Attention fantasy hockey commissioners - the following article is the most important one you'll ever read. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but arguably the most pivotal aspect of running a head-to-head fantasy league (the best and most common format for hockey) is choosing the correct categories.

What you should include

• Goals: This is obvious. You need goals to win games in real hockey, and you should need them in fantasy. Plus, goals are fun. Who doesn't like goals? Only goalies and Jacques Lemaire.

• Assists: Assists are also very obvious. Sure, goals can be scored unassisted, but most great ones stem from even greater passes, and those should be rewarded in fantasy.

• Shots on goal: As Wayne Gretzky once said, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take." You need shots to score, so who are we to argue with The Great One?

• Power-play points: In reality, if a team has a poor power play, chances are it won't make the playoffs. In fantasy, a team that accumulates points with the man advantage should be rewarded.

• Hits: Who doesn't love a good body check? Hits may not be a conventional fantasy stat, but including them as a category expands the player pool and creates more back-and-forth weekly matchups. Moreover, players who puts up offensive numbers and play a physical game are rare, so guys like Alex Ovechkin would be rewarded accordingly.

• Blocked shots: With shots on goal such an important part of analytics these days, the blocked shot has become increasingly crucial, too. Putting your body on the line to help your team takes great courage, and players who do so regularly should be rewarded in fantasy. Like hits, this category also increases the player pool, and makes a guy like Erik Karlsson that much more valuable.

What you shouldn't include

• Points: You already have goals and assists. Having a sum of the two is just redundant.

• Plus/Minus: Oliver Ekman-Larsson is one of the game's brightest stars, but he's an annual contender for the Green Jacket (worst plus/minus). In fantasy - where it's about what a player can do on his own - he shouldn't be valued less because he plays on a bottom-feeding team.

• PIMs: In real life, when you get a penalty you're sent to the penalty box for two minutes and your team is left shorthanded. Remind me why we reward players in fantasy for hurting their actual team? We're not in 1998 anymore.

• Faceoff wins: While faceoff wins are certainly an important aspect of real hockey, there's no place for them in fantasy. The winner of this category is usually the team with players who simply took the most combined faceoffs, even if they lost more than they won.

• Shorthanded points: This category is usually won by a score of 1-0, 2-0, or, in high-scoring affairs, 2-1. Accumulating one or two shorthanded points in a week shouldn't be worth as much as winning the category of goals by a score of 17-15.

• Game-winning goals: Game-winning goals are also usually decided by a low score. Some people love the "clutch" factor, but is it really clutch when a player scores his team's fourth goal in a 6-3 win? Especially if that fourth goal made it 4-0 at the time? I don't think so.

Options that should be available

• Takeaways: Possession means so much in today's NHL, so a player who gets his team the puck with a stick lift or poke check should be rewarded in fantasy. Mark Stone and Jaccob Slavin are two of the league's best takeaway artists, but they're much better in real life than fantasy. The option to include the category would change that.

• Primary assists: If a defenseman simply chips the puck in deep - versus a forward down low who spins around an opponent and delivers a perfect cross-crease pass for a tap-in - it's clear which assist meant more to the goal. Primary, or first assists, are usually a stronger indicator of elite passing ability.

• Even-strength points: Yes, power-play points are good to have, but recording points at even strength is even more impressive. It might be a bit much to have both, but fantasy hockey providers should at least have the option.

• Negative PIMs: As previously mentioned, players should not be rewarded for hurting their team. Instead, fantasy hockey sites should give the option for negative PIMs, in which the team with the least amount of penalty minutes wins the category. This stat would value disciplined players like Johnny Gaudreau and Oscar Klefbom.

Goaltender categories

• Wins
• Goals-against average
• Save percentage
• Shutouts

The standard goaltender categories don't need to be altered. Sure, shutouts are usually decided 1-0, but when a goalie gets one in real life he literally steals a win for his team. Shouldn't he be able to steal you the category, too?

Saves can be added to provide another counting category that credits a goalie who takes less games off and faces more rubber than others, but that's about it. Goals against, games started, and losses don't have a place in fantasy hockey.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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You've heard this before: The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the come up.

Touting one of the finest young crops of players in the NHL, the Leafs are no longer a pushover club. A lot of that rejuvenation has to do with rookies like Mitch Marner.

