EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLet's go! Coming off a long summer following one of the most exciting hockey seasons ever, on and off the NHL ice, we're ready to re-embrace the game we love, as both fans and invested fantasy managers. Whether you're a wily veteran or brand new to the game, we're here to help you not only compete but give yourself a solid shot at victory. Starting with this primer that serves as an introduction for newbies and a refresher for those more well-versed.More: Sign up for free | Rankings | Projections | League typesThe draftThe most important two hours of your entire fantasy hockey season. But don't sweat it! A little research and preparation is all it takes to cobble together a competitive roster. To start, don't overcomplicate matters, take the best player available. This year, that's Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, Macklin Celebrini, or Connor McDavid (yes, even under new defensive-minded head coach Mike Babcock).Once that elite quartet is off the board, turn to the second tier of elite forwards including Leon Draisaitl, Jason Robertson, and David Pastrnak. Your blue line and net can wait a moment. Cale Makar isn't fetching you fantasy points for dollars earned and there are enough good-to-great goalies even once Andrei Vasilevskiy is off the table. Grab your big scorer up front, first and foremost. These are the skaters who can average 3.0-plus per game in ESPN standard points leagues.Use the next few early rounds to acquire at least one premiere fantasy defenseman and a top-tier netminder (more on those positions below), while always keeping an eye out for the remaining gems up front. Don't fret about filling positional requirements at this stage and continue to grab the heavy hitters. I promise the fantasy math will eventually work out in your favor.Okay, once the best players are off the board, and your top-tier goalie is secured, now start working to satisfy positional and categorical needs. Too many right-wingers will result in too many quality performers stuck on your bench on busier nights. While a dearth at another position is also frustratingly limiting. Of course, if your league adheres to the overarching (F) classification, continue to draft the best player available. In later rounds, it's time to really focus on sleepers, bounce-back and breakout contenders. These potential pleasant surprises can truly alter a roster for the better.Back to the importance of research and preparation, as usual, we're here to help with preseason previews covering all matters fantasy hockey right up until your draft and beyond.ESPN Fantasy Hockey is the fun, free way to get inside the game. Draft your players, set your lineups and earn points when the pros do. Sign up today!Bounce-back and breakout candidatesWith the top center in San Jose serving as the poster child for breakout candidates in 2025-26, Celebrini wasn't alone in taking a leap forward. The Anaheim Ducks' Cutter Gauthier impressed us with his 41-goal statement season just as (then) Tampa Bay Lightning defender Darren Raddysh won over alert managers by finishing 11th in fantasy points, despite missing nine games. Cole Caufield followed linemate Nick Suzuki's lead from the previous season by exploding for 88 points, including 51 goals. Will linemate Juraj Slafkovsky be next in busting through the 80-point mark? Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Dan Vladar proved he does indeed have the chops to serve as a No. 1 netminder. Easier said than done, but spotting these characters before they erupt can go a long way to ameliorating your fantasy squad.Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabres could be one such candidate, after making such a positive impression this past spring. Poised to see top-line minutes alongside Tage Thompson, the scrappy winger feels on the verge of going next-level. Celebrini's roommate, Will Smith is also in ideal position to erupt at age 21. On the blue line, I like Cole Hutson of the Washington Capitals to wow us as a rookie, and Jet Greaves is in position to finally establish himself as a prominent fantasy netminder for the Columbus Blue Jackets.As for bounce-back performers, goalie Jeremy Swayman and forward Ryan O'Reilly are just two examples of figures who rebounded off rather drab campaigns the previous year. Now I have my sights set on Tampa Bay's Brayden Point and Capitals newbie Jordan Kyrou to do the same. Elias Pettersson is an intriguing figure -- altogether not a bad fantasy performer despite his disappointing play in Vancouver -- as someone who might finally get back to the player he was under new management and a fresh coaching staff. The former 100-point forward very much might be worth a roll of the fantasy dice.Less appealing "B" candidatesBacksliders. Maybe they're coming off a season that's just too anomalous and tough to duplicate. Age could be another factor, along with a new role within the lineup or on another team altogether. Whatever the reason, these players are moving in the wrong direction production-wise, and you want to avoid them.Boston's Morgan Geekie potted 25 goals in his first 36 games and then just another 14 in the following 45 contests. Managers unfamiliar with that timing and trend might be unjustifiably wooed by the total of 39 and mistake the winger for a 40-goal scorer. When in reality, even if he remains on a top line with Pastrnak, the 28-year-old sports true 30-goal potential at heart.Does Alex DeBrincat score another 40-plus with Patrick Kane back in Chicago? Considering that loss and the state of hockey with the Detroit Red Wings at present, I wouldn't predict as much. Sure, ex-Sabre Alex Tuch could flirt with the 35-goal and 70-point mark once more on a line with Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin in Washington, or enjoy more modest numbers on another unit. Just as some players are going to improve statistically with a different supporting cast, others will move in the opposite