After absolutely dominating at the left wing position in recent years, Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin was forced to settle for the No. 2 rank in fantasy hockey leagues last season. Ovechkin still produced at a high level but a minor regression resulted in him being held off of the No. 1 spot. We ranked the top players at each position based on the standard fantasy hockey league categories including goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, powerplay points, shorthanded points and shots on goal. Here is a look at the top-five left wingers in NHL fantasy leagues from the 2016-17 season.
Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
After registering a career-high 61 points in 2015-16, Marchand took his game to another level last year when he recorded a career-high 85 points in 80 games. The diminutive winger scored 39 goals and added 46 assists while registering a plus-18 rating. He continued to deliver from a physical perspective and he finished with 81 penalty minutes. Meanwhile, a big reason for Marchand’s bump in point production was his increased exposure to the man advantage as he finished with 24 power play points. Marchand is still just 29-years-old so he should remain at or near the top of this list for as long as he maintains his physical edge and power play production.
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
The years in which Ovechkin was scoring more than 50 goals and recording more than 100 points are now in the rear view mirror. Ovechkin will turn 32-years-old and his point production has seen a steady decline over the past three years. However, Ovechkin was still good enough to rank second among left wingers in standard NHL fantasy leagues. He scored 33 goals and finished with 69 points along with a plus-six rating. His 313 shots on goal was 85 fewer than he recorded the previous season but still enough to rank No. 1 at his position in that category. He also recorded at least 50 penalty minutes for the third straight season. Ovechkin might not be the superstar he was when he first entered the NHL but he is still among the best fantasy assets in the game at his position.
There are some rumors that the Capitals may try to move Ovechkin. For whatever reason, the team hasn’t been able to find playoff success with him. We’ll see if anything goes down in the offseason but a change of scenery could boost his NHL fantasy value.
Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens
Pacioretty struggled mightily in the playoffs and his lack of scoring was a big reason why the club was eliminated in the first round. However, despite his lack of consistency Pacioretty was still the third-ranked left winger in standard NHL fantasy leagues last season. Pacioretty scored 35 goals and finished with 67 points while registering a plus-15 rating. His value was definitely higher in leagues that count shots on goal as his 268 SOG was the third-most at his position. If Pacioretty can become a more efficient shooter and improve on the 13 power play points he recorded last season then he could find himself on this list again next season.
Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild
After years of flirting with his immense potential, Granlund finally delivered in 2016-17 when he recorded a career-high 69 points in 81 games for the Wild. Granlund didn’t shoot the puck nearly as much as the other names on this list as he finished with just 177 shots on goal. However, he was extremely efficient as he scored 26 goals and finished with a plus-23 rating in addition to his 20 power play points. At just 25-years-old, Granlund has the talent to remain on this list for years to come following his breakout season.
Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators
Granlund and Hoffman were so good in 2016-17 that they actually bumped Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars and Artemi Panarin of the Chicago Blackhawks off of this list. Hoffman scored 26 goals and added 35 assists while registering a plus-17 rating. He also contributed 51 penalty minutes and 26 power play points to improve his overall value in standard fantasy hockey leagues. Hoffman finished the year with 224 shots on goal. As long as he continues to shoot the puck and maintain his efficiency on the power play, Hoffman will contend for a spot on this list for years to come.
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