Marner recognizes that in a hockey-crazed market like Toronto, an improved on-ice product means expectations off the ice are heightened: "Everyone just keeps telling me how many wins they want," Marner told Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.

"But, it will be fun coming in here, believing in each other, believing in the one beside us. We do that and play the way we can, we’re going to be better than last year."

While Marner turned heads league-wide last season with his slick hands and offensive ability (19 goals and 42 assists), he realizes he'll need to become more of a two-way player in order for Mike Babcock to play him at crucial moments.

"You want to be out there to get a game tied so you can win it in overtime," said Marner. "You want a bigger role, go out on every shift like it’s your last. "Defense has always been important to me, it was always taught first. You’re always trying to see the guy coming in so they can’t back-door us."

Following a year in which Toronto qualified for the playoffs only one season removed from finishing dead last, the Leafs won't be surprising teams during this campaign compared to last.

That fact isn't lost on Marner.

"Last year, people didn’t know how we were going to," Marner said. "Now, we have to expect a hard game every night and that people will bring their 'A' game against us. We have to be ready."

The rest of the hockey world will find out if the Leafs are indeed "ready" when they kick off their regular-season schedule Oct. 4 with a visit to Winnipeg to take on the Jets.

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Few athletes in the world of professional sports have the talent with which Roger Federer is blessed.

So, when the 19-time major champion chimed in with his assessment of countryman and New Jersey Devils forward Nico Hischier, people paid attention.

"I mean, look, we're very happy in Switzerland that we have such a great hockey player in the starting blocks who is hopefully going to be a great, great player," Federer said, according to Jeff Eisenband of The Post Game. "Hope he stays healthy. I'm only hearing great things about him. He's a good guy. Unbelievably talented.

"People predict a great future ahead of him. I had the same. It's always easy to predict. But he's the guy who has to put in the work and be the guy who does it every single night on the ice."

While Federer has been competing on the world's biggest stage for nearly two decades, Hischier is just embarking on his career.

And, while the buzz around Hischier's debut has been substantial, Federer was quick to caution the 18-year-old rookie about the noise that comes along with being pegged "The Next One."

"That's the tough thing about it. It's always easy for people to talk, predict you're going to be world No.1, best goal-scorer," said Federer. "Doesn't matter. You have to put your head down and just work as hard as you possibly can."

With New Jersey set to open training camp in a matter of days, Hischier might be wise to lean on his Swiss counterpart for some advice. Guidance that Federer is more than willing to provide.

"If he has questions, I'm always happy to help," Federer said. " ... But I wish him all the very best."

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Here's the first update to the 2017-18 standard-league rankings. Updates will continue throughout training camps and the preseason as depth charts and roles become more clear.

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

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At the completion of Boston's season in April, Bruins centerman Patrice Bergeron revealed that he played through the 2016-17 campaign with a sports hernia issue that ended up requiring offseason surgery.

Despite the injury, Bergeron produced respectable offensive numbers (21 goals, 32 assists) while earning his fourth Selke Trophy as the games' best defensive forward. And, following a summer of rehab, Bergeron finally feels healthy once again.

"Still doing some rehab. I'll be ready for camp," said Bergeron, according to Matt Kalman of NHL.com. "I feel good. There's still some restriction there that we have to work on, but overall, I feel pretty good. I feel good on the ice, I feel good in the gym.

"We still have to definitely do some treatments, but definitely I feel good and I know I'll be ready for camp."

While Bergeron admits he still has work to do to get back to 100 percent, he was also open about how the injury affected his production last campaign.

" ... It was hard that way, it was in my head also, but once I was past that hurdle of realizing it's going to be there for the whole year and just kind of not worrying about it, I felt better," Bergeron said.

"But that being said, it's still one of those where - it's not an excuse for the slow start I had and missing some chances - but still it was slowing me down a bit and was just annoying."

Regardless of last season's dip in offense, Bergeron is still one of the best two-way forwards in the game and an integral part of the Bruins' core. A healthy Bergeron to start the year can only mean good things for Boston.

"Hopefully I'll have a better start," he said. "That being said, I'm trying to get back to my game, playing both ways. You always want to push your limits, be better offensively but also defensively and in every aspect of the game."

