Alex Ovechkin, LW --The Washington Capitals captain covers goals, power-play points and shots on goal like no other player in the NHL. Even with his lowest goal total (33) in a full season since 2010-11 (32), Ovechkin finished 10th in Yahoo and was the only player with at least 30 goals, 25 PPP (26) and 300 SOG (313). After being moved to the third line because of hamstring and knee injuries in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he could be drafted lower than usual (mid-to-late first round). But he remains a lock to finish among the fantasy top 15 if healthy on the top line and first power-play unit with Nicklas Backstrom.
Nicklas Backstrom, C --Even with Ovechkin having a down season by his standards, Backstrom ranked fourth in the NHL with 86 points (23 goals, 63 assists) in 82 games. He led the League in PPP (35) for the second time in the past four seasons, joining Ovechkin among Yahoo's top 10 (ninth). Backstrom's average draft position should be higher than last season (33.9), but he could still fall to the late second round.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, C -- He's likely to produce a point total somewhere in between his breakout season of 2015-16 (77) and the underachieving one that followed (59). That said, Kuznetsov faces linemate questions after the departure of Marcus Johansson (traded to New Jersey Devils) and Justin Williams (signed with Carolina Hurricanes). He could bounce back if he plays with young forwards Andre Burakovsky and Jakub Vrana at even strength, but neither wing has had a full season of fantasy relevance. Kuznetsov could at least hit 20 PPP for the first time in his NHL career if he replaces Johansson on the first unit.
T.J. Oshie, RW --He benefited from constant exposure to Ovechkin and Backstrom at even strength and on the first power-play unit, scoring an NHL career-high 33 goals on 143 SOG in 68 games (23.1 percent shooting). Oshie is likely to regress in the goals category, but could still shatter his career-best point total (60 with St. Louis Blues in 2013-14) if he plays a full season in those prime spots. If you draft Ovechkin or Backstrom early, Oshie is a great stacking option attainable outside the top 75.
Andre Burakovsky, LW/RW --The 22-year-old has been behind Ovechkin and Johansson in the Capitals lineup for much of his first three NHL seasons, but is a glaring breakout candidate if he's elevated to Kuznetsov's line. Burakovsky, like the rest of the Capitals, was held scoreless in their Game 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Second Round, but had four points (three goals, assist) with a plus-5 in Games 5 and 6 on the top line with Backstrom. With plenty of secondary scoring to replace (Johansson had 58 points; Williams had 48), Burakovsky is a safe bet for more than 50 points in an expanded role.
