As we enter the new year, the second half of the fantasy regular season is upon us. With three months of fantasy hockey already under our belt, hot and cold starts are a thing of the past now. You’re either having a good season, or you’re not. The push for the fantasy playoffs will be ramping up over the next couple weeks, and players who have failed to live up to their average draft position are now in bust territory.
Every season, without fail, there are a handful of players who come into the year with plenty of hype and high expectations, only to fall flat once the season begins and fall well short of their original ADP. Below are the biggest disappointments thus far in fantasy. Players who have missed considerable time with injuries will be excluded.
Alexandar Georgiev – San Jose Sharks – G
ADP: 55 | Current Rank: 433
An average goaltender playing on one of the NHL’s top teams, Alexandar Georgiev was drafted as the ninth goalie off the board in fantasy in the hopes he could pile up wins in Colorado. Unfortunately, his 2024–25 season was an unmitigated disaster from day one. Across his first 17 starts for the Colorado Avalanche, Georgiev managed just eight wins, along with an ugly .874 save percentage and 3.32 goals against average.
By the end of October, he had already lost his starting gig. Just to put one final nail in the coffin, Georgiev was shipped to San Jose at the beginning of December, tanking his value even further. He currently ranks 32nd in the NHL for wins and has just one start above .900 since December 1.
Chris Kreider – New York Rangers – W
ADP: 40 | Current Rank: 224
After a 39-goal, 75-point season last year, it was expected Chris Kreider would produce similar numbers this season on a contending New York Rangers team. Unfortunately for Kreider and the Rangers, the season has been a disaster on every level.
Through 33 games, Kreider has just 12 goals and 14 points, a current pace of only 28 goals and 33 points. The 33-point pace would be his lowest full-season total since 2017–18. He was even healthy scratched at one point. After being drafted as the 26th forward off the board, Kreider currently ranks 227th for points among forwards. At this point, the only hope for him to remain relevant in fantasy is a trade to a better situation.
Roman Josi – Nashville Predators – D
ADP: 20 | Current Rank: 110
It’s been a nightmare season for Roman Josi and the Nashville Predators. After breaking the bank in free agency, it was expected the Predators would become a powerhouse in the Western Conference. Instead, they currently rank bottom-five in the NHL, and Roman Josi is having one of his worst seasons in years.
After posting 85 points last year, Josi was highly coveted, coming into drafts as the third defenceman off the board. Unfortunately, he’s failed to reach those lofty heights so far. With 24 points through 34 games, Josi ranks 18th in the NHL for points from the blue line. His current pace of 55 points would be his lowest full-season total since 2017–18.
If you picked Josi at his sky-high ADP of 20, you’re probably not too pleased right now.
Miro Heiskanen – Dallas Stars – D
ADP: 61 | Current Rank: 225
Yet another struggling top defenceman, Miro Heiskanen has been a huge disappointment this season. After a 54-point 2023–24 season, Heiskanen was being picked as the 10th defenceman off the board in drafts.
Through 37 games so far this season, Heiskanen has just 18 points in 37 games, which ranks 38th in the league among defencemen. He currently ranks behind the likes of Matt Grzelcyk and Sam Girard. He’s also posted just four multi-point efforts this season and has gone pointless a whopping 16 times. Not exactly the production you’d hope for from a top 10 defenceman.
Igor Shesterkin – New York Rangers – G
ADP: 17 | Current Rank: 128
Drafted as the very first goaltender off the board in fantasy this year, Igor Shesterkin was the only goalie with an ADP under 20. After three months of play, his value has come nowhere close to his lofty ADP. Shesterkin is getting an elite workload, but his results are a far cry from what fantasy managers have come to expect from him.
Despite starting 27 games this season, he currently has just 11 wins, which ranks 21st in the NHL and behind the likes of Elvis Merzlikins, Sam Montembeault, and Mackenzie Blackwood. He’s also sitting on a .906 save percentage, which would be the lowest total of his career by a wide margin. Now sitting on the injured reserve, things have gone from bad to worse for Shesterkin.
Elias Pettersson – Vancouver Canucks – C
ADP: 22 | Current Rank: 115
It’s been a tough season in Vancouver, particularly for Elias Pettersson. Coming off back-to-back 89+ point seasons, it looked like a forgone conclusion Pettersson would be at a point per game this season. Fantasy managers agreed, drafting him as the 17th forward off the board at an ADP of 22.
So far, through 34 games, Pettersson is on pace for the worst season of his career. With only 28 points in 34 games, his current pace places him right around 65 points. He currently has fewer points than the likes of Jason Zucker, Nick Schmaltz, and teammate Conor Garland. A far cry from the production expected of a second-round fantasy forward.
Juuse Saros – Nashville Predators – G
ADP: 27 | Current Rank: 155
A nightmare year in Nashville means plenty of their players have disappointed in fantasy. None more so than starting goaltender Juuse Saros. Drafted as the third-highest goaltender in fantasy drafts at an ADP of 27, Saros has posted some dreadful results this season.
Despite starting the second most games in the NHL with 30, he has just eight wins on the year, a total that ranks 34th in the NHL behind goaltenders like Karel Vejmelka, Samuel Ersson, and David Rittich. His numbers aren’t great either, sitting at a .903 save percentage and 2.82 GAA. He’s yet to string together more than two wins in a row and has just one two-game win streak on the year.
Dishonorable mentions – Jason Robertson, Zach Hyman
Both Jason Robertson and Zach Hyman were drafted as top-25 forwards this season but got off to dreadful starts. For a while, it looked like they’d be two of the biggest busts on the season. However, things took a positive turn for both in December.
Both are currently lagging far behind their ADPs, but both forwards’ recent turnarounds have fantasy managers hoping their recent play will save them from bust territory. Time will tell, but for now, it seemed a little too harsh to label them as disappointments, considering their recent strong play.
