Even though it is the end of July and the Vegas Golden Knights don’t play meaningful hockey games until the end of September, it doesn’t mean fans can’t start planning for their upcoming fantasy hockey season. Recently, NHL.com released its Top 250 fantasy hockey player rankings for the upcoming 2026-27 season, which featured 11 players from the reigning Western Conference champions.
Where did the Golden Knights rank in NHL.com's Top 250 fantasy ranking?
Despite the plethora of talent in the lineup, the Golden Knights only have two players featured in the Top 50 spots, starting with Jack Eichel (No. 22) and Mitch Marner (No. 49). As expected, Eichel led the Vegas attack last season, scoring 27 goals and 90 points, the second consecutive season the 29-year-old recorded at least 90 points.
Meanwhile, Marner, who had an outstanding playoff run as Vegas advanced to the Final, actually had a 22-point drop in production during the regular season. In his final season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he finally broke through the proverbial glass ceiling and surpassed 100 points, finishing with 102. However, in the desert last year, he scored just 24 goals and 80 points.
Further down the rankings, at No. 99, is captain Mark Stone, who is entering the final season of an eight-year deal with the Golden Knights. In 2025-26, he finished third in team scoring with 28 goals and 73 points. Surprisingly, it was his best season in Vegas and couldn’t come at a better time as he auditions for an extension this year, with the potential to finish his career in the desert.
There were no other Golden Knights players in the Top 150, but defenseman Shea Theodore (No. 150) and Carter Hart (No. 152) find themselves only two spots apart. Last year, Theodore missed 12 games and scored 18 fewer points, going from 57 to just 39, although he did hit double digits in goals for the first time in five years. Moreover, he was Vegas’ top-scoring defender, finishing 10 points ahead of Noah Hanifin.
In a surprising twist to the Golden Knights goaltending situation, longtime incumbent Adin Hill didn’t find his name in the rankings. Still, Hart did, especially after a lengthy playoff run that led Vegas to the Final. Considering Hart came in to save the season in December, he went 11-3-3 down the stretch to help the Golden Knights win the Pacific Division. It will be interesting to watch how he performs with a proper training camp and if he can retain his status as the team’s No. 1 goalie.
Just inside the Top 200 are Rasmus Andersson (No. 191) and Tomas Hertl (No. 195). As a big-name trade acquisition to shore up the back end, Andersson went from the lowly Calgary Flames to the Stanley Cup Final, producing seven goals and 17 points in 33 games. The Golden Knights were impressed with his performance, signing him to a seven-year extension.
Who else made the cut for the Vegas Golden Knights?
Meanwhile, Hertl, who had the worst plus/minus total on the team at minus-17, still managed 39 points in 70 games thanks to 24 goals. Oddly, in San Jose, Hertl was a minus player, minus-71 over 11 seasons, and through three seasons with Vegas, is minus-22, a potential turnoff for fantasy owners who value plus/minus statistics.
In the final 25 spots, three Golden Knights found a place, including Brett Howden (No. 229), Hanifin (No. 243), and William Karlsson (No. 245). Unsurprisingly, all three players missed time at various points last season, including Karlsson, who missed the majority of the campaign and scored only seven points in 14 games. On the back end, Hanifin was the second-highest scoring defenseman, while Howden made up for a poor regular season, 12 goals and 22 points, with 14 goals and 18 points in the playoffs.
Under the “others to consider” list was Ivan Barbashev, who set a career high last year with 61 points. Moreover, it marked the second straight season the 30-year-old scored 23 goals, making him a three-time 20-goal scorer through 10 seasons.
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