Fantasy team power rankings for July 2018

NHL.com has updated its fantasy team power rankings based on number of players in the mock draft 1.0, with emphasis put on the top 75. Other factors include placement of highest-ranked goalie in the mock draft, and any ties have been broken by other trends (offseason moves, recent performance, projected lineups, etc.) at the writer's discretion.
Fantasy owners should use these rankings as a basis for team evaluation, keeper decisions and offseason draft research. These rankings have been updated after the 2018 NHL Draft, free agency and include recent trades, injury and prospects news.

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MORE FANTASY COVERAGE:
Top 250 for 2018-19
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Cheat sheet

Vegas Golden Knights

The signing of center Paul Stastny gives the Golden Knights depth at the position and a new look in their top six, helping them in reality but not necessarily in fantasy. Losing second-line wings David Perron (St. Louis Blues) and James Neal (Calgary Flames), who combined for 110 points last season, in free agency lowers Vegas' team fantasy appeal.
Top-liners William Karlsson (56th), Jonathan Marchessault (86th), and Reilly Smith (136th) were the only Golden Knights forwards taken in NHL.com's first mock draft. Wing Alex Tuch, who had 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games and solidified his role on the second line, went undrafted in the mock.

The only Golden Knights defenseman selected in the mock was Shea Theodore, who played on the first power-play unit last season with Marchessault, Karlsson, Smith and Tuch. Defenseman Colin Miller, who finished 150th in Yahoo, wasn't selected because of inconsistent usage and concerns about the second power-play unit without Perron and Neal. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (fourth among goalies in Yahoo last season) was selected 13th at the position in the mock because of age (33), injury history (concussion, undisclosed injury last season), a lighter workload (46 games) and the fear of team regression.
Fantasy outlook for 2018-19: The Golden Knights could remain competitive in the Western Conference, but the individual success of Karlsson (43 goals; 23.4 shooting percentage) and Fleury (.927 save percentage) from last season will be hard to recreate.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings have made one fantasy-relevant signing in free agency, bringing in Russian wing Ilya Kovalchuk to play on a line with elite center Anze Kopitar. The signing of the 35-year-old wing has been referred to as a risk because of his age (35) and the emphasis placed on speed in the NHL over the past five seasons, a timeframe that Kovalchuk has spent playing in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Despite the concerns surrounding Kovalchuk, he addresses the Kings' goal-scoring need (three goals in four Stanley Cup Playoff games). With the intrigue of the new top line, Kovalchuk was selected at No. 51 in the mock draft, ahead of notable wings Jakub Voracek, Brock Boeser and Alexander Radulov. The Kings also added stability on defense by re-signing Drew Doughty to an eight-year contract extension. Doughty had 20 power-play points last season (second on Kings) and gains value with the addition of Kovalchuk. The Kings' revamped offense and stability on defense makes Jonathan Quick an attractive No. 1 fantasy goalie option (selected 48th in mock draft).
Fantasy outlook for 2018-19: The Kings top-line duo of Kopitar and Kovalchuk will be the primary targets in drafts, but expect to see waiver-wire value in second-line wings Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, who will have a healthy center in Jeff Carter (missed 55 games in 2017-18 with an ankle injury) to begin the new season. Carter should also be a bargain around the top 100 overall.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues were in Stanley Cup Playoff contention up until the final game of last season, ultimately losing to the Colorado Avalanche and missing the postseason. They traded Stastny, their No. 2 center, to the Winnipeg Jets at the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline, leaving them with a top-heavy roster. The Blues also dealt with numerous injuries (Jaden Schwartz, Robby Fabbri, etc.), exposing their lack of offensive depth.
The Blues addressed these concerns by trading for center Ryan O'Reilly and signing forwards Perron, Tyler Bozak and Pat Maroon in free agency. O'Reilly headlines the group of additions by bringing scoring prowess to the second line. The 27-year-old had 61 points (24 goals, 37 assists) in 81 games last season with the Buffalo Sabres, who scored the fewest goals in the NHL (198). An overlooked part of O'Reilly's game is his ability to produce on the power play (23 PPP last season; T-1st on Buffalo), giving him potential exposure to elite wing Vladimir Tarasenko and boosting his fantasy appeal in late rounds (selected No. 150 in mock draft).
This deep forward group should have a direct on impact on goalie Jake Allen, who will be relied on as a workhorse after Carter Hutton signed with the Sabres in free agency. Allen was taken No. 93 in the mock draft (16th among goalies) and could be a mid-round steal if his save percentage (.906 last season) reverts closer to his NHL career average (.913).

Fantasy outlook for 2018-19: The Blues forward group is one of the most intriguing in the Western Conference, and they also have young talent in forward prospect Robert Thomas and defenseman Vince Dunn, two deep fantasy sleepers. Expect St. Louis to have at least one elite fantasy player at each position this season.

TEAM FANTASY POWER RANKINGS

NOTE: The below trends reflect the change in rank after NHL.com's mock draft 1.0 compared to the previous update, which was based on top 250 rankings data.
1. Winnipeg Jets (SAME)
2. Nashville Predators (+1)
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (-1)
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (SAME)
5. Washington Capitals (SAME)
6. Pittsburgh Penguins (+1)
7. Boston Bruins (-1)
8. San Jose Sharks (SAME)
9. Los Angeles Kings (+6)
10. Florida Panthers (+1)
11. Philadelphia Flyers (+3)
12. Dallas Stars (+1)
13. Columbus Blue Jackets (-3)
14. St. Louis Blues (+5)
15. Calgary Flames (+1)
16. Vegas Golden Knights (-7)
17. Colorado Avalanche (-5)
18. Anaheim Ducks (-1)
19. Minnesota Wild (+1)
20. Carolina Hurricanes (+2)
21. Edmonton Oilers (-3)
22. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
23. Buffalo Sabres (+3)
24. Arizona Coyotes (-1)
25. New Jersey Devils (-1)
26. New York Islanders (+1)
27. Vancouver Canucks (-2)
28. New York Rangers (SAME)
29. Detroit Red Wings (SAME)
30. Ottawa Senators (+1)
31. Montreal Canadiens (-1)