By Adam McGill
With all the attention of the NFL season and the NBA lockout, it is easy to forget about the upcoming NHL season. The 2011-12 season drops first puck in a couple days and it is never too early to start reading up on talent. Below are the top ten fantasy wingers for this year:
1. Daniel Sedin, VAN – Sedin was the only player to go over 100 points (104) last year with a staggering 41 goals and 63 assists.
2. Alexander Ovechkin, WAS – “Ovie” scored 32 goals last season, a number that will likely rise as he took 367 shots.
3. Jarome Iginla, CAL – “Iggy” has averaged 87.2 points a season in the last five years.
4. Corey Perry, ANA – Perry shockingly led the NHL with 50 goals last season and is a natural goal scorer.
5. Martin St. Louis, TB – The veteran posted 99 points in 2010 and the veteran is one of the more reliable options on the wing.
6. Thomas Vanek, BUF – Vanek knows how to find the back of the net with 204 career goals in only six seasons.
7. Danny Heatley, MIN – Heatley heads to Minnesota and the veteran will surely lead the Wild’s bleak offense in goals.
8. Zach Parise, NJ – Parise is one of best scorers in the game when healthy, but he has to show that his nagging knee injury is 100 percent.
9. Ilya Kovalchuk, NJ – Last year marked the first time in seven years that Kovalchuk didn’t go over 40 goals, so expect him to get back on track in 2011.
10. Patrick Kane, CHI – The youngster is still raw, but he has all the talent to develop into a top five winger.
Just missed: Bobby Ryan (ANA), Claude Giroux (PHI), and Rick Nash (CBJ)
