PoolForge editorial
A 40-player decision guide: 30 skaters and 10 goalies. These are PoolForge editorial tiers, not a prediction of final ranks. Names within each tier are alphabetical; compare your rules before choosing.
Published: · Sources checked: · America/Toronto
This is a dated draft edition. Material role or availability changes will be recorded here; refreshing the page does not recheck sources.
Start with official 2025–26 NHL records, then judge the cost of each position, the scoring mix and the risk that the assumed offensive role will change. Historical totals are evidence, never next-season ranks. Team labels use official NHL assignments on the check date; last season’s totals can include earlier teams. Tier membership and review triggers are our judgments; no statistical forecast model is claimed. This shortlist is not the entire draft pool and does not exclude rookies or unlisted players from consideration.
Points only: compare goals and assists at your weights. Multi-category: shots, hits and blocks can move players between tiers; this is not a projected category table. Goalies: value starts, saves, wins and goals-against penalties separately; PoolForge's standard defaults give goalie events zero until enabled. Salary cap: compare your pool's verified salary edition and replacement cost. No salary-efficiency ranking is claimed here.
References to offensive lines, first power-play units and goalie workload are conditions for the recommendation, not confirmed 2026–27 lineups. The linked official reports support the specific dated availability notes. We have not verified medical clearance for every player; the absence of an injury label does not establish health. Check current official updates before drafting.
Selected NHL.com estimates, published September 22, 2026. Attributed forecasts, not recorded results or PoolForge projections; no forecasts are supplied for the other players. NHL.com · 2026–27
Pay for a dependable offensive foundation; position scarcity matters only when your roster requires it.
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 58 GP · 39 wins.
Vasilevskiy is our premium goalie option only when goalie events score. Saves-heavy rules and ratio categories require different valuations; don't mix their results into one universal rank.
What would change this tier: Recheck workload and official availability before paying the premium.
Required defence slots
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 75 GP · 79 points · 199 shots · 29 power-play points.
Makar enters our first tier because mandatory defence slots create an opportunity cost. In unrestricted points-only rosters, prefer elite forwards before paying that scarcity premium.
What would change this tier: Losing lead power-play responsibility removes much of the premium.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 138 points · 306 shots · 54 power-play points.
NHL.com forecast · 2026–27: 135 points.
McDavid is our first offensive foundation: assists remain valuable even when goals carry no premium. Paying extra for hits can narrow that advantage.
What would change this tier: Reassess if his central offensive or first power-play role changes.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 77 GP · 100 points · 261 shots · 33 power-play points.
Pastrnak is an early option for goal and shot weights. A goal premium can justify selecting him before a higher historical point total.
What would change this tier: Revisit if shot opportunities or offensive deployment fall.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 65 GP · 97 points · 186 shots · 42 power-play points.
Draisaitl moves closer to the top when a goal is worth more than an assist. Keep linemate exposure as an assumption, not an extra projected stat.
What would change this tier: A reduced scoring-line or power-play role changes the price.
Shots rewarded
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 80 GP · 127 points · 350 shots · 30 power-play points.
NHL.com forecast · 2026–27: 130 points.
MacKinnon belongs beside McDavid when shots score. Prefer his volume profile to an assist-heavy alternative when your rules reward each shot.
What would change this tier: Check that offensive minutes and shot volume remain available.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 76 GP · 130 points · 231 shots · 37 power-play points.
Kucherov remains an offensive anchor. In a hits-heavy pool, do not assume his points-only advantage buys the same category coverage.
What would change this tier: Review power-play usage and availability before committing.
Prefer the player whose scoring mix fills your roster. Do not pay a tier-one price merely for last year's finish.
Required defence slots
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 95 points · 221 shots · 33 power-play points.
Bouchard's recorded offence supports a premium, but our tier stays below Makar because the pick is sensitive to retaining first-unit power-play access.
What would change this tier: First-unit competition is a material downgrade trigger.
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 55 GP · 29 wins.
Sorokin is worth comparing separately in saves and ratio formats. More team games do not establish his starts, wins or save percentage.
What would change this tier: Review actual start share and the scoring penalties for goals against.
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 54 GP · 35 wins.
Oettinger is a premium alternative where wins have meaningful weight. Judge his marginal value against the skater passed over, not against a mixed-position points table.
