Sean AllenCloseSean AllenSpecial to ESPN.comSean Allen is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. He was the 2008 and 2009 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year.Follow on XVictoria MatiashCloseVictoria MatiashSpecial to ESPN.comVictoria Matiash is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. Victoria has been a part of the fantasy team since 2010.Follow on XJan 16, 2026, 07:00 AM ET
play0:54Jack Eichel completes Vegas’ comeback with OT winnerJack Eichel walks in all alone and makes a sweet move to win it for the Golden Knights.
play1:11Tom Wilson scores Gordie Howe hat trick for CapsTom Wilson scores Gordie Howe hat trick for Caps
play0:19Sidney Crosby nets the Penguins’ overtime winnerSidney Crosby finds the net and scores in overtime to give the Penguins a 5-4 win vs. the Blue Jackets.
play1:55Macklin Celebrini scores filthy tying goal, then sets up Sharks’ OT winnerMacklin Celebrini scores the tying goal in the third period, then makes the winning assist to William Eklund.
play1:09Nico Hischier breaks in for Devils’ OT winnerNico Hischier’s second goal of the game wins it for the Devils in overtime against the Kraken.
Jack Eichel completes Vegas’ comeback with OT winnerJack Eichel walks in all alone and makes a sweet move to win it for the Golden Knights.
Sidney Crosby nets the Penguins’ overtime winnerSidney Crosby finds the net and scores in overtime to give the Penguins a 5-4 win vs. the Blue Jackets.
Sidney Crosby finds the net and scores in overtime to give the Penguins a 5-4 win vs. the Blue Jackets.
Macklin Celebrini scores filthy tying goal, then sets up Sharks’ OT winnerMacklin Celebrini scores the tying goal in the third period, then makes the winning assist to William Eklund.
Macklin Celebrini scores the tying goal in the third period, then makes the winning assist to William Eklund.
Nico Hischier breaks in for Devils’ OT winnerNico Hischier’s second goal of the game wins it for the Devils in overtime against the Kraken.
Brady Tkachuk tallies his 200th NHL goal (0:48)Brady Tkachuk tallies his 200th NHL goal (0:48)
The 41st game of the season for each NHL team has been played, and there’s now been enough time for us to digest that first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
And a reminder: It’s not too late to sign up for ESPN Fantasy Hockey. New leagues start every Monday, and you can sign up for free today.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 9. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Nathan MacKinnon, C. It’s rather incredible that the league’s top fantasy defenseman, and reigning Norris Trophy winner, is somehow not the best performer on his own team. But when you play with a power forward who’s shooting, scoring and hitting his way through 2025-26 at a 3.7 fantasy point-per-game pace, even a superstar like Cale Makar is stuck wearing the consolation sash for the top-ranked Avs.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Nikita Kucherov, RW. We all know how incredible Kucherov is, so let’s hand him the fantasy MVP — but step aside briefly to highlight the blue line. Darren Raddysh has stepped up in Victor Hedman’s absence, keeping Tampa Bay’s power play among the league’s best and making a real difference for fantasy managers.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Jason Robertson, LW. Robertson over Mikko Rantanen by a hair because of his goals and shots tallies. Plus, a few intangible bonus marks for reblooming after a couple of “disappointing” campaigns … when he still managed to collect 80 points.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Matt Boldy, LW/RW. He’s becoming more and more dominant season by season. With Kirill Kaprizov serving as close runner-up, the Team USA member is enjoying a career campaign in Minnesota. On pace for almost 100 points, Boldy ranks seventh in total fantasy haul among all forwards.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Brandon Bussi, G. Seth Jarvis leads the forwards in fantasy points per game, and Sebastian Aho has more total points, but where would the Canes be this season without Bussi as their rock in the crease? His rise perfectly aligned with the time of season when fantasy managers ran out of patience with their drafted starters, and more than a few teams caught him at exactly the right time.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Mark Stone, RW. When active, the Golden Knights’ captain is up there with the league’s best in supplying the most bang for your fantasy buck. If Stone can somehow stay healthy, the Team Canada rep will end up surpassing everyone else on Vegas’ roster in total fantasy points — despite already missing significant time — including Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Tomas Hertl.
Jack Eichel completes Vegas’ comeback with OT winner
Jack Eichel walks in all alone and makes a sweet move to win it for the Golden Knights.
