{"id":127389,"date":"2025-09-07T21:31:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T21:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/127389\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T21:31:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T21:31:15","slug":"21-fantasy-hockey-rambles-dobberhockey-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/127389\/","title":{"rendered":"21 Fantasy Hockey Rambles \u2013 DobberHockey"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Every Sunday, we share 21 Fantasy Rambles from our writers at DobberHockey. These thoughts are curated from the past week\u2019s &#8216;Daily Ramblings&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>Writers\/Editors: Ian Gooding, Michael Clifford, Alexander MacLean, Puneet Sharma, and Dobber<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p>The 2025-26 <a href=\"https:\/\/dobbersports.com\/shop\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fantasy Guide<\/a> is available for download! Projections by team and by point totals, sleepers, drafted players, rookies, goalies, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/frozenpool_report.php?pos=Skaters&amp;team=ALL&amp;rookie=All&amp;mingp=0&amp;period=2019-2020%3AR&amp;startdate=&amp;enddate=&amp;report=Advanced+Stats&amp;reportdata_length=30\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">advanced stats<\/a>, and much more!<\/p>\n<p>The French-language version of the Guide can be purchased <a href=\"https:\/\/dobbersports.com\/product\/le-guide-des-poolers-2025-26-dobberhockey\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p>1. Now that I\u2019ve experienced a few mock drafts this offseason, I am getting a sense of where many players are being valued. That means I\u2019m ready to offer my opinions on players drafted too high and too low. An addition to that, I\u2019ve also mixed in a few observations on where certain positions are being targeted and what might be ideal in those spots.<\/p>\n<p>PLAYERS DRAFTED OR RANKED TOO HIGH<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/matthew-tkachuk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Tkachuk<\/a> (Yahoo ADP 24.5)<\/p>\n<p>This is the low-hanging fruit of this section. Tkachuk is here until we know more about his injury situation. He wants to continue playing as long as he can, but he won\u2019t be able to put off surgery for a torn adductor forever (<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheFourthPeriod\/status\/1958970363834220766\" rel=\"nofollow\">one report<\/a> even suggesting he has already undergone the surgery). If he postpones surgery, then he could be a steal at that position. However, the lingering injury might diminish his production and cause so much discomfort that he is forced into surgery. That\u2019s not a gamble I\u2019m willing to take with a high pick. Let someone else take that chance, or else wait for him to fall several rounds. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/06\/ramblings-price-contract-to-san-jose-zary-signed-players-drafted-or-ranked-too-high-too-low-in-yahoo-sep-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep6<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>2. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/mackenzie-blackwood\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mackenzie Blackwood<\/a> (Yahoo ADP 26.5)<\/p>\n<p>Although Blackwood is not as terrible a goalie as <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/alexandar-georgiev\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alexandar Georgiev<\/a> was, this has a bit of the vibes of drafting a goalie high based on the team. Is Colorado still a legitimate Stanley Cup contender? I still support Zero G and the idea of waiting until later to draft goalies, so I suppose Blackwood is the easiest target of this early-round group. Prior to 2024-25, Blackwood had not been an established starter \u2013 mainly a timeshare goalie. That may have had to do with some of the teams he played for. That being said, he seems too unproven to be in this spot.<\/p>\n<p>In case you\u2019re wondering, the first tier of goalies on Yahoo consists of <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/connor-hellebuyck\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Connor Hellebuyck<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Andrei-Vasilevskiy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jake-oettinger\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jake Oettinger<\/a>, Blackwood, and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/igor-shesterkin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Igor Shesterkin<\/a>. All are generally being drafted in the first three rounds. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/06\/ramblings-price-contract-to-san-jose-zary-signed-players-drafted-or-ranked-too-high-too-low-in-yahoo-sep-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep6<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>[<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/06\/ramblings-price-contract-to-san-jose-zary-signed-players-drafted-or-ranked-too-high-too-low-in-yahoo-sep-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Follow the link<\/a> for more\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>3. PLAYERS DRAFTED OR RANKED TOO LOW<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/adam-fox\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Fox<\/a> (Yahoo Ranking: 66)<\/p>\n<p>If you discover you need defensemen before the midway point of your draft, why reach for Hedman when you can wait a bit for Fox? The drafters have a better read on this than the Yahoo rankers, as Fox\u2019s ADP is 55. His stock has fallen because his scoring regressed as the Rangers did last season. Yet over the last three seasons, Fox has outscored Hedman slightly, and he\u2019s also seven years younger. Even last season, they weren\u2019t that far apart. You can see that for yourself in the <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/frozenpool\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Frozen Tools<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/frozenpool_compare.php?period=2024-2025:R:99&amp;players%5B%5D=5162&amp;players%5B%5D=2093\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Player Compare<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In my recent mock draft, the following defensemen were drafted within a round and a half of each other in Rounds 6 and 7 (picks 60-80): <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/mackenzie-weegar\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MacKenzie Weegar<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jake-sanderson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jake