Crafted specifically for fantasy hockey enthusiasts, these rankings prioritize pure offensive upside above all else.
No goalies here. While netminders are crucial to NHL success, their fantasy potential remains notoriously unpredictable, even a decade into the analytics revolution. We’re leaving them out entirely.
The philosophy here mirrors what my former THW colleague Josh Deitell articulated years ago about the fundamental difference between NHL and fantasy drafts:
Grit, work ethic, defensive-zone play, and character: all crucial factors that NHL teams weigh heavily on draft day but largely irrelevant for fantasy purposes.
Yes, you want players who’ll actually reach the NHL and produce, so bust potential matters—especially when evaluating European prospects who might take years to come over or never make the jump at all. But offensive ceiling is paramount.
You’ll notice smaller forwards and defensemen climbing higher here than in our official Final Rankings. I’ve injected some real-world considerations—if I ranked purely on offensive talent in a vacuum, some of these undersized players would sit even higher. I’ve also factored in that certain well-rounded prospects may earn more ice time due to their complete games, which can translate to greater fantasy production.
For those playing simulation leagues where defensive metrics and goalie prospects carry significant weight, you may want to stick with the standard draft rankings.
*The “FH” column below is our “Fantasy Hockey” ranking for the prospect. We’ve left in our final ranking in the, you guessed it, “Rank” column. The “UH” column was our direct link to our in-depth prospect profile – these are not hyperlinked below but can be found on our dedicated 2025 prospect profiles page at Upside Hockey.
