Fantasy: 10-team NHL mock draft with analysis

theScore staff took part in a 10-team, 16-round mock to provide a glimpse at what your drafts could look like, and provide analysis on the picks that were made.

Related: theScore's 2018-19 Fantasy Hockey Draft Kit

This is a standard scoring, head-to-head league made up of the following categories:

Skater Goalie
Goals Wins
Assists Goals-against average
Plus/Minus Save percentage
Penalty Minutes Shutouts
Power play points
Shots on goal

The roster positions are as follows: C, C, LW, LW, RW, RW, D, D, D, D, G, G, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR, IR

Draft participants: Craig Hagerman, Josh Gold-Smith, Esten McLaren, Austin Owens, John Matisz, Eric Patterson, Josh Wegman, Alan Wong, Patrick Allen, Jason Wilson.

Round 1

Pick Player Owner
1 C Connor McDavid (EDM) Hagerman
2 RW Nikita Kucherov (TB) Gold-Smith
3 C Steven Stamkos (TB) McLaren
4 C Sidney Crosby (PIT) Owens
5 C Evgeni Malkin (PIT) Matisz
6 C Nathan MacKinnon (COL) Patterson
7 LW Brad Marchand (BOS) Wegman
8 LW Alex Ovechkin (WSH) Wong
9 C Auston Matthews (TOR) Allen
10 RW Patrik Laine (WPG) Wilson

The first round came and went with no outlandish surprises. Ovechkin probably slipped further than he should have, providing nice value for Team Wong. I went with Marchand instead, who finished fourth in points per game last year and accumulates more PIMs than most first-round players. Team McLaren is banking on improvement from Stamkos after an 86-point campaign. If he plateaus, this will turn out to be a bad third overall pick.

Round 2

Pick Player Owner
11 C John Tavares (TOR) Wilson
12 RW David Pastrnak (BOS) Allen
13 RW Patrick Kane (CHI) Wong
14 C/RW Tyler Seguin (DAL) Wegman
15 LW Taylor Hall (NJ) Patterson
16 C/RW Blake Wheeler (WPG) Matisz
17 D Erik Karlsson (OTT) Owens
18 C Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH) McLaren
19 C/LW Claude Giroux (PHI) Gold-Smith
20 C Mark Scheifele (WPG) Hagerman

Team Owens takes Karlsson as the first D off the board. His ceiling will be enhanced further if he's dealt to a cup-contending team. If Giroux has another season like his 102-point campaign from a year ago, Team Gold-Smith has a steal on his hands. Pastrnak is full of upside and plays on the league's best line, but this may have been a slight reach from Team Allen.

Round 3

Pick Player Owner
21 G Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB) Hagerman
22 LW Artemi Panarin (CLB) Gold-Smith
23 RW Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) McLaren
24 G Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) Owens
25 LW Jamie Benn (DAL) Matisz
26 LW Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) Patterson
27 D Victor Hedman (TB) Wegman
28 D Brent Burns (SJ) Wong
29 RW Phil Kessel (PIT) Allen
30 D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) Wilson

Vasilevskiy is the first goalie off the board. It's not necessary to take a netminder this early in a 10-team league, but Team Hagerman knows he doesn't choose again for another 18 picks. Don't be surprised if Tarasenko has a career year. He was quite unlucky in 2017-18 and his supporting cast has improved drastically.

Round 4

Pick Player Owner
31 LW Filip Forsberg (NSH) Wilson
32 C Jack Eichel (BUF) Allen
33 C Anze Kopitar (LA) Wong
34 C Aleksander Barkov (FLA) Wegman
35 RW Mitch Marner (TOR) Patterson
36 D P.K. Subban (NSH) Matisz
37 D Drew Doughty (LA) Owens
38 D John Klingberg (DAL) McLaren
39 D Roman Josi (NSH) Gold-Smith
40 G Pekka Rinne (NSH) Hagerman

Team Matisz seemed to start a run on defensemen, but all three players that followed were worthy selections. Eichel may have slipped further than anticipated, given his sky-high ceiling. Marner could have a breakout season skating alongside Tavares.

Round 5

Pick Player Owner
41 C Patrice Bergeron (BOS) Hagerman
42 G Sergei Bobrovsky (CLB) Gold-Smith
43 C/RW Leon Draisaitl (EDM) McLaren
44 RW Mikko Rantanen (COL) Owens
45 G Frederik Andersen (TOR) Matisz
46 C/RW Joe Pavelski (SJ) Patterson
47 LW Evander Kane (SJ) Wegman
48 C Mathew Barzal (NYI) Wong
49 G Braden Holtby (WSH) Allen
50 C Sean Couturier (PHI) Wilson

Bergeron is certainly worthy of going in this slot, but Team Hagerman now has three centers without winger eligibility. In a standard league set up without a UTIL spot, he'll have to bench one of his top three skaters on busy game nights. I took a slight risk taking the oft-injured Kane here, but if he can stay healthy, he'll flourish in San Jose.

