Fantasy hockey, while not as hardcore or as widespread as fantasy football can be a ton of fun to participate in, and play. The feeling of seeing the red light flash and the announcers go wild after every goal, combing with the satisfaction of seeing those fantasy points grow is a fun and interactive way to get into hockey.

Goalies

The last line of defense sitting between the puck and a wide open net. Valued for their agility and on ice advice to other players.

1. Braden Holtby- A rock that the Washington Caps can always lean on, Holtby can and has saved seasons while putting up crazy amounts of saves and points.
2. Carey Price- This man is arguably the best goaltender in the NHL and most certainly the most consistent. While not the highest point scorer, he most certainly will keep a steady stream of them right to your team.
3. Sergei Bobrovsky- While coming off his best season ever last year, the Blue Jackets goaltender is looking for a repeat to another monster season, and most certainly tons of points.
4. Pekka Rinne- A beast of a goaltender, in net for the Nashville Predators has an amazing fantasy track record, and with his improved defensive unit, look for monster results form him.

Defensive Men

The second line of defense for a team and its best skaters, these men can make or break your fantasy team.

1. Brent Burns- The San Jose Sharks rock of a defender, Burns turns entire plays and games in his teams favor. With last year’s fantasy performance, expect another great season.
2. Erik Karlsson- The Senators go-to defensive man, he has more offensive power than some wingers, and with all that power comes strong point totals.
3. Dustin Byfuglien- Winnipeg has found a star defender in him, and with his former position being a forward he has a great goal scoring capability.
4. Victor Hedman- One of the biggest players in the NHL, he knows how to throw around his weight which can in almost all cases reap giant rewards.

Wingers

A teams fastest skaters, and a major source for points, these players fly off draft boards.

1. Patrick Kane- A super star playmaker and even better goal scorer, He led the Blackhawks to a very solid season.
2. Nikita Kucherov- A fast, supercharged offensive player with an in depth understanding of on ice leadership and selflessness. Look for monster points from him and the Lightning squad this year
3. Brad Marchand- A player who specializes in the irritation of the other team, draws many penalties and makes impressive plays in the offensive zone. He has the potential to explode this year.
4. J. Oshie- The Capitals have an amazing offensive squad and Oshie just adds the icing to this team. With the ability to change plays and great hand eye, look for many goals and points this year.

Centers

Team leaders and men who hope to win the face-off in every game. These players can provide the support needed in any spot on the ice.

1. Sidney Crosby- Coming off of a Stanley Cup win with the Penguins, Crosby had a monster season last year, and expect no different from him this year.
2. Connor McDavid- The Oilers excellent center, he exploded from through the NHL ranks and has proved to be one of the most offensively formidable players in the NHL.
3. Tyler Seguin- The veteran center for Dallas, is a surefire point scorer and team leader. If you value consistency he is an immediate pick up.
4. Nicklas Backstrom- The Capitals get another very valuable center, and he makes his impact known, as we have seen the previous 2 seasons.

These projections are my advice for top picks, and players to watch this year. It should be a wonderful year for hockey and hopefully and even better one for your Fantasy team.