Fantasy hockey preview: How to draft your centers
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Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.com
If there’s an argument to be made to separate the forward positions in hockey for fantasy roster construction, the crux of that argument is made around the validity of the center position to stand on its own.
I’m not saying there is a good argument to be made; my stance is clear from previous positional previews that the best fantasy world is an all “F” forward fantasy world.
But I get it when it comes to centers. They are the position from which an offense is built. They are the foundation for roster construction in the NHL. It doesn’t matter how great your wingers are, a hockey team needs a one-two punch at the pivot position (or at the very least a very good one) in order to build an offense.
There is also the categorical element to argue, as centers are the only position other than the goaltender that get a statistic of their own. Yes, defense owns the blocked shot, but it’s not exclusive to them in the same way that a faceoff belongs to the centers.
But, as always, the flawed piece of the implementation for separated positions comes from the human element. There exists no superior listing of which position a player truly plays most of the time. We can count faceoffs to see who is a center and who is not, but trying to keep tabs on left wing or right wing, or which players are playing center enough to qualify … it’s a messy business.
Why, for example, does Leon Draisaitl get eligibility at LW? Let’s throw out the power play for this point, as Draisaitl and McDavid played more than 50% of their five-on-five ice time with each other last season. Draisaitl took 917 faceoffs at five-on-five, while McDavid was at the dot for 879. We don’t have an easy breakdown of which player was the “center” when they played together unless you had the time to eyeball all 469 minutes.
So why does Draisaitl get the LW tag and McDavid does not? Did McDavid play center more than Draisaitl? That’s what you see watching the games, sometimes. But try to find a way to quantify that.
For example, on Dec. 9, 2022, the Oilers played the Wild; Draisaitl and McDavid were both on the ice for 21 faceoffs. How many did each take? It’s unclear without digging through the play-by-play. McDavid had 23 faceoffs that game and Draisaitl had nine, so probably McDavid took most of those 21 when they were together.
Another example: On March 20, 2023, the pair were on the ice for 12 faceoffs. Draisaitl finished the game with 29 faceoffs and McDavid with 13. This one probably leaned the other way for which player was the “center” when they were together.
As I said, it’s a messy business.
Strategy
But it’s a business we have to wade through. And it’s important to do so.
Five of the top 10 players for fantasy points last season were eligible at center. For the top 100, it was 37 that can play center. Of the top 250 players in fantasy points, 30 percent of them are eligible at center — despite the center being one of five positions and one of six players on the ice at any given time.
Centers score fantasy points.
Part of the phrasing above is key though: “eligible” at center means that in ESPN.com leagues you can put them there. It doesn’t mean they are a center. But eligible is good enough when it comes to your roster construction.
There are some questionable cases, like Roope Hintz. Is he the center? Or is Joe Pavelski the center on the Stars top line? Pavelski took 689 faceoffs, while Hintz took 479 (while missing nine games). Should they both get the center tag? Neither?
There are also no-question cases, such as Carter Verhaeghe and his 41 total faceoffs last season. He should not be eligible at center, but you can put him there. There are others as well, such as Anders Lee or Troy Terry, and the game at ESPN.com doesn’t remove position eligibility once launched. Positions can be added, but taking them away in-season is not something we do.
Regardless of which players you opt to acquire for your fantasy team, the key thing with centers is to strike early and often. There is stability built in for those players that are true centers. They line up on scoring lines and they stay there all season. Teams seek a No. 1 and a No. 2 center and a rarely blessed with a No. 3, so there is little to no instability for their position on the depth chart. Oftentimes, the No. 2 center gets elevated as the fourth forward on a team’s top power-play unit, too, as their puck control comes into play.
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Offseason recap speedrun
Turning to this year’s rankings, let’s quickly recap some of the key offseason changes at center. As I said already, this position is all about organizational stability, so change is minimized at the position.
We lost a generational one in Patrice Bergeron, who was both fantasy-friendly and defensively all-world. And with both Bergeron and David Krejci retiring, the Boston Bruins have a lot of work to do in order to find a one-two punch down the middle.
The next biggest swing was the Los Angeles Kings acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets, giving them a counterweight to Anze Kopitar and leaving the Jets with a hole on the second line — likely to be filled by Gabriel Vilardi.
The Colorado Avalanche have brought on some projects to try and find someone to line up behind Nathan MacKinnon on the second line, including Ryan Johansen, after the Detroit Red Wings stole away J.T. Compher.
The Nashville Predators have a new look at the top with Ryan O’Reilly, while Josh Norris should be healthy for the Ottawa Senators and Sean Couturier should be healthy for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Logan Cooley, Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, among other youngsters, will try to assert themselves.
Beyond all that, the landscape should be pretty similar to where we stood at this time last season.
