McDavid, Tkachuk and seven new draft boards: NHL offseason digest, Aug. 10–17
Seven new NHL.com team previews and Brad Marchand's surgery update shift the fantasy watchlist toward health, deployment and goalie workload before training camp.
The fantasy board moved even though the game calendar stayed empty. From Aug. 10–17, NHL.com added 32 in 32 previews for Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville and New Jersey. The useful question in each one is the same: which projection already has a role behind it, and which one still needs a training-camp confirmation? 1
There were no regular-season games in this window. The 2026–27 season opens Sept. 29, so there are no weekly scores, game venues, skater or goalie leaders, special-teams rates, streaks or wild-card changes to report. The catch-up instead comes from preseason projections, NHL EDGE tracking data and one new health update: Brad Marchand said he had offseason surgery. 2
The board in one screen
- Best first-round foundations: Connor McDavid is projected for 135 points and remains NHL.com's No. 1 fantasy player. Nick Suzuki is projected for 98 points after a 101-point season, while Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy are projected for 96 and 90. 345
- Most interesting role-driven jumps: Quinton Byfield is expected to start as Los Angeles' No. 1 center after Anze Kopitar's retirement. Luke Hughes could take on a larger New Jersey role after the Devils traded Simon Nemec, and Nashville's Mavrik Bourque has a path to consistent top-six and power-play minutes. 678
- Biggest goalie workload swing: Minnesota expects Filip Gustavsson to miss the start of the season while recovering from hip surgery, which gives Jesper Wallstedt a 33-win projection and a possible heavy workload. Florida's Jacob Markstrom has a 30-win projection, but Akira Schmid could turn that into a timeshare. 59
- Newest health flag: Marchand said surgery would keep him out of an Aug. 21 charity game. Florida gave no return date in the report, so his 61-point preseason projection remains a camp-status question rather than a confirmed availability signal. 29
Seven new draft boards, compared
These are NHL.com's preseason estimates, published Aug. 11–17. The ranks are standard-league ranks from the same team pages, not weekly performance rankings.
| Team | Lead projection | Secondary value | Confirmation that changes the fantasy read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton | Connor McDavid: 135 points, No. 1 overall | Leon Draisaitl: 117; Evan Bouchard: 86, No. 21 | The offense is secure. The unresolved question is how Frederik Andersen, Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry divide the crease after Edmonton's .879 team save percentage last season. 310 |
| Florida | Brady Tkachuk: 87 points, No. 20 | Matthew Tkachuk: 87, No. 24; Sam Reinhart: 84, No. 37 | Barkov's health and the Markstrom-Schmid split determine whether Florida's four high-end forwards and new goalie tandem become a full bounce-back case. 911 |
| Los Angeles | Artemi Panarin: 89 points, No. 46 | Adrian Kempe: 80, No. 47; Quinton Byfield: 65, No. 109 | Byfield's move to No. 1 center and Brandt Clarke's expected first-unit power-play role are the two deployment upgrades to watch. The page also flags Kevin Fiala as a key injury. 6 |
| Minnesota | Kirill Kaprizov: 96 points, No. 7 | Matt Boldy: 90, No. 10; Quinn Hughes: 86, No. 12 | Wallstedt's workload is the central goalie variable while Gustavsson recovers. A healthy Kaprizov-Boldy pairing also gives Minnesota one of the week's strongest goal-scoring combinations. 5 |
| Montreal | Nick Suzuki: 98 points, No. 15 | Cole Caufield: 92, No. 19; Lane Hutson: 80, No. 25 | Ivan Demidov could receive more first-power-play time after leading rookies in points, assists and power-play points last season. That unit is the ceiling check on an already strong young core. 4 |
| Nashville | Filip Forsberg: 80 points, No. 67; Roman Josi: 80, No. 95 | Steven Stamkos: 70; Ryan O'Reilly: 69 | Nashville controlled offensive-zone time and special teams last season but finished 26th in five-on-five shooting percentage. Bourque's usage is the cleanest way to test whether the depth scoring improves. 812 |
| New Jersey | Jack Hughes: 84 points, No. 18 | Jesper Bratt: 80, No. 70; Timo Meier: 58 | Hughes has been limited to 62 games or fewer in three straight seasons. Luke Hughes' power-play and even-strength role, plus Jake Allen's workload, will decide how much of the Devils' underlying shot volume reaches the fantasy roster. 713 |
The table separates the two questions fantasy managers often blend together. A projection says what a player could produce over a full season. A role confirmation says whether that player will receive the minutes, linemates or starts needed to reach it.
Breakout candidates with a measurable path
The names below are preseason breakout candidates, not players who broke out during a game week. Their cases come from a role change, a production jump or a metric that the projection has not fully priced in.
| Player | What the recent record says | Fantasy relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Quinton Byfield, Los Angeles | Byfield scored 49 points last season and then produced 19 points in 24 games after the Kings acquired Panarin. He is expected to begin this season as the No. 1 center beside Panarin and Kempe, with a 65-point projection. 6 | The role is the bet. If the top-line and first-power-play minutes arrive together, his No. 109 rank leaves room for a real climb. |
| Brandt Clarke, Los Angeles | Clarke reached 40 points, 159 shots and 13 power-play points last season. NHL.com expects him to play on the first power play and projects 55 points. 6 | His category floor already exists. The first-unit deployment is what can turn a depth defenseman into a draftable one. |
| Luke Hughes, New Jersey | Hughes ranked in the 97th percentile among defensemen for maximum skating speed and 20-plus-mph bursts last season. He also ranked in the 97th percentile for mid-range shots on goal and could take on more responsibility after Simon Nemec was traded. 713 | NHL.com's 45-point projection is reachable if the added ice time includes the first power play. His skating profile supports the opportunity; it does not guarantee the unit. |
| Mavrik Bourque, Nashville | Bourque set NHL career highs with 20 goals, 21 assists and 147 shots last season, but averaged only 14:09 per game and 0:52 on the power play. He scored 14 high-danger goals, in the 87th percentile among forwards. 8 | The 55-point projection is a deployment wager. A top-six job and regular power-play time would supply the missing volume. |
| Ivan Demidov, Montreal | Demidov led rookies in points (62), assists (43), power-play points (20) and multipoint games last season. NHL.com says he could see more time on Montreal's first power play. 4 | This is a second-season role bet on a team with four players in the top 12 of NHL.com's keeper and dynasty rankings. The power-play assignment matters more than another generic prospect label. |
| Matt Savoie, Edmonton | Savoie is listed as Edmonton's breakout candidate with a 49-point projection. Edmonton also led the League in 22-plus-mph speed bursts last season, while its top forwards kept the puck in the offensive zone at high rates. 310 | The environment is attractive, but Savoie's draft value depends on a top-six route rather than the team totals alone. |
The EDGE numbers underneath the rankings
The advanced-data pages are most useful when they explain why a projection might hold. They also show where a projection is carrying a hidden risk.
| Team | Metric that matters | Fantasy interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Edmonton | McDavid had 151 22-plus-mph speed bursts, 90 more than the next player. Edmonton also ranked seventh in offensive-zone time at 41.8%, and its five-season five-on-five shot-attempt share was 52.8%. 10 | McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard have both individual talent and team-process support. The goalie rotation is the part of the roster that could change Edmonton's standings ceiling. |
| Florida | Florida ranked fifth in offensive-zone time at 42.2% and ninth in five-on-five shot-attempt share at 51.9%. Brady Tkachuk ranks third in high-danger shots on goal during the tracking era, with 639. 11 | The process supports a healthy top-nine forward group. The goalie tandem and Barkov's knee recovery still decide whether the process becomes a playoff push. |
| Los Angeles | Kempe's 95.30-mph hardest shot ranked in the 97th percentile among forwards, and Byfield's 297 20-plus-mph bursts ranked in the 98th percentile. 14 | Panarin gives the Kings a high-end passer, Kempe supplies repeatable shot volume, and Byfield has the skating to exploit the open center role. The fantasy payoff depends on the three sharing the top deployment. |
| Minnesota | Wallstedt posted a .916 save percentage, a .928 five-on-five close save percentage and a 69.7% quality-start rate last season. 15 | The goalie case is stronger than a simple wins projection. Gustavsson's recovery decides whether Wallstedt gets the volume needed to turn those rates into a top-10 fantasy season. |
| Montreal | Caufield scored 51 goals, including 40 from high-danger and mid-range areas combined. Montreal also ranked seventh in goals off the rush with 90, while Jakub Dobes posted a .973 long-range save percentage in the regular season. 16 | Caufield's ceiling has a repeatable shot-location base, and the team's rush offense can support multiple forwards. Dobes' goalie value still needs a second-season workload check. |
| Nashville | Nashville ranked sixth in offensive-zone time at 42.0%, fifth in penalty killing at 81.7% and tied for 10th on the power play at 23.1%. Its five-on-five shooting percentage was 8.7%, 26th in the League. 8 | The special-teams foundation is usable. The missing even-strength finishing is why Bourque and other depth forwards matter more here than another veteran ranking. |
| New Jersey | The Devils finished inside the top 10 in shots on goal from all three location bands: 505 long-range, 691 high-danger and 690 mid-range. Jake Allen stopped 214 of 216 long-range shots last season. 7 | The shot volume gives the Devils a broad offensive base. Allen's excellent perimeter number is a small part of the goalie case; the start share and high-danger results will decide whether he is a fantasy streamer or a reliable second option. |
Health and lineup checks before the draft
Marchand's surgery needs a timetable. Marchand had 54 points in 52 games for Florida last season after a lower-body injury ended his season in March. He said the new surgery required a recovery period long enough to keep him out of the Aug. 21 charity game, but the NHL.com report gave no return date. His 61-point projection should stay on a watchlist until Florida provides a clearer camp update. 29
Minnesota's crease has the clearest immediate opportunity. The Wild preview expects Gustavsson to miss the start while recovering from hip surgery. Wallstedt already had a .916 save percentage and started 10 of Minnesota's 11 playoff games, so the opportunity is supported by both rate and recent trust. His 33-win projection becomes aggressive only if the workload lasts. 515
Florida's return-to-health story is larger than one player. Barkov missed the entire 2025–26 season with a knee injury but returned to competitive action for Finland at the 2026 IIHF World Championship. Matthew Tkachuk played only 31 games last season, while Brady Tkachuk was limited to 60 for Ottawa. That makes Florida's high-end projection unusually dependent on how many of its top forwards are available together. 911
The rest of the useful checks are deployment checks. Byfield needs the top center job. Clarke and Luke Hughes need first-unit power-play time. Bourque needs more than 52 seconds per game on the power play. Demidov needs a larger share of Montreal's first unit. Florida needs a clear goalie split, and Edmonton needs a starter to emerge from its three-goalie group. Those are the pieces of information that can turn this week's projections into draft-day prices.
Games and standings: what this week could not add
The NHL's official schedule starts the regular season on Sept. 29, with Carolina hosting Florida, the Rangers visiting Boston and Chicago visiting Vegas among the opening games. The Aug. 10–17 window therefore produced no game results, final scores, venues, weekly skater or goalie leaders, team winning or losing streaks, special-teams rates from games, conference points or wild-card movement. 1
That also means there were no clinching or elimination scenarios to evaluate. The relevant standings question is still in the future: which teams turn their offseason process and health into an opening-month position before the wild-card race exists? Nashville's five-on-five finishing, Florida's health, Edmonton's crease and Minnesota's Wallstedt workload are the early variables to track.
Watchlist for the next update
- Draft anchors: McDavid, Kaprizov, Boldy, Hughes, Suzuki, Caufield and the two Tkachuks. Their rankings are supported by recent production, role or strong underlying metrics.
- Late-round upside: Byfield, Clarke, Luke Hughes, Bourque, Demidov and Savoie. Each needs a specific deployment signal before the projection should become a roster assumption.
- Goalie decisions: Wallstedt if Gustavsson remains out, Markstrom if Florida confirms the workload, Allen if New Jersey makes him the clear starter, and Edmonton's eventual lead option.
- Health discounts: Marchand's recovery timetable, Barkov's full return, Tkachuk's availability and Fiala's status deserve more weight than another preseason rank.
- Wait for camp: The first power-play units, top-six lines and goalie rotations are the next evidence that can close the gap between a spreadsheet projection and an actionable fantasy move.
The 2026–27 draft board is getting sharper, but the next meaningful update will come from who is actually on the ice, where they line up and how much they play.
References
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