Sean Allen
Victoria Matiash
Victoria Matiash
Special to ESPN.com
Victoria Matiash is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. Victoria has been a part of the fantasy team since 2010.
The 41st game of the season for each NHL team has been played, and there’s now been enough time for us to digest that first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
So as part of this week’s updated edition of the ESPN NHL Power Rankings — led once again by the juggernaut Colorado Avalanche — we are identifying the midseason fantasy hockey MVP for all 32 clubs, according to analysts Sean Allen (Eastern Conference teams) and Victoria Matiash (Western Conference teams).
And a reminder: It’s not too late to sign up for ESPN Fantasy Hockey. New leagues start every Monday, and you can sign up for free today.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 9. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1Points percentage: 82.2%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Nathan MacKinnon, C. It’s rather incredible that the league’s top fantasy defenseman, and reigning Norris Trophy winner, is somehow not the best performer on his own team. But when you play with a power forward who’s shooting, scoring and hitting his way through 2025-26 at a 3.7 fantasy point-per-game pace, even a superstar like Cale Makar is stuck wearing the consolation sash for the top-ranked Avs.
Next seven days: vs. NSH (Jan. 16), vs. WSH (Jan. 19), vs. ANA (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 2Points percentage: 67.8%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Nikita Kucherov, RW. We all know how incredible Kucherov is, so let’s hand him the fantasy MVP — but step aside briefly to highlight the blue line. Darren Raddysh has stepped up in Victor Hedman’s absence, keeping Tampa Bay’s power play among the league’s best and making a real difference for fantasy managers.
Next seven days: @ STL (Jan. 16), @ DAL (Jan. 18), vs. SJ (Jan. 20)
Previous ranking: 4Points percentage: 65.6%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Jason Robertson, LW. Robertson over Mikko Rantanen by a hair because of his goals and shots tallies. Plus, a few intangible bonus marks for reblooming after a couple of “disappointing” campaigns … when he still managed to collect 80 points.
Next seven days: vs. TB (Jan. 18), vs. BOS (Jan. 20), @ CBJ (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 3Points percentage: 63.5%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Matt Boldy, LW/RW. He’s becoming more and more dominant season by season. With Kirill Kaprizov serving as close runner-up, the Team USA member is enjoying a career campaign in Minnesota. On pace for almost 100 points, Boldy ranks seventh in total fantasy haul among all forwards.
Next seven days: @ BUF (Jan. 17), @ TOR (Jan. 19), @ MTL (Jan. 20), vs. DET (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 5Points percentage: 63.8%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Brandon Bussi, G. Seth Jarvis leads the forwards in fantasy points per game, and Sebastian Aho has more total points, but where would the Canes be this season without Bussi as their rock in the crease? His rise perfectly aligned with the time of season when fantasy managers ran out of patience with their drafted starters, and more than a few teams caught him at exactly the right time.
Next seven days: vs. FLA (Jan. 16), @ NJ (Jan. 17), vs. BUF (Jan. 19), vs. CHI (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 13Points percentage: 63%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Mark Stone, RW. When active, the Golden Knights’ captain is up there with the league’s best in supplying the most bang for your fantasy buck. If Stone can somehow stay healthy, the Team Canada rep will end up surpassing everyone else on Vegas’ roster in total fantasy points — despite already missing significant time — including Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Tomas Hertl.
Next seven days: vs. NSH (Jan. 17), vs. PHI (Jan. 19), @ BOS (Jan. 22)
0:54
Jack Eichel completes Vegas’ comeback with OT winner
Jack Eichel walks in all alone and makes a sweet move to win it for the Golden Knights.
Previous ranking: 6Points percentage: 62.5%
Midseason fantasy MVP: John Gibson, G. Before Dec. 1, only Calvin Pickard and Justus Annunen had more negative fantasy points than Gibson’s -14.6 at that point of the season. The turnaround has been remarkable: only Connor McDavid has more fantasy points than Gibson’s 82.0 since Dec. 1, and the next-best goalie trails by over 30 points.
