With the preseason completed, people are beginning to plan for their fantasy hockey seasons, and the Vancouver Canucks could provide some options.
With the regular season just about to begin, so, too, is the fantasy hockey season. Some leagues have already completed their draft, but others have waited for the conclusion of the preseason. For those people, I’m here to give you some Vancouver Canucks options to consider in your draft.
Daniel Sedin
In fantasy hockey, goals are the most important statistic. As the Canucks’ leading scorer last season with 28 goals, Daniel Sedin is the most appealing option on the Canucks roster. Prior to the world cup and preseason, I had Daniel as an eighth or ninth-rounder in a 10-team league, but after seeing the chemistry he had with Loui Eriksson, I have no issue taking him as high as the sixth round.
Henrik Sedin
Because of injury concerns last year, Henrik’s value drops a bit in fantasy hockey this year. Most of his points also tend to come from assists while setting up Daniel, and assists are typically less valued than goals in fantasy hockey. Personally, I’m waiting until the 12th round to select him because of the injury concerns. If you’re willing to take a bet on him and he manages to stay healthy, he could turn out to be a great sleeper pick in fantasy hockey this year.
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Loui Eriksson
Loui Eriksson is another Canuck that could be a good sleeper pick in fantasy hockey. His true value will come while playing with the Sedins, but for the sake of the Canucks’ success, he will likely be moved around the lineup. I’m looking at him in the 12th or 13th round in my league.
Alex Edler
Alex Edler was not the most offensive defenseman last year, but still holds some value as a guy you might select with your final pick or look at as an option on waivers this year. If you’re in a league that counts shots as a statistic, then Edler is not a bad option as a depth defenseman. Edler sits just outside my rankings in the draft, but will be a guy I look at as an option on waivers if he is available.
Bo Horvat
Bo Horvat‘s value in fantasy hockey was low last year because he was taking a lot of defensive-zone faceoffs. With Brandon Sutter expected to be healthy this year, Horvat’s value will rise along with his point totals. He’s another guy you might look at in your final few picks and it could pay off greatly if Horvat is used primarily in the offensive zone like he should be.
Other Options
Ideally, you want to get your goalies early in fantasy hockey, because you need an elite goaltender that plays a large chunk of games to win in most leagues. However, if you’re going to wait or are looking for a backup in case your starter goes down, either Canucks goaltender would be a decent selection. They should get close to similar playing time, especially if Miller gets injured at some point in the season.
Ben Hutton burst onto the scene last year with 25 points and was an exciting player to watch. Being paired with Erik Gudbranson might allow Hutton to be even more effective offensively, and he could turn out to be a decent fantasy-hockey option.
Sven Baertschi is a really interesting fantasy hockey player this year. He doesn’t have the history to look to in regards to fantasy hockey because he’s never been a consistent top-six forward. This year, he should be spending his time with Bo Horvat and, if he can hit 25 goals this year, he would be a great pick-up in fantasy hockey.
Next: Anton Rodin to Start Season on Injured Reserve
The real wild card this year is Anton Rodin. We don’t really know what to expect from him because we haven’t seen him at the NHL level yet. With the news that he will likely be on the injured reserve to start, he is not a guy I would suggest drafting. However, if after 20 or 30 games he’s putting up good offensive numbers, he might be a guy I look at on waivers.