Fantasy hockey awards for 2017-18 season

With the 2017-18 regular season and 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs behind us, NHL.com's fantasy staff reflects on the players that have defined the landscape -- for better or worse.

Fantasy writers Pete Jensen, Rob Reese, David Satriano and James Harding selected their most-valuable players at each position based on standard category coverage at the end of the regular season. Each writer has also provided early bounce-back and sleeper targets for next season, as well as standouts from the 2018 postseason.
FANTASY COVERAGE:
Top 250
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100 'F'
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50 'D'
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25 'G'
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Team power ranks
Impact of Hoffman trade
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Galchenyuk-Domi
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Coaching changes
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Cheat sheet

Pete Jensen, NHL.com Senior Fantasy Editor (@NHLJensen)

Fantasy MVP: Nathan MacKinnon, COL (runner-up: Connor Hellebuyck, WPG)
Center MVP:Nathan MacKinnon, COL (runner-up: Evgeni Malkin, PIT)
Left Wing MVP: Taylor Hall, NJD (runner-up: Brad Marchand, BOS)
Right Wing MVP: Nikita Kucherov, TBL (runner-up: Blake Wheeler, WPG)
Defenseman MVP: Dustin Byfuglien, WPG (runner-up: Victor Hedman, TBL)
Goalie MVP:Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (runner-up: Pekka Rinne, NSH)
Standout rookie:Mathew Barzal, NYI (runner-up: Clayton Keller, ARI)
Biggest surprise:William Karlsson, VGK (runner-up: Dustin Brown, LAK)
Biggest underachiever: Carey Price, MTL (runner-up: Duncan Keith, CHI)
Bounce-back candidate: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI (runner-up: Jack Eichel, BUF)
Sleeper for 2018-19:Pavel Buchnevich, NYR (runner-up: Timo Meier, SJS)
Fantasy MVP of 2018 playoffs: Evgeny Kuznetsov, WSH
Playoff MVP (not from Stanley Cup Final): David Pastrnak, BOS
More likely to draft after playoffs: Pierre-Luc Dubois, CBJ
Biggest surprise of playoffs: Lars Eller, WSH

Rob Reese, NHL.com Fantasy Editor (@NHLReese)

Fantasy MVP: Nathan MacKinnon, COL (runner-up: Taylor Hall, NJD)
Center MVP: Nathan MacKinnon, COL (runner-up: Evgeni Malkin, PIT)
Left Wing MVP: Taylor Hall, NJD (runner-up: Alex Ovechkin, WSH)
Right Wing MVP: Nikita Kucherov, TBL (runner-up: Phil Kessel, PIT)
Defenseman MVP: Victor Hedman, TBL (runner-up: John Carlson, WSH)
Goalie MVP: Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (runner-up: Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK)
Standout rookie: Mathew Barzal, NYI (runner-up: Brock Boeser, VAN)
Biggest surprise: William Karlsson, VGK (runner-up: Jonathan Marchessault, VGK)
Biggest underachiever: Carey Price, MTL (runner-up: Braden Holtby, WSH)
Bounce-back candidate: Braden Holtby, WSH (runner-up: Wayne Simmonds, PHI)
Sleeper for 2018-19:Eeli Tolvanen, NSH (runner-up: Valentin Zykov, CAR)
Fantasy MVP of 2018 playoffs: Alex Ovechkin, WSH
Playoff MVP (not from Stanley Cup Final): Mark Scheifele, WPG
More likely to draft after playoffs: Tom Wilson, WSH
Biggest surprise of playoffs: Devante Smith-Pelly, WSH

David Satriano, NHL.com Staff Writer (@davidsatriano)

Fantasy MVP: Evgeni Malkin, PIT (runner-up: Nathan MacKinnon, COL)
Center MVP: Evgeni Malkin, PIT (runner-up: Connor McDavid, EDM)
Left Wing MVP: Taylor Hall, NJD (runner-up: Brad Marchand, BOS)
Right Wing MVP: Nikita Kucherov, TBL (runner-up: Blake Wheeler, WPG)
Defenseman MVP: Victor Hedman, TBL (runner-up: P.K. Subban, NSH)
Goalie MVP: Pekka Rinne, NSH (runner-up: Connor Hellebuyck, WPG)
Standout rookie: Mathew Barzal, NYI (runner-up: Brock Boeser, VAN)
Biggest surprise: William Karlsson, VGK (runner-up: Sean Couturier, PHI)
Biggest underachiever: Carey Price, MTL (runner-up: Duncan Keith, CHI)
Bounce-back candidate: Max Pacioretty, MTL (runner-up: Justin Schultz, PIT)
Sleeper for 2018-19: Casey Mittelstadt, BUF (runner-up: Thomas Chabot, OTT)
Fantasy MVP of 2018 playoffs: Evgeny Kuznetsov, WSH
Playoff MVP (not from Stanley Cup Final): Mark Scheifele, WPG
More likely to draft after playoffs: David Pastrnak, BOS
Biggest surprise of playoffs: T.J. Oshie, WSH

James Harding, NHL.com Fantasy Correspondent (@JHarding\_Hockey)

Fantasy MVP: Nikita Kucherov, TBL (runner-up: Evgeni Malkin, PIT)
Center MVP: Evgeni Malkin, PIT (runner-up:Nathan MacKinnon, COL)
Left Wing MVP: Taylor Hall, NJD (runner-up: Claude Giroux, PHI)
Right Wing MVP: Nikita Kucherov, TBL (runner-up: Phil Kessel, PIT)
Defenseman MVP: John Carlson, WSH (runner-up: Victor Hedman, TBL)
Goalie MVP: Pekka Rinne, NSH (runner-up: Connor Hellebuyck, WPG)
Standout rookie:Mathew Barzal, NYI (runner-up: Clayton Keller, ARI)
Biggest surprise: William Karlsson, VGK (runner-up: Taylor Hall, NJD)
Biggest underachiever: Carey Price, MTL (runner-up: Braden Holtby, WSH)
Bounce-back candidate: Erik Karlsson, OTT (runner-up: Alex Galchenyuk, ARI)
Sleeper for 2018-19:Owen Tippett, FLA (runner-up: Shea Theodore, VGK)
Fantasy MVP of 2018 playoffs: Alex Ovechkin, WSH
Playoff MVP (not from Stanley Cup Final): Jake Guentzel, PIT
More likely to draft after playoffs: Reilly Smith, VGK
Biggest surprise of playoffs: Tom Wilson, WSH