Next seven days: vs. SJ (Jan. 16), vs. OTT (Jan. 18), @ TOR (Jan. 21), @ MIN (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 8Points percentage: 61.5%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Noah Dobson, D. It turns out there is plenty of room on this blue line for three fantasy standouts, and none have been more productive than Dobson. He doesn’t just lead the defenseman trio of himself, Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson in fantasy points, he leads the whole Habs team.
Next seven days: @ OTT (Jan. 17), vs. MIN (Jan. 20), vs. BUF (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 12Points percentage: 60.9%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Alex Tuch, RW. It’s tempting to hand the MVP to Tage Thompson, but Tuch is a model of consistency. Few remember that he finished last season with the 11th-highest fantasy total among all skaters, and he’s showing he belongs among the league’s elite again this season.
Next seven days: vs. MIN (Jan. 17), @ CAR (Jan. 19), @ NSH (Jan. 20), @ MTL (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 10Points percentage: 56.3%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Tom Wilson, RW. Even with Jakob Chychrun acting like a forward from the blue line with 15 goals, Wilson’s fantasy strength remains. He still leads his teammates in total fantasy points despite missing six recent games, ready to remind everyone who really runs Washington’s fantasy scoreboard.
Next seven days: vs. FLA (Jan. 17), @ COL (Jan. 19), @ VAN (Jan. 21)
1:11
Tom Wilson scores Gordie Howe hat trick for Caps
Tom Wilson scores Gordie Howe hat trick for Caps
Previous ranking: 9Points percentage: 60.6%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Matthew Schaefer, D. Setting new high-water marks for teenage defenders with every game he plays, the pride of Hamilton, Ontario, is on a pace that would have seen him finish 10th among all blueliners in fantasy scoring last season — of course, that would have been tough since he was still in high school!
Next seven days: @ CGY (Jan. 17), @ VAN (Jan. 19), @ SEA (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 14Points percentage: 56.3%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Connor McDavid, C. If not for MacKinnon’s ridiculously hot start and almost equally absurd subsequent scoring rate, the Oilers’ captain would likely sit atop the table in both NHL and fantasy production. In fact, if his current pace — 2.3 points per game since early December — holds up, McDavid could eclipse his Team Canada teammate.
Next seven days: @ VAN (Jan. 17), vs. STL (Jan. 18), vs. NJ (Jan. 20), vs. PIT (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 20Points percentage: 58.3%
Midseason fantasy MVP: David Pastrnak, RW. Pasta is always a good choice for fantasy MVP. He’s on pace to nearly match his 210.2 fantasy points from last season, which ranked him sixth among skaters. He has a solid connection with Elias Lindholm, and has found muses in both Morgan Geekie and Marat Khusnutdinov, regardless of which one is on the other flank.
Next seven days: @ CHI (Jan. 17), @ DAL (Jan. 20), vs. VGK (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 16Points percentage: 57.4%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Auston Matthews, C. While the Leafs struggle in the standings, fantasy managers can breathe easy: Matthews remains one of the game’s top fantasy stars. His increased shot blocking from last season has become a consistent part of his game, helping him stay among the top 20 fantasy skaters despite missing a half-dozen games.
Next seven days: @ WPG (Jan. 17), vs. MIN (Jan. 19), vs. DET (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 11Points percentage: 58.7%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Sidney Crosby, C. Like a fine wine, Crosby only gets better with age. He’s on pace to top his 186.3 fantasy points from 2024-25, all while seemingly willfully guiding the Penguins toward a surprising playoff berth.
Next seven days: vs. CBJ (Jan. 17), @ SEA (Jan. 19), @ CGY (Jan. 21), @ EDM (Jan. 22)
0:19
Sidney Crosby nets the Penguins’ overtime winner
Sidney Crosby finds the net and scores in overtime to give the Penguins a 5-4 win vs. the Blue Jackets.
