Victoria Matiash Sep 24, 2026, 09:00 AM ET While player projections are useful, they should be treated with a critical eye. There's room for personal prognostication and listening to your inner fantasy voice. Here are my first 20 draft selections from any spot, listed in descending order, following ESPN Fantasy's default points league.

To avoid repetition, I'm skipping commentary for the first quartet of elite skaters. Draft Slot 1: Nathan MacKinnon, F, Colorado Avalanche. Draft Slot 2: Nikita Kucherov, F, Tampa Bay Lightning. Draft Slot 3: Macklin Celebrini, F, San Jose Sharks. Draft Slot 4: Connor McDavid, F, Edmonton Oilers.

Draft Slot 5: Jason Robertson, F, Dallas Stars. The added incentive of playing on a rich one-year contract isn't the only reason to select Robertson. The Dallas winger banked 96 points in 2025-26 after two 80-point campaigns. Draft Slot 6: David Pastrnak, F, Boston Bruins. The 30-year-old remains a reliable top-tier fantasy gem, scoring 107 points average over four years.

Draft Slot 7: Kirill Kaprizov, F, Minnesota Wild. Since his rookie season, Kaprizov has averaged 1.24 points/game, behind only McDavid, Kucherov, MacKinnon, Draisaitl and Pastrnak. Draft Slot 8: Auston Matthews, F, Toronto Maple Leafs. The eye test suggests Matthews is feeling better than he has in quite some time, looking faster and looser in preseason play.