved with the City, and we have concluded that there is no point to continue the pursuit of a new arena in Calgary. Many, including us, believe Calgary is a terrific place for NHL hockey and we certainly have great fans. As such, we will strive to operate, as we have for the past 34 years, in the Saddledome for as long as we believe it is feasible.

The Flames first stated their intent to withdraw from arena talks on Sept. 12.

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Enraged Daley likens penalty-filled game to ‘special teams practice’

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley is the latest player to speak ill of the NHL's crackdown on slashing and faceoff violations.

On Wednesday, the Red Wings dropped a 6-5 overtime decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a game that saw the clubs combine for an outrageous 16 penalties and five power-play goals.

The teams were shorthanded for a combined 22:24, or more than an entire period's worth, which to Daley makes the game nearly unwatchable.

"Anybody who watched this game, that was not an NHL hockey game," Daley said, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "That was a special teams practice.

"It’s hard to call that a hockey game," Daley said. "I don’t know what they’re going to do about it, but I hope it’s not here to stay."

Daley isn't the first player to criticize the league's crackdown. Earlier in the week, Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand called the crackdown "an absolute joke."

On the other hand, Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz feels the strict stance on stick infractions - such as slashing - aren't a bad idea.

"You’ve got to learn," Schultz said. "You can't be slashing. I’m sure it’s going to calm down before the regular season, but it’s good for everyone to keep your sticks down. Don’t want broken fingers or hands."

For the time being, it seems Daley and those fed up with the new standard for penalties will have to get used to it or be ready to spend a lot more time on special teams.

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Fantasy: UPDATED Banger League (hits + blocks) Rankings – Top 250

Here are the top 250 skaters and goalies ranking in descending order based on their value in 10- or 12-team "banger leagues." A typical banger league consists of the following categories:

Skaters Goalies
Goals Wins
Assists Goals-against average
Plus/minus Save percentage
Penalty minutes Shutouts
Power-play points
Shots on goal
Hits
Blocked shots

The key difference between a banger league and a standard league is the addition of hits and blocked shots. Though two additional categories may seem like a minor difference, it can have a major affect on the value of players.

