Draft strategy: The best picks for each slot in Rounds 1 and 2

1 month ago 6
  • Victoria MatiashOct 1, 2025, 09:47 AM ET

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      Victoria Matiash is simply a contributing writer for phantasy hockey and betting astatine ESPN. Victoria has been a portion of the phantasy squad since 2010.

As acold arsenic fantasy hockey prep tools are concerned, subordinate projections are arsenic succinct and straightforward arsenic they are useful. In forecasting what mightiness travel to walk for immoderate individual, these numbers laic retired a tenable way successful helping managers draught the astir dynamic squad possible. But they should besides beryllium handled with a captious oculus and steadfast dose of subjectivity. As with each data-driven foretelling, there's inactive plentifulness of country for idiosyncratic prognostication and listening to your gut.

In that view, present are my archetypal 20 draught selections, listed successful chosen order. As with overmuch of ESPN's content, these selections tally successful measurement with our default points league, recognizing the pursuing categories:

Skaters:

  • Goals = 2 points

  • Assists = 1 point

  • Shots and hits = 0.1 points

  • Blocked shots and peculiar teams points = 0.5 points

Goaltenders:

  • Wins = 4 points

  • OT losses = 1 point

  • Shutouts = 3 points

  • Saves = 0.2 points

  • Goals against = -2 points

To debar repetition, I'm sparing commentary for the archetypal half-dozen elite skaters, arsenic they're already nether the phantasy microscope arsenic possible apical draught picks overall. The arguments stay the same.

Draft Slot 1: Nathan MacKinnon, F, Colorado Avalanche

Draft Slot 2: Leon Draisaitl, F, Edmonton Oilers

Draft Slot 3: Nikita Kucherov, F, Tampa Bay Lightning

Draft Slot 4: Connor McDavid, F, Edmonton Oilers

Draft Slot 5: David Pastrnak, F, Boston Bruins

Draft Slot 6: Auston Matthews, F, Toronto Maple Leafs

Draft Slot 7: Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche

Now that the apical echelon of phantasy forwards are disconnected the board, it's an juncture to crook to the precocious crust of game-changers connected the bluish line. There's Makar and past there's everyone else. No 1 registered much phantasy points successful H2H modular points contention past play than the Avalanche defenseman. For crying retired loud, helium scored 30 goals, successful addition to his 62 assists. Thirty! The lone statement against selecting Makar earlier is that asking for different adjacent show feels similar excessively large a demand. If that conception doesn't clasp h2o for you, by each means, drawback him earlier.

Draft Slot 8: Kirill Kaprizov, F, Minnesota Wild