Vegas Golden Knights fantasy rankings, projections for 2025-26

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

1. Jack Eichel, F

NHL.com point projection: 101

Eichel set NHL career highs in points (94; eighth in NHL), assists (66; sixth), power-play points (34; tied for seventh) and power-play assists (29; tied for third) in 77 games last season. The two-time 30-goal scorer had 28 goals last season, which marked the eighth time in his 10 seasons that he scored at least 24 goals. Eichel is tied for 11th in points per game (1.16) and seventh in shots on goal per game (3.65; minimum 10 games) during the past two seasons. The 28-year-old is a fringe top-10 forward in NHL.com's rankings with top-five upside overall.

2. Mitch Marner, F

NHL.com point projection: 100

Marner, who signed an eight-year contract as part of a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, set NHL career highs in points (102; fifth in NHL) and assists (75; third) in 81 games last season and was tied for third in the NHL in multipoint games (32). The 28-year-old, who ranked fourth in the League in primary assists (47) and was tied for 10th in power-play points (33) last season, has averaged 29 goals and 95 points during his past four seasons and ranks eighth in the NHL in points (383 in 302 games) since 2021-22. Only Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers has more primary assists (366 in 503 games) than Marner (281 in 498 games) since 2018-19, and only McDavid (414) and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (343) have more assists than Marner (312 in 357 games) the past five seasons. Marner remains a fringe top-15 fantasy forward with top-10 upside at his position.

3. Tomas Hertl, F

NHL.com point projection: 67

In his first full season with the Golden Knights, Hertl had 61 points (32 goals, 29 assists) and NHL career highs in power-play points (23) and power-play goals (14; led team) in 73 games. The three-time 30-goal scorer has had at least 60 points and 90 hits in three of his past four seasons. Hertl, who ranked second on Vegas in goals last season, was second with 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 17 games, behind Eichel (25 points in 22 games) after the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Hertl, who had 35 points (21 goals, 14 assists) in 39 home games last season, has the upside to finish as a top-50 fantasy forward this season.

4. Pavel Dorofeyev, F

NHL.com point projection: 66

Dorofeyev set NHL career highs in goals (35; led team), assists (17), points (52), power-play points (17), power-play goals (13; second on team), shots on goal (254; led team) and ice time per game (16:32). Dorofeyev, who was 11th in the NHL in shots on goal, tied for 18th in goals and tied for the team lead in even-strength goals (22) last season, could improve his goal and point totals with the addition of Marner. The 24-year-old is the only Golden Knights player in NHL.com's keeper and dynasty fantasy rankings.

5. Shea Theodore, D

NHL.com point projection: 65

Theodore, who set NHL career-highs with 57 points, 50 assists and 19 power-play points in 67 games last season, was tied for 10th in points, ninth in assists, fifth in points per game (0.85; minimum 10 games) and fifth in primary assists (28) among defensemen last season. Since 2022-23, Theodore ranks ninth at his position in points per game (0.83; 140 points in 169 games) and fifth in assists per game (0.71). The 30-year-old, who ranked third on Vegas in power-play ice time per game (2:39) and was second in ice time per game at all strengths (22:00) behind Alex Pietrangelo (22:24), could lead the team in each category this season with Pietrangelo unable to continue his playing career because of a lower-body injury. Theodore is a fringe top-15 fantasy player at his position and should be considered in the top 100 overall, thanks to the Golden Knights' second-ranked power play (28.3 percent) last season.

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Other VGK players on preseason fantasy draft lists:

Breakout candidate: Noah Hanifin, D (point projection: 50); Akira Schmid, G (win projection: 17)

Bounce-back candidates: William Karlsson, F (point projection: 54); Reilly Smith, F (point projection: 45)

Draft bargain: Adin Hill, G (win projection: 33); Mark Stone, F (point projection: 60)

Deep sleeper: Ivan Barbashev, F (point projection: 50)

Blocks and hits specialists: Brayden McNabb, D

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