Your fantasy hockey draft is closer than you think. The 2026-27 NHL season drops the puck on September 29 — the earliest season opener since 2007-08 — and if you haven’t started your preparation yet, you are already behind. Fortunately, Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff has done the heavy lifting. Published on August 18, 2026, his annual Top 300 Fantasy Hockey Player Rankings is the most meticulously researched, most widely consulted draft resource in the game. This is not a list you skim. This is a list you study.
Here is a deep breakdown of everything Larkin got right, the calls that will make your league jealous, and the strategic framework behind his most provocative decisions — from a 20-year-old center ranked third overall to a defenseman with 74 assists who might be the most underappreciated first-round pick in fantasy hockey history.
The Historical Backdrop: Why This Season Feels Different
The 2025-26 NHL season delivered one of the most dramatic storylines in recent memory. The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup on June 14, 2026, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights four games to two. Their captain, Jordan Staal, won the Conn Smythe Trophy at age 37 — the oldest winner in NHL history — capping a playoff run in which Carolina went an astonishing 16-3. Vegas, for their part, swept the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, one of the great upsets in modern playoff history. The Avalanche, who finished 55-16-11 with 121 points — the best record in the NHL — were gone in four games.
These results matter for fantasy purposes. Championship context reshapes roster construction. It reshuffles team narratives. And for 2026-27, it sets the stage for one of the most compelling fantasy drafts in years.
The Top 10: A Masterclass in Positional Value
#1 — Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche
Larkin’s decision to rank MacKinnon first overall over Connor McDavid is not reckless — it is intellectually honest. MacKinnon won the Rocket Richard Trophy with 53 goals in 2025-26, posted 127 points in 80 games, and has now eclipsed 111 points in four consecutive seasons. He has led the NHL in shots for three straight years. In leagues that count goals and shots, this is a cheat code.
As Larkin puts it: “At least 111 points in four straight seasons. Has led the league in shots three straight seasons. Reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner to boot. The only question is whether he should be pick No. 1 or pick No. 2.” The answer, for Larkin, is clear.
#2 — Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
McDavid posted 138 points in 82 games in 2025-26 — 48 goals and 90 assists — making him the most reliable point accumulator in NHL history. The reason he lands at #2 rather than #1 is nuance: McDavid is not always a 40-goal scorer, and his shot volume trails MacKinnon. In a standard league, you cannot go wrong with either man first overall. The debate is a privilege.
#3 — Macklin Celebrini, C, San Jose Sharks (Age 20)
Here is where Larkin’s rankings become genuinely exciting. Placing Celebrini third overall is an aggressive call. ESPN and NHL.com both have him fourth. But the case for #3 is overwhelming once you examine the numbers.
Celebrini posted 45 goals, 70 assists, and 115 points in 82 games in 2025-26 — a Sharks franchise record. He did this at 20 years old, joining Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby as the only players aged 20 or younger in NHL history to finish in the top five of a season’s scoring race. He has now accumulated 70 goals and 178 points in just 152 career games. He just signed a five-year, $94 million extension at $18.8 million per year — the richest contract in NHL history — becoming the league’s highest-paid player when it kicks in for 2027-28.
He is 20 years old. He is not slowing down. Larkin ranking him third is not a hot take. It is pattern recognition.
#4 — Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Kucherov posted 130 points in 76 games (44 goals, 86 assists) and won the Hart Trophy in 2025-26. He has produced 100 or more points in four straight seasons. The only caveat Larkin raises: declining shots per 60 minutes. In shot-heavy leagues, his ceiling is capped. In standard formats, he is a foundational pick.
#5 — Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers
Draisaitl’s four-year streak of 100-plus-point seasons ended in 2025-26 when he was limited to 65 games and finished with 97 points. Larkin projects a full return to 100-plus in 2026-27, but the injury history demands a modest discount. He remains an elite asset alongside McDavid and Evan Bouchard on one of hockey’s most dangerous power plays.
#6 — David Pastrnak, RW, Boston Bruins
Pastrnak posted 71 assists for 100 points in 2025-26. Larkin sees a goal-scoring bounce-back as the most probable 2026-27 outcome — a confident projection for Boston’s unquestioned offensive centerpiece.
