Edmonton face a high-wire season with heavy turnover, McDavid anchored but surrounded by uncertainty as new pieces like Savoy and Walman try to lift a volatile lineup. Vegas and LA lean on depth and star power, while Vancouver, Anaheim, Seattle and San Jose loom as potential wild cards in a tougher West. Over/under projections tilt Oilers under 106.5 and Knights around mid‑100s, with health and in-season moves shaping the race.

Edmonton’s Connor McDavid anchors a premier center class, with Leon Draisaitl riding shotgun and a wave of two-way, high-scoring peers across the league. Sebastian Aho and Sasha Barkov pace strong defensive-by-design games, while Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Braden Point, and Nathan MacKinnon push the ceiling with elite skating and playmaking. Austin Matthews, Sidney Crosby, and Matthew Tkachuk round out a star-studded cohort whose fantasy value hinges on health, supporting casts, and playoff impact.

The pod emphasizes staying healthy to unlock peak scoring runs, the importance of a strong power play, and the grind of translating regular-season form to the postseason. Expect movement near the top as geography, line combos, and Olympic showings reshape who lands where in standard and best-ball leagues.

High-risk, high-reward targets shape this fantasy hockey season, with Roman Josi anchored as a floor-leaning star despite age and injury risk; Evander Kane and Josh Norris illustrate ceiling-plus-peripherals as bounce-back bets. The show tees up a Vegas-forward-centric draft strategy, banking on elite forwards first, then pouncing on dynamic defensemen like Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel’s deck.

Canucks stalwarts Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko emerge as potential rebounds, while Kaprizov–Eriksson Ek in Minnesota offer hefty upside if health holds. The tone blends bold risk with disciplined timing to maximize weekly wins and per-game production.