7 NY Islanders land on NHL.com's top 250 fantasy hockey player rankings

There are still moves to be made, but enough has settled down this off-season for NHL.com to release their early top 250 overall fantasy hockey player rankings for the 2023-24 season in standard leagues, and the list has seven New York Islanders.

No surprise, Vezina runner-up and league shutout leader Ilya Sorokin is the highest ranked Islander, coming in at No. 19. Sorokin is the second-highest goaltender ranked, one spot lower than Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers. While Sorokin posted better GAA and Save % numbers than his friend and 2021-22 Vezina winner, the Blueshirts goaltender had 38 wins in 58 compared to Sorokin's 31 in 62 appearances. That win total and expectations of the Rangers being ahead of the Islanders in the standings likely gave Igor a slight edge over Ilya.

After Sorokin, Brock Nelson is the only other Islander to crack the Top 100. The 2022-23 first-time All-Star has led the team in goals the last four seasons after scoring 36 last season along with 39 assists for a career-high 75 points. Nelson, who will turn 32 in October, continues to get better with age, averaging slightly under (0.91) a goal-per-game last season.

Next up is Bo Horvat at No. 110. The 28-year-old center will be playing his first full season on Long Island after scoring seven goals and nine assists after being traded from Vancouver before the All-Star break. Horvat was on a 50-goal pace with the Canucks before the deal was made, and while his addition coincided with the Islanders' playoff push, his lack of scoring certainly dropped him out of the top 100 fantasy options.

If Horvat outplays that ranking, it will be because of his teammate, that came in at No. 130. Mathew Barzal had 51 points in 58 games (14 goals, 37 assists) when he suffered a regular-season-ending knee injury in Boston on Feb. 18. Although Barzal and Horvat were mostly shut down after they were reunited in the post-season against the Carolina Hurricanes, there's hope that the chemistry they displayed in the six games before the injury translates to more scoring at 5-on-5 and the power play.

Noah Dobson is the only Islander defenseman on the list at No. 146. Dobson has faced criticism for this defensive game not progressing last season, but he also demonstrated that his offensive breakout season in 2021-22 was no fluke. After 51 points the prior year, Dobson followed it up with a 49-point (13 goals, 36 assists) campaign. If he can produce more as the team's quarterback on the power play, Dobson could put up 60 point season at some point in his career.

Anders Lee comes in at No. 152 after a 28-goal, 22-assist season. The Islanders captain continues to find ways to be a consistent goal scorer even as some expect the 33-year-old's production to fall off. Lee is expected to start the season on a line with Horvat and Barzal, so should there remain opportunities for him to get his goals from his familiar spot near the net.

Lastly, Kyle Palmieri makes the list at No. 211. The streaky winger has struggled to stay healthy the past two seasons, playing in 69 and 55 games respectively. The team's scoring drought in January coincided with Palmieri's first injury. When he came back fully healthy in early March, he excelled on a line with Nelson and Pierre Engvall. With Engvall returning in free agency, the Islanders' second line will try to pick up where they left off, and that would be a very good thing for Palmieri's fantasy value.