2025-26 Fantasy Hockey Mock Draft Insights
The annual NHL.com fantasy hockey mock draft for the 2025-26 season offers managers a window into evolving player valuations, positional trends, and the strategies that will shape this year’s drafts. With 144 players selected over 12 rounds, this exercise not only highlights the expected stars, but also underscores the importance of adapting to positional runs and injury risk. Here’s what savvy fantasy GMs should take away from this year’s mock draft results.
What’s New & Why It Matters
The 2025-26 mock draft reinforced some familiar trends—elite forwards like Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid remain the gold standard at the top—but also revealed a renewed emphasis on positional scarcity. Notably, Cale Makar was the first defenseman off the board, and Andrei Vasilevskiy was prioritized as the first goalie. This signals a shift toward locking up high-impact, scarce positions earlier, especially as the gap between the top and middle tiers at defense and goaltending has widened. Additionally, managers are weighing injury risk and upside more than ever, as seen with the careful consideration of Matthew Tkachuk’s status and the aggressive targeting of high-ceiling young players like Connor Bedard for dynasty formats.
Fantasy Implications
Points-Only
In pure points leagues, the top-tier forwards are still the safest bets. Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid remain in their own stratosphere, both due to their offensive consistency and the stability of their top-line, top-power-play roles. Defensemen like Cale Makar are increasingly being drafted earlier, reflecting their ability to put up forward-like point totals from the blue line. If your league rewards pure scoring, these are the anchors you want to build around, but don’t reach for goalies too soon unless they’re in the Vasilevskiy tier.
Categories / Bangers
Category leagues add layers of nuance—hits, blocks, shots, and PIMs can vault certain players into higher tiers. Matthew Tkachuk typifies this multi-category value, but his injury status introduces risk. Managers should monitor both preseason reports and line deployment closely. Goalies like Andrei Vasilevskiy become even more crucial in leagues that count saves, wins, and shutouts, justifying an earlier pick. Defensemen who contribute across categories, not just points, should be prioritized after the elite forwards are gone.
Dynasty / Keeper
Younger stars and breakout candidates are coveted assets in keeper and dynasty formats. Connor Bedard’s early selection in the mock reflects not only his immediate upside but his long-term potential as a franchise fantasy asset. Don’t be afraid to invest in blue-chip prospects a round or two ahead of redraft ADP, especially if you’re not contending this year. Monitor which prospects are earning top-six or top-pairing minutes and PP1 time, as these deployment trends often foreshadow breakout campaigns.
Who to Add / Stream / Watch
- Nathan MacKinnon: Still the safest top pick in any format—elite usage and production floor.
- Cale Makar: First defenseman drafted, and for good reason—huge PP1 role, elite scoring upside.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy: Early goalie run makes him a priority for managers who value stability in net.
- Connor Bedard: Dynasty managers should target for his sky-high ceiling and increasing role in Chicago.
- Matthew Tkachuk: Monitor injury updates; if healthy, he’s a multi-category monster—especially valuable in bangers leagues.
- Emerging defensemen: Watch for players earning unexpected PP1 time; they can be league-winners if they stick.
- Breakout forwards: Keep tabs on preseason line combos—top-six promotions can yield massive value leaps.
Fantasy Takeaways
- Elite forwards remain the safest investments, but positional scarcity is driving up the cost of top defensemen and goalies.
- Don’t sleep on multi-category contributors, especially in leagues that reward hits, blocks, and shots.
- Injury risk and deployment updates are critical—stay flexible and adapt your draft strategy as preseason news emerges.
- Dynasty managers should be aggressive in targeting young stars with expanding roles and future upside.
- Monitor the early rounds for positional runs; don’t get left behind if a tier starts to dry up.
Source: NHL.com (2025-09-26). See the original for full details.