direction, and expectations should be tempered.This isn't to suggest you shouldn't draft Geekie, DeBrincat, Tuch and others, just don't jump on them too early with the mind you're getting last year's exact fantasy model.More on goaliesYou won't win your league, or even make a go of it, with bad fantasy goaltending. Snoozing on this position is not an option. These few competitors are responsible for far too many categories. So as tempting as it may be to snag another high-performing skater when it's the right time to address your needs in net, take the latter route.The first rule of thumb is to avoid netminders on lousy teams. Arguably the best goaltender in the world played 57 games for a surprisingly bad squad in Winnipeg this past season. By the time mid-April rolled around, Connor Hellebuyck netted his managers fewer fantasy points than 27 others in the league. Taking large personal strides, Spencer Knight served as a promising figure for the Blackhawks through yet another rebuilding campaign in Chicago. Yet despite making 22 more starts than Jesper Wallstedt in Minnesota, Knight still finished well below the Wild netminder in the fantasy standings. No matter how individually talented, great goalies on an inferior teams most often aren't in position to regularly reward their managers.But busy is good too. Once zoned in on the better teams in the league, it's wise to target those who play the most. Tampa Bay's Vasilevskiy is a great example, as is Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger. Logan Thompson presents as a top-five fantasy netminder, again, on a Capitals team that should be even better. While the league continues to trend in the direction of relying on two or more figures between the pipes, there's still a good number of goalies who carry a significantly heavier workload. Such characters on quality squads need to be chased, first and foremost.After your top performers are secured, give prominent starters on improving teams and top-tier tandem members a look. It's Greaves' net in Columbus. If the Blue Jackets can equal or improve-upon their record from this past run, the 25-year-old will prove valuable. As for old faces in new places, ex-New Jersey Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom could be in for nice rebound campaign with the Florida Panthers.Colorado's Scott Wedgewood reigns supreme as member of the tandem crowd, while Stanley Cup Champ Brandon Bussi should see more starts than Pyotr Kotchetkov now that Frederik Andersen is in Edmonton. The options open up considerably, again, once your recognized heavy-hitters are in place.For more on how to address this all-important position, check out our dedicated goalie preview.A slightly deeper dive on D-menUnlike in years past, Makar is no longer a list of one as far as premier fantasy defenders are concerned. Six blueliners -- Makar, Zach Werenski, Evan Bouchard, Moritz Seider, Charlie McAvoy and Jake Sanderson -- all averaged between 2.4 and 2.6 fantasy points/game in ESPN standard leagues this past season. While Makar and Bouchard sit a titch above the rest, the gap is much smaller than before. Another good throng, including Quinn Hughes, Rasmus Dahlin and Lane Hutson, banged out 2.2 points/game in 2025-26. In most leagues, you want at least one top-tier performer, along with a pair from that secondary, yet still impressive, sub-set. Then take a breath.In competition that rewards blocked-shots, there's no real sense of urgency in padding your fantasy roster with defenders. This past campaign, 29 blueliners earned between 1.7 and 2.1 fantasy points/game. Plenty to go around. Instead, pursue skaters that are going to put up the flashiest numbers first, regardless of position. Of course, as with every position, when rounding out your defensive corps, keep an eye out for prospective breakout candidates. The Los Angeles Kings' Brandt Clarke and Capitals rookie Cole Hutson are two such names on my 2026-27 radar.Leagues, leagues, leaguesAs for customization, ESPN Fantasy provides the forum to create any type of league you want. If interested in constructing your own head-to-head competition, first settle on either the points or categories path, then determine the applicable stats. Beyond scoring, hits and blocked-shots -- to reward defensive play -- are more popular than ever. Maybe you're a faceoff enthusiast, and want to compensate the best and busiest in the dot. Have a penchant for penalty minutes? PIM remains an option, along with a good variety of others to suit your fantasy hockey tastes. Managers who don't care to customize can always opt for our default head-to-head points league, referenced above, which remains widely popular.For those who want to kick it old school, Rotisserie (Roto) competition awards points based on where your players rank as a collective in every category. For instance, in a 12-team league, the group of skaters that boasts the most total goals, at any given time, retain the maximum 12 points. The fantasy team with the worst plus/minus receives just one. And so on, cumulatively and fluidly, through each category to arrive at a combined sum. H2H category leagues differ from points leagues in that not only one goal, but one hit or one blocked-shot, can mean the difference between victory and defeat regarding that particular stat. Scores carry forward and add up throughout the campaign -- say, 6-4, then 3-7 etc. -- unlike in a head-to-head points battle where you either win the week or you don't.Once the parameters and makeup of your league are set, decide how much time you want to invest in adjusting your lineup. Every day, every week, or never again, in honor of how we used to pen-and-paper-it back in the pre-internet days of yore.Made it this far? Create your own league with your own rules and play against your friends today.Categories matterBecoming intimately acquainted with your league's specific categories is essential to success. Not only with the stats themselves, but how much weight they carry. One