#7 — Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
The best offensive defenseman alive finished with 79 points in 75 games (20 goals, 59 assists). Larkin’s positioning of Makar as the seventh overall pick — ahead of multiple elite forwards — is a philosophical statement: in 2026-27, the very best defensemen are not positional picks. They are simply top-tier fantasy players.
#8 — Kirill Kaprizov, LW, Minnesota Wild
Kaprizov’s 45-goal, 89-point season in 78 games cements him as one of the most reliable goal scorers in fantasy. The Minnesota Wild’s first-round upset of Dallas in 2026 signals a program ascending toward genuine contention. Kaprizov belongs in every first round.
#9 — Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
Bouchard is the most important name in this year’s rankings conversation. His 95-point season (21 goals, 74 assists in 82 games) was outstanding — his 74 assists tied for 3rd in the entire NHL, tied with Nathan MacKinnon and behind only McDavid and Kucherov. Larkin calls him “the new defenseman power move” for first-round drafters. He is #9 overall. Treat him accordingly.
#10 — Martin Necas, RW, Colorado Avalanche
Necas had never exceeded 71 points in a season before arriving in Colorado. He just posted 100 points in 78 games. Larkin credits the MacKinnon linemate effect — a phenomenon so demonstrably real at this point that it functions as an independent variable in any fantasy calculation involving Colorado’s top unit. Necas at #10 is not blind faith. It is evidence-based trust.
The Elite Defenseman Revolution
One of the defining themes of Larkin’s 2026-27 rankings is the elevation of defensemen into legitimate first- and second-round picks. Makar at #7 and Bouchard at #9 are not positional curiosities. They are elite fantasy assets who happen to play on the blue line.
The conversation extends deeper. Zach Werenski of Columbus comes in at #11, dominating shots and power play points. Lane Hutson of Montreal checks in at #15 after posting 66 assists from the blue line in his third NHL season — a staggering number for any player, let alone a defenseman. Quinn Hughes, now in Minnesota after a blockbuster trade from Vancouver, is #16 after contributing 69 assists across both teams in 2025-26 (21 with Vancouver before the December 12 trade, and 48 with Minnesota after).
Then there is Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders at #34. As a rookie in 2025-26, Schaefer posted 23 goals, 36 assists, and 59 points in 82 games — setting the NHL record outright for goals by a rookie defenseman. Larkin calls him “a monster” with legitimate 70-point upside in Year 2. The defenseman position has never been this deep at the top of a fantasy draft.
The Goalie Landscape: Logan Thompson Leads the Way
Fantasy managers who treat goaltending as an afterthought do so at their own peril, and Matt Larkin makes certain you understand the stakes. His top netminder for 2026-27 is Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals, ranked #35 overall — a position that declares him not merely a top goalie but a legitimate early-round pick by any standard.
Thompson posted 31 wins, a .912 save percentage, and a 2.44 GAA in 58 games in 2025-26. Larkin’s argument for his supremacy rests on trajectory and team context: Washington acquired Jordan Kyrou via trade and added Alex Tuch — who signed an 8-year, $84 million deal ($10.5M AAV) with Buffalo before being traded to Washington — bringing even more firepower to an already formidable lineup. With Alex Ovechkin, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson, Ryan Leonard, and now Kyrou and Tuch in front of him, Thompson could be the #1 fantasy goalie overall when 2026-27 is complete.
Other notable goalie rankings: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL, #13) won 39 games last season and remains a perennial top-5 netminder. Scott Wedgewood of Colorado deserves enormous respect — his .921 save percentage and 2.02 GAA were the best statistical season among qualifying starters, backed by the NHL’s best team. Jake Oettinger of Dallas quietly posted 35 wins in only 54 games. Larkin is notably cautious on Jeremy Swayman of Boston despite his strong individual numbers, citing concerns about the Bruins’ defensive depth.
Two sleepers worth monitoring: Jesper Wallstedt in Minnesota posted a .916 save percentage in 35 games on a Wild team that is now a bonafide contender. Brandon Bussi won 31 games on the Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes and should retain his starter status in 2026-27.
The Big Stories: Trades, Reunions, and Breakouts
The Tkachuk Brothers Reunion
Ottawa sent Brady Tkachuk to Florida for three first-round picks and one second-round pick — a haul that reflects Ottawa’s rebuild and Florida’s win-now mentality. Brady checks in at #22 in Larkin’s rankings. The reunion of Brady and Matthew Tkachuk in the same locker room, on the same power play, alongside Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, is one of the most compelling fantasy storylines of the 2026-27 season.
