Fantasy Hockey Primer: Projections, 30-Team Analysis

May 16, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) prepares for a face-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in game two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) prepares for a face-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in game two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) shake hands after game six of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Pens won 4-3 in overtime to win the series 4 games to 2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) shake hands after game six of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Pens won 4-3 in overtime to win the series 4 games to 2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Fantasy Hockey 2016-17 Primer/Season Preview: Projections, Complete In-Depth 30-Team Analysis

Welcome back NHL fans, another fantasy hockey season is upon us! After a couple long summer months, the new 2016-17 campaign draws closer with opening night puck drop scheduled to take place on October 12th.

World Cup of Hockey teams began practicing earlier this week with the pre-tournament schedule set to kick-off today (September 8th), and official schedule beginning on September 17th.

NHL Teams will soon start to gather for training camp, and the preseason schedule is set to begin on September 25th.

Jun 15, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) lifts the cup during the Stanley Cup championship parade and celebration in downtown Pittsburgh. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) lifts the cup during the Stanley Cup championship parade and celebration in downtown Pittsburgh. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Before delving into the new 2016-17 season, we’d once again like to congratulate the Pittsburgh Penguins on their impressive Stanley Cup victory just a few months ago.

Now to business. To get fans prepared for another long, exciting NHL season, we’ve put together this slideshow with in-depth team-by-team analysis. Whether you’re a casual fan looking to catch up on a busy offseason, or a die-hard follower of the game, there’s a little something for everyone in our 2016-17 season preview.

For each team, we have included our projections for the top 10 scorers (point leaders), arrivals/departures, Calder Trophy/breakout performance candidates, and in-depth analysis looking at all three positions (goaltender, defense, forwards). You’ll also notice that we have included our predictions for how the NHL standings might shake up, which can be found in parentheses following team names.

Let’s get things started here working alphabetically. First, we begin with Anaheim who brought back Randy Carlyle as bench boss, and made John Gibson the undisputed starter after trading Frederik Andersen to Toronto.

Next: Ducks Look to Bounce Back Following Early Playoff Exit