Florida Panthers 2018-19 Fantasy Hockey Ratings
With hockey season inching right around the corner, it’s time for us as fans to think about who we’ll be selecting with our fantasy hockey draft picks, so why not draft a couple Florida Panthers this year?
NHL.com recently posted their top 250 players to draft in fantasy hockey this season, and the Florida Panthers were well represented on this list with 11 (previously 12 *Borgstrom removed*) players on their roster here on the list.
As many hockey fans have played fantasy hockey for years, it’s time to give the Panthers some love and draft some of your favorite Florida players in your fantasy hockey leagues this year.
The Panthers are flooded with talent and may just have the perfect diamond in the rough to add to your fantasy hockey squad.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
39. Aleksander Barkov
Aleksander Barkov has been criminally underrated by many media outlets, and him being ranked as the 39th best player available is another example as to how underrated he really is. Barkov is a bonafide superstar and he always gets overlooked by the national media.
Barkov was almost a point-per-game player last year, scoring 78 points, along with 27 goals, in just 79 games played. All of those points mean more ways your fantasy team can win.
17 of Barkov’s points also came on the power play, with 5 of those being goals, so take that for what it’s worth for any of you who use special teams points as weight in your leagues.
Additionally, while not something too many fantasy owners worry about, but it’s worth mentioning that Barkov is an elite player on the defensive side of the ice, which means that he should receive more recognition for his on-ice contributions, thus raising his draft ranking.
At 39, Aleksander Barkov is definitely a steal.
72. Keith Yandle
Although 72 seems a bit high for a guy of Keith Yandle’s skillset, you can take this rating however you’d like. Yandle was one of the best defensemen in the second half of the season, putting up 31 points and finishing just one point behind league leader Shayne Gostisbehere in that stretch of the year.
The aging Keith Yandle put up 56 points this past season, which was the most since his 2010-11 campaign where he recorded 59 points. Last season was definitely a renaissance of some sort for the 31-year-old, and you may be able to expect something similar from him this season.
Yandle is a reliable point producer as a defenseman, which makes him a very good choice to fill up a spot on your defense for your fantasy hockey squad this year.
86. Jonathan Huberdeau
Still looking for a top-tier winger in the 7th-8th round of your draft? Jonathan Huberdeau is the answer to all of your prayers! The Quebec native recorded 69 points last season, which included a career high of 27 goals.
Huberdeau has been a fairly consistent player, tallying up 50 points or more in every season since 2014-15, minus his injury-riddled year in 2016-17 where he recorded 29 points in 31 games.
19 of Huberdeau’s 69 points were scored on the power play last season, which is very good news for fantasy owners as special teams points are weighted for more in some fantasy leagues.
Jonathan is definitely one of the more overlooked players in the league, and if he slips far enough, he would make for a huge addition for any fantasy team.
98. Mike Hoffman
Newly acquired left winger Mike Hoffman clocks in at 98 in the NHL’s list, which isn’t so bad for what it’s worth. Hoffman put up 56 points on a gruesome Ottawa Senators squad, and it can only get better from here for the 28-year-old.
Hoffman will have the chance to play with one of two elite centermen next season, whether it’s Aleksander Barkov or Vincent Trocheck. Ultimately, he’s going to be playing next to the best centerman he’s ever played next to in his NHL career.
Expect Hoffman’s point tally to rise from his career-high of 61, which he recorded back in 2016-17 when the Senators made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. My projection for the Canadian-born winger this year is for him to tally north of 69 points. And who’s to say he can’t playing alongside one of Barkov or Trocheck?
In my honest opinion, Hoffman’s value will be somewhere along the lines of Huberdeau’s, and you should select him if you’re in need of a forward in the 9th or 10th round of your draft.
102. Vincent Trocheck
I have one word to describe this ranking – blasphemous. There is no doubt in my mind that Vincent Trocheck is deserving of a top 50 spot in these rankings, nevertheless a top 100 spot, and he proved last season that whoever picks him this far into the draft is getting an absolute steal.
Trocheck put up 75 points last season, which went along with his team-leading 31 goals. The fact that you can get a player of his caliber in the tenth round is absolutely insane, considering he was the Florida Panthers’ only 30-goal scorer last year.
