Yahoo Fantasy Hockey: Top scoring forwards and defensemen in 2016

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By Steve Laidlaw

Happy New Year! As we head into 2017 it would be useful to look back on the year that was. Specifically, let’s look at the top regular season scorers from the 2016 calendar year and see who stands out. A huge calendar year isn’t necessarily indicative of things to come but it is an interesting exercise.

First the forwards:

Only seven forwards scored at a point-per-game pace or better in 2016: Crosby, Malkin, McDavid, Kane, Kucherov, Panarin and Stamkos.

We should take this as evidence that Panarin and Kucherov have hit another plane and start considering them as not just stars but superstars.

Poor Stamkos looked to be bouncing back to a superstar level but has been crippled by injuries. He now has to be considered in the Malkin zone of elite players who you cannot count on for 82 games.

Kessel’s 2016 is strong evidence that he is still capable of elite play.

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Benn and Seguin appear to have slipped from their perch as the No. 1 tandem in fantasy hockey. We’ve seen similar slides from the likes of Ovechkin/Backstrom and Perry/Getzlaf. These guys are still good but perhaps we drop them down a peg.

The top tandem is now likely Kane/Panarin, although Thornton/Pavelski are still in the mix. If I had to bet, the Scheifele/Laine tandem would be next to emerge, although perhaps Ehlers winds up being Winnipeg’s top wing producer.

It was only a couple of years ago, that we thought Kesler was cooked as an elite scorer. He averaged 47 points over a three-year span. Suck on 2016 with that non-sense. Of course, don’t expect 2017 to be nearly as fruitful.

Stepan seems incapable of playing an 82-game season without injury but his 2016 performance shows what he is capable of if could and it is astounding.

When the Blue Jackets traded Johansen for Seth Jones, they had a replacement waiting in the form of Wennberg. Good call.

We’ve blamed injuries for Couture’s down production in recent years but he put together 83 games in the 2016 calendar year and produced a mere 55 points. He also had a playoff run for the ages scoring 30 points in 24 playoff games last spring. There’s elite talent there but we haven’t seen it in the regular season.

Backlund scored one less point than Monahan in 2016, a simply astounding feat. This says more about the excellent No. 2 centerman that Backlund has become than it does about Monahan. Go get Backlund in your league.

Toss Horvat onto the short list of top No. 2 centermen as well. How long before he pushes the Sedins out as the Canucks’ No. 1? Maybe it has already happened.

Now for the top defenseman scorers:

No surprise seeing Burns and Karlsson 1-2 but Letang takes the cake if you look at per-game numbers. Letang could be the best in the business considering the company he keeps but his inability to play 82 games will always keep him below that top tier. Of course, you have to wonder if Letang would produce at this level if he wasn’t pushing himself to the absolute limit. Maybe the version of Letang that stays in the lineup for 82 cannot score at a point-per-game pace. In any case, in head-to-head settings you’ll want a healthy Letang come playoff time.

Hedman is putting together a run worthy of Norris consideration. He is elite.

Both Hamilton and Giordano show up in the top seven. Impressive, considering these two spent all of December relegated to the second power play unit while T.J. Brodie stole their gig.

This list highlights the value of just showing up. Ryan Suter and Drew Doughty probably aren’t top-10 offensive defensemen but putting together 82 games is a great way to find enough points to get into that range.

Subban is the only defenseman to crack the top-25 while playing fewer than 60 games.

Steve Laidlaw is the Managing Editor of DobberHockey. Follow him on Twitter @SteveLaidlaw