Top 10 Right Wingers – Rest of the Way – 2025-26
This is the second in what will be a series focusing on the top 10 at each position. We led off with centers in the first column and following this article will be left wings, defensemen and goalies. Interspliced between each ranking column will be a fantasy article by Jason Chen that will focus on a different aspect than the positions. Unlike other lists that may focus on what the pivotman not only does on the ice, but between the dots and in his own zone, our primary driver here is how these individuals rank from a fantasy perspective the balance of the season. Where germane, we most certainly will highlight the non-scoring aspects that the player brings to the table that tell the whole story, but that is a secondary aspect to where he sits on the list.
Video Transcript
Enough on this lottery team that's gonna win the Gavin McKenna Sweepstakes.
Let's move on to the Lightning.
I was on Gino- Apple's and Gino's podcast, and we sort of had an ADB paddle, so it's, like, two players in the same round, who would you rather have?
And the question that I got was, Nikita Kucherov or Leon Draisaitl?
What are you guys' thoughts?
Draisaitl for face-offs.
Assume there's no face-offs.
Just- Just make it harder.
Yeah, of course.
Oh, I'm gonna go Kucherov.
Connor?
I'm gonna go Draisaitl.
Oh, see, everyone, me, myself, and Blake Kramer, and Jan, we're going Kucherov.
Explain yourself, Connor.
No, don't, I know, I- 'Cause this is the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It's positional ver- versatility in fantasy, which I think is underdiscussed.
'Cause he's got multi-position eligibility- 'Cause multi- ... 'cause he's center wing?
Yeah.
That's my big sway.
All right, so basically, yours is format dependent, then.
So if you're playing in a Like, my league is a standard Roto league, where you just need 12 forwards, let's say.
Would that change your view?
It would make my decision a whole lot harder, because I wouldn't have that tiebreaker.
I think I'd still go Draisaitl, because I worry about Kucherov and his age.
You're such an ageist person.
He's 32.
Which is not old, honestly.
No, but compare it to Draisaitl, who is 29.
Three years is a big difference, and- Well, A, not a big difference in B, Draisaitl's coming off back-to-back long playoff runs, where we talk about- That's, yeah ... a little effect of playoff runs.
Not that, not that it's a good thing that Tampa hasn't for them, but Kucherov is probably a bit fresher than Draisaitl is in terms of where- But Kucherov also did it, right?
Right- I- ... but he's also had two years, or three years where he hasn't done it.
And he's three years older.
I would say Kucherov, Kucherov has a better chance to win the Art Ross than Draisaitl, and I'd say Kucherov is the better po- powerplay player, which sways my decision.
Yeah.
And I don't think right wing is as, as thin as it used to be.
I actually think there's, like, enough depth at every position, and with Yahoo having multiple position eligibility for a ton of players, it's, it, it matters less.
Well, let's say, I'll ask you this question: Who gets more goals, Nikita Kucherov or Jake Guentzel?
Jason, you go first.
See, the fact that you're taking this long to think about it means that it's clearly not a one-sided answer.
Well, I thought you were just asking Connor again.
Oh, no!
Okay, Connor, PQ crisis, Jason gave us the long sigh.
Jason, who gets more goals, Nikita Kucherov or Jake Guentzel?
Guentzel.
Connor?
I'm pulling up their stats, 'cause I can't remember how many goals- Guentzel had 39 ...
It was not last season.
So he had more goals- Right, Guentzel had 40 last year, didn't he?
Thought he only had 39.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Yeah.
No, he had 41.
I'm sorry, you're right, 41.
Yeah, like, let's He had more goals than Kucherov did.
Right, this is the first time- Yeah, but that was just last year ... 40, 40, 40.
Kucherov's pretty close.
We were high last year.
Yeah.
He had two other years where he had 40.
Kucherov last year had 37.
Look, I'm splitting hairs, but again- I think Kucherov ... you can argue with them.
I think Kucherov.
Yeah, Kucherov over Guentzel, because I think Kucherov's gonna be angry this season.
Uh- At what?
Just life.
Kucherov's always angry.
Why?
'Cause his, 'cause he's got O- O-V as the last two letters of his name?
I mean, where- Yeah.
What's the drivers why he's always angry?
Well- He's horrible in press conferences- ... Kucherov has that- I'll give you that much.
He's terrible in press conferences.
He also has that side to him, where he will- Where he's dirty?
Yes.
Um- Are you telling me he's not the king of the slew foot at times?