Top 250

Rk. Player Team Pos. Trend
1 Alex Ovechkin WAS LW
2 Connor McDavid EDM C
3 Brent Burns SJ D
4 Sidney Crosby PIT C
5 Victor Hedman TB D
6 Jamie Benn DAL LW
7 Dustin Byfuglien WPG D
8 Tyler Seguin DAL C/RW
9 Steven Stamkos TB C
10 Carey Price MTL G
11 Patrick Kane CHI RW
12 Patrik Laine WPG RW
13 Blake Wheeler WPG RW
14 Evgeni Malkin PIT C
15 Wayne Simmonds PHI RW
16 Vladimir Tarasenko STL RW
17 Auston Matthews TOR C
18 Matt Murray PIT G
19 Erik Karlsson OTT D
20 Nikita Kucherov TB RW
21 Rasmus Ristolainen BUF D
22 Sergei Bobrovsky CLB G
23 Braden Holtby WAS G
24 Jack Eichel BUF C
25 Brad Marchand BOS LW
26 Joe Pavelski SJ C/RW
27 Cam Talbot EDM G
28 Roman Josi NAS D
29 P.K. Subban NAS D
30 Devan Dubnyk MIN G
31 Ryan Getzlaf ANA C
32 Nicklas Backstrom WAS C
33 Evander Kane BUF LW
34 Alex Pietrangelo STL D
35 Filip Forsberg NAS LW
36 Leon Draisaitl EDM C/RW
37 Shea Weber MTL D
38 John Tavares NYI C
39 Kevin Shattenkirk NYR D
40 Tuukka Rask BOS G
41 Mark Giordano CGY D
42 David Pastrnak BOS RW
43 Corey Perry ANA RW
44 Patric Hornqvist PIT RW
45 Nazem Kadri TOR C
46 Kris Letang PIT D
47 Max Pacioretty MTL LW
48 Drew Doughty LA D
49 Jake Allen STL G
50 Anders Lee NYI LW
51 William Nylander TOR C/RW
52 Colton Parayko STL D
53 Andrei Vasilevskiy TB G
54 Mark Scheifele WPG C
55 Artemi Panarin CLB LW
56 Jonathan Quick LA G
57 Chris Kreider NYR LW
58 Mitch Marner TOR C/RW
59 John Klingberg DAL D
60 Oliver Ekman-Larsson ARI D
61 Alexander Radulov DAL RW
62 Nino Niederreiter MIN LW/RW
63 Dougie Hamilton CGY D
64 Corey Crawford CHI G
65 Jonathan Huberdeau FLA LW
66 Jeff Carter LA C
67 Nikolaj Ehlers WPG LW
68 Ryan Johansen NAS C
69 Aleksander Barkov FLA C
70 Jon Gibson ANA G
71 Duncan Keith CHI D
72 Milan Lucic EDM LW
73 T.J. Oshie WAS RW
74 Pekka Rinne NAS G
75 Nick Foligno CLB LW/RW
76 Mike Hoffman OTT LW
77 Cam Atkinson CLB RW
78 Ben Bishop DAL G
79 Shayne Gostisbehere PHI D
80 Seth Jones CLB D
81 Patrice Bergeron BOS C
82 Anze Kopitar LA C
83 Johnny Gaudreau CGY LW
84 Jeff Skinner CAR LW
85 John Carlson WAS D
86 Torey Krug BOS D
87 Frederik Andersen TOR G
88 Phil Kessel PIT RW
89 Aaron Ekblad FLA D
90 Jonathan Drouin MTL C/LW/RW
91 Claude Giroux PHI C
92 Zach Werenski CLB D
93 Brayden Schenn STL C/LW
94 Taylor Hall NJ LW
95 Sebastian Aho CAR LW/RW
96 Justin Schultz PIT D
97 Ryan McDonagh NYR D
98 Evgeny Kuznetsov WAS C
99 Mikael Granlund MIN C/RW
100 Martin Jones SJ G
101 Boone Jenner CLB C/LW
102 Cam Fowler ANA D
103 Brandon Dubinsky CLB C
104 Patrick Maroon EDM LW
105 Charlie Coyle MIN C/RW
106 Sean Monahan CGY C
107 Tanner Pearson LA LW
108 Scott Darling CAR G
109 Nathan MacKinnon COL C
110 James van Riemsdyk TOR LW
111 Mike Smith CGY G
112 Kyle Palmieri NJ RW
113 Logan Couture SJ C
114 Justin Faulk CAR D
115 Dmitry Orlov WAS D
116 Jacob Trouba WPG D
117 Jonathan Toews CHI C
118 Dion Phaneuf OTT D
119 Brandon Saad CHI LW
120 Viktor Arvidsson NAS RW
121 Vincent Trocheck FLA C
122 Ivan Provorov PHI D
123 Henrik Lundqvist NYR G
124 Craig Anderson OTT G
125 Nikita Zaitsev TOR D
126 Brent Seabrook CHI D
127 Jakub Voracek PHI RW
