Monday, June 10, 2013

With the 2013 NHL Entry Draft quickly approaching,fantasy leagues are also preparing for prospect drafts. With that in mind, I will present my rankings of who I think are the best fantasy prospects in this year’s draft. This is not a mock draft or ranking of the best players, just a ranking of who I think will have the most fantasy value in keeper leagues.

1. Nathan MacKinnon- A very tough call between MacKinnon and teammate Drouin, but I’m going with MacKinnon. I think both will be very good producers, and think Drouin may have a little more offensive upside, but MacKinnon is more of a sure thing. He is a very strong skater and plays both ends of the rink and I believe he will be a more consistent point producer in the NHL.

2. Jonathan Drouin- While there is no doubt about Drouin’s ability, his size and injury risk are slight concerns. He is the best pure offensive talent in the draft, and if he stays healthy, lands in a good spot (Colorado?) and can take the physicality of the NHL he will compare favorably to Patrick Kane.

3. Seth Jones- Jones has elite skating, passing and shooting skills and is a future power-play quarterback. Jones is more Dion Phaneuf than Erik Karlsson however, and is probably more of a 40-45 point scorer, which is still very good.

4. Aleksander Barkov- Has NHL size (6-3, 210) and considerable skill.

5. Sean Monahan- Not flashy, but is productive. Plays an NHL game and isn’t far away from playing there.

6. Valeri Nichushkin- Great size-speed combo, played well at WJC but had some trouble finishing.

7. Alexander Wennberg- Great vision and does everything at top speed.

8. Ryan Pulock- The best pure offensive defenseman in the draft, he has an excellent shot.

9. Darnell Nurse- Athletic blueliner is potential multi-category stud. Great skater, very good shot.

10. Max Domi- Many are down on him for various reasons, but is one of the best offensive talents in the draft.

11. Elias Lindholm- Physical player who can score.

12. Hunter Shinkaruk- Poor man’s Drouin. Also comparable to Kane in stature and hands.

There is my Top 12 for those of you who are in leagues that draft prior to the NHL draft. I hold the top pick in one of my keeper leagues, and keep going back and forth between MacKinnon and Drouin. I will definitely take one, but not sure if I’ll go for upside (Drouin) or play it safe (MacKinnon).

We’d love to get your thoughts and comments. Who are you targeting with your pick? Who would you take with the top pick?

Thanks for reading.