Fansided

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

By Luke Armstrong

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)
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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TAMPA, FL – APRIL 3: Ryan Donato #17 of the Boston Bruins shoots past the defense of Ondrej Palat #18 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of the game at the Amalie Arena on April 3, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ondrej Palat;Ryan Donato
TAMPA, FL – APRIL 3: Ryan Donato #17 of the Boston Bruins shoots past the defense of Ondrej Palat #18 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of the game at the Amalie Arena on April 3, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ondrej Palat;Ryan Donato /

3. F Ryan Donato

Ryan Donato’s first 12 NHL games were highlighted by nine points, including five goals. Needless to say, he made quite an impression.

It didn’t translate for him as a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs, though that’s hardly surprising. With Rick Nash contemplating retirement, Donato will be a shoo-in for a full season in 2018-2019.

The only caveat with picking up Donato in your draft is the Bruins crowded offense. This is either going to hurt his fantasy relevance or elevate it. It could hurt it by burying him on a bottom-six pairing, slotting him in for more defensive zone starts and less scoring opportunities. On the flip side, if the Bruins were to say, break up their top line and spread the proverbial “wealth”, he could end up on a line with one of the Big-3. He spent large portions of time with Heinen and Krejci last year, and the results spoke for themselves. In terms of rookie skaters, he has exceptional, all-around fantasy value heading in to next season.

His shooting percentage was a pretty outrageous 20.8, so expect a bit of a correction and a more middling season. 50 points is a nice bet, with the opportunity for more if he gets to line up with the big boys. He makes for a great depth addition, and if your league counts plus/minus, playing with the Bruins won’t hurt his stock at all and should somewhat shield any regression he may face. If you’re playing in a pool that counts more secondary statistics, monitor him throughout your draft and consider pouncing before someone else does.

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