When it comes to giving fantasy hockey draft tips there is no more popular question being asked than who the next hot commodity is going to be in the NHL. This year we saw one of the most coveted NHL prospects get drafted in Connor Bedard but what other NHL rookies should be on our radar this season?

Fantasy Hockey Rookies 2023 

Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks -145)

Bedard is the odds-on favourite to win the Calder trophy this season and for good reason. He is a great skater, but he will make his money on his shot as he has an exceptional release that he can get off from seemingly any situation. I have seen projections for Bedard that are as high as 94 points, and Chicago has gone out of their way to go and get veterans like Taylor Hall to ensure that Bedard is insulated with not just NHL players but those who have dealt with the pressures of being a rookie. If there is anything that will derail his rookie season though it’s injuries, as if there is anything he lacks it’s a big frame as he is listed at 5’10” and 185 pounds. With that said, enjoy watching him, players of his caliber do not come along all the time, just don’t go crazy reaching for him in your drafts, he is more likely will be in the 70-point range then the 90 point range.

Luke Hughes (New Jersey Devils +700)

The path for Hughes to have a relevant fantasy season isn’t overly clear. I can picture him having a fine season as 20-year-old defencemen on a NHL team with Stanley Cup dreams, but his opportunities to be in prime offence positions are likely to be greatly limited by the existence of Dougie Hamilton, who will own the top powerplay time. I could see a world where Hughes could play more than 20 minutes each night, but I expect his points will be between 30 and 40, which will only make him fantasy relevant in the deepest of leagues.

Adam Fantilli (Columbus Blue Jackets +1200)

Imagine a world where Fantilli is playing center between Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine. That sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Well, that could happen on the powerplay if Fantilli is able to prove that he is NHL ready, and there are not many rookies in this class that will have the opportunity to play with that kind of talent. It’s more likely that he would see 5v5 time with one of those wingers, but it is also not unrealistic for him to play mostly third line minutes either. If you’re going to use a draft pick on him, it should be a late one where you can drop him after seeing what his initial position in the lineup really is.

Brandt Clarke (Los Angeles Kings +2500)

It would seem like the Kings have tried during the off season to ensure there is a roster spot for Clarke. Clarke has elite offensive upside, as displayed not only by him being a 2 point per game player last year in the OHL, but also putting up more than a point per game during the U20 World Championships for Canada. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Kings at some point this season decided to use Clarke on the top powerplay, to allow Drew Doughty to play less minutes, and this could open up a lot of fantasy value.

Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers +7500)

As far as longer shots go, I love Othmann. The story last year was that he was good enough in Rangers camp to make the team, but they chose to send him back to junior simply because they didn’t feel like they needed another winger. This year however, should be different. One of the advantages that Othmann will have is that there are two spots potentially open on the wing in the top six, as neither Alexis Lafreniere nor Kappo Kakko has cemented themselves into those positions. If Othmann can earn the time and show chemistry with Panarin, Kreider, Zibanejad and co, then he could be in for a really big year.