Trocheck also led the Panthers in power play points in a race that wasn’t even close, tallying 27, and edging out Jonathan Huberdeau by a whole 8 points. Trocheck also recorded 3 shorthanded goals, which was second to Aleksander Barkov’s 5.
It beats me how anyone could be this disrespectful to Vincent Trocheck, but you know what you’re getting with him this late into a draft: robbery, pure robbery!
116. Aaron Ekblad
Aaron Ekblad is the perfect defenseman to add to your roster if you’re looking for talent late in the draft. Although he’s yet to hit the 40 point plateau yet in his young career, the 22-year-old could definitely take a huge jump this season.
The 2014 first overall pick has already been an all-star twice in his young career and has the potential to do so again with the Florida Panthers this season. Ekblad has been a key part of the Panthers roster and will continue to be in the foreseeable future.
He also scored a large number of his points on the power play last season, netting 11 of his 38 while on the man advantage, making his value that much more valuable for an offensive-defenseman.
124. Roberto Luongo
As the draft continues, some teams might struggle to find a goaltender who has the starting job, which is where Roberto Luongo comes into play. Although the 39-year-old was held to 35 starts due to several stints on the IR last year, he very much still has it if he can avoid the injury bug.
Luongo went 18-11-2 with a .929 SV% and a 2.47 GAA, which are very good numbers for someone of Roberto’s age. He also recorded an additional 3 shutouts, which could give your team an extra boost.
As long as he remains healthy, Roberto Luongo could very much be a nice 2nd-3rd goaltender on any fantasy team and could be a nice pick in the 12th round of most drafts.
142. Evgeni Dadonov
Evgeni Dadonov is yet another case where a Florida Panthers player has been underrated on this list. The Russian scorer put up 28 goals, along with 65 points, and was one of the Panthers’ best players down the stretch last season.
Dadonov will likely continue to have success next season, as he’s most likely a staple on the Panthers’ first line next to superstar Aleksander Barkov. If the two are paired throughout the majority of the year, Dadonov can easily score upwards of 35 goals.
Dadonov could potentially become the biggest steal out of all of these players and could be a huge game changer that could be available in the 13th-14th round of most drafts.
Once again, another player who you can grab late in the draft who wears a Panthers uniform.
191. Nick Bjugstad
Nick Bjugstad is a player I see surprising a lot of fans this season. He had a career high of 49 points last season, which could very well rise into the 50s if he continues to play in a top-six role.
Bjugstad’s success has come in large part thanks to last year, where he moved to the wing and started playing on a line with Aleksander Barkov and Evgeni Dadonov. If the Cats choose to keep that unit together, you could see huge jumps in Bjugstad’s point total.
Big Nick was just one shy from 20 goals last season, and if he spends the entire year on that line, you could very well see his production rise to 25-30 goals in a heartbeat.
As a late-round selection in the draft, Nick Bjugstad would definitely be a nice addition to your team.
195. Mike Matheson
Sure, Mike Matheson hasn’t had the greatest point totals in his young career, but I’m projecting a breakout season of some sort for the 24-year-old defenseman.
Matheson broke his career highs last season with 10 goals and 27 points, which is pretty good for a U25 defenseman. And you can expect more from the young gun this year!
Matheson still has a lot to prove but could be a nice selection for your team, whether if it’s late in your draft or off the waiver wire later on in the year.
211. James Reimer
James Reimer is the biggest wildcard on this list, as he received the majority of the starts last season with 42. Although I don’t see him with the starting job if Lu remains healthy, Reimer is still a very good option to have.
Reimer had a record of 22-14-6 with a .913 SV% and a 2.99 GAA, along with 4 shutouts, which isn’t bad at all for what he is: a backup goaltender. However, if Luongo goes down with an injury yet again, Optimus Reim will start a lot of games this season, which gives him a chance to contribute to your fantasy team.
No matter who you choose, you can’t go wrong with any of these Florida Panthers players on your fantasy team, as a lot of them are highly underrated and could give you a good bang for your buck in the later rounds of the draft.
Vincent Trocheck is Turning into a Superstar. dark. Next