Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid lead 2026 ranking...

1hESPN Fantasy

12dVictoria Matiash

97dVictoria Matiash

105dSean Allen

ESPN FantasyJul 9, 2026, 12:09 PM ET

We've had a few weeks to digest the Brandon Bussi and the Carolina Hurricanes raising the Stanley Cup over their heads, Gavin McKenna going first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, and seeing many of the league's best change teams this offseason. Now it's time to think about what comes next, like where every player fits into your fantasy hockey strategy.

The top of the rankings should look familiar from where we left off, with Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Hart Trophy-winner Nikita Kucherov leading the pack. Norris Trophy-winner Zach Werenski leads all defenseman and Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is the top-ranked goalie.

These rankings are based on the ESPN Fantasy standard game (for skaters: goals = 2 points, assists = 1 point, shots and hits = 0.1 points, blocked shots and special-teams points = 0.5 points; for goaltenders: wins = 4 points, OT losses = 1 point, shutouts = 3 points, saves = 0.2 points, goals against = -2 points).

Top 250 players for 2026

1. Nathan MacKinnon, COL (C1)

2. Connor McDavid, EDM (C2)

3. Nikita Kucherov, TB (RW1)

4. Macklin Celebrini, SJ (C3)

5. Jason Robertson, DAL (LW1)

6. David Pastrnak, BOS (RW2)

7. Matt Boldy, MIN (LW2)

8. Auston Matthews, TOR (C4)

9. Zach Werenski, CBJ (D1)

10. Filip Forsberg, NSH (RW3)

11. Cole Caufield, MTL (RW4)

12. Brady Tkachuk, FLA (LW3)

13. Leon Draisaitl, EDM (C5)

14. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB (G1)