Round 6

Pick Player Owner
51 G Tuukka Rask (BOS) Wilson
52 D Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI) Allen
53 G Jonathan Quick (LA) Wong
54 G John Gibson (ANA) Wegman
55 RW Brock Boeser (VAN) Patterson
56 RW Jakub Voracek (PHI) Matisz
57 C Nicklas Backstrom (WSH) Owens
58 RW Cam Atkinson (CLB) McLaren
59 C/LW Sebastian Aho (CAR) Gold-Smith
60 D John Carlson (WSH) Hagerman

Team Hagerman redeems himself by stealing Carlson at the end of Round 6. The Caps blue-liner led all NHL defenseman in points last year and will be among the league leaders again after re-upping in Washington. Team Allen also gets good value on a D-man with Gostisbehere, who racked up 65 points last season. Team Owens reached on Backstrom, considering center is by far the deepest position in fantasy, and his upside is capped playing away from Ovechkin.

Round 7

Pick Player Owner
61 D Alex Pietrangelo (STL) Hagerman
62 D Seth Jones (CLB) Gold-Smith
63 G Matt Murray (PIT) McLaren
64 RW Alexander Radulov (DAL) Owens
65 C/LW Jonathan Marchessault (VGK) Matisz
66 G Carey Price (MTL) Patterson
67 D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI) Wegman
68 C/LW William Karlsson (VGK) Wong
69 C/RW William Nylander (TOR) Allen
70 G Martin Jones (SJ) Wilson

Team Gold-Smith gets excellent value with Seth Jones this late. Much has been made about William Karlsson's high shooting percentage contributing to his 43-goal season, but in Round 7 it's a calculated risk by Team Wong. In hindsight, I definitely could've waited on Ekman-Larsson, a perennial green jacket candidate (worst plus-minus).

Round 8

Pick Player Owner
71 LW/RW Nikolaj Ehlers (WPG) Wilson
72 LW/RW Rickard Rakell (ANA) Allen
73 C Brayden Point (TB) Wong
74 D Dougie Hamilton (CAR) Wegman
75 D Torey Krug (BOS) Patterson
76 C Vincent Trocheck (FLA) Matisz
77 C Sean Monahan (CGY) Owens
78 LW Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA) McLaren
79 LW/RW Clayton Keller (ARI) Gold-Smith
80 D Kris Letang (PIT) Hagerman

Trocheck finished sixth in the NHL in shots last year, will play on one of the league's better second lines, and won't face the toughest matchups with Barkov ahead of him on the depth chart. This is an astute pick by Team Matisz at this point in the draft. Rakell and Ehlers could also outproduce their draft slots.

Round 9

Pick Player Owner
81 RW Mark Stone (OTT) Hagerman
82 LW James van Riemsdyk (PHI) Gold-Smith
83 G Devan Dubnyk (MIN) McLaren
84 RW Viiktor Arvidsson (NSH) Owens
85 LW Jeff Skinner (BUF) Matisz
86 C Ryan Getzlaf (ANA) Patterson
87 G Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK) Wegman
88 D Tyson Barrie (COL) Wong
89 D Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) Allen
90 LW/RW Ilya Kovalchuk (LA) Wilson

Dahlin is the first rookie off the board. He should have an outstanding career, but only two 18-year-old defensemen have ever cracked the 40-point plateau: Bobby Orr and Phil Housley. Even if Dahlin miraculously joins them, there are plenty of 50-point blue-liners still available, making this a massive reach in a non-keeper league. Team Wilson also took a risk with Kovalchuk, but as long as he sticks alongside Kopitar, 30 goals are in the cards.

Round 10

Pick Player Owner
91 RW Wayne Simmonds (PHI) Wilson
92 G Ben Bishop (DAL) Allen
93 G Corey Crawford (CHI) Wong
94 D Zach Werenski (CLB) Wegman
95 G Cam Talbot (EDM) Patterson
96 G Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) Matisz
97 C/RW Mikael Granlund (MIN) Owens
98 D Mikhail Sergachev (TB) McLaren
99 G Antti Raanta (ARI) Gold-Smith
100 LW/RW Mike Hoffman (FLA) Hagerman

Team Wong takes a bit of a gamble by selecting Crawford, who still isn't 100 percent healthy after missing most of last season with reported vertigo-like symptoms. Team Owens gets a steal with Granlund this late. He's quietly averaged 68 points per year in the last two seasons. A dual-position, high-volume shooter in Hoffman is a good value pick this late as well.

Round 11

Pick Player Owner
101 D Charlie McAvoy (BOS) Hagerman
102 C Ryan O'Reilly (STL) Gold-Smith
103 C/LW Logan Couture (SJ) McLaren
104 D Ryan Ellis (NSH) Owens
105 D Morgan Rielly (TOR) Matisz
106 LW Jake Guentzel (PIT) Patterson
107 LW Matthew Tkachuk (CGY) Wegman
108 LW Jaden Schwartz (STL) Wong
109 LW Gabriel Landeskog (COL) Allen
110 D Aaron Ekblad (FLA) Wilson

Make it back-to-back rounds Team Owens gets outstanding mid-round value in Ellis, who played at a 60-point pace upon his return from injury. With winger eligibility, Couture is a very shrewd pick this late in the draft. He had a career-high 34 goals last season. Team Hagerman is banking on McAvoy making big strides offensively in his second season.

