Most fantasy hockey leagues have approached the midpoint of their regular season. The teams that were able to draft the following four players are likely currently looking at a playoff spot. Which players in fantasy hockey are MVP candidates midway through the 2023-24 season?
Auston Matthews, Center
When Auston Matthews scored 60 goals back in 2021-22, he became the first player to score 60 in an NHL season since Steven Stamkos did it back in 2011-12. The Toronto Maple Leafs centre was a bonafide top pick in drafts last season as a result, with an argument for him going first overall being more than reasonable for leagues that heavily value goals. Unfortunately, he had the worst shooting season of his entire career, not truly living up to the expectations of a top draft pick.
This season, Matthews is arguably having the best campaign of his career. Completely flipping a switch, not only is he the best player in fantasy hockey right now, but he is also on his way to having one of the best fantasy hockey seasons in recent memory.
Last season, Matthews finished the season with a 12.2 shooting percentage and just 1.5 goals above expected. For a typical player, these would be fantastic numbers to have. The difference between the Maple Leafs’ superstar and an average player is that he is a career 16.1 percent shooter, coming off three straight seasons of 11 or more goals above expected. He is a generationally great scorer simply coming off a poor season.
Now, Matthews is sitting at 28 goals in just 30 games. On pace for the first 70-goal season since both Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny did it back in 1992-93. Looking back at his 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons, the idea Matthew could reach the 70-goal plateau is not absurd.
Assuming Matthews doesn’t miss any time from here on out, he would finish the season with just over 19 goals above expected. In his 2019-20 and 2021-22 campaigns, he had just over 18 goals above expected despite playing just 70 and 73 games. If healthy, he could sustain his pace and finish off strong. Right now, he is the most valuable player in fantasy.
Nathan MacKinnon, Center
Nathan MacKinnon has been a superstar for the Colorado Avalanche for a few seasons now. His dominance this season expected, but he has taken it to another level. It could be argued that the former first-overall pick from the 2013 NHL Draft is the best player in the NHL, and subsequently, one of the best in fantasy as well.
There is no player in hockey on a tear like MacKinnon is. He is on an 18-game point streak, but even that doesn’t do his play justice. In that span, he has 12 goals and 36 points and is dominating the fantasy landscape as a result. How long he can keep this up is unknown, but this is a stretch unprecedented for even a superstar like him.
For fantasy formats that lean on goals, MacKinnon might not be on Matthews’ level with just 18 goals contributing to his ludicrous 54-point total. As long as he and the Avalanche keep winning games, it is likely his success will correlate with that. At a more-than-sustainable 11.8 shooting percentage, he might just have some more left in the tank.
Nikita Kucherov, Winger
While it isn’t necessarily a shock that Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov is still playing like a superstar, it was a bit unexpected to see him lead the league through the NHL’s holiday break. His 57 points in 34 games are on pace to give him the best season he has had in his career with more than 135 points assuming he stays healthy from here on out. The career best would come despite him being 30 years old and already having an Art Ross Trophy to his name back in 2018-19. With both goals and assists galore, he could be the best player in fantasy hockey by season’s end.
Kucherov has been one of the best playmakers in the NHL for quite some time now, sitting at 300 assists since 2018-19 — a span of 313 games. This season, the goals have come for the Russian star, making him more relevant in fantasy formats. He should continue to pile up the points, but his 8.5 goals above expected are a bit unusual for him. He hasn’t had a number that high since the 2019-20 season with 12.4, but he did so in double the games. His shooting success might regress a bit, but the points should still come.
Much like MacKinnon, there is a case to be made that Kucherov is the best player in the NHL right now. One of the most skilled passers and a great shooter, his skill alone could break his trends. If he is able to sustain his current pace — which would only give him the best points season of his career by seven if he played the remainder of his games — that would put him right near the top of the fantasy hockey list. Managers should be thrilled with his play and the potential for it to continue.
Thatcher Demko, Goaltender
Of all the players listed, Thatcher Demko’s remarkable run this season has been the most unexpected. Coming off a .901 save percentage (SV%), 3.16 goals-against average (GAA), and a minus-5.7 goals saved above expected (GSAx), he was one of the NHL’s worst starting goaltenders in 2022-23.
Related: Canucks Should Shut Down Demko for the Rest of the Season
Some improvement off that unfortunate campaign was expected with him being bitten by the injury bug, but nothing like the improvements he’s showing now. Arguably the best goaltender in the NHL this season, Demko could finish the season as the biggest draft steal in fantasy hockey.
It truly has been a tale of two seasons for Demko. In 2023-24, he has a .917 SV%, 2.46 GAA, and a 12.8 GSAx — all of which are career bests. He is a huge reason why the Vancouver Canucks rode the best record in the NHL into the league’s holiday break. Tied for the league lead with 17 wins and three shutouts, the league is finally seeing what he can do at full health and what a good roster around him can help him achieve.
The thing about goaltenders is that their play varies heavily from season to season — that much is proven by what he is doing in 2023-24 versus what he did in his last campaign. Demko could see his play dip a bit, but that doesn’t mean it will. If he were to start the 58 or 59 games he is on pace for, he’d have a GSAx of 30. In 2022-23 alone, four netminders beat that total. Demko could continue to shine in both the real and fantasy world, making him a sleeper MVP candidate for the season.
Now that a chunk of the fantasy season is gone, it becomes easier to project who the most valuable players in fantasy are. Some of these players were taken early while others were taken much later, but all managers should be happy if they got the chance to select any of them as any could help lead a fantasy roster to a championship.