hit in category leagues makes a greater impact than when only worth 0.1 points otherwise. If assists are equivalent to goals, Lane Hutson is nearly equal to Makar as a fantasy performer. Conversely, a sniper like Steven Stamkos (at least in his second season with the Nashville Predators) boasts a lot more shine in fantasy competition where goals double helpers in value. If blocked-shots don't count, a defender like Toronto's Jake McCabe belongs nowhere near your fantasy roster. Anyway, you get the idea.Investing in mock draftsThe more you mock draft, the better. While practice doesn't necessarily make perfect in this case, it certainly helps. These dress rehearsals will offer you insight as to how other managers are navigating the draft along with player preferences. If everyone is avoiding a high-ranked skater there's likely a reason why. You'll also be better prepared for certain trends -- a too-early run on goalies, for instance -- after experiencing one for pretend. Plus, they're fun. Check out our Mock Draft Lobby, pick the room that best represents your own fantasy league, and take a spin.Not sure how to play? Try out the ESPN Mock Draft Lobby.Building a dynastyThis style of fantasy competition suits those who want to play the long game. Most akin to the real-life NHL affair, managing a dynasty hockey squad requires patience and foresight. Barring trades, you're stuck with these players, like it or not, for the haul. Last season, I recommended grabbing Matthew Schaefer right off the top, even if he didn't end up playing in the NHL full-time (a laughable concept now). This year, that's Leafs No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna, who is expected to suit up right away. Our fantasy rookie rundown will further help with who to target for what's likely to be a long, and hopefully happy, dynasty fantasy marriage.Keeper leagues are different in that you're able to jettison your lesser players each season and keep only those most treasured. How to approach the draft in rounding out your roster largely depends on your club's current state. Are you rich with peak talent and ready to win now? Then go on and grab some aging veterans to help with that championship push. Otherwise, if your team is still also in the building phase, similar to many real NHL clubs, it's wiser to invest in younger, gifted players who sport the wherewithal to be great down the road.Roster maintenanceThis is the fun part. Outside of set-and-forget leagues, how well you fiddle with your roster will determine whether you're still in the championship hunt once spring rolls around, or already looking ahead to next season. Striking the right balance is of ultimate importance, as too much tinkering -- for instance losing patience with an underperforming player and prematurely letting them go -- can also bite you in the behind.Even before puck-drop on day one, it's essential to become familiar with your pool of available free agents. I guarantee a few will emerge as valuable fantasy performers in those first few weeks, or even days. Whether their success is due to an unexpected line assignment or another factor. Trust me, these players will already be rostered by the most vigilant managers before others even realize what's going on. To repeat, the first few weeks of the season are absolutely integral in allowing you the chance to improve your roster, by swapping in unanticipated performers for your lesser draft choices.With so few candidates available, goalies are especially important to monitor early on. Raise your hand if you had Carolina Hurricanes waiver pickup Brandon Bussi on your fantasy roster to start 2025-26. Right. After going 31-6-2 (2.44 GAA) in the regular season, the 28-year-old Stanley Cup champion is now considered a top-15 fantasy netminder heading into 2026-27. Your responsibility is to identify this season's Bussi and snag him before anyone else.One last tip on roster maintenance: Set every day's lineup at the start of the week. You can always shift players around later, but at least there's a reasonable lineup in place if you can't address it for a day or two.A word on injured reserveUse those IR slots to your advantage, beginning with the draft. You can always move out such inactive players for others, if necessary, once the league is in full swing. For instance, in all but the shallowest of leagues, Seth Jarvis should be accounted for on draft day, even though he's not expected back from shoulder surgery until November or December. The Carolina forward checks too many fantasy boxes, too well, to leave on the board. The boost he'll provide your squad, once back to health, could prove tangibly beneficial once we're into the meat of the season.Similarly to the real-life game, it's like trading for a quality player mid-season without giving anything up (other than dumping your biggest roster disappointment). The same applies to Chicago's Connor Bedard, Edmonton's Frederik Andersen, and others. Fill up those IR slots with banged-up placeholders in later stages of your draft. If you need to pivot and jettison Jarvis later because Nathan MacKinnon suffers an injury, so be it.The art of tradesIn my decades of covering and playing fantasy hockey, I've noticed that the most active managers are often the most successful. That goes beyond working the wire. Particularly in deeper leagues, trades are a great way to improve your roster when there's an obvious weakness. Such deals are not tools used to scam another manager. Ideally, both partners come away filling a void. Your goalie for their high-performing winger etc. Maybe you need to address one specific categorical box, such as hits or blocked shots. If most of your fellow managers are trade wary, keep at it. You're likely to find a dance partner eventually. Unless this is you, start with those who are stuck with lousy goaltending. They're usually the most desperate.With that, here's to a fantastic fantasy season in 2026-27. 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