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We're just over a month away from the start of the NHL season, but a handful of summer subplots remain unresolved.

Several high-profile players are still awaiting new contracts, whether they be extensions on their existing deals or brand-new pacts for some aging players.

A talented center who's been the subject of trade talks for months hasn't been moved, and a longtime NHL winger is likely pondering his future after seeing a fellow veteran call it a career.

Here are five things we're still itching to see this summer:

Someone needs to sign Jagr already

Seriously, how is Jaromir Jagr still out there?

Yes, he's old. Yes, he's probably looking for a decent chunk of change. But hasn't he earned it?

Jagr's exploits are well documented. He's the NHL's third all-time leading goal-scorer and ranks second on the league's career points list.

The 45-year-old scored 16 goals and played in all 82 games last season. It was his third and final campaign with the Florida Panthers, who cut ties with the living legend on July 1, officially putting him on the open market.

But numbers side, the mere act of signing Jagr would be a major public relations victory and a boon to a club's marketing efforts.

Somebody needs to step up to the plate and get his signature on the dotted line.

Eichel, Sabres need to agree on money

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Unlike Jagr, Jack Eichel is still under contract, but the young Buffalo Sabres star could enter the final season of his entry-level deal without an extension in hand.

Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said last week that both sides want the maximum amount of term on a potential new agreement, which under NHL rules would be for eight years.

The issue, then, is the cash, and that aspect of the negotiations has more than likely been impacted by the recent extensions signed by Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and his talented teammate, Leon Draisaitl.

Still, the market has been established, and the Sabres need to recognize that. They can avoid the in-season distraction that the lingering talks would cause by paying their franchise player what he deserves before the puck drops again this fall.

Pastrnak needs an extension, too

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

The Boston Bruins have their contract quandary with a young star to worry about.

David Pastrnak is a restricted free agent, so there's even more urgency to resolve his impasse than there is regarding Eichel in western New York.

The promising 21-year-old's agent, J.P. Barry, said Thursday that talks will pick up Friday, and frankly, it's about time they did. Barry revealed he's going to request an eight-year deal, which would be for a year or two more than the club reportedly offered them earlier this summer.

In other words, Pastrnak's response to apparently being offered far less than he's worth ($6 million per season) is to seek a deal for the maximum amount of term allowable under the NHL's CBA.

This is how negotiations work, and this particular one will likely culminate with the two sides meeting somewhere in the middle, but surely they could have gotten there by now.

Will Iginla follow Doan's lead?

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Now that Shane Doan is retired, the attention shifts to Jarome Iginla.

After the Los Angeles Kings' season ended in disappointing fashion back in April, the 40-year-old said he was interested in playing another campaign.

But that was more than four months ago, and Iginla is an unrestricted free agent still searching for a new contract as autumn approaches.

Iginla had his moments with the Kings but failed to muster much production with the moribund Colorado Avalanche prior to the deadline deal that sent him to Hollywood.

There would be no shame for Iginla in bidding farewell to the NHL, and Team Canada will consider him for the 2018 Olympics if he goes that route, but he's certainly entitled to take his time to make such an important decision.

Will a Duchene trade ever happen?

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Matt Duchene has been on the block since at least last winter, so why hasn't a deal been consumated?

Talks have seemingly heated up on numerous occasions, but there have also been plenty of lulls in negotiations, which is where we appear to be now.

The Avalanche might be better served waiting until the 2018 trade deadline to maximize the return on a deal, but after the 2017 deadline passed without a Duchene move, the forward said there was "probably a good chance" a trade would be made this summer.

The end of the offseason is on the horizon, and a deal obviously hasn't happened yet, but the Avalanche clearly have no problem dragging this on until they get the package they want.

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

We're just over a month away from the start of the NHL season, but a handful of summer subplots remain unresolved.

Several high-profile players are still awaiting new contracts, whether they be extensions on their existing deals or brand-new pacts for some aging players.

A talented center who's been the subject of trade talks for months hasn't been moved, and a longtime NHL winger is likely pondering his future after seeing a fellow veteran call it a career.

Here are five things we're still itching to see this summer:

Someone needs to sign Jagr already

Seriously, how is Jaromir Jagr still out there?

