With the 2023-24 NHL regular season fast approaching, it means, among other things, that fantasy hockey is as well. It is of course important to know which players to select, when to select them, and how many categories they can help your fantasy team. The Pittsburgh Penguins have several options in varying areas to provide that help. Here is a quick guide looking at Penguins players to consider for your fantasy team.
The Obvious Choice
Let’s just get this one out of the way: Sidney Crosby is still a valuable fantasy option. The Penguins’ captain is going to go in the first two rounds of most 10 or 12-team leagues, and he’s going to get you points once the season starts. Even as a 19-year veteran, Crosby will be good for at least 30 goals and 50 assists. And that’s just the start.
As the Penguins’ leader, he is guaranteed to play in all situations. He is generally more of a 5-on-5 beast, but with the addition of Erik Karlsson, more on him in a moment, Crosby’s production should tick up on the power play, as well. In fact, a seventh career 100-point season is not out of the question. He’s a gamer, he’s automatic, and he deserves his own category.
Buyer Beware
This is where many of the Penguins’ fantasy options find themselves due to their injury history. Up first is Erik Karlsson. With Karlsson, like Crosby, you know what you’re getting: he’s a high-octane point producer on the blue line. Unfortunately, he can be a risky pick due to his achy ankle and Achilles tendon.
Related: Penguins’ Season Preview: Dubas’ Forward Group has Improved
But when he’s in the lineup, he will score. A healthy Karlsson is a good bet for 80 points, or many more, with about 30 on the power play. His plus/minus has never been great, generally safely in the negatives, but his move to the Penguins should help that number. Still, you can afford to sacrifice one column for what he brings elsewhere. Count on him to go early and among the first defensemen selected.
Another Penguin in this category is Evgeni Malkin. He may be the biggest risk because he usually can be counted on missing about 15 games. Last season was an anomaly. But like Karlsson, Malkin produces when he’s in the lineup. Goals, assists, power-play points: it’s all there. He produces more on the power play than Crosby, so like Karlsson, expect a hit in plus/minus. Grab him if he’s available in the fifth or sixth round, and pray he stays healthy.
Jake Guentzel makes an appearance here. Normally he’s reliably healthy and is a good bet for around 40 goals and north of 75 points, but this season he’s a question mark following ankle surgery of his own. Initially, he was expected to be out until November, but his skating on his own at camp inspires optimism. Still, there is a risk he will start slowly as he heals, but he is a solid pick, just outside the top 50 forwards.
Finally, there is Tristan Jarry. Much ink has been spilled about his consistency and health issues. When healthy, he wins games and usually has a respectable save percentage (SV%). But he can also be brutal at times with a goals-against average (GAA) near 3.00 or higher, and a sub-.900 SV%. He’s also more valuable in rotisserie leagues than head-to-head because from week to week you don’t know what to expect. He’s just outside a top-20 pick among goalies and should be available until the middle rounds.
Other Options, Other Categories
The Penguins have other fantasy players of value to consider in the middle or late rounds, especially for more specialized categories. First up among the forwards is Rickard Rakell. Playing with Crosby and Malkin, Rakell was a good bet to flirt with 30 goals and 60-plus points, but now with Karlsson in the mix he could hit career highs in both categories. Where Rakell is even more valuable is on the power play and in hits, if your league counts them instead of penalty minutes.
Next up, Reilly Smith should produce around 25 goals and 55 points, but if your league counts shorthanded points, Smith’s value increases. He will also add hits and plus/minus along the way. And then Bryan Rust, who is looking to bounce back from last season, could give a team 25 goals and at least 50 points. Both are unlikely to get drafted and would be solid pick-ups should the injury bug bite your team.
Related: Pittsburgh Penguins Season Preview: Defense and Goaltending
On the blue line, don’t sleep on Kris Letang. He is older, yes, and everything he survived last season ought to have him in the Buyer Beware section, but Letang is a warrior who can still produce. Just temper the expectations. Normally 15 goals and 55 points, with 25 coming on the power play, would be in his range, but there is the Karlsson factor. He should now be a number three or four defenseman on your fantasy team rather than a one or two.
For all the talk about the Penguins being too old or that their window is closed, we enter the 2023-24 season with them rejuvenated and looking not just to return to the playoffs but challenge for the Stanley Cup. That rejuvenation will of course spill over into fantasy. If you’re in need of options on draft day, it never hurts to bet on the white, gold, and black.
