Fantasy hockey top 10 rookie rankings

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NOTES: The players on this list are eligible for the Calder Trophy; any other first-year players who are at least 26 years old (e.g. Andrei Kuzmenko) have been excluded from this list. These picks are a collaborative effort by Pete Jensen and Anna Dua; there are separate top 10 lists for sleepers, deep sleepers, breakouts, bounce-backs and draft bargains. Yahoo Fantasy average draft position (ADP) figures are listed below; players are listed in order of NHL.com fantasy rank.

1. Matty Beniers, C, SEA
No. 2 pick in 2021 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: 159.6

He had nine points (three goals, six assists), four on the power play, in his first 10 NHL games for the Seattle Kraken last season and could play on the top line with at least one valuable wing in Andre Burakovsky (signed in free agency; won Stanley Cup with Colorado Avalanche last season) and/or Oliver Bjorkstrand (acquired from Columbus Blue Jackets) after their career years. Beniers is the top fantasy rookie in NHL.com's rankings and is worth targeting anytime outside the top 100 overall.

2. Mason McTavish, LW, ANA
No. 3 pick in 2021 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: 164.4

He had three points (two goals, one assist), one on the power play, in nine NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks last season and led the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship with 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in seven games to help Canada win the gold medal. McTavish, with a chance to slot into Anaheim's top six and potentially bring exposure to valuable forwards Trevor Zegras and/or Troy Terry on the first line, should be considered a top 150 overall fantasy player and fringe top 30 left wing.

3. Owen Power, D, BUF
No. 1 pick in 2021 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: 111.8

He had three points (two goals, one assist) and was plus-3 in eight NHL games for the Buffalo Sabres last season and is expected to start on the second pair and see power-play time in his first full season. Power, who was nearly a point-per-game player (32 points in 33 games) at University of Michigan last season, has an outside chance to land on the first power play with fellow keeper-league assets in defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, forwards Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson and should be considered a top 30 fantasy option at his position.

4. Jake Sanderson, D, OTT
No. 5 pick in 2020 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: 144.7

He has yet to make his NHL debut with the Ottawa Senators because of a hand injury he dealt with last season but could make a smooth transition after they acquired elite wing Alex DeBrincat (from Chicago Blackhawks), goalie Cam Talbot (from Minnesota Wild) and signed valuable forward Claude Giroux. Sanderson, who combined for 41 points in 45 games in two seasons at University of North Dakota (including 26 points in 23 games last season), should be considered a top 35 fantasy defenseman option.

5. Logan Thompson, G, VGK
Undrafted
Fantasy ADP: 118.8

He was 10-5-3 with a .914 save percentage (tied for 17th in NHL; minimum 15 games) and one shutout in 19 games for the Vegas Golden Knights last season. With Robin Lehner (hip surgery) expected to be out for the season, Thompson should be considered the Vegas starter over Laurent Brossoit and be viewed as a fringe top 20 fantasy goalie option.

6. Kent Johnson, LW, CBJ
No. 5 pick in 2021 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: N/A

He also played for Canada at the 2022 World Junior Championship and was tied for sixth in the tournament with nine points (three goals, six assists) in seven games. Johnson, who was better than a point per game in two seasons at University of Michigan (64 points in 58 games), had three assists and was plus-2 in nine NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season and is a fringe top 50 option in most keeper and dynasty leagues with a chance to play in the top six and/or on the power play with potential exposure to elite forwards Johnny Gaudreau and/or Patrik Laine.

7. Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, MTL
No. 1 pick in 2022 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: 174.5

It's unclear if Slafkovsky will play in the NHL this season but he could have a high fantasy ceiling if he ends up eventually playing on the top line with valuable forwards Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield or second unit with center Kirby Dach (acquired from Blackhawks during 2022 NHL Draft after Montreal selected Slafkovsky). Slafkovsky scored seven goals in seven games for Slovakia at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games last season in Liiga, Finland's top professional league.

8. Cole Perfetti, C/RW, WPG
No. 10 pick in 2020 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: 176.4

He had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets last season and could slot into the top six with a valuable center in either Mark Scheifele or Pierre-Luc Dubois and a high-scoring wing in either Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers or Blake Wheeler. Perfetti has a ceiling of being the NHL's most valuable rookie if he thrives under new coach Rick Bowness, who maximized the production of Dallas Stars wing Jason Robertson (124 points in first 125 NHL games) over the past two seasons.

9. Alexander Holtz, RW, NJD
No. 7 pick in 2020 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: N/A

He had two assists and 12 shots on goal in nine games with the New Jersey Devils last season and nearly a point per game for Utica of the American Hockey League (51 points in 52 games). Holtz is a potential sleeper rookie considering he's seen time on the top line with valuable forwards Jack Hughes and Ondrej Palat (acquired from Tampa Bay Lightning; coming off best postseason of NHL career with 21 points in 23 games) this preseason.

10. Dylan Holloway, C, EDM
No. 14 pick in 2020 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: N/A

The Edmonton Oilers forward has a high ceiling in this year's rookie class with potential exposure to at least one elite forward in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl or Evander Kane if he earns a top-six role. Holloway has been a preseason standout with six points (four goals, two assists) in his first four games after being productive in the American Hockey League last season (26 points in 38 games, regular season and playoffs combined).

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Other rookies to consider in fantasy:

11. Simon Edvinsson, D, DET
No. 6 pick in 2021 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: 176.2

He has yet to make his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings but should benefit from them acquiring goalie Ville Husso (from St. Louis Blues) and signing forwards David Perron and Andrew Copp. In a best-case scenario, Edvinsson (left shot) would play on the top pair with reigning Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider (right shot) and should be considered a top 50 fantasy defenseman after his success in the Swedish Hockey League (19 points in 44 games last season).

12. William Eklund, LW, SJS
No. 7 pick in 2021 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: N/A

He had four assists, three on the power play, in nine NHL games last season before gaining more professional experience in the Swedish Hockey League and could be a fantasy rookie sleeper if he lands in the San Jose Sharks' top six with a productive center in either Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture and on the first power play with elite wing Timo Meier and defenseman bounce-back candidate Erik Karlsson and under new coach David Quinn.

13. Calen Addison, D, MIN
No. 53 pick in 2018 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: N/A

14. Marco Rossi, C, MIN
No. 9 pick in 2020 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: N/A

15. Shane Wright, C, SEA
No. 4 pick in 2022 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: 168.5

16. Jack Quinn, RW, BUF
No. 8 pick in 2020 NHL Draft
Fantasy ADP: N/A

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