128 Anthony Mantha DET LW/RW
129 Alex Galchenyuk MTL C/LW
130 Gabriel Landeskog COL LW
131 Robin Lehner BUF G
132 J.T. Miller NYR LW/RW
133 Matthew Tkachuk CGY LW
134 Ryan Kesler ANA C
135 Eric Staal MIN C
136 Martin Hanzal MIN C
137 Cory Schneider NJ G
138 David Backes BOS RW
139 Oscar Klefbom EDM D
140 Jaccob Slavin CAR D
141 Mark Stone OTT RW
142 Nick Ritchie ANA LW
143 Mats Zuccarello NYR RW
144 Alexander Wennberg CLB C
145 Adam Larsson EDM D
146 Ryan Suter MIN D
147 Rickard Rakell ANA C/LW
148 Radko Gudas PHI D
149 Jake Gardiner TOR D
150 Morgan Rielly TOR D
151 Connor Hellebuyck WPG G
152 Frank Vatrano BOS C/LW
153 Brian Elliott PHI G
154 Thomas Greiss NYI G
155 Jordan Staal CAR C
156 Jason Spezza DAL C/RW
157 Henrik Zetterberg DET C/LW
158 Marc-Edouard Vlasic SJ D
159 Tom Wilson WAS RW
160 Jake Muzzin LA D
161 Matt Niskanen WAS D
162 Ondrej Palat TB LW
163 Jake Guentzel PIT C/LW
164 Matt Duchene COL C/RW
165 Elias Lindholm CAR C/RW
166 Patrick Marleau TOR C/LW
167 Dustin Brown LA RW
168 Travis Konecny PHI C/LW
169 Jaden Schwartz STL LW
170 Keith Yandle FLA D
171 Leo Komarov TOR C/LW
172 James Neal VGK LW/RW
173 Bryan Little WPG C
174 Tyler Toffoli LA C/RW
175 Tyson Barrie COL D
176 Zach Parise MIN LW
177 Evgeny Dadonov FLA RW
178 Roberto Luongo FLA G
179 James Reimer FLA G
180 Nico Hischier NJ C
181 Andre Burakovsky WAS LW/RW
182 Ryan Strome EDM C/RW
183 Marcus Johansson NJ LW
184 Conor Sheary PIT LW/RW
185 Steve Mason WPG G
186 Tomas Hertl SJ C/LW
187 Nolan Patrick PHI C
188 Nate Schmidt VGK D
189 Jonathan Marchessault VGK C/LW
190 Jordan Eberle NYI RW
191 Marcus Foligno MIN LW
192 Jimmy Howard DET G
193 Matt Dumba MIN D
194 Charlie McAvoy BOS D
195 Alec Martinez LA D
196 Kyle Okposo BUF RW
197 Antti Raanta ARI G
198 Vadim Shipachyov VGK C/LW
199 Sami Vatanen ANA D
200 Hampus Lindholm ANA D
201 Jakob Markstrom VAN G
202 Semyon Varlamov COL G
203 Ryan Ellis NAS D
204 Josh Manson ANA D
205 Tyler Johnson TB C
206 Ryan O'Reilly BUF C
207 Jakob Silfverberg ANA RW
208 Kyle Turris OTT C
209 Mika Zibanejad NYR C
210 Miko Rantanen COL LW/RW
211 Adam Lowry WPG C
212 Marc-Andre Fleury VGK G
213 Jared Spurgeon MIN D
214 Mark Borowiecki OTT D
215 Zdeno Chara BOS D
216 Brendan Gallagher MTL RW
217 Josh Anderson CLB RW
218 Bobby Ryan OTT RW
219 Patrick Eaves ANA RW
220 Dylan Larkin DET C/RW
221 Viktor Rask CAR C
222 Antoine Roussel DAL LW
223 Bo Horvat VAN C
224 Julius Honka DAL D
225 Paul Stastny STL C
226 Daniel Sedin VAN LW
227 Henrik Sedin VAN C
228 Robby Fabbri STL C/LW
229 Brock Boeser VAN RW
230 Derek Stepan ARI C
231 Joe Thornton SJ C
232 Shea Theodore VGK D
233 Brandon Montour ANA D
234 Matt Martin TOR LW
235 Ryan Reaves PIT RW
236 Andrew Shaw MTL C/RW
237 Sam Reinhart BUF C/RW
238 Alexander Steen STL C/LW
239 Jesse Puljujarvi EDM RW
240 Richard Panik CHI LW/RW
241 Kevin Fiala NAS LW
242 Nick Schmaltz CHI C/LW
243 Andrew Ladd NYI LW
244 Dylan Strome ARI C
245 Matthew Barzal NYI C
246 David Krejci BOS C
247 Patrick Sharp CHI LW/RW
248 Jason Zucker MIN LW/RW
249 Kris Russell EDM D
250 Calvin de Haan NYI D