15. Alex DeBrincat, DET (RW5)

16. Cale Makar, COL (D2)

17. Evan Bouchard, EDM (D3)

18. Kyle Connor, WPG (LW4)

19. Alex Tuch, WSH (RW6)

20. Tage Thompson, BUF (C6)

21. Jake Guentzel, TB (LW5)

22. Kirill Kaprizov, MIN (LW6)

23. Nick Suzuki, MTL (C7)

24. Jack Eichel, VGK (C8)

25. Moritz Seider, DET (D4)

26. Wyatt Johnston, DAL (C9)

27. Matthew Tkachuk, FLA (LW7)

28. Mika Zibanejad, NYR (C10)

29. Artemi Panarin, LA (LW8)

30. Zach Hyman, EDM (RW7)

31. Martin Necas, COL (C11)

32. Noah Dobson, MTL (D5)

33. William Nylander, TOR (C12)

34. Clayton Keller, UTA (RW8)

35. Adrian Kempe, LA (C13)

36. Kevin Fiala, LA (LW9)

37. Cutter Gauthier, ANA (LW10)

38. Logan Thompson, WSH (G2)

39. Matthew Schaefer, NYI (D6)

40. Alex Ovechkin, WSH (LW11)

41. Steven Stamkos, NSH (C14)

42. Mark Scheifele, WPG (C15)

43. Jake Oettinger, DAL (G3)

44. Tim Stutzle, OTT (C16)

45. MacKenzie Weegar, UTA (D7)

46. Roman Josi, NSH (D8)

47. Sam Reinhart, FLA (RW9)

48. Dylan Larkin, DET (C17)

49. Jakob Chychrun, WSH (D9)

50. Rasmus Dahlin, BUF (D10)

51. Dylan Guenther, UTA (RW10)

52. Filip Gustavsson, MIN (G4)

53. Scott Wedgewood, COL (G5)

54. Nico Hischier, NJ (C18)

55. Quinn Hughes, MIN (D11)

56. Jack Hughes, NJ (C19)

57. Timo Meier, NJ (LW12)

58. Sebastian Aho, CAR (C20)

59. Juraj Slafkovsky, MTL (LW13)

60. Brandon Hagel, TB (LW14)

61. Karel Vejmelka, UTA (G6)

62. Kirill Marchenko, CBJ (LW15)

63. Seth Jarvis, CAR (RW11)

64. Jeremy Swayman, BOS (G7)

65. Vincent Trocheck, NYR (C21)

66. Elias Pettersson, VAN (C22)

67. Mitch Marner, VGK (RW12)

68. Pavel Dorofeyev, NYR (LW16)

69. John Carlson, CAR (D12)

70. Sidney Crosby, PIT (C23)

71. Owen Tippett, PHI (RW13)

72. Drake Batherson, OTT (RW14)

73. Bo Horvat, NYI (C24)

74. Dylan Cozens, OTT (C25)

75. Ilya Sorokin, NYI (G8)

76. Nick Schmaltz, UTA (RW15)

77. Brock Nelson, COL (C26)

78. Mikko Rantanen, DAL (RW16)

79. Dylan Holloway, STL (C27)

80. John Tavares, TOR (C28)

81. Bryan Rust, PIT (RW17)

82. Adam Fantilli, CBJ (C29)

83. Aleksander Barkov, FLA (C30)

84. Nazem Kadri, COL (C31)

85. Rasmus Andersson, VGK (D13)

86. Jesper Bratt, NJ (LW17)

87. Andrei Svechnikov, CAR (RW18)

88. Nikolaj Ehlers, CAR (LW18)

89. J.T. Miller, NYR (C32)

90. Tomas Hertl, VGK (C33)

91. Morgan Geekie, BOS (C34)

92. Linus Ullmark, OTT (G9)

93. Darren Raddysh, TOR (D14)

94. Jake Sanderson, OTT (D15)

95. Igor Shesterkin, NYR (G10)

96. Joel Hofer, STL (G11)

97. Thomas Chabot, OTT (D16)

98. Lucas Raymond, DET (RW19)

99. Travis Konecny, PHI (RW20)

100. Brandon Bussi, CAR (G12)

101. Mackenzie Blackwood, COL (G13)

102. Brock Faber, MIN (D17)

103. Josh Morrissey, WPG (D18)

104. Brayden Point, TB (C35)

105. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF (G14)

106. Sam Bennett, FLA (C36)

107. Erik Karlsson, PIT (D19)

108. Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (G15)

109. Tom Wilson, WSH (RW21)

110. Connor Bedard, CHI (C37)

111. Ryan O'Reilly, NSH (C38)

112. Mike Matheson, MTL (D20)

113. Mikhail Sergachev, UTA (D21)

114. Miro Heiskanen, DAL (D22)

115. John Gibson, DET (G16)

116. Jordan Kyrou, WSH (RW22)

117. Logan Cooley, UTA (C39)

118. Juuse Saros, NSH (G17)

119. Jake DeBrusk, VAN (LW19)

120. Bowen Byram, CHI (D23)

121. Carter Verhaeghe, FLA (C40)

122. Matt Duchene, DAL (C41)

123. Lane Hutson, MTL (D24)

124. Beckett Sennecke, ANA (RW23)

125. Roope Hintz, DAL (C42)

126. Jacob Trouba, ANA (D25)

127. Jackson LaCombe, ANA (D26)

128. Rickard Rakell, PIT (RW24)

129. Dan Vladar, PHI (G18)

130. Jared McCann, SEA (LW20)

131. Adam Fox, NYR (D27)

132. Leo Carlsson, ANA (C43)

133. Gabriel Vilardi, WPG (C44)

134. Brad Marchand, FLA (LW21)

135. Jakub Dobes, MTL (G19)

136. Mark Stone, VGK (RW25)

137. Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN (C45)

138. Brock Boeser, VAN (RW26)

139. Dylan Strome, WSH (C46)

140. Jesper Wallstedt, MIN (G20)

141. Charlie McAvoy, BOS (D28)

142. Mathew Barzal, NYI (C47)

143. Brandt Clarke, LA (D29)

144. Alex Laferriere, LA (RW27)

145. Darnell Nurse, EDM (D30)

146. Blake Coleman, CGY (C48)

147. Mikael Granlund, ANA (C49)

148. Morgan Rielly, TOR (D31)

149. Alexis Lafreniere, NYR (LW22)

150. Quinton Byfield, LA (C50)

151. Colton Parayko, STL (D32)

152. Will Cuylle, NYR (LW23)

153. Darcy Kuemper, LA (G21)

154. Evgeni Malkin, PIT (C51)

155. Valeri Nichushkin, CBJ (LW24)

156. Jet Greaves, CBJ (G22)

157. Tyler Toffoli, SJ (RW28)

158. Spencer Knight, CHI (G23)

159. Justin Faulk, DET (D33)

160. Tyler Bertuzzi, CHI (LW25)

161. Ryan Hartman, MIN (RW29)

162. Matthew Knies, TOR (LW26)

163. Alex Lyon, BUF (G24)

164. Vince Dunn, SEA (D34)

165. Anders Lee, NYI (LW27)

166. Noah Hanifin, VGK (D35)

167. Jonathan Marchessault, NSH (LW28)

168. Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA (G25)

