With the 2023-24 NHL about to begin, fantasy hockey managers are completing their drafts and using these final days of the preseason to identify some underrated free agents and trade targets. Fantasy hockey has become one of the best ways for fans to more fully engage with the NHL season, building and managing a team of the league’s best players while competing against friends and family for prizes or bragging rights.
The Golden Knights are heading into 2023-24 with a roster nearly identical to the one that won the Stanley Cup just a few months ago, and some intriguing fantasy hockey options emerged during the playoffs. Here’s a look at the five best Golden Knights who could help elevate your fantasy team this season.
5. Alex Pietrangelo, Defense
Despite his age, Alex Pietrangelo has shown no signs of slowing down his offensive production. The 33-year-old tied his career high in assists (43) and points (54) last season despite averaging the lowest amount of ice time he’s had since his 21-year-old season in 2010-11. His 14 power-play points were the most he’s had in his three seasons with the Golden Knights, and his 177 blocks were also a career-high.
It’s tough to determine what kind of a role he’ll play with the team this season, as Shea Theodore has quietly emerged as a fantastic offensive defenseman. While he may see less time on the top power-play unit as a result, Pietrangelo still offers some solid fantasy value and has been far too reliable over the years to pass on him in your draft.
4. Shea Theodore, Defense
Shea Theodore might be one of the most valuable fantasy defensemen who flies under the radar this season. While he’s owned in 99% of leagues, Theodore’s average draft position (ADP) on Yahoo Fantasy is 143.7, meaning that he’s typically available as late as the 11th-12th round.
For a defenseman who averaged 0.75 points per game in the regular season and tied Brandon Montour (ADP: 83.4) for second in playoff scoring from the blue line, Theodore still isn’t being considered as valuable as some of the other top four defensemen on contending teams around the league.
The best guess as to why he’s dropped so far in fantasy rankings is the uncertainty of his deployment. The top power play spot has belonged to Pietrangelo over the past three seasons, and coming off of a Stanley Cup win, it’s tough to justify taking him off that unit. However, the team’s power play struggled in the regular season (20.3%, 18th in NHL), so head coach Bruce Cassidy might want to make some changes.
3. Jonathan Marchessault, Right Wing
Jonathan Marchessault has been one of the Golden Knights’ most reliable offensive weapons since he joined the team six seasons ago, but his 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff performance was the best we’ve ever seen from him. Not only did he tie Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl in goals in the playoffs with 13, but he also led the league in even-strength scoring, with 19 of his 25 points coming at 5-on-5.
Related: Over/Under on Golden Knights’ Player Projections by ESPN
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That is why he was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as Playoff MVP, making his fantasy value heading into this season the highest it has ever been. Playing on the Golden Knights’ top line with Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel while also being the team’s leading power-play goal scorer (9) and point producer (16) last season, Marchessault could be a great late-round selection in fantasy drafts with his 30-40 goal potential.
2. Ivan Barbashev, Left Wing
Of anyone on this list, Barbashev could end up having the highest fantasy value in overall category coverage. He broke out in 2021–22 with 26 goals and 60 points with the St. Louis Blues despite spending most of the season in a secondary role. After joining the Golden Knights on Feb. 26, he scored 13 goals and 34 points in 45 combined regular season and playoff games on the top line with Marchessault and Eichel.
In fantasy leagues that count peripheral stats like shots and hits, Barbashev has you covered as well, as he finished the 2022-23 season with 126 hits and 182 hits between the Blues and Golden Knights. It’s rare to see a top-line winger on a championship team who’s being drafted in less than 30% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, making Barbashev one of the best sleeper picks heading into this season.
1. Jack Eichel, Center
If you were going to pick the Golden Knights’ 2022-23 MVP, including the regular season and playoffs, it’s hard to find a better candidate than Eichel. He led the team in scoring, averaging almost a point per game during the regular season (66 points in 67 games), and followed it up with one of the best playoff debuts in NHL history, recording 26 points in 22 games while also leading the team with eight power-play points.
This is exactly the type of production that the Golden Knights envisioned when they made the blockbuster deal to acquire him from the Buffalo Sabres in 2021, and there’s a chance we see Eichel push for 100 points for the first time in his career if he remains healthy this season.
Golden Knights’ Fantasy Outlook
There are still solid fantasy options who were left off this list, like Mark Stone and William Karlsson, although Stone’s health has become too much of a concern to be considered a top fantasy option for a full regular season. Even Adin Hill and Logan Thompson are both good bets for fantasy managers who want safe options for goalie wins, based on how strong of a regular season they both had in 2022-23.
The Golden Knights speed out their talent throughout the lineup, so it can be tough to find high-end fantasy players worth drafting early. Ice time is evenly distributed, and their best players are split between each line rather than stacked in the top six, so the system they play in doesn’t necessarily produce great fantasy value. However, Vegas’ regular season success will largely rely on these five players, and if you believe in the team, you should believe in these five.
