Mitch Marner arrives in the 17–32 tier with Vegas, pairing him with Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev to boost multi-category upside and power-play production. Braden Point and Sam Reinhardt offer solid two-way floors on balanced teams, while Sidney Crosby remains a durable, 80+ point anchor with steady peripherals. Artemi Panarin and Clayton Keller provide high-end scoring ceilings in top-six roles, with Jake Gensel and Roope Hintz offering reliable 80–90 point ranges and solid peripherals as late-round seeds.

Rasmus Dahlin stands out as a high-floor defenseman who contributes across categories, and Andre Vasilevskiy remains the keystone goalie behind a strong Tampa Bay core. This slice favors high-volume shooters and elite PP specialists, with the Vegas stack a realistic pivot for leverage. The goaltending slate should be navigated with Vasilevskiy as a reliable anchor in this phase of drafts.

Overall, this second-round window rewards players who carry multi-cat appeal, top-line assignments, and strong power-play upside, while balancing health and team context as the season looms.

Kale Makar sits atop a sprawling, offense-heavy era for defensemen, with Quinn Hughes nudging him as the session’s closest challenger. Adam Fox anchors the Rangers’ puck-driving backbone, and Thomas Harley’s breakout season is a marquee storyline for Dallas. Charlie McAvoy, Evan Bouchard, and Zack Werenski form a formidable mid-range tier, while Gustav Forsling, Rasmus Dahlin, Jacob Slavin, and Erik Karlsson round out a defensive corps that now defines fantasy value as much by transition play as by shut-down ability.

The dialogue underscores that the Norris conversation is as much about skating, gap control, and power-play impact as raw points. Heiskanen and Karlsson surface in lighter spots, reminding us mobility and IQ still swing fantasy upside, even if pure totals don’t always shout. Oilers fans especially should note Bouchard’s ascent, a reminder that elite defensemen now pace the fantasy game from the back end.

In practice, owners should lean into players who eat minutes, run the top power play, and push transition plays. The top five or six names are likely to be the season-long anchors, with the rest offering robust complementary value depending on team context and minutes. This top-10 map signals a shift: offense now defines a defenseman’s fantasy ceiling as much as his defensive chops did a decade ago.