'Cause if you are- Yes.
... you're lying.
Kucherov is a top five fantasy player.
Yes.
I think that's all that really needs to be said about him.
I'll ask it this way.
Let's make it a bit more fun.
Who has more goals, Brayden Point or Nikita Kucherov?
Are you asking me, or should I answer later?
Both.
Both.
Point.
Both.
Point, Connor?
Brayden Point.
Yeah, probably Point, 'cause I think he'll crash the net more, coming late, feed off rebounds from Guentzel and Kucherov.
Yep.
His last three years, 51, 46, and 42.
The quietest for- 50-goal scorer you'll ever meet.
Yep.
Yeah.
I, I just think Kucherov's more of a setup guy, and I know Kucherov puts his fair share of shots on net, but, if I had to, you know, pick who would score more goals, it's Point and Guentzel, for sure.
So any concern on this team for twofold, and I've read this elsewhere, one, that they lack a certain level of physicality on this team, and B, aging for some players associated with this team?
Aging, yes.
Aging, yes.
Physicality, no.
Who is a physical presence, not blue line, forwards on this team?
N- well, Nick Paul.
Nick- But I would say that their game- Paul's banged up now also, so- Yeah, I would say their game is not necessarily throwing their body around, but I think a lot of their players can take hits.
Hagel- I'd say it's Some really take hits.
I would throw, I'd throw Kucherov in as physical.... well, mostly because he's- In a low-key dirty way, yes.
He's dirty.
Yeah.
I don't know if I'd call that physical.
Yeah, like Connor Geekie, maybe not physical, but he's a big guy.
Gurgensons, not physical, but he's taken his fair share of hits.
I'm not concerned about physical play, against this team.
it's more sometimes about depth and discipline with this team.
Well, you mentioned Geekie, you ment- you mentioned Gabe Gonzalez, who's a guy who I think's gonna probably get some time.
When Nick Paul's healthy, he'll do it.
Mm-hmm.
They ended up getting Bjorkstrand last year.
Mm-hmm.
You got Yanni Gourde, so there is, there is depth, right?
So I don't think it's an issue in the regular season.
I do think come playoff time, they do may go ahead and add some more f- if they think they can make a run And look, anytime you have Hedman and Vasilevskiy and other guys, right, you can, you can make that run associated with it, right?
them giving up Sergachev has proven to be a very unwise move, in my opinion.
but, McDonagh getting back there has clearly helped their blue line.
To me, come playoff time, the only concern I have is some of the tertiary guys, in terms of fantasy-wise, could get adversely impacted if they want to bolster that bottom six and get a bit more physical down the stretch and in the playoffs.
But besides that, there are some intriguing names that are in the third line that could get looks in leagues, especially if they move up and down on that second and third line, and Paul being one of them, obviously, when he's healthy.
Mm-hmm.
I'd put B- Bjorkstrand in there, for sure.
Yeah.
20-goal scorer in the past, right?
Mm-hmm.
It's a guy who has to be looked I mean, Brendan Hagel was that guy for a while- Mm-hmm ... and then he went from Chicago to Tampa, and everybody said, "Oh, my God, I can't believe they, they gave up two number ones," and, boy, they clearly were right in that move, 'cause Hagel's blossomed into a pretty darn good goal scorer.
Do you think he scores 90 points again?
No.
Yeah.
80, yes.
I think 90 may be pushing it.
Yeah.
I, I think he does take a step back, but he's still, like, a 30-goal, 80-point guy, for sure.
Especially- 75, 80 points.
Yeah, especially given, like, how much Jon Cooper relies on his, his big guns.
not unlike the Oilers with theirs, too.
But, one other question I have for you guys: Vasilevskiy, is this Considering he's had back issues, considering that's ki- kind of a storyline heading into camp, do you guys think that he starts falling off a little bit?
Or does he bounce back, and is he better than Igor Shesterkin in fantasy, fantasy value?
If he, if he doesn't bounce back, Tampa's season is toast.
'Cause he had a really great season last season, right?
He did.
And if he isn't Andrei Vasilevskiy, their season is toast.
Mm-hmm.
Well, so the better In my opinion, the question that goes along with that is: Do you blame management for not bringing in a better backup?
Yes.
There were guys you could probably get, there were cheaper guys that will play 20, 25 games and be a reasonable replacement than Jonas Johansson and Brandon Halverson.
to me, that's a really bad move by management in terms of not bringing in a guy that could reduce the burden.
