In many fantasy hockey leagues, categories are important in winning matchups and getting points. Certain players are very proficient in some categories and provide minimal help in others while very valuable players can hit every category. Depending on the categories in each different league, some players gain or lose value, but there are always the elite players who will be drafted and rostered no matter what.
For those interested in gaining an advantage in each category and who to draft, you’ve come to the right place. The categories have been split up to what typically goes hand-in-hand. Let’s dive in.
Category Talk for 2023 Fantasy Hockey
G, A, PPP
Everybody loves it when players get points. These are often the first drafted players in any league because of the appeal and because good players can hit multiple categories by scoring goals and getting assists. Goals are harder to come by, so oftentimes players who can score 40 or 50 goals get picked over players who will record 40-50 assists.
Oftentimes when players can score, that means they are also getting other categories like power-play points, shots, and plus/minus. The players who can score the best always find themselves on the top power-play units too. Drafting and rostering scorers are the most important when it comes to players in leagues. On top of it all, there are typically five players on each team that benefit from the power play. Since there is usually only one defenseman on the top units, this makes it even more rare to come by one of them.
S, H, PIM, B
The next group consists of categories and typically what you will see in most leagues to round things out for players. Some players fire the puck a ton and end up with lots of goals or points due to rebounds. You will generally see players who barely crack the low 100s in shots go undrafted because this category actually matters a fair amount.
When a player hits, most times he can also rack up penalty minutes for your fantasy hockey team. Not often does someone only get penalty minutes, but play a soft game. Evgeni Malkin and Matthew Tkachuk are great examples of someone who will get more penalty minutes than hits sometimes. Blended with their elite skill offensively, it’s no wonder they are always top picks. Sometimes it’s best to save a bench spot for someone who excels at the physical part of the game like Radko Gudas. He won’t get points, but he will hit, get penalties, and block shots. Being elite in a couple of categories, no matter what they are, is very valuable.
Blocked shots are much more of a category reserved for defensemen who play a lot, play on the penalty kill, and will get their body in front of shots. This category definitely makes owners think about the type of defenseman you draft. A player like Alec Martinez becomes much more valuable in these fantasy hockey leagues.
FOW, +/-
Faceoff wins and plus/minus are categories you won’t necessarily find in all category leagues. I personally don’t join leagues with these anymore, but many do. You might have been able to tell that faceoff wins is a category for centermen. Why it isn’t often used is because there are a lot of categories that all players on a team can contribute to, not just centermen. For this, there are a few that are very good. This category makes managers think about who plays on the penalty kill as well since they are trusted with winning draws in their own end. Sometimes lines have multiple centermen and a winger might take more draws than normal. This is something to watch out for.
Plus/minus makes fantasy owners target the better teams. It is rare that a top-end team has players that will negatively impact your fantasy roster by finishing a season as a minus. Better five-on-five teams like the Dallas Stars allow their players to dominate this category. But it comes with less effectiveness on the power play by those players too. If you want to compete in this category, target players on better teams. Even top-end players on teams like the Anaheim Ducks or San Jose Sharks will hurt you badly here.
SV%, GAA
Save percentage (SV%) and goals against average (GAA) somewhat correlate, but not entirely. A goaltender could face 50 shots and let in four goals. The SV% would be .920 in that game, which is good, but the GAA wouldn’t be great at 4.00 or above. The best practice no matter what is to target goalies on winning teams that have great defenses.
Finishing near the top of the standings typically means they will get goal support, or at the very least, have stellar team defense. The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders don’t score the most goals but are very good at helping out their goaltenders. This is why goalies seem to be interchangeable in the organization and they continue to play well.
W, SO
Even more than SV% and GAA, wins are largely a factor of the team the goalie plays for. The other big factor is if the goaltender splits the net in a tandem or if there is one clear-cut starter. Goalies like Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Alexandar Georgiev, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Sorokin, and Igor Shesterkin are clear-cut elite starters. They will play 60 games in a season. That translates to lots of wins since the teams are strong as well.
Someone like Connor Ingram could get the short end of the stick by playing on a bad team in regard to wins. He started 26 games and won just six despite posting a .907 SV%. This was because the Arizona Coyotes just weren’t very good. This is just an example from last season. The Coyotes are expected to be a little better, but wins won’t come as easily as on a team like the Colorado Avalanche.
Shutouts go back to my point about strong defensive teams. If an opposing team can’t get good shot attempts on the goaltender, they aren’t going to score a lot. This is why Sorokin will do well on the Islanders. Darcy Kuemper posted a good deal of shutouts, but he is an example of a goalie being able to dominate and win certain games without a strong team defense.
The best strategy to approach fantasy hockey leagues with categories is to make sure you don’t neglect any for the first half of the draft. Don’t forget about goalies or defense. Both are equally as important as the scorers. There are players who can score and play physically. Take chances on them when they come to you in the draft, and good luck.
Looking for more great fantasy hockey analysis? Check out our 2023 Fantasy Hockey Draft Kit for team previews, rankings, and all the sleepers you can shake a stick at.