5 bold fantasy hockey predictions for 2023-24 season

The 2023-24 NHL season is nearly upon us, which means fantasy hockey will be in full swing.

Each season, a key way to win fantasy hockey is to know who is about to break out or stay away from players who could be set for a down year. By now, most leagues have been drafted, but let's take a look at five bold fantasy hockey predictions:

#1 Tage Thompson finishes the year as a top-five fantasy player

Thompson had a major breakout season last season, as he finished 15th in points last season with 94.

Thompson is the Buffalo Sabres star player, and this season will be key to see if that was a fluke or if Thompson is that good. However, he's one of the league's best goal-scorers and will get plenty of power-play points to add to his stats, which will make him a top-five fantasy hockey player.

#2 Bowen Byram is a better fantasy player than Cale Makar

Cale Makar is hailed as the best defenseman in the NHL, but for this bold prediction, I'm backing Bowen Byram to put up more fantasy points.

Byram has had difficulty staying healthy, which makes this prediction even more difficult to happen. However, Byram is a better goal scorer than Makar, and if he plays all 82 games, he has a shot to put up better fantasy numbers.

#3 Evan Bouchard is the top fantasy defenseman

Evan Bouchard will quarterback the Oilers powerplay

Evan Bouchard will be one of the first few defensemen off the board, but the Edmonton Oilers star will be the top fantasy hockey defenseman this year.

A big reason why Bouchard will be the top fantasy hockey defenseman is due to him quarterbacking the Oilers' power play. He will get plenty of goals and assists on the power play, which will help his fantasy stats.

#4 Jack Hughes is a top-three fantasy player

Jack Hughes put up 99 points last season, and he's still just 22. Hughes has gotten better every season, and New Jersey also improved around him.

He should be able to pick up more assists while also having a more prominent role on the power play. If Hughes can play all 82 games, he could be one of the surprises and a top-three fantasy hockey player.

#5 Andrei Vasilevskiy finishes as a top-10 goalie

Vasilevskiy being a top-10 fantasy hockey goalie shouldn't be a bold prediction, as he's usually the first or second goalie taken.

However, the Russian will miss the first two months due to a back injury. However, even though he's injured, the rest will be good for him, as he can play most of the games down the stretch and still put up stellar numbers for the Tampa Bay Lightning.