Who are the wingers you're drafting ahead of Phil Kessel in 2016-17?

[Instant Karma]

Not sure about your leagues, but in my fantrax league there are many guys with winger-eligibility that might not have it on yahoo, etc. I'd clearly take the following guys over Kessel:

- Stamkos (C,RW)
- Seguin (C/RW)
- Giroux (C/RW)
- Johansen (C/RW)

...and obviously:

- Burns (D/RW)
- Buff (D/RW)

Heck, in my multi cat format I'd even consider to take Backes (C/RW) before Kessel.

I seriously doubt that anyone drafting Burns or Big Buff are doing so because they need a RW.

When I owned Burns a year ago I put him in an RW slot exactly zero times over the course of the season, so it's really useless to lump them in with actual wingers.

[newfcollins]

I am giving Kessel a slight pass for this year. Remember Neal struggled with the Pens his first year to. A little different scenario as Neal was a complimentary piece to Malkin but still.

Neal's first season with Pittsburgh was when Malkin and Crosby were both hurt. Crosby was injured in the Winter Classic and didn't play at all in the second half. And Malkin tore his ACL (or MCL) and never played a game after Feb. 4. Neal only played 20 games that year because he was traded at the deadline and every one of those games was without Crosby and Malkin. Neal was was 23 when first traded to Pittsburgh.

Compare that to Kessel. Kessel was 28 in October. He's had a full season of playing with Crosby. And 50ish games of playing with Malkin.

In Neal's first full season with Pittsburgh and Malkin, he had 40 goals and 81 points. In Kessel's first full season, he had 26 goals and 59 points.

You can't compare Neal's first season to Kessel's first season because it's completely different.

[hockeymanG23]

I'm interested to see what he can do in a full season under Sullivan.

Specifying what kind of stats are tracked is very important to have a proper discussion on this. In a points only league I expect him to be right up there, in my roto league though he spent the majority of the season on the bench including the end of the season when he turned it on.

[NAParker77]

in my roto league though he spent the majority of the season on the bench including the end of the season when he turned it on.

Who did you have better? Through his final 32 goals he was almost a point-per-game player with a hefty plus-rating and over three shots per game.

Did you win your league?

- - - Updated - - -

Enjoyed reading through this.

One thing for certain, I would not draft Blake Wheeler ahead of Kessel, and I would not include Wheeler in that second tier.

He is an excellent player but that high of a billing kills any return of value and is paying up for a career year. Just my draft approach.

[rataylor22]

The most reasonable way to approach this to me, seems points only. Points being the most critical fantasy hockey category. Obviously league settings makes everything change, but one thing for certain is nobody is doing a league that doesn't include "points" as a category (whether goals and assist are broken out or not). So the approach to this thread should be points only.

Saying that.

Wingers I would take over Kessel are:

Benn
Ovechkin
Pavelski
Gaudreau
Forsberg
Hall
Huberdeau
Kane
Wheeler
Tarasenko
Kucherov

With the obvious caveat that if you include "dual position" players, the list gets bigger. For Fantrax for example, Malkin, Seguin, Kuznetsov, Stamkos all have wing eligibility and I would take them over Kessel too.

[JagrBomb]

The most reasonable way to approach this to me, seems points only. Points being the most critical fantasy hockey category. Obviously league settings makes everything change, but one thing for certain is nobody is doing a league that doesn't include "points" as a category (whether goals and assist are broken out or not). So the approach to this thread should be points only.

Saying that.

Wingers I would take over Kessel are:

Benn
Ovechkin
Pavelski
Gaudreau
Forsberg
Hall
Huberdeau
Kane
Wheeler
Tarasenko
Kucherov

With the obvious caveat that if you include "dual position" players, the list gets bigger. For Fantrax for example, Malkin, Seguin, Kuznetsov, Stamkos all have wing eligibility and I would take them over Kessel too.

i agree with most of that list except huberdeau. they scored the same amount of points this year, except kessel is seen as having a bad season while huberdeau hit a career high. kessel has already hit ppg multiple times in his career, huberdeau hasn't even cracked 60 yet.

[rataylor22]

i agree with most of that list except huberdeau. they scored the same amount of points this year, except kessel is seen as having a bad season while huberdeau hit a career high. kessel has already hit ppg multiple times in his career, huberdeau hasn't even cracked 60 yet.

I mean. 59. That's basically there. But I'll agree with you he's the biggest stretch. It all depends on if you think Kessel is a 70 point player or a PPG player. Watching Huberdeau over the last couple years, he's seen immense growth under Jagr. I think Jags has done wonders for his career. Add in his chemistry with Barkov and a theoretical progessive step next season, and I think Huberdeau goes above 70 next year. If Pittsburgh continues to roll Sid, Malkin, and Kessel on separate even strength lines all next season, I could see Kessel settling in around 70 too. So I guess it's a toss up of who you like more.

[hockeymanG23]

Who did you have better? Through his final 32 goals he was almost a point-per-game player with a hefty plus-rating and over three shots per game.

Did you win your league?

Unfortunately no, I took 3rd in a very tight finish.

I did plug Kessel in for a few nights down the stretch to max out my games played. The thing is that my team was pretty much set in points, shots, and +/- which is where Phil was the most productive whereas I had a lot of potential points to gain in hits, blocks, pims, and faceoffs, none of which he's great at.

Considering that, the wingers I ended up leaning on were Backes, Simmonds, Toffoli, Kucherov, Ladd, Panarin, Oshie, Kunitz, and a bit of Palmieri for the last couple months, so either good scorers with a bit of an edge, or mediocre scorers with a healthy dose of physicality. With the extra truculence I did gain major points in our standings.

My biggest undoing this year though and what very likely made me finish where I did this season was my 7 benched shutouts. I figure even 4 of them might have been enough to take the lead. D'oh!

All that said, I do like what I'm seeing out of him with Sullivan calling the shots and if he keeps it up next year I'll have to find him a regular spot on my roster.

[kevinsrangers]

I was huge on kessel before the season started. Then I wasn't...
Now I am big on him for next season again (coach sullivan).

[Noddes55]

Kessel shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as gaudreau and kucherov. There is a long list of players I'd take over kessel. Cap league the list quadruples.

[NAParker77]

I've really enjoyed reading through this.



Cheers.

[Zorro]

Kessel over Perry but Kucherov over Kessel..

[Goldendelicious]

It obviously depends on how league settings are, position eligibility etc. Given just straight wingers, I would also add Pacioretty, Simmonds, Wheeler & Landeskog to the original list you provided. I'd also probably throw Max Domi into that list as well. Tough call but close as well are Carter, Parise.

[Eskimo Brother]

It obviously depends on how league settings are, position eligibility etc. Given just straight wingers, I would also add Pacioretty, Simmonds, Wheeler & Landeskog to the original list you provided. I'd also probably throw Max Domi into that list as well. Tough call but close as well are Carter, Parise.

Not too much of a Kessel fan eh? It does really depend on the categories though, and I think that's what you are getting and with Landeskog et al.
Parise I am avoiding like the plague next year. Probably going to have him pegged for a much less effective 65 games.

[havanablast21]

I would select everyone you have listed over Kessel in a one year league and especially a keeper league.

Make that 3 for me.