Here are the top 200 skaters and goalies ranked in descending order based on their value in 10- or 12-team standard fantasy hockey leagues.
| Skaters | Goalies |
|---|---|
| Goals | Wins |
| Assists | Shutouts |
| Plus/minus | Goals-against average |
| Power-play Points | Save percentage |
| Penalty minutes | |
| Shots on goal |
(Positional eligibility applies to Yahoo! leagues)
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The Calgary Flames added James Neal on a five-year contract worth approximately $28.75 million, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Neal was one of the biggest names on the free-agent market, but he went through the first day of the signing period without finding a suitor.
After three seasons with the Nashville Predators, he was chosen by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft and went on to record 25 goals and 19 assists in 71 games. The 30-year-old is one of the top snipers in the league, eclipsing the 20-goal plateau in each of his 10 NHL seasons.
Neal would be the latest signing in a busy offseason for Flames general manager Brad Treliving, as the club brought in Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm in a trade for defenseman Dougie Hamilton, and bolstered its offensive options by signing Derek Ryan and Austin Czarnik on Sunday.
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John Tavares, Logan Couture, Drew Doughty: these are the marquee players that dominated the opening day of the NHL's free-agent frenzy. However, there are some other names that flew under the radar that deserve some love.
Related: NHL Offseason Tracker: $775M handed out on Day 1 of free agency
Players on this list signed to relatively little fanfare and comparatively cheap deals, but still hold the ability to be true bargains for their clubs next season. After all, role players and depth pieces have an important part to play on any club with eyes on a deep postseason run.
With that in mind, we rank the best bargain signings from a hectic Day 1 of the free-agency period:
Despite playing in only 10 games at the NHL level for the Boston Bruins last season, Czarnik generated a ton of interest from potential free-agent suitors. His four assists through 10 games with the Bruins last year don't jump off the page, but the undrafted forward out of Miami University has shown flashes of offensive brilliance at the lower levels.
Czarnik's 69 points (25 goals and 44 assists) in 64 games for the Providence Bruins saw him finish three points shy of winning the AHL's scoring title. Sprinkle in his excellent vision and youth, and Czarnik becomes a very intriguing add for Flames general manager Brad Treliving.
Calgary is in need of additional scoring, and at an expected cap hit around $1.25 million for two years, the Flames could have something in the speedy forward.
Namestnikov had the obvious advantage of playing alongside two of the best snipers in the business with the Tampa Bay Lightning in Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, so his 20 goals and 24 assists in 60 games for the Bolts might not be an accurate reflection of his overall potential. But neither are his four points in 19 games for the Rangers at the end of last season, as he was playing on a line with Pavel Buchnevich and the offensively challenged Matt Beleskey.
The versatile forward is comfortable playing both on the wing and up the middle, and despite his limited 5-foot-11 frame, Namestnikov can be an effective offensive producer if he's placed on the right line.
New York is a team in transition, so there's no telling what the franchise's roster will look like by opening night. But if the Rangers' newly-hired coaching staff can keep Namestnikov in a top-six role with the right mix of linemates, the young Russian has the playmaking skills to be a serious offensive threat at only $4 million per season.
Perron's magical run to the Stanley Cup Final with the Vegas Golden Knights ends with a return to the team that drafted him.
The 30-year-old veteran returns to the St. Louis Blues on a team-friendly four-year contract worth roughly $4 million per season. He's coming off a major bounce-back campaign with the Knights by tallying a career-high 66 points in only 70 games, so the price tag is more than fair for a guy who slots immediately into St. Louis' top-six forward group.
Perron might not be the flashiest guy in the league, but he's a consistent point producer who will put up solid numbers regardless of where he plays. At $4 million per, the winger is easily one of the best bargains of Day 1.
The biggest free-agent goaltender on the market, Hutton had a coming-out party last season in St. Louis, temporarily stealing the crease away from supposed No. 1 netminder Jake Allen midway through the season.
The career backup turned in a 9-1-1 record from Dec. 29 to Feb. 3., which included this save-of-the-year candidate against the New Jersey Devils in early January:
Hutton has spent his entire career playing behind more talented goaltenders, but last year's performance (17-7-3, 2.09 GAA, .931 save percentage) was enough for him to get a crack at being the main guy in the blue paint for the Sabres. Despite being a solid No. 1 option for Buffalo going forward, general manager Jason Botterill should get some props for bringing in Hutton at a backup's rate.
His expected cap hit of $2.75 million a season could be a great deal for Buffalo if Hutton is able to hold it down between the pipes and bring the Sabres organization back to respectability.
This might be the first time in his career that Nash finds himself at the top of any kind of power rankings, but his sneaky offensive production and ability to thrive in basically any scenario make him the bargain of the day - especially at a cap hit of only $2.75 million.
Nash can kill penalties, win faceoffs, play the wing, and contribute on the power play if need be. He's also a streaky scorer who's coming off a solid offensive season for the Boston Bruins in 2017-18. Nash registered 15 goals and 26 assists in 76 regular-season games.
A versatile forward like Nash will be a coach's dream for Blue Jackets bench boss John Tortorella, as Nash is a no-nonsense player with the versatility to play multiple positions. His numbers might not leap off the page, but Nash will be an effective forward in Columbus who will make his contract look like a serious steal.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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Warning: Story contains coarse language
John Tortorella has repeatedly called the Pittsburgh Penguins "whiners" in the past and has unleashed his fury on both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but his latest criticism is zeroed in on Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford.
Following Pittsburgh's signing of former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson, who inked a five-year deal in free agency, Rutherford spoke about Johnson's varying usage in Columbus, particularly the postseason when he was scratched for all six games.