Previous ranking: 7Points percentage: 56.5%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Trevor Zegras, C/LW. His pace has dipped in recent weeks, but Zegras’ resurgence following the trade to Philadelphia is a pleasant fantasy surprise. The key now is staying healthy after missing nearly a full season over 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Next seven days: vs. NYR (Jan. 17), @ VGK (Jan. 19), @ UTA (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 15Points percentage: 56.7%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Brad Marchand, LW/RW. Marchand finished last season ranked 158th among all skaters. But that fresh Florida air and the Stanley Cup tailwinds are doing wonders for the veteran. He might have been the team leader for fantasy points if he hadn’t missed four games.
Next seven days: @ CAR (Jan. 16), @ WSH (Jan. 17), vs. SJ (Jan. 19), @ WPG (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 24Points percentage: 54.2%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Mikhail Sergachev, D. While Dylan Guenther wears the fantasy crown for the Mammoth up front, the club’s top defender owns the throne overall by checking just about every box in ESPN fantasy competition. Only forward Clayton Keller has more power-play points.
Next seven days: vs. SEA (Jan. 17), vs. PHI (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 17Points percentage: 55.4%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Eeli Tolvanen, LW/RW. On a roster lacking any true standout MVP candidate, Tolvanen deserves a nod for showing up nearly every day and providing a little bit of everything, including a team-leading number of hits and blocked shots (among forwards). If able to maintain his current point-per-game pace, Jordan Eberle could take over eventually, but we’re not there yet.
Next seven days: @ UTA (Jan. 17), vs. PIT (Jan. 19), vs. NYI (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 22Points percentage: 55.4%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Macklin Celebrini, C. Unlike in other markets where there’s somewhat of a conversation to have over who’s proving more valuable in fantasy play, San Jose’s No. 1 center strides alone many miles ahead of every other Shark. And most everyone else in the NHL. Third in real-life and fantasy scoring behind McDavid and MacKinnon, the teen forced those assembling Canada’s Olympic team to include him over many other worthy candidates.
Next seven days: @ DET (Jan. 16), @ FLA (Jan. 19), @ TB (Jan. 20)
1:55
Macklin Celebrini scores filthy tying goal, then sets up Sharks’ OT winner
Macklin Celebrini scores the tying goal in the third period, then makes the winning assist to William Eklund.
Previous ranking: 19Points percentage: 53.3%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Adrian Kempe, RW. Posting similar scoring numbers to fellow forward Kevin Fiala, Kempe pulls slightly ahead in the fantasy race because of his physical play. The Kings’ winger sits second in hits to Alex Laferriere, and trails only Anze Kopitar in blocked shots among forwards.
Next seven days: vs. ANA (Jan. 16), @ ANA (Jan. 17), vs. NYR (Jan. 20)
Previous ranking: 18Points percentage: 53.3%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Jake Sanderson, D. It’s tempting to give the nod to Tim Stutzle’s team-leading fantasy production, but Sanderson is right on his heels and tracking toward a finish among the top five fantasy blueliners. It wouldn’t be a shock if he ultimately leads the team in fantasy scoring.
Next seven days: vs. MTL (Jan. 17), @ DET (Jan. 18), @ CBJ (Jan. 20), @ NSH (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 27Points percentage: 52.3%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Roman Josi, D. While the former Norris winner isn’t blowing fantasy mangers away like in the olden days (2019-2024), he’s still proving more than serviceable for the suddenly relevant-again Predators. Which is a big reason they are somewhat back in the playoff mix, and climbing in these rankings.
Next seven days: @ COL (Jan. 16), @ VGK (Jan. 17), vs. BUF (Jan. 20), vs. OTT (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 23Points percentage: 53.2%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Nico Hischier, C. It’s been a rough go for the Devils of late, and Jack Hughes would surely be the fantasy MVP if injuries hadn’t once again intervened. So let’s acknowledge the quiet consistency of Hischier, who, while a step behind the pace that landed him among the top 40 skaters last season, has still managed to provide steady fantasy value while much of the roster has struggled.
