Fantasy Hockey Tiers: Hughes Trade Shock, Oilers Stacks and 2025-26 Award Chases

The 2025-26 season is shaping up around a few clear fantasy pillars: a new home for Quinn Hughes, a loaded Edmonton attack, and familiar faces atop the awards conversation. Instead of chasing every hot name, it helps to group players into tiers based on role, upside, and risk. Here’s how to think about Hughes, the Oilers forwards, and the league’s elite scorers across common fantasy formats.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The biggest shake-up here is Hughes landing with the Minnesota Wild. He’s expected to anchor the top pair and run the first power-play unit, which is exactly the usage fantasy managers dream about for an offensive defenseman. That combination of heavy minutes and prime offensive deployment can push him into the top fantasy tier at his position.

In Edmonton, Connor McDavid remains the centerpiece of a powerhouse offense, while Vasily Podkolzin has carved out a scoring role alongside elite talent like Leon Draisaitl. Podkolzin’s current form and linemates make him a classic high-upside streamer: the role is good enough that, if the production sticks, he can graduate into a hold in many leagues.

At the very top of the league, Nathan MacKinnon and McDavid are once again front and center in Art Ross and Hart discussions. Their award candidacies matter for fantasy because they signal sustained, elite workloads and offensive environments. Finally, in San Jose, Macklin Celebrini is on the radar as a high-upside building block for the Sharks, especially appealing in dynasty formats where patience is rewarded.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-only leagues, you’re chasing raw scoring and power-play exposure. Hughes’ move to Minnesota is a clear win here. A defenseman on the top pair and PP1 is effectively a pseudo-forward in terms of scoring potential, and Minnesota should funnel a lot of their offense through him at the blue line. He belongs in the upper scoring tier among defensemen and is a priority target if your league rewards defense scoring heavily.

Forwards like McDavid and MacKinnon sit in their own tier. Both are legitimate threats to lead the league in scoring and will be leaned on heavily in all situations. In practical terms, that means you treat them as foundational pieces: you build your roster around their production and worry less about positional balance early in your planning.

Podkolzin is more of a middle-tier points-only option. The appeal is straightforward: he’s in a scoring role on a high-octane Edmonton team and currently riding a productive stretch. As long as he sticks in the top six and sees regular time with McDavid or Draisaitl, he’s a strong short-term add or stream with the potential to become a longer-term hold if the usage stabilizes.

Celebrini is trickier in points-only redraft formats. His upside is obvious, but the environment in San Jose and his development curve introduce volatility. In shallow or standard points-only leagues, he’s more of a late bench stash or watchlist name. In deeper formats, he can sit in a speculative tier where you’re willing to accept early inconsistency for the chance at a late-season breakout.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-category leagues, context and volume matter as much as pure points. Hughes’ value jumps again because top-pair minutes usually translate into strong totals in shots and potentially blocks, on top of his power-play production. Even if Minnesota isn’t a top-five offense, the sheer ice time and PP1 role make him a multi-cat asset.

McDavid and MacKinnon are category monsters. They don’t just score; they drive shot volume, power-play points, and often plus-minus in many formats. Their presence allows you to be more flexible with the rest of your roster, taking on a bit more category risk elsewhere because they provide such a strong foundation in goals, assists, and special-teams production.

Podkolzin’s category profile depends on how he’s being used, but a second-line scoring role on Edmonton should at least bring decent shots and goal potential. In leagues that count hits or PIM, monitor his peripherals; if he brings a physical element along with his scoring, he can jump from streamer status into a solid middle-tier multi-cat winger.

Celebrini’s category impact will likely be uneven early on. Young forwards on rebuilding teams can struggle with plus-minus and consistency, but they often rack up shots as they’re given the green light to create offense. In deeper bangers formats, that shot volume and potential power-play usage can make him a useful speculative piece, even if the counting stats are streaky.

Dynasty / Keeper

Dynasty managers should view Hughes’ move to Minnesota as a long-term anchor moment. A defenseman who can reliably live on the top pair and PP1 for years is a core piece in any build. Even if team context fluctuates, his role should keep him in the upper tiers of fantasy defensemen for multiple seasons.

McDavid and MacKinnon are obvious dynasty cornerstones, but their award-contender status reinforces that they’re still firmly in their prime windows. In keeper formats with limited protection spots, they’re automatic holds and often worth consolidating assets to acquire via trade, especially if your league allows long-term contracts or extended control.

Podkolzin is more of a swing in dynasty. Playing in Edmonton’s top six gives him a high ceiling, but his long-term role isn’t as locked in as the true superstars. He fits nicely into a tier of upside forwards who could become 60–70 point contributors if everything breaks right. That makes him a good buy-low or speculative hold if your roster can absorb some risk.

Celebrini is where dynasty managers can really separate themselves. As an emerging talent on the San Jose Sharks, he’s likely to be a focal point of their rebuild. That means heavy usage, top-line opportunities, and PP1 time as he matures. The short-term pain of playing on a weaker team can be offset by massive long-term upside. In deep keeper or dynasty setups, he belongs in a high-upside prospect tier you’re willing to be patient with.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Quinn Hughes – Add (all leagues): Top pair and PP1 for Minnesota give him elite defenseman upside across formats.
Connor McDavid – Add / Build around: A perennial awards favorite and offensive engine in Edmonton; treat him as a franchise piece.
Nathan MacKinnon – Elite hold / Trade target: Art Ross-level ceiling and consistent top-line role make him a priority core asset.
Vasily Podkolzin – Short-term stream: Riding a scoring streak in Edmonton’s top six with strong linemates; hold while the deployment lasts.
Macklin Celebrini – Dynasty add / Redraft watchlist: Emerging centerpiece in San Jose with significant long-term scoring upside.

Fantasy Takeaways

Hughes’ move to Minnesota and expected PP1 role vaults him into a top fantasy tier among defensemen in all formats.
Podkolzin is a classic high-upside streamer on a powerful Edmonton offense; ride the hot stretch but be ready to move on if his role slips.
McDavid and MacKinnon remain elite award contenders and foundational fantasy pieces you should build your roster around.
Celebrini is a priority stash in dynasty and deeper keeper leagues thanks to his long-term upside as a focal point in San Jose.
Use tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer to evaluate offers involving these high-impact names and ensure you’re maximizing value.

Source: NHL.com. See the original for full details.