What would change this tier: Reassess if anticipated starts or goalie scoring change.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 96 points · 294 shots · 41 power-play points.
Robertson offers a goal-first alternative to pass-heavy forwards. Do not double-count an assumed Dallas power-play connection in your valuation.
What would change this tier: Recheck who receives the high-value scoring minutes.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 78 GP · 89 points · 269 shots · 32 power-play points.
Kaprizov fits a goal-oriented roster. Pair his offensive upside with a durable reserve plan instead of assuming uninterrupted availability.
What would change this tier: Official availability and power-play assignment drive the next review.
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 58 GP · 31 wins.
Logan Thompson is a wins-oriented alternative to the first goalie selected. That case weakens if your rules primarily reward raw saves rather than victories.
What would change this tier: A changed tandem split is more important than the team game count.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 115 points · 287 shots · 33 power-play points.
Celebrini's ceiling deserves an early pick, but we leave room for development variance rather than equating one outstanding recorded season with a guaranteed repeat.
What would change this tier: Upgrade with sustained offensive responsibility; downgrade if deployment contracts.
Required defence slots
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 74 GP · 76 points · 187 shots · 34 power-play points.
Quinn Hughes is especially useful when assists and power-play points count. A goals-only emphasis reduces the justification for a defence scarcity premium.
What would change this tier: Treat the Minnesota scoring environment as a variable; verify deployment.
Required defence slots
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 75 GP · 81 points · 260 shots · 21 power-play points.
Werenski is an alternative to reaching for the first defender taken. Compare the cost of his expected offensive role with the forwards still available.
What would change this tier: Revisit after a change in leading offensive or power-play responsibility.
Goal weights, power-play scoring and required positions can change the order within this group.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 60 GP · 53 points · 227 shots · 12 power-play points.
Matthews is a deliberate move above a draft list sorted by last season's points. His reported recovery supports a rebound case; it does not prove a full season.
What would change this tier: New official health news overrides the rebound thesis.
Official recorded evidence · Dated official report · 2026-09-16
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 51 GP · 25 wins.
Shesterkin can be a better choice than this tier suggests in ratio formats. A wins-only pool should require its own team-support case rather than paying for reputation.
What would change this tier: Recheck starts and the balance between saves, wins and goals-against penalties.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 74 GP · 90 points · 260 shots · 28 power-play points.
Eichel offers a points-focused centre option. Positional eligibility on your platform can matter more than a small difference between neighbouring tiers.
What would change this tier: Check position eligibility and scoring-line use.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 61 GP · 77 points · 228 shots · 23 power-play points.
Jack Hughes fits an assist and power-play roster. Require an availability discount if your bench cannot absorb missed games; upside alone does not solve that constraint.
What would change this tier: Review official availability and the role supporting the pick.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 78 GP · 100 points · 206 shots · 24 power-play points.
Necas stays in a format-dependent tier despite his recorded total. The question is whether the role and scoring mix can persist, not whether the past total was real.
What would change this tier: A smaller offensive role warrants a discount.
Shots rewarded
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 76 GP · 85 points · 254 shots · 30 power-play points.
Boldy fits a roster seeking offensive shot opportunities without spending a first-tier pick. Verify category breadth instead of treating every shot-oriented winger as a banger.
What would change this tier: Review shot volume and power-play usage together.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 64 GP · 77 points · 139 shots · 34 power-play points.
Rantanen is worth more when assists remain fully rewarded. Avoid pricing him as an automatic copy of a previous team's scoring environment.
What would change this tier: Reassess power-play responsibility and linemate usage.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 101 points · 183 shots · 43 power-play points.
Suzuki's recorded triple-digit total is evidence, not next season's rank. We favour him in points-only pools and ask category managers to compare the same scoring weights first.
What would change this tier: Revisit if his offensive deployment or assist opportunities change.
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 45 GP · 31 wins.
Wedgewood is a workload bet, not a guaranteed repeat of recorded wins. Keep a replacement route open if the crease becomes more evenly shared.
What would change this tier: A tandem or injury update can change his tier quickly.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 86 points · 206 shots · 42 power-play points.
Johnston is attractive with a goal premium. Leave room for competition for valuable Dallas minutes rather than paying for an assumed permanent promotion.