But we've talked about with Hellebuych, but Hellebuych had Comrie and other guys who at least are reasonable facsimiles when they go in net to play well.
Johansson, you know, two years ago, started for him and was god-awful, and they couldn't wait till, you know, Vasilevskiy came back, and last year played 60-plus games, which is not i- not ideal for a guy who's gonna need to carry you come playoff time.
Who's coming off a back injury.
Correct.
I mean, 63 games for him last year is ridiculous, in my opinion, and he's probably gonna have to have a similar workload, because their front office hasn't done anything to bring in a guy who's a decent backup.
Yeah.
I mean, one, one guy I wanna ask you guys: Does Anthony Cirelli, has he plateaued, or has he got another level to him?
He's plateaued.
This is as good as he'll, he'll ever be, like, a 50, 60-point, shutdown, two-way center.
I don't see his offensive ceiling any higher.
Like, I watched a lot of him in junior.
He, he's a clutch player.
He really steps up his game when, when he needs to.
but I, I feel like this is kind of his peak, like, 60-point range, 50, 60-point range.
What do you guys think?
Yeah, I think he's more of a two-way center than he is a offensive driver.
Um- I, I think if you say, "Hey, go out and score more points," I think he can do it, but that's just not what he's asked to do, and that's just not his natural game.
I mean, I was a bit surprised he got 59 last year from looking.
Like, I was the kind of guy who I thought he was a 40, 45-point guy, but a good, solid two-way center guy who's defensively responsible.
Mm-hmm.
I do think he surprised me a little with, with the amount he stepped up last year.
I think there's a bit of regression coming, like, low 50s- Yeah ...
I think is probably where he lands.
Yeah.
Solid two-way fantasy value, for sure, especially if he gets some decent power play time, which he got last year.
But expecting him to be in the close to 60-point range may be stretching it a bit, in my opinion.
Mm-hmm.
Yep.
Fair.
Fantasy experts, I'm gonna ask you, player name, tell me where you draft him.
Okay.
12-team standard league.
Okay.
Brayden Point.
second round.
Second or probably third round, but second or third round.
Ganzel.
Similar range, second round.
Fourth round.
Oh, interesting.
No hits.
Hedman.
Oh, is this points or hits?
Hits.
Doesn't matter.
It's, it's fine.
Yeah.
Second, third, around that range.
Who's the next person?
Sorry.
Hedman.
Hedman.... defense is hard, 'cause it's position dependent, but he's a top, easily top 10 defenseman for me.
Okay.
Fourth round, I'd say, potentially.
Yeah.
All right.
So there's a lot- I think there's a lot of, like, elite guys.
It's just- There's a lot of really top end, yeah.
He's still elite.
Yeah.
He's still elite.
I mean, the guy had 60-something points last year, 26 on the penal power play, and 135 blocked shots, and he skates 23 minutes a night.
Now, even if you don't use blocked shots, 60-something points and 20-something coming on the power play, 'cause McDonagh gets some power play.
Moser stood in a little bit for him at times.
but Hedman, you know, the talk of Hedman's demise has been greatly exaggerated.
If you remember a couple years ago, right?
Yes.
Everybody was saying that Hedman's done.
Hedman basically said, "Yeah, let's not write me off so fast."
Yeah.
And he's had two back-to-back really good years.
Yeah.
Old and aging, but not a concern for me for Tampa.
Yeah.
So I'm still picking all their guys high.
If he gets injured, though?
Uh- Good luck, Tampa Bay.
Well, yeah, well, I mean- Well, you could say that about any elite defenseman who misses time for their team, right?
Yeah.
So Eh, I think Colorado could get away without MacDonagh.
No, they can't.
No, they- No.
No, they cannot!
Absolutely not.
You would- They could get away with it more than Tampa Bay could.
Who, who else do you got stepping up besides maybe Taves?
I gotta pull- Don't say Brent Burns.
Why not?
No, not Brent Burns.
We've, we've been over this.
Sam Girard, solid, but not, not, not be able to take over.
Josh Manson?
No.
Sam Malinski?
Again, like, I think they're better than Tampa- Harder.
At least Tam- Harder, yeah.
At least with Tampa, it's like, okay, I can rely on Moser and McDonagh, you know?
And Cernak, right?
Yeah, eh, for a little bit, right?
But any team that misses their top D, no chance.
Fair enough.
They're toast.
Fair enough.