Sanderson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/noah-dobson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Noah Dobson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Roman-Josi\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Roman Josi<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/shea-theodore\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shea Theodore<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Dougie-Hamilton\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dougie Hamilton<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/miro-heiskanen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Miro Heiskanen<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/mikhail-sergachev\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mikhail Sergachev<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/brandon-montour\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brandon Montour<\/a>. These seem like ideal D2\u2019s in 12-team leagues, so look out for that run. Of that group, I like Sanderson for the pure scoring upside, while Weegar is the best for taking care of peripheral categories. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/06\/ramblings-price-contract-to-san-jose-zary-signed-players-drafted-or-ranked-too-high-too-low-in-yahoo-sep-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep6<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>4. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/robert-thomas\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Robert Thomas<\/a> (Yahoo ADP: 40)<\/p>\n<p>I actually don\u2019t think the ADP is too low, but I think it will decline when it shouldn\u2019t. In my recent mock draft, I was able to draft Thomas in the seventh round (78th overall). This seems far too low for a player that has cracked 80 points for two consecutive seasons \u2013 even if the total is assist-heavy and the peripherals aren\u2019t super high.<\/p>\n<p>I believe this had to do with the number of centers still available at that time, which included <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Dylan-Larkin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Larkin<\/a> (ADP 71.5) and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/roope-hintz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Roope Hintz<\/a> (ADP 86.0). <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/John-Tavares\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Tavares<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/elias-pettersson\/c\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Elias Pettersson<\/a> were also drafted just a few picks before Thomas. With that in mind, it might be wise to look for centers after the first six rounds or so \u2013 once you have taken care of drafting a defenseman or two. You might find some great value. Also note that Yahoo tends to place forwards with C\/W eligibility in the C position of teams, which could allow you an extra center. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/06\/ramblings-price-contract-to-san-jose-zary-signed-players-drafted-or-ranked-too-high-too-low-in-yahoo-sep-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep6<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>[<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/06\/ramblings-price-contract-to-san-jose-zary-signed-players-drafted-or-ranked-too-high-too-low-in-yahoo-sep-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Follow the link<\/a> for more\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>5. In <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/04\/ramblings-early-adp-thoughts-on-rantanen-ovechkin-hedman-and-theodore-september-4\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">yesterday\u2019s Ramblings<\/a>, I looked at a few players I thought have overvalued Average Draft Positions (ADP) so far this fantasy hockey draft season, including <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Mikko-Rantanen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mikko Rantanen<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Victor-Hedman\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Victor Hedman<\/a>. Today\u2019s Ramblings (below) will go in the other direction and look at some undervalued ADPs.<\/p>\n<p>These are based off my early personal projections and use six skater categories: goals, assists, power-play points, shots, hits, and blocks. We are using ADP data from Underdog Fantasy and Fantrax, where the former is a points system that uses those six categories, and the latter includes all varieties of fantasy formats.<\/p>\n<p>For the uninitiated, this is just a first run for my projections (things like age adjustments and adding rookies still need to happen, and all players are projected for 82 games played) so there will be some changes. Also, just because I think a player is undervalued doesn\u2019t mean they should be taken 3-4 rounds earlier than their ADP \u2013 that\u2019s what makes them undervalued! Data from <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/05\/ramblings-early-adp-values-for-larkin-guenther-holloway-mcavoy-and-more-september-5\/evolving-hockey.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Evolving Hockey<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/05\/ramblings-early-adp-values-for-larkin-guenther-holloway-mcavoy-and-more-september-5\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep5<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p>For more in-depth breakdowns as well as projections for the entire league, be sure to pick up a copy of the 2025-26 Dobber Hockey <a href=\"https:\/\/dobbersports.com\/shop\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fantasy Guide<\/a>, now available in the <a href=\"https:\/\/dobbersports.com\/product\/dobbers-2025-26-fantasy-hockey-guide\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dobber Shop<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p>6. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Dylan-Larkin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Larkin<\/a> (Detroit Red Wings)<br \/>Underdog ADP: 70 (Centre 18)<br \/>Fantrax ADP: 81.5 (Centre 23)<br \/>My Rank: Centre 10<\/p>\n<p>Over the last three seasons, Larkin is 1 of just 16 forwards to average at least 30 goals, 40 assists, 25 PPPs, 225 shots, and 80 hits+blocks every 82 games. This is the full list:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"843\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1757280673_435_image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90660\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>What separates Larkin from similar centres like <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Aleksander-Barkov\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aleksander Barkov<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/wyatt-johnston\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wyatt Johnston<\/a> is shot volume. Barkov has seen four straight seasons of shot volume decline, averaging 200 shots every 82 games over the last two years, while Johnston has averaged 209 shots over the last two seasons. Larkin, meanwhile, is at 249 shots per 82 games over his last two campaigns. Being able to put up 40-50 extra shots with great power-play production and reasonable hit\/block totals makes up for not being a 40-goal, 90-point guy. Larkin has been remarkably consistent and has yet to have a genuine career year that top options can have. Depending on how a fantasy draft unfolds, I would be more than fine skipping over the <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/nick-suzuki\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Suzuki<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/elias-pettersson\/c\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Elias Pettersson<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Mark-Scheifele\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mark Scheifele<\/a>\/Barkov tier going in rounds 4-6 and grabbing Larkin in the sixth or seventh round. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/05\/ramblings-early-adp-values-for-larkin-guenther-holloway-mcavoy-and-more-september-5\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep5<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>7. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Sean-Monahan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sean Monahan<\/a> (Columbus Blue Jackets)<br \/>Underdog ADP: 165.8 (Centre 40)<br \/>Fantrax ADP: 158.2 (Centre 43)<br \/>My Rank: Centre 29<\/p>\n<p>Over his last two seasons, Monahan has averaged 27 goals, 43 assists, 21 PPPs, 179 shots, 47 blocks, and 35 hits every 82 games. That is solid across-the-board coverage, which is reflected in my projection for him this season:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"786\" height=\"58\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1757280674_997_image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90658\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>Of course, this is an 82-game projection, and Monahan has averaged 57 games per season over the last four years. He did have a full season in 2023-24 but missed 28 games in 2024-25. His ability to stay on the ice is paramount here because there are very few players drafted in the top-175 picks will be a top-175 player if they miss one-third of the season, and Monahan is not one of those few players.<\/p>\n<p>Ice time matters here, too \u2013 he skated over 19:30 per game until his injury in early January but was at 17:01 per game in April when he and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Boone-Jenner\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Boone Jenner<\/a> were both in the lineup. My projection has him around 19 minutes again but that is likely too high if the team has its full complement of forwards.<\/p>\n<p>There is a lot of risk with Monahan because there is a massive difference between him playing 60 games at 17 minutes a night and 80 games at 19 minutes a night. For posterity: If I adjust him to 17 minutes a game, he\u2019s my 40th centre. If he can stay healthy, he\u2019s being drafted at a reasonable spot, but with a TOI injection there\u2019s a lot of draft value here. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/05\/ramblings-early-adp-values-for-larkin-guenther-holloway-mcavoy-and-more-september-5\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep5<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>[<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/05\/ramblings-early-adp-values-for-larkin-guenther-holloway-mcavoy-and-more-september-5\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Follow the link<\/a> for more\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>8. Over my previous Ramblings, I looked at some of my preseason projections thus far. We went alphabetically by team <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/08\/26\/ramblings-projections-for-leo-carlsson-connor-bedard-nikolaj-ehlers-kent-johnson-sam-malinski-and-more-august-26\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">with the first group<\/a> looking at names like <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Leo-Carlsson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Leo Carlsson<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Connor-Bedard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Connor Bedard<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/08\/28\/ramblings-season-long-fantasy-projections-for-harley-raymond-frederic-byfield-faber-and-more-august-28\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">second group covering<\/a> options like <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/thomas-harley\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Thomas Harley<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/trent-frederic\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trent Frederic<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/08\/29\/ramblings-preseason-projections-for-michkov-evangelista-barzal-cozens-dunn-and-more-august-29\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">third group had<\/a> intriguing players like <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Luke-Evangelista\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luke Evangelista<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/mathew-barzal\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mathew Barzal<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/02\/ramblings-preseason-projections-for-filip-chytil-matthew-knies-robert-thomas-logan-cooley-and-more-september-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">we finished with<\/a> the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/filip-chytil\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Filip Chytil<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Logan-Cooley\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Logan Cooley<\/a>. Go check those out for some projections discussion.<\/p>\n<p>Keeping those projections in mind, I want to look at Average Draft Positions (ADP). A few weeks ago, I gave some early ADP thoughts (they can be read <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/08\/20\/ramblings-early-adp-thoughts-on-crosby-michkov-barzal-fox-and-dostal-august-20\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>) but that was before I had finished my projections. Now that they\u2019re mostly done (still some adjustments to make and rookies to add), I want to look at ADPs again. Today, we\u2019re going to target players I believe are being overvalued.