While the left wing position has had the biggest disparity in terms of the preseason rankings compared to the first few weeks of the year, the right wing position has been pretty reliable. Patrick Kane, Joe Pavelski, Nikita Kucherov and Corey Perry each rank among the top five fantasy players at the position after they were ranked there in the preseason but there is at least one surprise on the right wing so far. Here is a look at the top five fantasy right wingers so far this NHL season.
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
After leading the NHL with 106 points in 82 games last season, Kane has picked up from where he left off above a point per game pace out of the gate this year. Kane has five goals and 17 points through his first 14 games and he is a plus-nine with four powerplay points. Kane has also been a steady shots producer with 47 shots on goal with a decent 12 penalty minutes so far. Kane might not keep up his current rate in terms of penalty minutes but there might not be a more reliable scorer in the NHL right now than the top-ranked right winger in fantasy hockey leagues.
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
The biggest early season surprise is the second-ranked right winger so far in Pastrnak, who has nine goals and 13 points through just 11 games. Pastrnak missed a couple of games early on but wasted little time making up for it with an outstanding pace to start the season. His plus-11 rating and 40 shots on goal make him that much more valuable and he has seen an increase in powerplay minutes, which has resulted in four powerplay points. Pastrnak will be given every opportunity to produce by a Boston team that needs help up front so there is a very good chance he can continue to produce at a high level.
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
A pair of four-point performances elevated Kucherov to among the leaders at his position with four goals and 15 points through ? games. Kucherov’s stock gets a boost because of the fact that he has been a specialist with the extra man as he is up to seven powerplay points already. Kucherov’s goal total is a little low in comparison with his overall points but he will have plenty of chances to score on the top line in Tampa Bay with Steven Stamkos. Kucherov leads the Lightning with 15 points and he is the third-ranked player at the right wing position so far. The Lightning have been one of the stronger offensive teams so far this season as they currently rank third in the Eastern Conference in goals scored (45). Given their offensive weapons, they should be able to keep that up all season long.
Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
Perry wasted little time bouncing back from a slow start and he has made up some ground with 13 points in 14 games to keep himself in the conversation as one of the top players at this position. Perry has always been a quality source for penalty minutes as well and his 14 PIM’s to date make him that much more valuable. Perry has also shot the puck well with 40 shots on goal so far and as long as he continues to put pucks on net his fantasy value will continue to climb.
Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks
Pavelski has been a model of consistency for the Sharks over the years and that has certainly been the case again early this season as he leads the team with 13 points in 13 games. Pavelski has averaged close to 40 goals per season over the last three years so the fact that he has four goals and nine assists could be a good sign of things to come sine his goals to assist margin usually isn’t as dramatic as it is right now. Pavelski’s stock will benefit from his role on San Jose’s powerplay where he has registered five points so far. He is already the fifth-ranked fantasy player at his position but there is still the potential for him to climb higher on this list as the season continues on.