Next seven days: vs. CAR (Jan. 17), @ CGY (Jan. 19), @ EDM (Jan. 20)
1:09
Nico Hischier breaks in for Devils’ OT winner
Nico Hischier’s second goal of the game wins it for the Devils in overtime against the Kraken.
Previous ranking: 26Points percentage: 52.1%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Zach Werenski, D. Werenski finished fourth among all skaters last season with 216.2 fantasy points. He’s missed four games this season, but he’s on pace to eclipse his total from 2024-25. He has an astronomical 3.15 fantasy points per game since Dec. 1; only Kucherov, MacKinnon and McDavid can beat that.
Next seven days: @ PIT (Jan. 17), vs. OTT (Jan. 20), vs. DAL (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 25Points percentage: 51.1%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Jackson LaCombe, D. On the fantasy front, Beckett Sennecke and Cutter Gauthier aren’t quite there yet. The young blueliner LaCombe leads all Ducks to date, including Leo Carlsson, on the strength of his production — fifth in points at even strength and with the extra skater — and number of blocked shots.
Next seven days: @ LA (Jan. 16), vs. LA (Jan. 17), vs. NYR (Jan. 19), @ COL (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 28Points percentage: 47.9%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Connor Bedard, C/RW. There’s a significant drop off after Tyler Bertuzzi, the second-most valuable performer in Chicago, who’s averaging a wholly respectable 2.1 fantasy points per game. Bedard is at 2.8 per contest, which ranks fifth among all NHL forwards.
Next seven days: vs. BOS (Jan. 17), vs. WPG (Jan. 19), @ CAR (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 21Points percentage: 47.9%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Mika Zibanejad, C. There haven’t been many bright spots for the Rangers this season, but Zibanejad’s return to fantasy MVP form is a big one. After finishing outside the top 100 skaters with just 140.1 fantasy points in 82 games last season, he’s on a pace to blow past that total and finish in the top 25.
Next seven days: @ PHI (Jan. 17), @ ANA (Jan. 19), @ LA (Jan. 20)
Previous ranking: 29Points percentage: 46.8%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Justin Faulk, D. This one is partly by default, since no other individual on the Blues’ roster is providing any significant fantasy punch this season — which helps to explain why St. Louis is far from playoff contention. To be fair, Faulk is also serving as a durable and well-rounded fantasy presence this first half.
Next seven days: vs. TB (Jan. 16), @ EDM (Jan. 18), @ WPG (Jan. 20)
Previous ranking: 32Points percentage: 46.7%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Kyle Connor, LW. Striding neck and neck with Mark Scheifele for the fantasy lead in Winnipeg, Connor enjoys a slim lead thanks to a heartier sum of shots on net. Recent history also suggests the scoring winger will end up with more goals by the time 2025-26 wraps for good. Regardless, it will be neither’s fault if the Jets eventually fail to secure a playoff spot after finishing top of the league last season.
Next seven days: vs. TOR (Jan. 17), @ CHI (Jan. 19), vs. STL (Jan. 20), vs. FLA (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 30Points percentage: 46.8%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Rasmus Andersson, D. The Flames’ top fantasy performer, and hot trade candidate, could very well be playing for another club in the foreseeable future. Which would either benefit or serve as a detriment to invested managers, depending on his role elsewhere.
Next seven days: vs. NYI (Jan. 17), vs. NJ (Jan. 19), vs. PIT (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 31Points percentage: 39.4%
Midseason fantasy MVP: Elias Pettersson, C. It might surprise some Vancouver fans that their top forward isn’t proving a disappointment in the fantasy field this season, largely thanks to his proclivity for blocking shots. Vancouver’s top center led all NHL forwards in that painful category.
Next seven days: vs. EDM (Jan. 17), vs. NYI (Jan. 19), vs. WSH (Jan. 21)