"I don't think he had a bad year," Rutherford told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. "He was a healthy scratch at the end of the season. I know the reason why. It wasn't because of how he was playing."
Johnson's remarks at an introductory press conference didn't help matters, either, as the veteran defenseman said, "I've been looking to be in a winning culture."
Clearly, those comments didn't sit well with the Blue Jackets fiery bench boss.
"All I know is, this organization, from the lawyers, the front office, (president of hockey operations John Davidson), the managers, the coaches, players ... has done nothing but try to help Jack," Tortorella said. "And for him to backhand slap us like this is utter bullshit, and he should know better.
"No one wishes anything bad to happen to him and his family. We wish him the best. But for him to put it the way he put it today is bullshit. And to have a general manager question our decision-making from three hours away, he must be a fucking magician."
Tortorella's response comes after the Blue Jackets worked alongside Johnson to help him through an extensive personal bankruptcy case which saw him forfeit nearly all of his salary over the past two seasons.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
"(Johnson) doesn't have enough balls to call me back, because I've tried to get in touch with him," Tortorella added. "You don't shit on an organization that's done nothing but try to help you. We all know Jack has had some problems along the way here. It's very well-chronicled. All we've done is try to fucking help him."
Tortorella then turned his aim to Rutherford.
"The thing that pisses me off the most is a general manager in this league questioning and talking about our decision-making," Tortorella said. "Shut the fuck up!
"I don't want to go to name-calling, because I know Jimmy. He's a good man. They're both good people. But what the fuck are they doing? Get on with your business! I hope (Johnson) plays his ass off for them, but stay the fuck out of our business when you don't know what’s going on.”
Mark your calendars now. The first meeting between the Blue Jackets and Penguins this coming season is set for Nov. 24.
Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Warning: Story contains coarse language
John Tortorella has repeatedly called the Pittsburgh Penguins "whiners" in the past and has unleashed his fury on both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but his latest criticism is zeroed in on Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford.
Following Pittsburgh's signing of former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson, who inked a five-year deal in free agency, Rutherford spoke about Johnson's varying usage in Columbus, particularly the postseason when he was scratched for all six games.
"I don't think he had a bad year," Rutherford told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. "He was a healthy scratch at the end of the season. I know the reason why. It wasn't because of how he was playing."
Johnson's remarks at an introductory press conference didn't help matters, either, as the veteran defenseman said, "I've been looking to be in a winning culture."
Clearly, those comments didn't sit well with the Blue Jackets fiery bench boss.
"All I know is, this organization, from the lawyers, the front office, (president of hockey operations John Davidson), the managers, the coaches, players ... has done nothing but try to help Jack," Tortorella said. "And for him to backhand slap us like this is utter bullshit, and he should know better.
"No one wishes anything bad to happen to him and his family. We wish him the best. But for him to put it the way he put it today is bullshit. And to have a general manager question our decision-making from three hours away, he must be a fucking magician."
Tortorella's response comes after the Blue Jackets worked alongside Johnson to help him through an extensive personal bankruptcy case which saw him forfeit nearly all of his salary over the past two seasons.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
"(Johnson) doesn't have enough balls to call me back, because I've tried to get in touch with him," Tortorella added. "You don't shit on an organization that's done nothing but try to help you. We all know Jack has had some problems along the way here. It's very well-chronicled. All we've done is try to fucking help him."
Tortorella then turned his aim to Rutherford.
"The thing that pisses me off the most is a general manager in this league questioning and talking about our decision-making," Tortorella said. "Shut the fuck up!
"I don't want to go to name-calling, because I know Jimmy. He's a good man. They're both good people. But what the fuck are they doing? Get on with your business! I hope (Johnson) plays his ass off for them, but stay the fuck out of our business when you don't know what’s going on.”
Mark your calendars now. The first meeting between the Blue Jackets and Penguins this coming season is set for Nov. 24.
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The New York Islanders are moving on from the John Tavares era, as the team has reportedly signed center Valtteri Filppula, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple.
Filppula is a one-year deal for $2.75 million with #Isles. (h/t @ByScottPowers)
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) July 2, 2018
Filppula's signing comes after Tavares signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency. The team then showed interest in center Ryan O'Reilly, but lost out when he was dealt from the Buffalo Sabres to the St. Louis Blues.
In Filppula, the Islanders get a veteran center who excels at both ends of the ice. The 34-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he finished with 33 points in 81 games last year.
Filppula was a third-round draft pick by the Detroit Red Wings in 2002.
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The St. Louis Blues acquired centerman Ryan O'Reilly from the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, the team announced.
Related: Sabres didn't have trade in place for O'Reilly at draft, says GM
Heading the Sabres' way in return is an excellent haul that includes a 2019 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick, and forwards Tage Thompson, Patrik Berglund, and Vladimir Sobotka.
First round pick in 2019 is top-10 protected. #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) July 2, 2018
O'Reilly is due a $7.5-million signing bonus that Buffalo would've been on the hook for as of midnight Sunday, but with the trade completed before that deadline, St. Louis will be picking up the hefty price tag.
Rumors had been percolating for the last few weeks regarding O'Reilly and a move away from the Sabres. After another season wallowing in the NHL's basement, the Sabres have pulled the trigger to offload O'Reilly's lucrative contract that carries another five seasons at a cap hit of $7.5 million.
O'Reilly is the biggest name in the deal but the Sabres did get back two veteran centers who will slot into their lineup immediately. As well, they acquire an intriguing prospect in Tage Thompson, who spent last season split between St. Louis and the club's AHL affiliate.
As for O'Reilly, the Blues are getting one of the best two-way pivots in the league. He had 24 goals and 37 assists in 81 games last season to go along with a 60 percent success rate in the faceoff dots.
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