Sidney Crosby, C -- The Pittsburgh Penguins captain leads active NHL players in points per game (1.31) and led the League in goals (44) last season despite missing seven games (six because of concussion). The 30-year-old is a close second behind Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, 20, in NHL.com's rankings, and remains as attractive a fantasy option as ever in the prime of his career after leading the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
Evgeni Malkin, C -- The Russian forward is second behind Crosby in points per game (1.18) and finished 11th in Yahoo despite missing 20 games. Injuries remain a concern surrounding Malkin's value, especially in a head-to-head league, but the time missed didn't stop him from producing elite totals in each of the six standard categories. He had 72 points (33 goals, 39 assists) in 62 games, a 95-point pace in 82 games, and is worth a late first-round pick.
Phil Kessel, RW -- He returned value based on Yahoo average draft position (35.0; finished 23rd), playing with Malkin at even strength and on the first power-play unit. It wasn't his best season in terms of point production (70 in 82 games; 82 points in 2011-12; 80 in 2013-14 with Toronto Maple Leafs), but he set NHL career highs in assists (47; T-11th) and power-play points (30; 5th). He's one of four Penguins (Crosby, Malkin, Matt Murray) ranked among NHL.com's top 30.
Jake Guentzel, C/LW -- After leading the Stanley Cup Playoffs in goals (13) as a rookie, Guentzel boasts a high scoring rate (54 points in 65 games) at the NHL level. He has further breakout potential and is ranked in the preseason top 100, but reaching for Guentzel comes with risk because he doesn't play on the first power-play unit and could be bound for a dip in shooting percentage (19.8 in reg. season; 25.0 in postseason).
Patric Hornqvist, RW -- He spent time on each of Pittsburgh's first three lines at different points in the season, but still turned out to be a tremendous value drafted on average outside the top 100 (ADP: 117.8; finished 75th in Yahoo). He provided his trademark coverage of points (44), plus/minus (plus-16), PPP (17) and shots on goal (223), and became especially valuable in a hits league (NHL career-high 227).
Conor Sheary, LW/RW -- He finished ninth in points per 60 minutes (2.96; minimum 20 games), one of four Penguins players among the top 10 (Malkin: 3.59, 1st; Crosby: 3.30, 4th; Guentzel: 3.02, 7th). He excelled on Crosby's line in the regular season, but regressed in a depth role during the postseason (two goals, five assists in 22 games). Sheary's long-term fantasy worth is tough to gauge with little power-play time to fall back on and prospect Daniel Sprong set to compete for prime minutes. That said, possible exposure to Crosby makes Sheary worth a late-round pick (10th round or later).
