Fantasy: 5 players to target on the Pittsburgh Penguins
With your fantasy draft just around the corner, theScore's Ian McLaren and Darren Kritzer take a look at 5 players you should consider drafting this season.
Top Targets
Sidney Crosby
Let's keep this short.
Sidney Crosby is the best player in the game and should be drafted first overall in any and every standard fantasy hockey league.
For the unconvinced, here's a look at Crosby's points per game totals over the past four seasons, league-high numbers across the board. Keep in mind, the most recent (and lowest) number put him 17 points ahead of second place in the scoring race.
| Season | Game played | Goals | Assists | Points per Game | Points per 82 games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 41 | 32 | 34 | 1.61 | 132 |
| 2011-12 | 22 | 8 | 29 | 1.68 | 137.8 |
| 2013 | 36 | 15 | 41 | 1.55 | 127.1 |
| 2013-14 | 80 | 36 | 68 | 1.3 | 106.6 |
Provided he's healthy for most of the season, Crosby is the top player available, full stop.
Evgeni Malkin
Malkin, of course, is a fair consolation prize for those who miss out on Crosby. Only two seasons removed from winning the Hart Trophy, Malkin has led the league in scoring twice in his career, most recently in 2011-12 with a 50-goal, 59-assist performance, adding 339 shots for good measure.
For his career, Malkin averages 1.22 points per game, good for an even 100 over the course of a full 82-game season.
According to theScore's composite forward rankings, Malkin ranks fourth behind Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Corey Perry. Despite missing 22 games to injury last season, he posted 23 goals and 49 assists. If healthy, he should push for triple-digit production once again, with a plus rating, a plethora of power-play points and many shots to boot.
Marc-Andre Fleury
Scoff at Fleury's playoff numbers if you must (and you'd be justified), but that doesn't mean much in terms of fantasy hockey.
In reality, he's been quite reliable in the regular season, especially over the past four seasons, with an average save percentage of .915. And since he plays for the Penguins, you know he's good for 35-40 wins.
As such, he remains a high-end fantasy option, as evidenced by the fact he ranks sixth in our composite goalie rankings.
As an added bonus, Fleury is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, with no contract extension offer in sight from the Penguins. You can be sure he'll be extra motivated to perform in order to cash in on his next deal.
Proceed With Caution
Kris Letang
Letang boasts a wealth of offensive talent, and when he's on the ice, he possesses the ability to put up numbers with the best at his position. Unfortunately, Letang has missed 89 games over the past three seasons, severely limiting his overall production.
His 22 points last season marked his lowest total since his second year in the league, and he was a minus player for the first time since 2008-09. Letang may also lose time on the man advantage with Christian Ehrhoff in town.
Still a valuable asset (ranked 7th in our composites), Letang might not be able to be relied upon as a No. 1 defenseman until further notice.
Take A Flier On
Patric Hornqvist
Playing for the comparatively offense-challenged Nashville Predators since entering the NHL in 2006, Hornqvist recorded 106 goals in 363 games, good for an average of 24 goals every 82. Hornqvist also posted a career-high last season with 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists), and appears set to smash that in Pittsburgh.
Penciled to play on a line with Malkin, Hornqvist is easily in line to top his personal highs of 30 goals and 31 assists, especially if he joins the club's top power-play unit.
Don't sleep on this guy come draft day.