Midseason fantasy MVP: John Gibson, G. Before Dec. 1, only Calvin Pickard and Justus Annunen had more negative fantasy points than Gibson’s -14.6 at that point of the season. The turnaround has been remarkable: only Connor McDavid has more fantasy points than Gibson’s 82.0 since Dec. 1, and the next-best goalie trails by over 30 points.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Noah Dobson, D. It turns out there is plenty of room on this blue line for three fantasy standouts, and none have been more productive than Dobson. He doesn’t just lead the defenseman trio of himself, Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson in fantasy points, he leads the whole Habs team.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Alex Tuch, RW. It’s tempting to hand the MVP to Tage Thompson, but Tuch is a model of consistency. Few remember that he finished last season with the 11th-highest fantasy total among all skaters, and he’s showing he belongs among the league’s elite again this season.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Tom Wilson, RW. Even with Jakob Chychrun acting like a forward from the blue line with 15 goals, Wilson’s fantasy strength remains. He still leads his teammates in total fantasy points despite missing six recent games, ready to remind everyone who really runs Washington’s fantasy scoreboard.
Tom Wilson scores Gordie Howe hat trick for CapsTom Wilson scores Gordie Howe hat trick for Caps
Midseason fantasy MVP: Matthew Schaefer, D. Setting new high-water marks for teenage defenders with every game he plays, the pride of Hamilton, Ontario, is on a pace that would have seen him finish 10th among all blueliners in fantasy scoring last season — of course, that would have been tough since he was still in high school!
Midseason fantasy MVP: Connor McDavid, C. If not for MacKinnon’s ridiculously hot start and almost equally absurd subsequent scoring rate, the Oilers’ captain would likely sit atop the table in both NHL and fantasy production. In fact, if his current pace — 2.3 points per game since early December — holds up, McDavid could eclipse his Team Canada teammate.
Midseason fantasy MVP: David Pastrnak, RW. Pasta is always a good choice for fantasy MVP. He’s on pace to nearly match his 210.2 fantasy points from last season, which ranked him sixth among skaters. He has a solid connection with Elias Lindholm, and has found muses in both Morgan Geekie and Marat Khusnutdinov, regardless of which one is on the other flank.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Auston Matthews, C. While the Leafs struggle in the standings, fantasy managers can breathe easy: Matthews remains one of the game’s top fantasy stars. His increased shot blocking from last season has become a consistent part of his game, helping him stay among the top 20 fantasy skaters despite missing a half-dozen games.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Sidney Crosby, C. Like a fine wine, Crosby only gets better with age. He’s on pace to top his 186.3 fantasy points from 2024-25, all while seemingly willfully guiding the Penguins toward a surprising playoff berth.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Trevor Zegras, C/LW. His pace has dipped in recent weeks, but Zegras’ resurgence following the trade to Philadelphia is a pleasant fantasy surprise. The key now is staying healthy after missing nearly a full season over 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Brad Marchand, LW/RW. Marchand finished last season ranked 158th among all skaters. But that fresh Florida air and the Stanley Cup tailwinds are doing wonders for the veteran. He might have been the team leader for fantasy points if he hadn’t missed four games.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Eeli Tolvanen, LW/RW. On a roster lacking any true standout MVP candidate, Tolvanen deserves a nod for showing up nearly every day and providing a little bit of everything, including a team-leading number of hits and blocked shots (among forwards). If able to maintain his current point-per-game pace, Jordan Eberle could take over eventually, but we’re not there yet.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Macklin Celebrini, C. Unlike in other markets where there’s somewhat of a conversation to have over who’s proving more valuable in fantasy play, San Jose’s No. 1 center strides alone many miles ahead of every other Shark. And most everyone else in the NHL. Third in real-life and fantasy scoring behind McDavid and MacKinnon, the teen forced those assembling Canada’s Olympic team to include him over many other worthy candidates.
Macklin Celebrini scores filthy tying goal, then sets up Sharks’ OT winner
Midseason fantasy MVP: Adrian Kempe, RW. Posting similar scoring numbers to fellow forward Kevin Fiala, Kempe pulls slightly ahead in the fantasy race because of his physical play. The Kings’ winger sits second in hits to Alex Laferriere, and trails only Anze Kopitar in blocked shots among forwards.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Jake Sanderson, D. It’s tempting to give the nod to Tim Stutzle’s team-leading fantasy production, but Sanderson is right on his heels and tracking toward a finish among the top five fantasy blueliners. It wouldn’t be a shock if he ultimately leads the team in fantasy scoring.
Midseason fantasy MVP: Roman Josi, D. While the former Norris winner isn’t blowing fantasy mangers away like in the olden days (2019-2024), he’s still proving more than serviceable for the suddenly relevant-again Predators. Which is a big reason they are somewhat back in the playoff mix, and climbing in these rankings.