169. Anton Forsberg, LA (G26)

170. Filip Hronek, VAN (D36)

171. Sean Walker, CAR (D37)

172. William Eklund, OTT (LW29)

173. Charlie Coyle, CBJ (C52)

174. Shayne Gostisbehere, CAR (D38)

175. Brandon Montour, SEA (D39)

176. Dougie Hamilton, NJ (D40)

177. Victor Hedman, TB (D41)

178. Pavel Zacha, BOS (C53)

179. Eeli Tolvanen, SEA (LW30)

180. Matty Beniers, SEA (C54)

181. Thomas Harley, DAL (D42)

182. Kiefer Sherwood, SJ (LW31)

183. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM (C55)

184. Matt Coronato, CGY (LW32)

185. Bobby McMann, SEA (C56)

186. Joey Daccord, SEA (G27)

187. Dustin Wolf, CGY (G28)

188. Robert Thomas, STL (C57)

189. Jake Allen, NJ (G29)

190. Travis Sanheim, PHI (D43)

191. Patrick Kane, DET (RW30)

192. Jackson Blake, CAR (RW31)

193. Marco Rossi, VAN (C58)

194. Pavel Buchnevich, STL (LW33)

195. Jordan Eberle, SEA (RW32)

196. Jacob Markstrom, FLA (G30)

197. Oliver Bjorkstrand, TB (RW33)

198. Elias Lindholm, BOS (C59)

199. Matvei Michkov, PHI (RW34)

200. Ivan Provorov, CBJ (D44)

201. Maxim Tsyplakov, CGY (RW35)

202. Gavin McKenna, TOR (LW34)

203. Brent Burns, COL (D45)

204. Trevor Zegras, PHI (C60)

205. Lawson Crouse, UTA (LW35)

206. Mats Zuccarello, MIN (RW36)

207. Joseph Woll, PHI (G31)

208. JJ Peterka, BOS (RW37)

209. Stuart Skinner, PIT (G32)

210. Brayden Schenn, NYI (C61)

211. Will Smith, SJ (C62)

212. Trevor Moore, LA (LW36)

213. Mattias Ekholm, EDM (D46)

214. Esa Lindell, DAL (D47)

215. Troy Terry, ANA (RW38)

216. Aliaksei Protas, WSH (C63)

217. Kyle Palmieri, NYI (RW39)

218. Lukas Dostal, ANA (G33)

219. Yegor Sharangovich, CGY (LW37)

220. Anthony Mantha, PIT (RW40)

221. Anton Lundell, FLA (C64)

222. Kris Letang, PIT (D48)

223. Ivan Barbashev, VGK (LW38)

224. Frank Nazar, CHI (C65)

225. Jack Quinn, BUF (C66)

226. Fabian Zetterlund, OTT (LW39)

227. Anthony Cirelli, TB (C67)

228. Brady Skjei, NSH (D49)

229. Shane Pinto, OTT (C68)

230. Mattias Samuelsson, BUF (D50)

231. Jimmy Snuggerud, STL (RW41)

232. Viktor Arvidsson, BOS (LW40)

233. Vladimir Tarasenko, MIN (RW42)

234. Claude Giroux, OTT (C69)

235. Morgan Frost, CGY (C70)

236. Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY (LW41)

237. Alexander Wennberg, SJ (C71)

238. Joel Farabee, CGY (LW42)

239. Alexander Nikishin, CAR (D51)

240. Devon Toews, COL (D52)

241. Mikael Backlund, CGY (C72)

242. Ryan Donato, CHI (C73)

243. Luke Evangelista, NSH (RW43)

244. Tristan Jarry, EDM (G34)

245. Connor Ingram, EDM (G35)

246. Evander Kane, VAN (LW43)

247. Vladislav Gavrikov, NYR (D53)

248. Mason McTavish, STL (C74)

249. Connor McMichael, STL (C75)

250. Sean Monahan, CBJ (C76)