The Montreal Wave
The Montreal Canadiens are no longer a rebuilding curiosity. They reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2026, and their young core is producing at a rate that demands first- and second-round attention. Lane Hutson (#15), Nick Suzuki (#17, 101 points in 82 games), Cole Caufield (#19, 51 goals in 2025-26), and Juraj Slafkovsky (#27) form one of the most exciting young fantasy cores in the NHL. Ivan Demidov, locked up on an eight-year extension at $9.15 million per year, adds another dimension to a roster that is only getting stronger.
The Celebrini Linemate Sleepers
Larkin identifies two late-round profit plays hiding in the San Jose Sharks’ depth chart. Mason Marchment (#182) and Igor Chernyshov (#231) are the beneficiaries of skating alongside Celebrini, and both carry bust-out potential if they remain on his line. Chernyshov in particular draws a pointed recommendation: “Casual drafters will overlook him.” That is Larkin’s way of telling you not to be a casual drafter.
Philip Broberg’s Conditional Value
Ranked #245, St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg is one of the most intriguing conditional picks in the pool. Larkin explicitly states that if Broberg secures power play unit one work to open the season, he would jump him 50 spots. That is actionable preseason intelligence. Monitor training camp reports closely.
Landmines to Avoid
Larkin does not pull punches when it comes to cautionary flags. He issues a blanket plus-minus disclaimer for the entire Vancouver Canucks roster following Quinn Hughes’ departure to Minnesota. Filip Hronek (#212) will play significant minutes but carries genuine systemic risk in leagues where plus-minus matters.
Nazem Kadri (#148) receives one of the more blunt assessments in the entire piece: “The decline years are here.” Artturi Lehkonen (#147) earns a similar tempered view — he has never exceeded 27 goals or 51 points and rarely plays a full season despite playing alongside MacKinnon in Colorado. And while Alex Ovechkin (#94) is still worth drafting in the 90s entering his age-41 season — Larkin projects 30 goals primarily through power play deployment — expect the injury calculus to intensify with every passing month.
Key Draft Strategy Takeaways
- Take MacKinnon or McDavid first, and do not overthink it. Both are defensible. Larkin prefers MacKinnon for goal and shot leagues, McDavid for pure point volume leagues.
- Do not fade Celebrini at #3. He is 20 years old with 178 career points, the richest contract in NHL history, and no discernible ceiling in sight. The only question is how high his floor truly is.
- Draft elite defensemen early. Makar at #7 and Bouchard at #9 are not positional reaches — they are the correct picks. The era of waiting on defensemen is over.
- Prioritize Logan Thompson at goalie. He is the most likely candidate to finish as the #1 fantasy netminder in the NHL in 2026-27, and he can be had in the third or fourth round in most formats.
- Ride the Colorado Avalanche wave. MacKinnon, Makar, Necas, and Wedgewood all carry first- or second-round value. The Avalanche had the best record in hockey last season and will be motivated after their stunning playoff exit.
- Monitor preseason line combinations obsessively. The September 29 season opener means training camps open in mid-September, and the window for intelligence gathering before drafts close is tighter than any year in recent memory.
- Do not panic on Draisaitl. He missed 17 games last season and fell short of 100 points for the first time since 2020-21. He is still Leon Draisaitl. He is still #5 overall. Price in the risk but do not punish him beyond #5-7.
The Bottom Line
Matt Larkin’s 2026-27 Top 300 is not simply a ranked list. It is a comprehensive argument about how to think about fantasy hockey in an era when defensemen can post 95 points, a 20-year-old center is the most expensive player in the sport, and the defending Stanley Cup champions won a championship on the back of a 37-year-old captain playing the best defensive hockey of his career.
The season starts September 29. Training camps open in weeks. The gap between managers who prepare and managers who wing it has never been wider. Start with this list. Absorb it. Argue with it. Then draft accordingly.
The full rankings are available now at dailyfaceoff.com. Larkin’s companion piece, The Five Most Improved NHL Teams Heading into 2026-27, published the same day, is essential reading alongside the rankings — particularly if you want to understand why the Washington Capitals may be the most underrated fantasy destination heading into the new season.
The puck drops September 29. Your draft should not wait a day longer.