(Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)
The top forwards to draft this year, focusing on points only — there are many different sets of rules and stats categories, so we’ll just focus on the main one — are the usual group of stars.
You might find Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom to be a little high, but new Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz will keep the duo together. Ovechkin was also the victim of bad luck in terms of linemates posting weak shooting percentages last season, something that is almost impossible to repeat.
Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin is rated highly and with great variance by many pundits, but he is essentially a lock to come off the board in Round 1 of 12-team leagues.
– DRAFT TIPS: USA TODAY Sports’ Kevin Allen offers 10 helpful hints
The biggest surprise on the list is new Pittsburgh Penguin Patric Hornqvist, who will replace James Neal on the Evgeni Malkin line. If he remains healthy (and Malkin is healthy), Hornqvist will crack the 60-point barrier for the first time in his career. He could even take a healthy run at 70.
Look for bounce-back seasons from the members of the Carolina Hurricanes’ big line — Eric Staal, Alexander Semin and Jiri Tlusty were hit by injuries at different points last year. But in 2012-13, those three were gold together in the second half. Assuming they are healthy (and keep in mind Staal is coming off summer surgery for a core muscle injury), all three should give great value for where they are selected.
Some sleepers who do not appear on the list include rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington), who should finish tops in rookie scoring now that Jonathan Drouin (thumb) is injured to start the year.
Boston Bruins winger Loui Eriksson should bounce back from an injury-filled 2013-14, and Columbus Blue Jackets winger Cam Atkinson will take the next step in his development.
Top 100 fantasy hockey forwards
Rk
Player
Tm
Rk
Player
Tm
1
Sidney Crosby
PIT
51
Ryan Johansen
CBJ
2
Ryan Getzlaf
ANA
52
Derek Stepan
NYR
3
Patrick Kane
CHI
53
Jason Pominville
MIN
4
Claude Giroux
PHI
54
Nazem Kadri
TOR
5
Steven Stamkos
TBL
55
Jeff Skinner
CAR
6
Phil Kessel
TOR
56
Marian Hossa
CHI
7
Alex Ovechkin
WAS
57
Gabriel Landeskog
COL
8
John Tavares
NYI
58
James Neal
NSH
9
Taylor Hall
EDM
59
Ondrej Palat
TBL
10
Nicklas Backstrom
WAS
60
Pavel Datsyuk
DET
11
Evgeni Malkin
PIT
61
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
EDM
12
Tyler Seguin
DAL
62
David Desharnais
MON
13
Corey Perry
ANA
63
Milan Lucic
BOS
14
Joe Pavelski
SJS
64
Brad Marchand
BOS
15
Matt Duchene
COL
65
Alexander Semin
CAR
16
Jordan Eberle
EDM
66
Patrik Elias
NJD
17
Anze Kopitar
LAK
67
Jaromir Jagr
NJD
18
Chris Kunitz
PIT
68
Mats Zuccarello
NYR
19
Eric Staal
CAR
69
David Backes
STL
20
Nathan MacKinnon
COL
70
Paul Stastny
STL
21
Jamie Benn
DAL
71
Gustav Nyquist
DET
22
Henrik Sedin
VAN
72
Teddy Purcell
EDM
23
Henrik Zetterberg
DET
73
Mikko Koivu
MIN
24
Jakub Voracek
PHI
74
Rick Nash
NYR
25
Joe Thornton
SJS
75
Cody Hodgson
BUF
26
Blake Wheeler
WPG
76
Jeff Carter
LAK
27
Jonathan Toews
CHI
77
Marian Gaborik
LAK
28
Kyle Okposo
NYI
78
Mike Ribeiro
NSH
29
Martin St Louis
NYR
79
Bobby Ryan
OTT
30
Jason Spezza
DAL
80
Tyler Bozak
TOR
31
Patrick Sharp
CHI
81
Mikkel Boedker
ARI
32
Max Pacioretty
MON
82
Matt Moulson
BUF
33
James van Riemsdyk
TOR
83
Jiri Hudler
CGY
34
Thomas Vanek
MIN
84
Craig Smith
NSH
35
Andrew Ladd
WPG
85
Clarke MacArthur
OTT
36
David Krejci
BOS
86
Jaden Schwartz
STL
37
Jarome Iginla
COL
87
Vladimir Tarasenko
STL
38
Zach Parise
MIN
88
Brandon Saad
CHI
39
Logan Couture
SJS
89
Dustin Byfuglien
WPG
40
Alexander Steen
STL
90
Carl Soderberg
BOS
41
Patric Hornqvist
PIT
91
Jiri Tlusty
CAR
42
Daniel Sedin
VAN
92
Aleksander Barkov
FLA
43
Radim Vrbata
VAN
93
Mark Scheifele
WPG
44
Patrice Bergeron
BOS
94
Evander Kane
WPG
45
Kyle Turris
OTT
95
Brad Richards
CHI
46
Patrick Marleau
SJS
96
Ales Hemsky
DAL
47
Ryan O’Reilly
COL
97
Mikael Granlund
MIN
48
Wayne Simmonds
PHI
98
Sam Gagner
ARI
49
T.J. Oshie
STL
99
Johan Franzen
DET
50
Bryan Little
WPG
100
David Perron
EDM
Darryl Dobbs writes for DobberHockey.com, an affiliate of USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties