The RotoWire NHL Top 251: Ovechkin On Top

The RotoWire NHL Top 251: Ovechkin On Top

This article is part of our Draft Kit series.

First Last POS Team Comment
1 Alex Ovechkin F WAS Thank the gods if you get the 1-pick.
2 Sidney Crosby F PIT Finally emerging into the goal scorer we want.
3 Nicklas Backstrom F WAS He's the Robin here, but still a superstar.
4 Evgeni Malkin F PIT Blame the off season on injures.
5 Steven Stamkos F TAM He'll maintain the breakout and supporting cast will be better.
6 Henrik Sedin F VAN More shots and assertiveness would be nice.
7 Ryan Miller G BUF Olympic hero is NHL's best puck-stopper right now.
8 Pavel Datsyuk F DET World class player but hard to make a profit on Detroit's top guys.
9 Zach Parise F NJD High-energy forward is an MVP sleeper.
10 Martin Brodeur G NJD One more time, with feeling.
11 Roberto Luongo G VAN A little moody and erratic, but what goalie isn't?
12 Mike Green D WAS Forget the playoffs, pony up for the 82-game carnival.
13 Dany Heatley F SAN Forty goals a safe bet but he leaves you wanting more.
14 Drew Doughty D LOS Start building a trophy case for all those Norris Trophies.
15 Joe Thornton F SAN Brilliant playmaker but how about some shots, Joe.
16 Patrick Kane F CHI Here's hoping he keeps his focus in the year after.
17 Daniel Sedin F VAN Foot issue ruined what would have been gigantic year.
18 Ilya Kovalchuk F NJD Thanks for ruining our summer.
19 Martin St. Louis F

First Last POS Team Comment
1 Alex Ovechkin F WAS Thank the gods if you get the 1-pick.
2 Sidney Crosby F PIT Finally emerging into the goal scorer we want.
3 Nicklas Backstrom F WAS He's the Robin here, but still a superstar.
4 Evgeni Malkin F PIT Blame the off season on injures.
5 Steven Stamkos F TAM He'll maintain the breakout and supporting cast will be better.
6 Henrik Sedin F VAN More shots and assertiveness would be nice.
7 Ryan Miller G BUF Olympic hero is NHL's best puck-stopper right now.
8 Pavel Datsyuk F DET World class player but hard to make a profit on Detroit's top guys.
9 Zach Parise F NJD High-energy forward is an MVP sleeper.
10 Martin Brodeur G NJD One more time, with feeling.
11 Roberto Luongo G VAN A little moody and erratic, but what goalie isn't?
12 Mike Green D WAS Forget the playoffs, pony up for the 82-game carnival.
13 Dany Heatley F SAN Forty goals a safe bet but he leaves you wanting more.
14 Drew Doughty D LOS Start building a trophy case for all those Norris Trophies.
15 Joe Thornton F SAN Brilliant playmaker but how about some shots, Joe.
16 Patrick Kane F CHI Here's hoping he keeps his focus in the year after.
17 Daniel Sedin F VAN Foot issue ruined what would have been gigantic year.
18 Ilya Kovalchuk F NJD Thanks for ruining our summer.
19 Martin St. Louis F TAM Mighty-mite hasn't missed a game in four years.
20 Jimmy Howard G DET Location, location, location.
21 Jarome Iginla F CGY Upside is gone but the floor works for us.
22 Duncan Keith D CHI Might be Chicago's most important player.
23 Henrik Lundqvist G NYR Empire staple hates to miss a game.
24 Tuukka Rask G BOS Meet the league's next superstar goalie.
25 Anze Kopitar F LOS The LA Kings, hockey as it oughta be.
26 Jonathan Toews F CHI Unfortunately, leadership is not a category.
27 Jason Spezza F OTT Gets more flak in Ottawa than he should.
28 Marian Gaborik F NYR You want to bet on another healthy year from him?
29 Ryan Getzlaf F ANA If healthy, he'll return to 2007-09 levels.
30 Marc-Andre Fleury G PIT He'll play a lot, they'll win a lot.
31 Eric Staal F CAR Upper-body injury hurt him in first half, expect rebound.
32 Rick Nash F COB It would be nice to see him on an elite team just once.
33 Tomas Vokoun G FLA Somehow he's been underrated all these years.
34 Craig Anderson G COL Don't chase him, necessarily, but he's legit.
35 John Tavares F NYI If anyone is "this year's Stamkos" it's this guy.
36 Ryan Kesler F VAN Hidden man in Vancouver, still a value.
37 Miikka Kiprusoff G CGY When he loses focus, he's Kiprusoft.
38 Pekka Rinne G NAS Team concept protects his numbers.
39 Patrick Marleau F SAN Don't pay the freight on a career year.
40 Alexander Semin F WAS Now you see him, now you don't.
41 Corey Perry F ANA Still on the escalator, improves every year.
42 Vincent Lecavalier F TAM Tampa should be one of the most improved teams in 2010-11.
43 Marty Turco G CHI Skills look spotty but the defense is superb.
44 Mike Richards F PHI A point-a-game likely, but don't pay for more.
45 Ilya Bryzgalov G PHO Deserved more of an MVP shake.
46 Antero Niittymaki G SAN Should be a safe play but Niemi looms.
47 Henrik Zetterberg F DET Wonderful skills but tends to be overpriced.
48 Shea Weber D NAS Just be happy you're not a goalie, shaking in front of his howitzer.
49 Danny Briere F PHI Reminded us of his skills during monster playoffs.
50 Jonathan Quick G LOS He's a stud but they play run-and-gun.
51 Sergei Gonchar D OTT Another PP you'll want a piece of.
52 Paul Stastny F COL He'll eventually make a run at 90-100 points.
53 Jeff Carter F PHI You have to be pretty good when 33 goals disappoints everyone.
54 Derek Roy F BUF Probably has peaked but it's not a bad neighborhood.
55 Johan Franzen F DET If the Mule stays health, 40 goals is possible.
56 Dion Phaneuf D TOR Let's just forget last winter happened.
57 Cam Ward G CAR He's riding with the most underrated team in east.
58 Travis Zajac F NJD Eventually will develop into a 30-50 guy.
59 Semyon Varlamov G WAS There's no right answer on him.
60 Bobby Ryan F ANA Rick Nash, OC version.
61 Marc Savard F BOS Will trade rumors mess with his head?
62 Dan Boyle D SAN Speed and smarts always have a place in this game.
63 Niklas Backstrom G MIN Location provides nice backdrop.
64 Jonas Hiller G ANA A shame we don't see him more on Saturdays.
65 Mark Streit D NYI This PP will be better than you think.
66 Steve Mason G COB Not a bad spot-play for home starts.
67 Chris Stewart F COL Puck kept falling for him in second half, which makes us nervous.
68 Michael Cammalleri F MON Where did all the PP goals go?
69 Michael Leighton G PHI Doesn't seem like a horse but that's their issue.
70 Nicklas Lidstrom D DET This is still an elite power play.
71 Zdeno Chara D BOS Don't tell him we said so, but he's overrated.
72 Tomas Plekanec F MON A legitimate top-six forward but not really a horse.
73 Dan Ellis G TAM If you buy the rebound, you'll want him too.
74 Loui Eriksson F DAL Bet on 30-35 goals, but stop at that.
75 Brad Richards F DAL Rebounded in Dallas but doesn't fill scarce categories.
76 Carey Price G MON Million dollar talent or untrustable flake?  
77 Erik Johnson D STL He's going to be a dynamo very soon, get in.
78 Daniel Alfredsson F OTT Headed for 38th birthday, be realistic.
79 Andrei Markov D MON A little erratic but no denying the skills.
80 Kari Lehtonen G DAL Can he stay healthy and start paying us back?
81 David Krejci F BOS Better playmates will mean better stats.
82 Tyler Myers D BUF Baby, you're a big star now.
83 Jaroslav Halak G STL Playoff hero heads to a weaker club.
84 Chris Pronger D PHI You hate him unless you're a Flyers fan.
85 Brian Campbell D CHI Not a Norris guy but good for your second blueliner.
86 Simon Gagne F TAM Bring your insurance card.
87 Jason Pominville F BUF A safe bet to play the entire schedule.
88 Marian Hossa F CHI Hasn't justified the contract but it's not your money.
89 Thomas Vanek F BUF Pay for 30 goals, hope for 40.
90 Phil Kessel F TOR As consistent as a paper cup in a hurricane.
91 Bryan McCabe D FLA At least he's good at the one thing we care about, power-play stuff.
92 Pascal Leclaire G OTT Looks like their best, but not a long leash.
93 Alexander Frolov F NYR Gets a change of scenery at right time.
94 Matt Duchene F COL Fell off the map down the stretch but he's still a kid.
95 Patrick Sharp F CHI More valuable to the Hawks than he is to us.
96 Brian Rafalski D DET You'll never lose money on him.
97 Christian Ehrhoff F VAN Deep blueline here but he's the intriguing guy.
98 Mikko Koivu F MIN Pass-first centers aren't huge in fantasy.
99 Nik Antropov F ATL Has a lot of plusses but consistency isn't in there.
100 Ales Hemsky F EDM Edmonton's train wreck can't be pinned on him.
101 Chris Mason G ATL Will his defense help him at all?
102 Teemu Selanne F ANA It wouldn't be the same without Teddy Flash.
103 David Backes F STL Does a little of everything, helps STL more than us.
104 R.J. Umberger F COB Underrated scorer if they give him full ice.
105 Jonas Gustavsson G TOR Fun to watch, but they don't have the horses.
106 Keith Yandle D PHO Another reason to get your defense late.
107 Tomas Kaberle D TOR You know what you're getting here.
108 Erik Karlsson D OTT Make sure he sticks on that first PP group.
109 Ryan Suter D NAS He's the Rhoda here but still pretty good.
110 Joe Pavelski F SAN Playoff hero won't be quite as exciting over the grind.
111 Brooks Laich F WAS Caught up in the Beltway Undertow.
112 Kristian Huselius F COB Impact player when he feels like it.
113 Jiri Hudler F DET Back in Detroit and don't laugh, they need him.
114 Alexandre Burrows F VAN We'd like to see more PP time; expect mild dip.
115 Patrik Elias F NJD If you get to 75 games, kiss the ice.
116 Patric Hornqvist F NAS When in doubt, follow the shots on goal.
117 Alex Goligoski D PIT If he's going to pop, this is the time.
118 Jakub Voracek F COB Doesn't bring it every night but they'll still lean on him.
119 Dwayne Roloson G NYI Always gets the most of out of his ability.
120 Kyle Okposo F NYI Gets the most out of his ability but won't be a star.
121 Mason Raymond F VAN Decent surrounding but don't bid past 2009-10 production.
122 Pavel Kubina D TAM Get some Tampa guys this year, trust us.
123 Dustin Penner F EDM One of the few Oilers who didn't mail it in.
124 Michael Del Zotto D NYR Moves puck well but has a lot to learn in other end.
125 Jack Johnson D LOS He's not Doughty but might be a star anyway.
126 Niklas Kronwall D DET Breakout should have happened by now.
127 Wojtek Wolski F PHO Should be on the top PP unit.
128 Patrice Bergeron F BOS Can the hockey gods give him a break some day?
129 Jamie Benn F DAL Deserves a bigger piece of the pie.
130 Jay Bouwmeester D CGY How about maxing that talent, big guy?
131 Dustin Brown F LOS Captain crunch but never will be major scorer.
132 T.J. Oshie F STL He'll get as much ice as he wants.
133 Ryan Callahan F NYR He'll be good for a long time, but not a superstar.
134 Nikoli Khabibulin G EDM A little hep would be nice.
135 Peter Mueller F COL There's a pedigree here, and he spiked after deal.
136 Milan Hejduk F COL Name brand doesn't match the recent numbers.
137 Alexei Ponikarovsky F LOS Not the easiest player to motivate.
138 James Neal F DAL Last year probably will stand as his best.
139 Nathan Horton F BOS They'll love him in The Hub.
140 Jamie Langenbrunner F NJD Intangible guy doesn't have a ton of fantasy juice.
141 Andrew Brunette F MIN Cagey veteran still knows how to move the puck.
142 Taylor Hall F EDM He'll be a star someday, but not immediately.
143 Mike Knuble F WAS Hanging out in the right neighborhood.
144 Andrei Kostitsyn F MON A star on the right night, invisible on the wrong one.
145 Alexander Edler D VAN Welcome to the City of Blueliners.
146 Tobias Enstrom D ATL Ordinary physical skills but sees the ice well.
147 Marek Zidlicky D MIN Not the star we expected way back but he's still useful.
148 Kurtis Foster D EDM Great PP skills but has trouble staying healthy.
149 Kris Versteeg F TOR Probably will see more ice in the YYZ.
150 Brenden Morrow F DAL Team captains are often overrated in our numbers-grab.
151 Brian Elliott G OTT One of the more intriguing No. 2 guys.
152 Shane Doan F PHO Now in mid-30s, no sure thing to get numbers back.
153 Jussi Jokinen F CAR If only life were a shootout.
154 Rich Peverley F ATL Ringleader of the Peverly Hillbillies.
155 Stephen Weiss F FLA Goal jump looks a little suspicious.
156 Brad Boyes F STL He's a lot better than last year's nightmare.
157 Mike Fisher F OTT Will celebrity married life affect his game?
158 J.P. Dumont F NAS Offensive talent but this isn't a go-go team.
159 Tom Gilbert D EDM Knows what to do on the man-advantage.
160 Matt Carle D PHI We were hoping for a star career, will have to settle for pretty good.
161 Zach Bogosian D ATL Worth a spike gamble, but expect a minus rating.
162 Jose Theodore G FA Still unwanted as we go to press.
163 Antti Niemi G SJ It's not like he's behind a lock-down guy.
164 Jordan Staal F PIT More valuable to the Pens than he is to us.
165 Scott Gomez F MON Pass-first guys don't fry our bacon.
166 Antoine Vermette F COB So long as he rides with Nash, we're kinda on board.
167 Alex Steen F STL Underrated scorer but will he be stuck on third line?
168 Ville Leino F PHI Was that playoff run real or mirage?
169 Mike Smith G TAM Capable if a change is needed.
170 Ryan Malone F TAM At least you're not stuck paying him.
171 Niclas Bergfors F ATL Swaps supporting cast for playing time.
172 Claude Giroux F PHI Came on late and looms as a sleeper.
173 David Perron F STL Still just 22, he can get a lot better.
174 Mikael Samuelsson F VAN Decent puzzle piece but he's not a game-changer.
175 Alex Kovalev F OTT What if he were born with a work ethic?
176 Rene Bourque F CGY Nifty season, but don't bet on his health history.
177 Matt Moulson F NYI Don't sleep on some of these Island scorers.
178 David Booth F FLA Super talent but coming off concussion issues.
179 Evander Kane F ATL Ready for a meatier role.
180 Dennis Wideman D FLA Needed city change after messy winter.
181 Johnny Boychuk D BOS The reason Wideman was expendable.
182 Jean-Sebastien Giguere G TOR Goalie values are all about context.
183 Ryan Smyth F LOS Treated like a star but doesn't deserve label.
184 Sheldon Souray D EDM Loves to shoot the puck, and get hurt.
185 Ray Whitney F PHO Estimable pro but it's risky betting on old-timers.
186 Brian Gionta F MON Handy and useful but doesn't have dominant skills.
187 Michael Frolik F FLA Didn't flash last year but he's still a kid.
188 Todd Bertuzzi F DET Babcock keeps him motivated but you know the risks here.
189 Steve Ott F DAL Give him a bump if you need some PIMs.
190 Ryane Clowe F SAN Lunch-pail type isn't a fantasy target.
191 Martin Erat F NAS Handy guy to have around, but doens't score enough goals.
192 Vinny Prospal F NYR Holding on but there's no longer an upside.
193 Tyler Seguin F BOS He'll need 2-3 years to get to universal relevance.
194 Michael Grabner F FLA Panthers will give him a chance to stick on key lines.
195 Victor Hedman D TAM Give him one more year, then pay up.
196 Brian Boucher G PHI Plan B, for now.
197 Matt Cullen F MIN Another nameless, faceless forward in Minnesota.
198 Jason Blake F ANA Easy guy to root for, but point total doesn't match shot production.
199 Tomas Fleischmann F WAS On the right club but he isn't an ice-time priority.
200 Joni Pitkanen D CAR Has a value but there are so many guys just like him.
201 Andrew Ladd F ATL They'd be wise to make him a Top-6er.
202 Guillaume Latendresse F MIN Power-play specialist could get 25 again.
203 Olli Jokinen F CGY 911 is a joke in your town.
204 Zack Boychuk F CAR Looks ready to be a Top-6 guy.
205 Matthew Lombardi F NAS No point breakout likely in this city.
206 Martin Havlat F MIN Traditionally, he's been a tease bet.
207 Devin Setoguchi F SAN Only if he sticks with Thornton.
208 Valtteri Filppula F DET Upside is 60 points, but wait until late rounds.
209 Brent Seabrook D CHI Physical player helps Chicago more than us.
210 Michal Neuvirth G WAS No pedigree but maybe he'll get a chance.
211 Tim Thomas G BOS It's a cruel game sometime.
212 Lee Stempniak F PHO One of many worker bees here.
213 Brandon Sutter F CAR Too versatile for his own good.
214 Joe Corvo D CAR You always feel he leaves 10-15 points on the table.
215 Jordan Eberle F EDM It's coming someday, but he's still just 20.
216 Andy McDonald F STL Another handy center you can add anytime you want.
217 Saku Koivu F ANA Playmaking center, move along.
218 T.J. Galiardi F COL Needs strong push to show he's a Top-6er.
219 Alex Tanguay F CGY He's been overrated for years.
220 Milan Michalek F OTT Never cheats you, but won't explode on scoresheet.
221 Chris Drury F NYR Forrest Gump kinda life had to stop sometime.
222 Marco Sturm F BOS Won't be fully healthy for opener.
223 Dustin Byfuglien F ATL He'll be overrated after heady playoffs.
224 Stephane Robidas D DAL Should get enough ice to matter to us.
225 Jonathan Bernier G LOS Quick would have to get hurt.
226 Tomas Holmstrom F DET Made a career out of being a pest.
227 Ryan Whitney D EDM Offensive skills but he's bouncing around for a reason.
228 Niklas Hagman F CGY Is he good enough to hang with the cool kids?
229 Jason Demers D SAN Knows offense but has a lot to learn elsewhere.
230 Scott Hartnell F PHI Good at many things, but not a dynamic point producer.
231 Tim Connolly F BUF A shame his body hates him so much.
232 Jason Arnott F NJD There's something left but the upside is long gone.
233 Mikhail Grabovski F TOR Nobody has whispered the right words to him yet.
234 Michael Ryder F BOS Unstoppable for a month, and then he stops himself.
235 James Van Riemsdyk F PHI Bringing up baby, but needs another year for us.
236 Ed Jovanovski D PHO Probably has another useful year tucked in him.
237 Marc-Andre Bergeron D MON He's good at one thing but drives coaches crazy.
238 Nikita Filitov F CMB Can they mend the fences here?
239 Ron Hainsey D ATL Pride of the River Hawks (a mythical bird).
240 Rick DiPietro G NYI One for the what-if file.
241 Ondrej Pavelec G ATL Don't draft backups on bad teams.
242 Matt Stajan F CGY Don't look for him on the first line.
243 Jochen Hecht F BUF Probably loses 10-15 percent of last year's haul.
244 Paul Kariya F STL A nice career but we'll watch without investment.
245 Brandon Dubinsky F NYR He'll be available for pickup when you need him.
246 Sam Gagner F EDM Teases us for a month, then skates away.
247 Kris Letang D PIT Nothing special but his playmates are.
248 Gilbert Brule F EDM Some offensive chops but not a front liner.
249 Carlo Colaiacovo D STL He'll be FA available when you need him.
250 Kyle Quincey D COL Bouncing around but he moves the puck well.
251 Bill Guerin F PIT Held up longer than we expected.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Ferris
Ferris covers the PGA Tour for RotoWire. He is an award-winning sports writer and a veteran fantasy columnist. He also is a scratch golfer.
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