These rankings will be updated throughout the lead-up to the season.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fantasy: UPDATED Standard League Rankings – Top 250

Here's an updated look at the 2017-18 standard-league rankings.

Be sure to monitor injury news and any major roster developments prior to your draft.

These rankings apply to standard leagues. Yahoo! scoring counts goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, power-play points, and shots on goal for skaters. Goaltender stats consist of wins, goals-against average, save percentage, and shutouts.

Positional eligibility may vary by fantasy site.

Top 250

Rk. Player Team Pos. Trend
1 Connor McDavid EDM C
2 Sidney Crosby PIT C
3 Steven Stamkos TB ▲ 
4 Brent Burns SJ
5 Sergei Bobrovsky CLB G
6 Alex Ovechkin WAS LW 
7 Nicklas Backstrom WAS
8 Nikita Kucherov TB RW 
9 Braden Holtby WAS
10 Jack Eichel BUF
11 Brad Marchand BOS LW 
12 Patrick Kane CHI RW
13 John Tavares NYI ▲ 
14 Evgeni Malkin PIT
15 Victor Hedman TB
16 Devan Dubnyk MIN
17 Jamie Benn DAL LW 
18 Tyler Seguin DAL C/RW
19 Auston Matthews TOR
20 Vladimir Tarasenko STL RW
21 Erik Karlsson OTT D
22 Mark Scheifele WPG
23 Matt Murray PIT
24 Carey Price MTL G
25 Cam Talbot EDM
26 Cam Atkinson CLB RW
27 Patrik Laine WPG RW
28 Joe Pavelski SJ C/RW
29 Alexander Radulov DAL RW 
30 P.K. Subban NAS
31 Jonathan Huberdeau FLA LW
32 Kris Letang PIT
33 Phil Kessel PIT RW 
34 Claude Giroux PHI
35 Shea Weber MTL
36 Blake Wheeler WPG RW
37 Johnny Gaudreau CGY LW 
38 David Pastrnak BOS RW 
39 Dustin Byfuglien WPG
40 Evgeny Kuznetsov WAS
41 Ryan Getzlaf ANA C
42 Patrice Bergeron BOS C
43 Leon Draisaitl EDM C/RW
44 Filip Forsberg NAS LW
45 Sean Monahan CGY
46 Wayne Simmonds PHI RW
47 Andrei Vasilevskiy TB ▲ 
48 Jeff Skinner CAR LW
49 Max Pacioretty MTL LW
50 Tuukka Rask BOS G
51 Roman Josi NAS D
52 Aleksander Barkov FLA C
53 Kevin Shattenkirk NYR D
54 Jeff Carter LA C
55 John Klingberg DAL D
56 Artemi Panarin CLB C/LW 
57 Jonathan Drouin MTL LW/RW
58 Ryan Johansen NAS C
59 Zach Werenski CLB
60 Jakub Voracek PHI RW 
61 Nikolaj Ehlers WPG LW
62 Sebastian Aho CAR LW/RW
63 Corey Perry ANA RW
64 Pekka Rinne NAS G
65 Mikael Granlund MIN C/RW
66 Ben Bishop DAL G
67 Duncan Keith CHI D
68 Martin Jones SJ G
69 Taylor Hall NJ LW
70 Mitchell Marner TOR C/RW
71 John Gibson ANA G
72 Mike Hoffman OTT LW/RW
73 T.J. Oshie WAS RW
74 Viktor Arvidsson NAS LW/RW
75 Jake Allen STL G
76 Ryan Suter MIN D ▲ 
77 Jonathan Quick LA G
78 Oliver Ekman-Larsson ARI D
79 Dougie Hamilton CGY D
80 Rickard Rakell ANA C/LW
81 Nathan MacKinnon COL C
82 Shayne Gostisbehere PHI D
83 Logan Couture SJ C
84 Jonathan Toews CHI C
85 Mark Stone OTT RW ▲ 
86 Jordan Eberle NYI RW
87 Rasmus Ristolainen BUF D
88 Henrik Lundqvist NYR G
89 Justin Schultz PIT D
90 Anze Kopitar LA C
91 Mika Zibanejad NYR ▲ 
92 Jason Spezza DAL C/RW
93 Matt Duchene COL C/RW ▲ 
94 John Carlson WAS D
95 Brayden Schenn STL C/LW
96 Mike Smith CGY G
97 Drew Doughty LA D
98 Craig Anderson OTT G
99 Ryan O'Reilly BUF C
100 Frederik Andersen TOR G
101 Eric Staal MIN C
102 Brandon Saad CHI LW
103 Nazem Kadri TOR C
104 Cory Schneider NJ G
105 Scott Darling CAR G
106 Martin Hanzal DAL C
107 Henrik Zetterberg DET C/LW
108 Anders Lee NYI LW
109 Robin Lehner BUF G
110 Torey Krug BOS D
111 James Neal VGK LW/RW 
112 Aaron Ekblad FLA
113 William Nylander TOR C/RW
114 Jakob Silfverberg ANA RW 
115 Colton Parayko STL D
116 Alex Galchenyuk MTL C/LW