<\/p>\n<p>As always, this is just my view on things, my projections will change over the next month, and the type of league will greatly affect some players\u2019 ADPs. For today, I am considering six skater categories: goals, assists, power-play points, shots, hits, and blocks. Let&#8217;s start with <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Mikko-Rantanen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mikko Rantanen<\/a> below:<\/p>\n<p>9. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Mikko-Rantanen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mikko Rantanen<\/a> (Dallas Stars)<br \/>Underdog ADP: 11.1 (Winger 5)<br \/>Fantrax ADP: 13.1 (Winger 6)<\/p>\n<p>In a 12-team league, Rantanen likely isn\u2019t making it past the turn, so anyone wanting to draft him should be ready to use their first-round pick on him. Let me say this: that is a steep price to pay.<\/p>\n<p>Here is how Rantanen\u2019s production fared over his final two regular seasons with Colorado, and how he fared in Dallas between the regular season and playoffs, on an 82-game basis:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"786\" height=\"58\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1757280674_997_image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90659\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>That is 21 fewer points every 82 games, and a 27% drop in shot volume. It is\u2026 a lot.<\/p>\n<p>There are two big issues facing Rantanen:<\/p>\n<p>He is going to see a big ice time drop. In Colorado last year, he skated 35.9% of the team\u2019s even-strength ice time, per <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/frozenpool_profile.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Frozen Tools<\/a>. In Dallas, that dropped to 31%. An average team will get a little over 51:30 per game in even-strength ice time, so that percentage drop in EVTOI for Rantanen is about 2:30 per game in even strength ice time alone. He got significantly elevated usage in the playoffs (34.5%), but even that was far behind what he got in the 2024 postseason with the Avalanche (37.4%). Even if he were to drop just 3% from what he got in Colorado, it\u2019s over 1:30 per game. Barring a drastic change in Dallas\u2019s entire approach, the best-case scenario is losing 90 seconds per game in even-strength ice time, and the worst-case scenario is double that.<\/p>\n<p>In the 2025 postseason, Rantanen saw about two-thirds of Dallas\u2019s power-play ice time. In the 2024 postseason, that number was over 83% for Rantanen in Colorado. It was about the same difference during the regular season. Colorado\u2019s top PP unit was more proficient last year, and if that top PP unit in Dallas doesn\u2019t get a lot better this season, he\u2019s looking at a PPTOI drop on top of a team efficiency drop.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas is a great offensive team, so maybe there is a bit of efficiency that will help soften the blow, but the fact is that if Rantanen is lucky, he\u2019ll only lose about two minutes per game in offensive ice time, and there are scenarios where it\u2019s three minutes or more. If Rantanen can stay around the 20-minute mark, maybe he can push to 100 points in a great year. If he\u2019s closer to 19 minutes and just has a normal (for him) season by efficiency, he is an 80- to 90-point player who doesn\u2019t hit or block much. Dallas generates way fewer shots than Colorado, and Rantanen isn\u2019t a big shot volume option on a per-minute basis. If he doesn\u2019t hit, block, or shoot a lot, and loses 15-25 points from his Colorado days, how much really separates him from wingers going in the next 1-2 rounds like <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/kyle-connor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Connor<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/william-nylander\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">William Nylander<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Sam-Reinhart\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sam Reinhart<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Artemi-Panarin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Artemi Panarin<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jesper-bratt\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jesper Bratt<\/a>? (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/04\/ramblings-early-adp-thoughts-on-rantanen-ovechkin-hedman-and-theodore-september-4\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep4<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>10. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Alexander-Ovechkin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Ovechkin<\/a><br \/>Underdog ADP: 36.2 (Winger 17)<br \/>Fantrax ADP: 40.8 (Winger 24)<\/p>\n<p>It probably shouldn\u2019t need to be said, but we\u2019ll say it anyway: no matter the player, if someone sets a career-high at the age of 39, as Ovechkin did when he shot 18.6% in 2024-25, then it should be a big red flag. He had gone four straight years shooting 15% or less and averaged 13.6% in that span. Ovechkin also managed 26.5 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time, his highest mark in nearly a decade (29.1 in 2015-16). A normal year for his goal scoring at this stage of his career would have meant 31 goals instead of 44. It would still have him push for 40 goals in an 82-game year, so that\u2019s something to keep in mind, but it\u2019s still a lot of goals.<\/p>\n<p>Like Rantanen, there is also an ice time concern. Ovechkin averaged 17:43 per game last season, by far the lowest mark of his career and 90 seconds per game lower than the year before. Even at just 17:30 per game, with regressions in shot volume and shooting percentage, there isn\u2019t much wiggle room to have a down year. Any sort of player or team regression, at that level of ice time, is very bad news.