Fantasy Hockey Outlook: Sharks Forwards Shouldn't Be Overlooked

Hockey season is approaching, and fantasy sports talk is starting again. San Jose Sharks forwards will provide players with formidable output for hockey drafts.

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Many consider the Sharks' offseason successful. Drafting and signing Macklin Celebrini, signing Will Smith, and trading for Yaroslav Askarov are all seen as franchise-altering moves from GM Mike Grier.

From a fantasy perspective, Smith and Celebrini are fliers who can be drafted in the middle to late rounds. Their offensive potential is apparent but not proven. NHL Fantasy projects 59 points for Smith.

The rookies are enticing to pick due to their potential, but the Sharks have at least three proven fantasy contributors: Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund, and Tyler Toffoli.

Toffoli is coming off back-to-back 30+ goal seasons and has been one of the most consistent forwards in the last few years. While he likely won't reach his career high of 73 points he set with the Calgary Flames in 2022-23, there is no reason to believe his goal-scoring output will drop.

He could start on a line with the 2024 No. 1 pick, allowing him to play with an elite centerman.

Mikael Granlund led the Sharks in points last season despite missing 13 games. The 32-year-old had somewhat of an offensive revival last season by scoring 60 points in 69 games. With an upgrade in players around him and the continued development of Zetterlund and William Eklund, there is no reason to believe he can't replicate that success.

Lastly comes Fabian Zetterlund. The Swede had a career-high 24 goals to lead the San Jose Sharks. While picking Zetterlund does come with more risk, he's in the same boat as Granlund when it comes to the team around him being upgraded. His game's continued development will allow fantasy players to get a potential 30-goal scorer in the late rounds of a draft or even off waivers.

William Eklund finished the season on a high note and is seen as one of the Sharks' top breakout candidates this year. Fantasy players could use a late-round pick on the potential for Eklund to score more than the 44 he had last year.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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