Top-tier guys I like
Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey Devils: Heading into September, I have five of the top seven fantasy players eligible at center. Hughes clocks in at No. 13 overall, seventh among players eligible at center. But the sky is the limit here. The Devils wings got an upgrade by adding Tyler Toffoli, but also through virtue of Timo Meier having the full offseason as a Devil. Jack will also have his brother, Luke Hughes, on the defense this season. Jack is still only 22 years old and finished the 2022-23 season 18th for fantasy points.
Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins: I have him ranked at No. 40 right now, but haven’t yet really dove into what the addition of Erik Karlsson might mean for this Penguins team. Crosby finished the 2021-22 season 49th in fantasy scoring and ticked up to 27th last season, but at the age of 36 we should be building in some deterioration for each subsequent season. That said, adding the reigning Norris Trophy winner to an already-potent power play could be the key ingredients for a fountain of youth elixir — at least that’s surely what the Pens are banking on here.
Mid-tier guys I like
Nick Suzuki, C, Montreal Canadiens: The Habs didn’t do a lot of upgrading this offseason, but a relatively healthy squad will be an upgrade after the array of injuries suffered by the lineup last season. Suzuki stayed healthy, but didn’t have a lot of help on offense by the end of the campaign. Cole Caufield is primed for a proper breakout and Suzuki is locked in at the top of the lineup with him.
Josh Norris, C, Ottawa Senators: The Senators don’t have any question marks for their top six, losing Alex DeBrincat but gaining Vladimir Tarasenko in the offseason. Norris finished 85th for fantasy points in the 2021-22 campaign before an injury derailed last season for him. True success might hinge on Norris securing a role on the Sens power play, but the recipe is there for the baking.
Matt Duchene, C, Dallas Stars: Two years removed from a 43-goal, 86-point season, the Nashville Predators paid to be rid of Duchene. The Stars didn’t wait long to lock him back up at a lower rate. Now, Duchene won’t drive offense on his own, but on a quality team like the Stars he has potential to land in the right spot in the lineup to better replicate his 2021-22, rather than his mediocre 2022-23. He’ll be very available at fantasy drafts and I think he’ll have value on this Stars team that still hasn’t peaked.
Sleepers I will live and die by
Ivan Barbashev, C/W, Vegas Golden Knights: He has no right to be eligible at center, but he is. Running to the Stanley Cup on the top line helped pad Barbashev’s resume for the coming season. While a spot on the top power-play unit may not be in the offing, regular ice time with Jack Eichel can go a long way to securing consistent fantast value.
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Emergency back-end pick who might work out
Nick Schmaltz, C/W, Arizona Coyotes: There will be a lot of fantasy prospecting taking place on the Coyotes ranks this season. Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther are looking for top-six action, and Matias Maccelli and Barrett Hayton are poised for better things. But don’t forget about the existing commodities that will be in the mix, including Schmaltz. For four seasons running, Schmaltz has checked in between 211th and 258th for total fantasy points. But he’s had stretches mixed in there — including in the 2021-22 season — where he scored as frequently as anyone in the game. Through in some youthful hope around him for the coming campaign and Schmaltz could be a fantasy asset.
Bust concern I am avoiding in every draft this season
Bo Horvat, C, New York Islanders: Sure, he finished 48th among all players for fantasy points last season. But most of that damage was done when Horvat was with the Vancouver Canucks. Horvat had 31 goals and 54 points in 49 games with the Canucks, but only deposited seven goals and 16 points in 30 games with the Isles. A healthy Mathew Barzal likely improves Horvat’s outcomes on Long Island, but not enough to consider him among the top tiers of centers.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox great Paul Konerko got a present from one No. 14 to another in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 2005 World Series championship run: a jersey signed by noted Chicago fan Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, presented Konerko a jersey with the new pontiff’s signature on the back during a ceremony prior to the game against the Cleveland Guardians. It had the six-time All-Star’s last name and “Pope Leo” above the No. 14.
Robert Prevost became the first pope from the U.S. in the history of the Catholic Church when he was elected on May 8. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, is a White Sox fan.
Prevost attended the 2005 World Series opener against Houston in Chicago. He watched from Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2 as the White Sox beat the Astros 5-3 on the way to a four-game sweep and their first title since 1917.
In May, the team unveiled a graphic installation near the seat paying tribute to Pope Leo and that moment. The pillar artwork features a waving Pope Leo XIV, along with a picture from the TV broadcast of the future pope sitting with good friend Ed Schmit and his grandson, Eddie.
Members of the 2005 team are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship run. The White Sox debuted uniform patches honoring late closer Bobby Jenks, who died last week in Portugal, where he was being treated for stomach cancer. On Friday, the team unveiled a statue of former ace Mark Buehrle.
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