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t have any real problem with taking Ovechkin in the fourth round, but it\u2019s one of those things where it\u2019s hard to see a huge profit. Maybe he keeps up career-best percentages and decade-high shot rates, but at the age of 40, I\u2019m going to bet against that, and would rather wait a round or two and grab younger players like <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/dylan-guenther\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Guenther<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/seth-jarvis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Seth Jarvis<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/04\/ramblings-early-adp-thoughts-on-rantanen-ovechkin-hedman-and-theodore-september-4\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep4<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>[<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/04\/ramblings-early-adp-thoughts-on-rantanen-ovechkin-hedman-and-theodore-september-4\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Follow the link<\/a> for more\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>11. As mentioned, I have been previewing my preseason projections, showing one player per team as we make our way through the league. The <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/08\/26\/ramblings-projections-for-leo-carlsson-connor-bedard-nikolaj-ehlers-kent-johnson-sam-malinski-and-more-august-26\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">first Ramblings<\/a> covered Anaheim through Colorado, <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/08\/28\/ramblings-season-long-fantasy-projections-for-harley-raymond-frederic-byfield-faber-and-more-august-28\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the second was<\/a> Detroit through New Jersey, and the third was Nashville through Seattle. Today, we are finishing things off by going from St. Louis through to Washington and Winnipeg.<\/p>\n<p>As a quick heads up for those that haven\u2019t read these projections Ramblings yet: Rookies haven\u2019t been added, all players are projected for 82 games played, and there are going to be some tweaks made for age-related progression or decline.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>St. Louis Blues<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/robert-thomas\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Robert Thomas<\/a> train has officially left the station now that he has back-to-back 20-goal, 60-assist seasons. This projection thinks things will get even better:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"38\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-3-1024x38.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90661\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>This raised an eyebrow for me because it would give him an 18.1% shooting percentage, and projecting a player for a career-best shooting percentage is always precarious. What is helping here is that my projections believe the <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/dylan-holloway\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Holloway<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/philip-broberg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Philip Broberg<\/a> breakouts are definitely real and that Jim Montgomery\u2019s impact on the offence (a bottom-5 team in the 100 games before he arrived and a top-5 team after) is mostly genuine. They probably won\u2019t be a top-5 team offensively, but they won\u2019t be awful, and just staying in the top half of the league is enough to juice Thomas\u2019 numbers.<\/p>\n<p>Personally, I would feel a lot more comfortable penciling Thomas in for 25 goals than threatening 30, but the Blues\u2019 forward group is very good, and if defencemen like Broberg and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Cam-Fowler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cam Fowler<\/a> can repeat what they did last year, Thomas could be in for another career year. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/02\/ramblings-preseason-projections-for-filip-chytil-matthew-knies-robert-thomas-logan-cooley-and-more-september-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep2<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>12. Tampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n<p>One player I\u2019m excited to see in a new location is <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jacob-pelletier\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jakob Pelletier<\/a>. I think there is a good player here, so I wanted to see what his projection looked like, and it\u2019s nothing special:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"38\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-1024x38.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90662\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>An 82-game pace of 11 goals and 12 assists with low peripherals isn\u2019t much. The assumption is he\u2019s given fourth-line minutes for the majority of the season, and that means 10-11 minutes a game at even strength with minimal power play time. It just isn\u2019t enough to sustain any kind of breakout.<\/p>\n<p>For Pelletier to be fantasy-relevant, he needs at least third line\/second power play minutes. If he can get 12-13 minutes a game at even strength and a minute per game of power-play time, then we\u2019re talking about a potential 15-goal, 40-point player who can cross 100 shots and a hit per game. There would be depth value in multi-cat formats in this instance, but the additions of <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/yanni-gourde\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Yanni Gourde<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/oliver-bjorkstrand\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Oliver Bjorkstrand<\/a>, on top of young players like <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Conor-Geekie\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Conor Geekie<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/gage-goncalves\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gage Goncalves<\/a>, gives Pelletier a lot of hurdles to clear. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/02\/ramblings-preseason-projections-for-filip-chytil-matthew-knies-robert-thomas-logan-cooley-and-more-september-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep2<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>[<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/02\/ramblings-preseason-projections-for-filip-chytil-matthew-knies-robert-thomas-logan-cooley-and-more-september-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Follow the link<\/a> for more\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>13. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/carey-price\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carey Price<\/a> is no longer a Montreal Canadien. Well, he hasn\u2019t played a game for the Habs since the 2021-22 season due to a career-ending knee injury, so the trade of his contract with a 2026 fifth-round pick to San Jose for defenseman <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/gannon-laroque\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gannon Laroque<\/a> is mainly a paper transaction. The Habs will no longer need to use LTIR, which has been the case since after their 2021 Stanley Cup Final run because of the injuries to Price and Shea Weber. Laroque split last season between the AHL and ECHL, so his chances of playing in the NHL this season seem low.