NHL rookies you have to pick up in fantasy hockey for 2018-19

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes and Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Montreal Canadians pose for a picture of the 2018 NHL draft on June 22, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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8. F Dylan Sikura

As one of Chicago’s top prospects coming in to last year, Sikura continued to pile up points in college hockey before joining the Blackhawks late. He netted two points playing alongside DeBrincat in his debut and even secured power play duties.

The Hobey Baker finalist earned the most playing time for Chicago first-timers aside from DeBrincat, and if that pair continue seeing ice time together next year, Sikura could have a great rookie season.

He’s not a big body, but he didn’t look out of place defensively in his brief stint. Offensively, Chicago needs bigger contributions next year as they relied too often on Patrick Kane to carry the load. This is where Sikura specializes.

With Patrick Sharp retiring, another hole on the left side has opened up. While he’s a natural center, Sikura spent most of his time on the wing. As of now, it’s safe to say he sticks there with the Blackhawks’ depth up the middle. That could mean playing time with any one of Toews, Kane and Schmaltz.

Translation factors from hockey statistician @robvollmanNHL peg Sikura’s 1.54 points per game in the H-East to around 50 points in a full 82-game NHL season. This is roughly the pace he scored at in his brief five game stint this year. With a full summer to bulk up, he should hit the ground running this year and preferential line combinations could balloon those numbers. If your league is deep, consider snatching him up in the late rounds of your draft.

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