Edmonton Oilers fantasy rankings, projections for 2025-26

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, the fantasy hockey staff ranks the top five Edmonton Oilers players for standard leagues and provides skater points and goalie wins projections for the 2025-26 season.

1. Connor McDavid, F

NHL.com point projection: 135

Since 2021-22, McDavid leads the NHL in points (508 in 305 games), assists (342) and power-play points (190); he has also quietly covered other popular fantasy categories such as shots on goal (1,125; sixth) and game-winning goals (28; tied for eighth) over that span. Despite being limited to 67 games last season, McDavid (26 goals, 74 assists) had his fifth straight and eighth career 100-point season; only Wayne Gretzky (15) and Mario Lemieux (10) have more 100-point seasons in NHL history. At 28, McDavid remains in the prime of his career and a consensus top-two fantasy player, regardless of format.

2. Leon Draisaitl, F

NHL.com point projection: 114

Despite missing 11 games, Draisaitl led the NHL with 52 goals last season to win his first career Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, and joined Alex Ovechkin (nine) as the only active players with at least four 50-goal seasons. Draisaitl set a single-season NHL record for overtime goals (six), shared the League lead in both game-winning goals (11; tied with Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets) and multigoal games (10; tied with William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs), while also ranking in the top-two in even-strength goals (36; second) and power-play goals (16; tied for second). Draisaitl, a Hart Trophy finalist last season for the second time in his career (won award in 2019-20), joins McDavid among NHL.com's top five overall fantasy players.

3. Evan Bouchard, D

NHL.com point projection: 86

Since 2023-24, Bouchard ranks third among defensemen in points (149), assists (117), power-play points (61) and shots on goal (455). Bouchard was one of two NHL players with at least 65 points, 200 shots on goal and 100 blocked shots in each of the past two seasons; the other was Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. Bouchard, who signed a four-year contract this offseason, is a fringe top-five fantasy defenseman and ranks among NHL.com's top 50 overall in standard leagues.

4. Zach Hyman, F

NHL.com point projection: 68

Hyman is coming off of an inconsistent season, which included three goals in his opening 20 games and seven straight games without a goal to end the regular season; there was also a stretch between Dec. 5 and March 27 where he scored 24 goals in 46 games, tied for sixth most in the NHL over that span. Hyman, who scored a career-high 54 goals in 2023-24, is returning from a dislocated wrist sustained in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final which kept him out for the rest of the postseason. The 33-year-old is a frequent linemate to McDavid at even strength, has proven he can score from the front of the net (NHL-best 44 high-danger goals in 2023-24) and is worth prioritizing in the middle rounds of a fantasy draft.

5. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, F

NHL.com point projection: 64

Nugent-Hopkins, at 32 years old, had his sixth 20-goal season and ranked third on the Oilers in power-play goals (seven) behind only Draisaitl (16) and McDavid (nine). Nugent-Hopkins is a versatile forward who contributes top-nine minutes and has a proven track record playing alongside both of Edmonton's superstars; 18 of his 29 assists last season were scored by either Draisaitl (11) or McDavid (seven). Nugent-Hopkins, who had a career-high 104 points in 2022-23, is among NHL.com's top 100 forwards and could be a sleeper candidate if he plays wing on either of the top two lines.

Other EDM players on preseason fantasy draft lists:

Bounce-back candidates: Stuart Skinner, G (win projection: 30); Andrew Mangiapane, F (point projection: 50); Mattias Ekholm, D (point projection: 39)

Deep sleepers: Vasily Podkolzin, F (point projection: 40); Jake Walman, D (point projection: 42); Calvin Pickard, G (win projection: 19)

Rookies to watch: Isaac Howard, F; Matt Savoie, F

Blocked shots and hits specialists: Trent Frederic, F (point projection: 43); Darnell Nurse, D (point projection: 32)

MORE FANTASY COVERAGE:

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