Round 12

Pick Player Owner
111 D Mark Giordano (CGY) Wilson
112 LW Max Pacioretty (MTL) Allen
113 D Matt Dumba (MIN) Wong
114 C Brayden Schenn (STL) Wegman
115 RW Patric Hornqvist (PIT) Patterson
116 LW Kyle Connor (WPG) Matisz
117 D Jake Gardiner (TOR) Owens
118 D Ryan Suter (MIN) McLaren
119 C Dylan Larkin (DET) Gold-Smith
120 C Nazem Kadri (TOR) Hagerman

Schenn was much more valuable when he had winger eligibility, but there's no reason he can't repeat his 70-point season playing with Tarasenko. Minnesota's top two defensemen go off the board in this round, and in the correct order. Dumba should only continue to grow, while Suter is coming off a serious ankle injury, though he should be good to start the season.

Round 13

Pick Player Owner
121 LW Anders Lee (NYI) Hagerman
122 D Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF) Gold-Smith
123 RW Eeli Tolvanen (NSH) McLaren
124 G Jake Allen (STL) Owens
125 C/RW Yanni Gourde (TB) Matisz
126 C Ryan Johansen (NSH) Patterson
127 LW/RW Jason Zucker (MIN) Wegman
128 LW/RW Evgenii Dadonov (FLA) Wong
129 C Nico Hischier (NJ) Allen
130 RW T.J. Oshie (WSH) Wilson

Allen is coming off a bad year, but there's virtually no competition in the Blues' crease this season. If St. Louis is going to make some noise, Allen could rack up 35-plus wins. Tolvanen was possibly the best teenager the KHL had ever seen a year ago, but he'll have to work his way into Nashville's top six in order to return value at this draft slot. He's more than capable, though.

Round 14

Pick Player Owner
131 C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM) Wilson
132 D Keith Yandle (FLA) Allen
133 C Jeff Carter (LA) Wong
134 RW Andrei Svechnikov (CAR) Wegman
135 D Ivan Provorov (PHI) Patterson
136 D Josh Morrissey (WPG) Matisz
137 D Will Butcher (NJ) Owens
138 D Colton Parayko (STL) McLaren
139 LW/RW Teuvo Teravainen (CAR) Gold-Smith
140 RW Josh Bailey (NYI) Hagerman

Team Wilson could have the steal of the draft in Nugent-Hopkins, who flourished on McDavid's line in the second half of the season, and is projected to start there to begin 2018-19. It likely won't take him to long to gain winger eligibility either. Morrissey is a great two-way D, but even this late, Team Matisz easily could've found a blue-liner with more offensive upside than one who doesn't see power-play time.

Round 15

Pick Player Owner
141 LW/RW Alex DeBrincat (CHI) Hagerman
142 D Kevin Shattenkirk (NYR) Gold-Smith
143 C Matt Duchene (OTT) McLaren
144 C/RW J.T. Miller (TB) Owens
145 D Nate Schmidt (VGK) Matisz
146 D Jake Muzzin (LA) Patterson
147 RW Tom Wilson (WSH) Wegman
148 C Jonathan Toews (CHI) Wong
149 C Casey Mittelstadt (BUF) Allen
150 D Shea Weber (MTL) Wilson

If Team Matisz was seeking a Golden Knights blue-liner, either Colin Miller or Shea Theodore would've made for a better choice than Schmidt. I opted to go with Wilson, who will single-handedly win PIMs some weeks and won't bring down my offense a whole lot. Weber likely won't return until at least December, but he's worth an IR stash in the draft's second-last round. Look for Miller to have a career year playing alongside Kucherov and Stamkos.

Round 16

Pick Player Owner
151 G Juuse Saros (NSH) Wilson
152 D Mike Green (DET) Allen
153 D Duncan Keith (CHI) Wong
154 D Ryan Pulock (NYI) Wegman
155 D Mattias Ekholm (NSH) Patterson
156 C Elias Pettersson (VAN) Matisz
157 LW/RW Travis Konecny (PHI) Owens
158 C Nolan Patrick (PHI) McLaren
159 C/LW Pierre-Luc Dubois (CLB) Gold-Smith
160 RW James Neal (CGY) Hagerman

A lot of high-upside picks here, which is the right idea in the draft's final round. Konecny was dynamic in the second half of last year, and Team Owens is hopeful he carries that over into the start of this season. Pettersson is a blue-chip prospect who set numerous Swedish Hockey League records a year ago. Team Hagerman goes the high-floor route, securing a minimum 25-goal scorer in Neal.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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