MORE FANTASY COVERAGE: Top 250 rankings
NOTES: These fantasy projections (for 82-game season), a collaborative effort by Pete Jensen and Anna Dua, have been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past performance in the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs, projected line combinations, power-play usage, team goalie situations, injury history or concern, sleeper upside, anticipated regression or bounce-back candidacy, age, contract status and overall upside for this season. The below totals are safe estimates and do not necessarily indicate each player's ceiling or floor and should be used as a basis for decision-making in all fantasy leagues. Players are listed below in order of NHL.com top 250 rank.
Golden Knights 32 in 32: [Season preview | 3 Questions | Top prospects]
Jack Eichel, C -- He was productive (25 points in 34 games) after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres last season despite playing with a broken thumb down the stretch after recovering from neck surgery. Eichel, who ranks 21st in the NHL in points per game (0.93; minimum 400 games) since entering the League in 2015-16, should be considered a top 15 fantasy center and can exceed his best point total from 2018-19 (82 points in 77 games with Buffalo) if he stays healthy and plays on a line with elite right wing Mark Stone.
NHL.com point projection for Eichel: 84
Mark Stone, RW -- He was valuable in fantasy when healthy (30 points in 37 games) last season and is expected to be ready for this season after having back surgery May 19. Stone, who had his highest point total in 2018-19 (73 points in 77 games with Golden Knights and Ottawa Senators) and has been better than a point per game twice in his career (2020-21 with Vegas; 2017-18 with Ottawa), should be considered a top 10 fantasy right wing and joins Eichel among NHL.com's top 50 overall rankings.
NHL.com point projection for Stone: 77
Shea Theodore, D -- He ranked 14th among NHL defensemen in points (NHL career-high 52; third on the Golden Knights) last season and was tied for eighth at the position in shots on goal (205). Theodore, who's also coming off NHL career highs in goals (14) and assists (38) and frequently plays on the first power play, could benefit from the Golden Knights hiring coach Bruce Cassidy to replace Peter DeBoer; the Golden Knights ranked 25th in the NHL in power-play efficiency (18.4 percent) last season under DeBoer, and the Boston Bruins were tied for second in the League in the category over their five full seasons under Cassidy (23.7 percent since 2017-18). Theodore should be considered a top 20 fantasy defenseman and top 100 overall player.
NHL.com point projection for Theodore: 54
Alex Pietrangelo, D-- He led Vegas defensemen with 13 power-play points last season (Theodore had 12) and had an NHL career-high 227 shots on goal. Pietrangelo has a high fantasy floor (at least 40 points in nine of his 10 full seasons) and should be considered a fringe top 25 fantasy defenseman and potential bargain if available outside the top 100 overall.
NHL.com point projection for Pietrangelo: 46
Jonathan Marchessault, LW/RW -- He was a bright spot last season for the Golden Knights, who were decimated by injuries and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Marchessault led them in goals (30), points (66), power-play points (20) and shots on goal (251). The forward leads Vegas in goals (122), assists (169), points (291), power-play points (70) and shots on goal (1,208) since it began play in 2017-18 despite mostly a second-line role and has more than a hit per game (401 in 356 games) in that span, making him an intriguing fantasy option with a chance to be elevated to the top line after Max Pacioretty was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
NHL.com point projection for Marchessault: 61
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Other VGK players to consider in fantasy: Logan Thompson, G; Chandler Stephenson, C/RW; Phil Kessel, RW; Reilly Smith, RW; Alec Martinez, D; Nicholas Roy, C/RW
Injured player: Robin Lehner, G (out for season)
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