<\/p>\n<p>The rebuilding Sharks have more than enough space to store Price\u2019s $10.5 million cap hit, which they will have on the books for one more season. The Sharks will be able to store the contract on LTIR if they wish, while they could also trade some veterans at the deadline without risking falling below the cap floor.<\/p>\n<p>All of this is to say that there are practically no immediate fantasy implications to this trade, but maybe some future ripple effects. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/06\/ramblings-price-contract-to-san-jose-zary-signed-players-drafted-or-ranked-too-high-too-low-in-yahoo-sep-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep6<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>14. The Flames have re-signed <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/connor-zary\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Connor Zary<\/a> to a three-year contract with a cap hit of $3.775 million. The three years represents a bridge deal for Zary, as it sounds like he and the Flames couldn\u2019t agree on how much he is worth. In his two NHL seasons, Zary has scored at between a 40-45-point pace. He has missed significant time due to injuries, though, having never played more than 63 games in an NHL season. At the end of the contract, Zary will still have one more year of RFA status left.<\/p>\n<p>With Zary off the board, only six unsigned RFAs remain. I wrote about three of them along with Zary in a <a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/08\/30\/ramblings-discussing-the-unsigned-rfas-mctavish-hughes-and-more-aug-30\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ramblings<\/a> a week ago. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/06\/ramblings-price-contract-to-san-jose-zary-signed-players-drafted-or-ranked-too-high-too-low-in-yahoo-sep-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep6<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>15. Following up on last week\u2019s first mock draft that I completed on Yahoo, I have had a chance to run through a few more on Yahoo and Fantrax, and I have some thoughts on drafting and the current player layout for the year that I would like to share.<\/p>\n<p>At the top of the draft this year, it really feels to me like there\u2019s a top tier of five players, including <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Connor-McDavid\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Connor McDavid<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Leon-Draisaitl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Leon Draisaitl<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Nathan-MacKinnon\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nathan MacKinnon<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Nikita-Kucherov\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nikita Kucherov<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/cale-makar\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cale Makar<\/a> (loosely in that order). In bangers leagues, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/brady-tkachuk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brady Tkachuk<\/a> jumps up into that top tier as well. After them, there\u2019s another three players who could be in that top-tier, but come with a little more risk, namely <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/auston-matthews\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Auston Matthews<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/kirill-kaprizov\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kirill Kaprizov<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/David-Pastrnak\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">David Pastrnak<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, after that the options for a top-10 or top-15 pick feel rather uninspiring. Do you take another defenseman off the board, with one of <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/quinn-hughes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quinn Hughes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/rasmus-dahlin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rasmus Dahlin<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/zach-werenski\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zach Werenski<\/a>? Their teams leave a lot to be desired though, and you\u2019re leaving either points or peripherals on the board if you take one of them. Do you take a forward for a more well-rounded selection? There\u2019s lots of options, but no sure things. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Mikko-Rantanen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mikko Rantanen<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Jack-Eichel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Eichel<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jack-hughes\/n.j\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Hughes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/mitchell-marner\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mitch Marner<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/kyle-connor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Connor<\/a>\u2026 perhaps even <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Sidney-Crosby\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sidney Crosby<\/a> if you think there\u2019s another superstar season in there.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s always the option to grab a goalie this early, and while I haven\u2019t taken one in the top-10 since <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Henrik-Lundqvist\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Henrik Lundqvist<\/a> back about a decade ago, I do understand the appeal in trying to solidify a somewhat lopsided position. Even in the top players though, I find there\u2019s more variability from year to year. As the saying goes, \u201cyou can\u2019t win the season with your first few picks, but you can lose it\u201d, and I think about that a lot when it comes to picking goalies. I would rather keep myself with the pack early on, and then make some smarter goalie picks in the mid-rounds once the tiers are nearly empty. It often means I don\u2019t end up with a goalie until pick-80 at the absolute earliest. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/03\/ramblings-analyzing-options-at-the-top-end-of-draft-boards-nhl-rule-adjustments-a-couple-keeper-questions-sept-3\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep3<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>16. Looking back at the skaters, and into the top-10, seeing <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/cale-makar\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cale Makar<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/kirill-kaprizov\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kirill Kaprizov<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Jack-Eichel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Eichel<\/a> ranked in the top-10 on Fantrax (and in the top-15 on Yahoo) reminds me how lucky I got in last year\u2019s draft for one of my leagues, coming out with all three. We\u2019ll see if we can find a few players from next year\u2019s top-10 list outside the top-15 or top-25 this year.<\/p>\n<p>My best guesses for those that could make the jump into the top-10 are <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/mitchell-marner\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mitch Marner<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/tage-thompson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tage Thompson<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Connor-Bedard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Connor Bedard<\/a>, plus <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/matthew-tkachuk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Tkachuk<\/a> who should come into next season healthy, but he\u2019s currently ranked at 19th on Yahoo and 36th on Fantrax. He\u2019s due back around the Olympic break though, so if it\u2019s a one-year league, then I have a very tough time spending that much on a player who will miss half the season, and then come back and possibly be a step behind his usual self. Maybe if he drops past pick 50 then I would begin to consider him.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To continue on with that there are quite a few wingers in that next range that feel like they could be top-15 players, but there\u2019s no guarantee that they don\u2019t finish closer to 60th. Between <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jason-robertson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jason Robertson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/william-nylander\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">William Nylander<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Sam-Reinhart\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sam Reinhart<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jake-guentzel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jake Guentzel<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Filip-Forsberg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Filip Forsberg<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/martin-necas\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Martin Necas<\/a>, and more, there are just too many similar options. That\u2019s not even including the centres around that tier, including <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/tim-stutzle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tim Stutzle<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/robert-thomas\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Robert Thomas<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/sebastian-aho\/CAR\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sebastian Aho<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/brayden-point\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brayden Point<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/J.T.-Miller\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">J.T. Miller<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/elias-pettersson\/c\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Elias Pettersson<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n<p>The best I can say about that tier, is to know your league categories, and to not outsmart yourself. Don\u2019t get too cocky and think that <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/timo-meier\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Timo Meier<\/a> is a good idea over most of these guys like I did last year. Make the safe and smart pick here, and save the big swings for later.<\/p>\n<p>With that in mind, that\u2019s why goalies slip down my list, though I would still take <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jake-oettinger\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jake Oettinger<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Andrei-Vasilevskiy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/a> if they fell into my lap at pick-40. Same idea with <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/evan-bouchard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Evan Bouchard<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/adam-fox\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Fox<\/a> at 50th, but I\u2019m not reaching into the top-20 for any of them.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll pick up with some thoughts on the latter half of the draft in next week\u2019s Rambles. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/03\/ramblings-analyzing-options-at-the-top-end-of-draft-boards-nhl-rule-adjustments-a-couple-keeper-questions-sept-3\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep3<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>17. We received some more clarity on the rule changes for the upcoming season, including LTIR rules, salary retention, the removal of paper loans, and more.<\/p>\n<p>The big thing this will likely affect for fantasy is that players like <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jackson-blake\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jackson Blake<\/a> last year, who was sent back and forth to the minors a few dozen times, is not going to see that kind of treatment again. It will mean there will be less NA status stashes to take advantage of in Yahoo, and for those of us in dynasty leagues, less worry that a paper move is going to be a longer-term demotion. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/03\/ramblings-analyzing-options-at-the-top-end-of-draft-boards-nhl-rule-adjustments-a-couple-keeper-questions-sept-3\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep3<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>18. Here are some goalie tandems I am watching this year:<\/p>\n<p>Columbus Blue Jackets<\/p>\n<p>On paper, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/elvis-merzlikins\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Elvis Merzlikins<\/a> enters camp as the starter, but <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/jet-greaves\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jet Greaves<\/a> has shown enough in limited action last year to keep things interesting. This could evolve as the season wears on, especially if Merzlikins struggles with consistency, which has been the story of his career. Keep an eye here, it may not be as straightforward as it looks in September.