Yes, he's old. Yes, he's probably looking for a decent chunk of change. But hasn't he earned it?

Jagr's exploits are well documented. He's the NHL's third all-time leading goal-scorer and ranks second on the league's career points list.

The 45-year-old scored 16 goals and played in all 82 games last season. It was his third and final campaign with the Florida Panthers, who cut ties with the living legend on July 1, officially putting him on the open market.

But numbers side, the mere act of signing Jagr would be a major public relations victory and a boon to a club's marketing efforts.

Somebody needs to step up to the plate and get his signature on the dotted line.

Eichel, Sabres need to agree on money

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Unlike Jagr, Jack Eichel is still under contract, but the young Buffalo Sabres star could enter the final season of his entry-level deal without an extension in hand.

Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said last week that both sides want the maximum amount of term on a potential new agreement, which under NHL rules would be for eight years.

The issue, then, is the cash, and that aspect of the negotiations has more than likely been impacted by the recent extensions signed by Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and his talented teammate, Leon Draisaitl.

Still, the market has been established, and the Sabres need to recognize that. They can avoid the in-season distraction that the lingering talks would cause by paying their franchise player what he deserves before the puck drops again this fall.

Pastrnak needs an extension, too

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

The Boston Bruins have their contract quandary with a young star to worry about.

David Pastrnak is a restricted free agent, so there's even more urgency to resolve his impasse than there is regarding Eichel in western New York.

The promising 21-year-old's agent, J.P. Barry, said Thursday that talks will pick up Friday, and frankly, it's about time they did. Barry revealed he's going to request an eight-year deal, which would be for a year or two more than the club reportedly offered them earlier this summer.

In other words, Pastrnak's response to apparently being offered far less than he's worth ($6 million per season) is to seek a deal for the maximum amount of term allowable under the NHL's CBA.

This is how negotiations work, and this particular one will likely culminate with the two sides meeting somewhere in the middle, but surely they could have gotten there by now.

Will Iginla follow Doan's lead?

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Now that Shane Doan is retired, the attention shifts to Jarome Iginla.

After the Los Angeles Kings' season ended in disappointing fashion back in April, the 40-year-old said he was interested in playing another campaign.

But that was more than four months ago, and Iginla is an unrestricted free agent still searching for a new contract as autumn approaches.

Iginla had his moments with the Kings but failed to muster much production with the moribund Colorado Avalanche prior to the deadline deal that sent him to Hollywood.

There would be no shame for Iginla in bidding farewell to the NHL, and Team Canada will consider him for the 2018 Olympics if he goes that route, but he's certainly entitled to take his time to make such an important decision.

Will a Duchene trade ever happen?

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Matt Duchene has been on the block since at least last winter, so why hasn't a deal been consumated?

Talks have seemingly heated up on numerous occasions, but there have also been plenty of lulls in negotiations, which is where we appear to be now.

The Avalanche might be better served waiting until the 2018 trade deadline to maximize the return on a deal, but after the 2017 deadline passed without a Duchene move, the forward said there was "probably a good chance" a trade would be made this summer.

The end of the offseason is on the horizon, and a deal obviously hasn't happened yet, but the Avalanche clearly have no problem dragging this on until they get the package they want.

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

David Pastrnak is seeking a maximum term deal with the Boston Bruins.

On Thursday, Bruins president Cam Neely candidly spoke at the Bruins FanFest, admiring the club has not had any real dialogue with Pastrnak's camp since tabling a six- or seven-year contract at an annual average of $6 million.

However, Pastrnak's agent J.P. Barry responded, saying they plan to hold discussions Friday, and has since announced they intend to discuss a max-term deal.

"(The Bruins) are aware that the offers to date aren’t where we feel David fits in this marketplace," Barry said, according to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. "We plan to discuss an eight-year maximum term to see if we can find more common ground."

There is speculation that Pastrnak could be seeking a deal closer to that of Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl is the same age as Pastrnak and after tallying 29 goals and 77 points this past season, earned an eight-year, $68-million deal from the Oilers.

Pastnak is a restricted free agent and is coming off a career year that saw him finish second on the Bruins with 34 goals and 70 points in 75 games.

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