Fantasy Hockey Rookie Rankings for 2024

My fantasy hockey rookie rankings have been formulated based on traditional fantasy league stats including points, assists, power-play points, shots on goal, blocks and plus/minus.

The overall upside is considered first and foremost, with a player’s ceiling in the vital scoring categories considered first and foremost.

Factors such as age, opportunity, history, and overall quality of the team have also been weighed in the rankings.

Without further ado, here are my 2024 fantasy hockey rookie rankings, plus a few targets, values, and fades.

For the rest of my fantasy hockey positional rankings, see below:

2024 Fantasy Hockey Rookie Rankings

Rank	Player	Team
1	Macklin Celebrini, C	San Jose Sharks
2	Matvei Michkov, RW	Philadelphia Flyers
3	Logan Stankoven, RW	Dallas Stars
4	Will Smith, C	San Jose Sharks
5	Cutter Gauthier, LW	Anaheim Ducks
6	Lane Hutson, D	Montreal Canadiens
7	Dustin Wolf, G	Calgary Flames
8	Mavrik Bourque, C	Dallas Stars
9	Josh Doan, RW	Utah Hockey Club
10	Yaroslav Askarov, G	Nashville Predators

Rookies to Target in Fantasy Hockey 2024

Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers Forward

Michkov is likely the most NHL-ready of this year’s crop of rookies. He was an elite scorer in junior and put up nearly a PPG in the KHL, which is notorious for its low scoring and tight play. He’s also fallen to a spot with the Flyers where he’s likely to get plenty of top-six minutes right off the bat given that they previously lacked a creative player with Michkov’s ability.

Injury concerns for such an undersized player are legitimate but the upside with Michkov makes him one of the best rookies to target for fantasy drafts this season. If he stays healthy, he could easily outperform his draft position by 10+ spots.

Will Smith, San Jose Sharks Forward

Smith should be a vital part of the Sharks top six this season and could be in line to outshine teammate and number-one pick Macklin Celebrini. The former Boston University star posted 71 points (25 goals, 46 assists) in his last year in college and may have an easier time transitioning given his two-way game.

For fantasy purposes, there will be a rush of people trying to grab Celebrini making his valuation more pricy than it should be on a still fragile Sharks roster. Smith is a player who could be had for cheaper and an easier stash in case he does eventually grab a bigger role and become a viable fantasy producer.

Rookies to Avoid in Fantasy Hockey 2024

Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames Goalie

There is little doubt that Wolf is an excellent prospect, but the fact remains he’s a 23-year-old being thrust into the spotlight on a team that currently has -400 odds of missing the playoffs. He also managed just a .893 SV% in 17 games last season and while he’ll be afforded ample time to take a step forward this season, he’ll need the rest of his roster to outperform to put up viable fantasy numbers.

We have seen rookie goaltenders like Devon Levi and Spencer Knight get semi-overwhelmed in similar spots before and while Wolf could be the exception, it’s not likely that he produces elite numbers right off the bat.

Stash Players for 2024 Fantasy Hockey

Yaroslav Askarov, Nashville Predators Goalie

Askarov is potentially the best goaltender prospect in the NHL. Despite being just 22 he posted elite numbers in multiple KHL seasons and a .911 SV% in 92 games in the AHL. Unfortunately, he’s stuck on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations that has an elite veteran netminder already in Jusse Saros. On most teams Askarov would probably be given backup duties but with the Predators committing to another veteran in Scott Wedgewood, even that role is out of reach for the time being.

If Saros were to get injured or Wedgewood starts poorly, Askarov would be an immediate pickup and someone to watch in deeper leagues this year.

Artyom Levshunov, Chicago Blackhawks Defenseman

Levshunov won’t start the season with the Blackhawks due to injury but, eventually, he should find his way onto the team. The number two overall pick from 2024, who put up just under a PPG in the NCAA last year, he’s got the kind of two-way game that should get him good looks on special teams with Chicago eventually.

If you’re in a classic redraft league, when the Hawks activate him and how they deploy him initially, will be important to watch this season.

Gavin Brindley, Columbus Blue Jackets Forward

The Blue Jackets suffered a crushing loss this offseason with the deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.

Brindley is not going to replace the late winger but he does play a similar type of game and is a player who has excelled at every step of his career thus far. Last year, he upped his scoring big time, landing 25 goals in 40 games with Michigan. I don’t expect Brindley to start with Colombus but he could be a mid-season call-up.