<\/p>\n<p>Buffalo Sabres<\/p>\n<p>Yes, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/ukko-pekka-luukkonen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen<\/a> is expected to carry the load. Yes, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/alex-lyon\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Lyon<\/a> is the backup. And yes, on paper this looks simple and could very well be however, this is Buffalo we are talking about. If you have followed the Sabres\u2019 crease over the years, you know better than to call anything safe. Sometimes the best fantasy advice with Buffalo goaltenders is to expect the unexpected. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/01\/ramblings-fantasy-draft-prep-some-goalie-thoughts-bounce-backs-sept-1\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep1<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>19. Detroit Red Wings<\/p>\n<p>The addition of <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/John-Gibson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Gibson<\/a> makes this situation fascinating. The question is not whether he is talented, it is which version of Gibson shows up: healthy or injured. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Cam-Talbot\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cam Talbot<\/a> is still capable when managed properly, so a 1A\/1B setup is not out of the realm of possibility. Neither goalie is young anymore, but a split could actually keep them both fresh and give Detroit steady play throughout the season.<\/p>\n<p>Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n<p>Many expected the Oilers to grab a goalie this summer, but they stuck with <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/stuart-skinner\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stuart Skinner<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Calvin-Pickard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Calvin Pickard<\/a>. As a former Skinner owner in a few of my leagues, I can tell you the early goals against were a daily stress test. If you draft him, make sure your heart rate monitor is charged. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/01\/ramblings-fantasy-draft-prep-some-goalie-thoughts-bounce-backs-sept-1\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep1<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>20. And before I tie a bow on it for this week I wanted to share two players I have found myself drafting often in Mock Drafts, primary because I also feel that they may have some sort of a bound back season.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/owen-tippett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Owen Tippett<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/owen-tippett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Owen Tippett<\/a> is the type of player who impacts the game in ways that are not always reflected in the box score. His peripheral stats alone, especially his shot rate, is a good read to draft him. However, in addition to that he was also just outside of the top 10 in the league in controlled entries that led to scoring chances, which shows his ability to consistently push the puck forward and generate opportunities for himself and his linemates. John Tortorella had little tolerance for Tippett and his lack of structure with the puck, hence the sharp drop in his number from the previous season. Tippett\u2019s underlying metrics show that he is better than a 43-point player. With Rick Tocchet now leading Philadelphia and known as a player\u2019s coach, this could provide Tippett the right environment to rebound. The most important factor remains whether Tippett earns a role on the top power play unit, as that would naturally boost his production. However, the arrival of <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/trevor-zegras\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trevor Zegras<\/a> may limit his ceiling. This is something worth monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>21. <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Mika-Zibanejad\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mika Zibanejad<\/a><\/p>\n<p>I still believe <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Mika-Zibanejad\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mika Zibanejad<\/a> has plenty left to be an intriguing bounce back candidate despite a difficult season in New York. The entire Rangers roster underperformed and dealt with significant turnover from <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Jacob-Trouba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jacob Trouba<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/Chris-Kreider\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Kreider<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/k&#039;andre-miller\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">K\u2019Andre Miller<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/filip-chytil\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Filip Chytil<\/a>. That alone would make it challenging for any player to find consistency. Zibanejad posted 62 points which was his lowest output in four years, and his shooting percentage was also the lowest since joining the Rangers. The encouraging sign was the chemistry he developed with <a href=\"https:\/\/frozenpool.dobbersports.com\/players\/J.T.-Miller\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">JT Miller<\/a>, producing 32 points in 31 games when the two played together. With Mike Sullivan stepping in as the new coach in New York, Zibanejad has a strong opportunity for a rebound season. (<a href=\"https:\/\/dobberhockey.com\/2025\/09\/01\/ramblings-fantasy-draft-prep-some-goalie-thoughts-bounce-backs-sept-1\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sep1<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Have a good week, folks!<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for continuing to support the website and if you\u2019re bored and need a fantasy hockey fix \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/forums.dobbersports.com\/forum.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">visit the gang in the forum here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every Sunday, we share 21 Fantasy Rambles from our writers at DobberHockey. These thoughts are curated from the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":127390,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[433],"tags":[49,48,448,82],"class_list":["post-127389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}