117 James van Riemsdyk TOR LW 
118 Ondrej Palat TB LW
119 Mark Giordano CGY D
120 Alexander Wennberg CLB
121 Bryan Little WPG C
122 Nino Niederreiter MIN LW/RW 
123 Kyle Okposo BUF RW 
124 Tyler Toffoli LA C/RW 
125 Kyle Palmieri NJ RW
126 Oscar Klefbom EDM
127 Zach Parise MIN LW 
128 Nick Schmaltz CHI C/LW
129 Kyle Turris OTT
130 Marcus Johansson NJ LW 
131 Patric Hornqvist PIT RW
132 Alex Pietrangelo STL
133 Jake Guentzel PIT C/LW
134 Corey Crawford CHI G
135 Vincent Trocheck FLA C
136 Mats Zuccarello NYR RW
137 Tyler Johnson TB
138 Mikko Koivu MIN C
139 Matthew Tkachuk CGY LW
140 Andre Burakovsky WAS LW/RW
141 Justin Faulk CAR
142 Patrick Marleau TOR C/LW 
143 Derek Stepan ARI C
144 Anthony Mantha DET LW/RW
145 Roberto Luongo FLA G
146 Milan Lucic EDM LW 
147 Travis Konecny PHI C/LW
148 Ryan McDonagh NYR
149 Jaden Schwartz STL LW 
150 Nick Foligno CLB LW/RW
151 Evgeny Dadonov FLA RW 
152 Chris Kreider NYR LW 
153 Keith Yandle FLA
154 Dylan Larkin DET C/RW  
155 Ryan Strome EDM C/RW 
156 Nolan Patrick PHI
157 Sam Reinhart BUF C/RW
158 Victor Rask CAR
159 Patrick Sharp CHI LW/RW 
160 Mikko Rantanen COL LW/RW
161 Seth Jones CLB D
162 Brian Elliott PHI
163 David Krejci BOS C
164 Marc-Andre Fleury VGK G
165 Nico Hischier NJ
166 Nick Bonino NAS C
167 Richard Panik CHI LW/RW
168 Antti Raanta ARI G
169 Mathew Barzal NYI
170 Radim Vrbata FLA RW 
171 Boone Jenner CLB C/LW
172 Conor Sheary PIT LW/RW 
173 Charlie McAvoy BOS
174 Brady Skjei NYR
175 Jesse Puljujarvi EDM RW 
176 Charlie Coyle MIN C/RW 
177 Brendan Gallagher MTL RW
178 Shea Theodore VGK
179 Kevin Fiala NAS LW/RW 
180 Alexander Steen STL C/LW 
181 Tomas Hertl SJ C/LW
182 Jonathan Marchessault VGK C/LW 
183 Robby Fabbri STL C/LW
184 Sami Vatanen ANA
185 Gabriel Landeskog COL LW 
186 Nick Bjugstad FLA C/RW
187 Vadim Shipachyov VGK C/LW
188 Paul Stastny STL
189 Patrick Maroon EDM LW 
190 Dmitry Orlov WAS
191 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins EDM C
192 Daniel Sedin VAN LW 
193 Gustav Nyquist DET LW/RW 
194 Pierre-Luc Dubois CLB LW
195 Jakub Vrana WAS LW/RW
196 Evander Kane BUF LW 
197 Matt Dumba MIN
198 Teuvo Teravainen CAR C/LW 
199 Bobby Ryan OTT RW 
200 Artem Anisimov CHI
201 Joshua Ho-Sang NYI RW 
202 Elias Lindholm CAR C/RW 
203 Rick Nash NYR LW/RW 
204 Joe Thornton SJ
205 Cam Fowler ANA
206 Bo Horvat VAN C
207 Kyle Connor WPG LW
208 Connor Hellebuyck WPG
209 Jimmy Vesey NYR LW 
210 Justin Williams CAR RW
211 Anthony Duclair ARI LW/RW
212 Tomas Tatar DET LW/RW
213 Derick Brassard OTT
214 J.T. Miller NYR LW/RW 
215 Tanner Pearson LA LW
216 Tyson Barrie COL
217 Tyler Bozak TOR
218 Ryan Pulock NYI
219 Ivan Provorov PHI
220 Kevin Hayes NYR C/RW 
221 Patrick Eaves ANA RW
222 Matt Niskanen WAS
223 Max Domi ARI LW 
224 Mathieu Perreault WPG C/LW 
225 Clayton Keller ARI C
226 Ryan Miller ANA
227 Tyson Jost COL
228 Jake Muzzin LA
229 Thomas Greiss NYI
230 Jason Zucker MIN LW/RW
231 Jake Gardiner TOR D
232 Ryan Kesler ANA C
233 Jared Spurgeon MIN
234 Pavel Zacha NJ C/LW
235 Jason Pominville BUF RW
236 Ryan Spooner BOS C/LW
237 Dylan Strome ARI C
238 Josh Manson ANA
239 Mattias Janmark DAL C
240 Ryan Ellis NAS D
241 Juuse Saros NAS
242 Sonny Milano CLB LW 
243 Travis Sanheim PHI D
244 Jacob Trouba WPG D
245 Damon Severson NJ D
246 Mike Green DET
247 Will Butcher NJ D
248 Zdeno Chara BOS
249 Sean Couturier PHI C
250 Dion Phaneuf OTT D ▲ 

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Remember, we are all Canucks!