Let’s all forget fantasy football for a while, as the NHL season is upon us once again. While bad dudes like Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, and John Tavares are all raring to begin the season, puckheads all over are preparing for a different kind of competition: fantasy hockey. Let’s not waste any more of your time. Read on for our top 10 center picks for your fantasy team.
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[sc:NHLArticles ]NHL 2015-16 Top 10 Fantasy Centers
1. Sidney Crosby
[sc:NHL240 ]You can never go wrong with Sid the Kid. With Jim Rutherford pilfering Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the offseason, expect Crosby’s point total to rise higher than the 84 he mustered last season. Crosby’s goal production went from 36 in 2014-15 to only 28 (20th) last season, but even if that trend continues because of added talent on the Pens’ attack, the King Penguin would likely make it up in other categories such as points, assists, and plus/minus. A 100-point season is definitely on the horizon for the two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner.
2. John Tavares
It’s going to be a different home for the Islanders, but expect Tavares to be the same stat-monster that he was last season. Tavares finished inside the top 10 in goals (38), assists (48) and points (86) last season. And if those numbers weren’t enough to convince you that the 2009 first overall pick has definitely arrived, then consider that he was also sixth in power play goals (13) and eighth in shots (278) last season. For the upcoming 2015-16 campaign, Tavares may be on his way to breaching the 90-point mark for the first time in his career.
3. Tyler Seguin
Seguin played just 71 games last season, but he still managed to score find the back of the net 37 times to finish fifth in the league. Furthermore, Seguin also had 40 assists to prop his point total to 77—seventh overall. With such a production over fewer games than most centers in his level, Seguin was also able to top the NHL with an average of 3.33 points per 60 minutes on ice. With Patrick Sharp coming over from Chicago to be the first-line right winger and another Hart Trophy-candidate in Jamie Benn flanking him, Seguin should be able to at least produce similar numbers.
4. Steven Stamkos
Cut from the same cloth with Alex Ovechkin, Stamkos’ ability to shame opposing goalies are unquestioned. But the challenge for Stamkos as far as fantasy hockey is concerned is whether he can do more than just put pucks in the net. Stamkos was second last season in goals (43) but was “only” 14th in points with 72, as his total was weighed down by a relatively low 29 assists. That said, it would be hard to look away from Stamkos for his scoring prowess. Stamkos was sixth last season in power play goals (13) and ninth in shots (268).
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5. Claude Giroux
A dangerous player on the power play, Giroux is set to have another great season with the Flyers. Giroux is coming off a 73-point season, in which he peppered opposing defenses for 25 goals, including 14 on the man advantage—third overall in the NHL. But while he was seventh in shots with 279 last season, Giroux is more coveted because of his playmaking skills. Over the last two seasons, Giroux has collected 106 assists, coming up with 48 in 2014-15.
6. Ryan Johansen
Johansen continued elevating his status as among the best centers in the league last season when he breached the 70-point barrier (26 goals, 45 assists) for the first time since breaking into the NHL in 2011. Following a measly output of 14 goals and 19 assists in his first two years in the big show, Johansen showed tremendous improvement by amassing 59 goals and 75 assists since 2013. The Blue Jackets’ top line looks even better this season with Brandon Saad joining Nick Foligno so it’s only fair to expect Johansen’s numbers to get even better.
7. Tyler Johnson
Johnson is the real deal. By finishing last season with 29 goals and 43 assists for 72 points, Johnson proved that his 2013-2014 breakout campaign was less of a fluke and more of a harbinger of doom for opposing defenses in the future. With the chemistry that Johnson has already built with fellow line mates Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat, it would be entirely fair to assume that the undrafted center will rack up salivating numbers again.
8. Joe Pavelski
Few expected Pavelski would reach the 40-goal plateau prior to the 2013-14 season. But he did. Few people also thought that Pavelski would be close to touching that total once again the following year. And yet he did. So is it okay to harbor cravings for Pavelski this coming season? Let’s just say that he’s definitely worth a gamble.
9. Ryan Getzlaf
Playing alongside a talent like Corey Perry sure has its perks, as Getzlaf had another great campaign in 2014-15, when he finished with 25 goals and 45 assists to record his second-straight 70-point seasons. Getzlaf had a career-low three power goals last season but the addition of Chris Stewart, Kevin Bieksa and Carl Hagelin should help Getzlaf experience an uptick in his production on the man advantage.
10. Nathan MacKinnon
MacKinnon was the picture-perfect poster boy of the term sophomore slump last season, when he mustered just 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points. Those were disappointing numbers across the board for the center, especially when considering that he collected 63 points in his rookie season. That said, his letdown of a 2014-15 campaign only makes him a strong candidate to be the bounce-back fantasy player of the year.
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