What would change this tier: Confirmed first-unit responsibility would strengthen the case.
Take a discount for a narrower scoring profile or uncertain workload; write down the role you are buying.
Physical categories
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 60 GP · 59 points · 221 shots · 20 power-play points.
Brady Tkachuk is our clearest format pivot: physical categories can justify moving him ahead of this points-oriented band. His Florida move adds deployment uncertainty.
What would change this tier: Confirm the new line and power-play role before paying for added offence.
Official recorded evidence · Dated official report · 2026-06-21
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 81 GP · 88 points · 258 shots · 29 power-play points.
Caufield becomes more compelling as goal weights rise. With equal goal and assist weights, compare him with playmakers before using a scarcity argument.
What would change this tier: Monitor scoring chances and special-teams use, not preseason goals alone.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 75 points · 246 shots · 26 power-play points.
Forsberg is a goals-and-shots alternative when earlier forwards become expensive. Prefer an available comparable player to chasing his name one tier too early.
What would change this tier: Review availability and whether the goal premium still applies.
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 44 GP · 23 wins.
Markstrom's new Florida context deserves a fresh workload assessment. Do not project wins by simply attaching last season's goalie record to a new team's schedule.
What would change this tier: Confirm availability and the share of starts in the new crease.
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 55 GP · 31 wins.
Swayman is a comparison candidate after the expensive goalie group. Check how your goals-against penalty interacts with save volume before treating extra starts as extra value.
What would change this tier: A changed workload or penalty weight materially changes the pick.
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 35 GP · 18 wins.
Wallstedt offers upside but the pick must tolerate workload uncertainty. A weekly starts minimum can make a flexible veteran preferable even at a lower ceiling.
What would change this tier: Upgrade only after sustained starts, not one preseason performance.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 92 points · 274 shots · 19 power-play points.
Kyle Connor suits goal-oriented lineups. The winger label alone is not a multi-category advantage; compare actual recorded peripherals before moving him up.
What would change this tier: Offensive role or goal-weight changes reopen the decision.
Required defence slots
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 82 GP · 78 points · 124 shots · 20 power-play points.
Hutson is here for a price discount, not an asserted injury. A points-only manager can move him up; a banger manager should verify whether the scarce slot supplies enough rewarded peripherals.
What would change this tier: Power-play responsibility or a large format-weight change reopens this tier.
Physical categories
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 31 GP · 34 points · 88 shots · 13 power-play points.
Matthew Tkachuk gains relative value when physical categories score. Do not turn a healthy-role assumption into a numeric rebound forecast; price the risk your reserves can absorb.
What would change this tier: Official availability and shared power-play opportunities matter.
Required defence slots
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 77 GP · 74 points · 194 shots · 22 power-play points.
Dahlin can be a practical defence alternative after the premium group. A points-only manager should not pay extra for peripheral production that their rules ignore.
What would change this tier: Recheck lead power-play access and the categories your rules reward.
Goal premium
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 81 GP · 81 points · 272 shots · 24 power-play points.
Tage Thompson is a goal-premium option in this band. Treat power-play access as conditional and avoid extrapolating a short hot streak into a new season total.
What would change this tier: Reassess after a material change in scoring minutes.
Shots rewarded
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 65 GP · 79 points · 156 shots · 22 power-play points.
Nylander can round out an offensive wing slot. In a cap pool, the same expected production may be less useful than a cheaper replacement, so this tier is not a salary-value grade.
What would change this tier: Check offensive role and your pool's actual salary edition.
A reserve slot has a cost. Revisit these names after official availability news rather than assuming a full season.
Points-first
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 69 GP · 75 points · 226 shots · 21 power-play points.
Bedard is a reserve-cost decision. The reported absence makes a full-season-price pick difficult to justify unless your replacement plan is strong.
What would change this tier: Move only after official return and workload updates; no return date is guaranteed.
Official recorded evidence · Dated official report · 2026-09-15
Goalie scoring enabled
Recorded 2025–26 regular season: 57 GP · 23 wins.
Hellebuyck is an availability hold. Do not budget starts while the reported suspension is unresolved; a cheap pick still consumes a roster slot.
What would change this tier: An official resolution, team assignment and return to play must reopen the valuation.
Official recorded evidence · Dated official report · 2026-09-27