Following up the centre rankings, here are the top 60 NHL left wingers for fantasy hockey as I see them right now.

Alexander Ovechkin Ilya Kovalchuk Zach Parise

1. Alexander Ovechkin, WAS – Arguably the greatest hockey player in the world, and nearly always healthy. Ovechkin’s missed only 4 games in four NHL seasons.
2. Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL – Maybe the most entertaining player to watch in the NHL.
3. Zach Parise, NJ – At 25 Parise looks to put together another monster season.
4. Rick Nash, CBJ – Posted career highs in assists and points last season, but will he still have incentive after signing the big contract?
5. Dany Heatley, OTT – Could be a 70-point man if he stays in Ottawa, or potentially a 90 if he’s traded.
6. Thomas Vanek, BUF – Averaging 39.7 goals per season over the last three years.
7. Daniel Sedin, VAN – A model of consistency, Sedin’s usually good for 30-45-75.
8. Simon Gagne, PHI – A pure scorer, but fairly injury prone.
9. Loui Eriksson, DAL – Eriksson burst onto the scene last year with a 22 goal and 32 point increase from his totals in 2007-08. His shooting percentage last year was an incredible .202.
10. David Booth, FLA – Booth finished the season strong with 22 points in 17 games and looks to continue that pace this year.
11. Patrik Elias, NJ – Posted his first 70 point season in 5 years – beware.
12. Patrick Marleau, SJ – Mr. Inconsistent had just 8 points in his final 20 games of 2008-09.
13. Ray Whitney, CAR – The 37 year old should be good for another 70 point season.
14. Mike Cammalleri, MTL – Coming off of a career season during a contract year, drafters should be wary.
15. Alexander Frolov, LA – This is a contract year for the Russian and money could be just the right incentive to send his numbers skyward.
16. Chris Kunitz, PIT – He’ll be lining up next to either Crosby or Malkin which bodes well regardless of your offensive skills.
17. Alex Burrows, VAN – A classic late-bloomer from the minors on up, Burrows is especially valuable in pools that reward PIMs.
18. Alex Tanguay, TB – Chemistry could spark playing with either Lecavalier or Stamkos.
19. Alexei Ponikarovsky, TOR – Perhaps the Leafs’ greatest offensive threat, Poni had 22 points in 18 games to close out the season.
20. Milan Michalek, SJ – Not a star, but a solid mid to late round winger.
21. Pierre-Marc Bouchard, MIN – A true playmaker, Bouchard will try to regain his form after an off year in 2008-09.
22. Scott Hartnell, PHI – Had a spectacular season in 08-09 hitting 30 goals and 60 points. He’ll get you PIMs as well.
23. Kristian Huselius, CBJ – Saw an expected dip in points after leaving Calgary but still capable of 55-65 points.
24. Jason Blake, TOR – Developed great chemistry with Dominic Moore last season but slowed down after the centreman was dealt to the Sabres.
25. Rene Bourque, CGY – Not spectacular in the points category but gets PIMs and SHGs.
26. Vyacheslav Kozlov, ATL – At 37 he’s becoming a risky pick but it’s tough to argue with numbers.
27. Tuomo Ruutu, CAR – After what seems like an enternity, Ruutu finally had a successful fantasy season in 2008-09.
28. Brenden Morrow, DAL – He’ll be forgotten about in most drafts after missing all but 18 games last season, but Morrow is an all-around fantasy stud when healthy.
29. Andrew Ladd, CHI – The former 4th overall pick finally emerged as an offensive threat last season.
30. Paul Kariya, STL – After logging three straight 82 game seasons, Kariya was limited to just 11 games last season.
31. Ryan Clowe, SJ – A power forward who’s good for 50 points and some PIMs.
32. Todd Bertuzzi, DET – This former fantasy stud is injury prone and inconsistent, but he could be a viable option in Detroit if he stays healthy.
33. Ryan Smyth, LA – Smyth will play a veteran leadership role for the young Kings.
34. David Perron, STL – Thrived playing with the other young guns on the Blues last year. 60 point potential.
35. Steve Sullivan, NAS – A huge injury risk having played only 98 games over the past three seasons, Sullivan is good for a point per game when in the lineup.
36. Erik Cole, CAR – He thrived with Staal after being acquired by the Canes at the deadline last year.
37. Ryan Malone, TB – A mid-rate power forward who will get PPGs and PIMs.
38. Kris Versteeg, CHI – Burst onto the scene as the favourite for rookie of the year but really faded as the season wore on.
39. Christopher Higgins, MTL
40. Wojtek Wolski, COL – Should play on the first line with Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk this season which could mean a career year.
41. Milan Lucic, BOS – The 21 year old power forward will have added incentive to play well this year, as he tries to earn a spot on Canada’s Olympic squad.
42. Andrei Kostitsyn, MTL – Disappeared at times in 2008-09 and saw a 12 point dip from the previous season.
43. Sean Avery, NYR – The pesky Avery is back where he belongs in the Big Apple, and looks to post career high numbers.
44. James Neal, DAL – Neal surprised analysts everywhere last year finishing second in rookie goal scoring with 24.
45. Sergei Samsonov, CAR – Samsonov is a model of inconsistency but seems to have settled into a 50 point role in Carolina.
46. Patrick O’Sullivan, EDM – Was not able to continue his 2007-08 success and had just 6 points in 19 games after being traded to the Oilers.
47. Andrew Brunette, MIN – At 36, Brunette’s fantasy stock is dropping.
48. Nick Foligno, OTT – If Heatley does end up being traded, Foligno’s stock will soar, as the 21 year old will find himself on the top line.
49. Niklas Hagman, TOR – This workhorse has settled into more of a two-way role player with the Leafs.
50. Fabian Brunnstrom, DAL – The former Swedish Elite League star had a decent rookie campaign with the Stars with 17 goals in 55 games.
51. Mikkel Boedker, PHO – The speedy Dane looks to build on a solid rookie campaign.
52. Clarke MacArthur, BUF – MacArthur’s stuck behind a logjam of veterans at LW for the Sabres but could find himself on a scoring line before long with his strong work ethic.
53. Cory Stillman, FLA – The wily veteran has become quite an injury risk but can still notch points when in the lineup.
54. Nikolai Kulemin, TOR – The former Magnitogorsk Metallurg star finished his rookie season strong with 8 points in his last 9 games.
55. Vaclav Prospal, NYR – The Rangers think Prospal still has a few goals left in his stick, but be careful – he was -20 last season.
56. Mason Raymond, VAN – After a disappointing 2008-09 campaign, Raymond looks to silence the critics.
57. Dustin Penner, EDM – Penner has become a fantasy disappointment, and it doesn’t bode well for him that the Oilers’ cut his ice-time last year.
58. Keith Tkachuk, STL – The aging veteran is dropping out of fantasy-relevancy, and could even hurt you if plus-minus is a category in your pool.
59. Nikita Filatov, CBJ – The flashy rookie had a successful season in the AHL last year and could be ready for the bigs.
60. Max Pacioretty, MTL – A super sleeper who should only be picked in the deepest of pools, but success in junior and a big frame could translate to NHL success.