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Time to buy low on Thompson
The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the NHL this season; they have only won consecutive games three times as of Friday but have plenty of wins over teams in Stanley Cup Playoff position, such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs (twice), Vegas Golden Knights and most recently the Los Angeles Kings.
Buffalo center Tage Thompson, like many of its other top forwards, has dealt with injury this season and missed 10 games. Thompson has fallen short of high fantasy expectations (average draft position: 14.2; rank in standard leagues: 149th) following an NHL career-high 94 points (47 goals, 47 assists) last season, with a shooting percentage (11.0) much lower than last season (15.9) and 2021-22 (15.0).
But Thompson’s high shot volume (3.34 shots on goal per game; 25th in NHL) and advanced stats suggest he could bounce back soon, so now could be the time to buy low on him in fantasy. Per NHL EDGE stats, Thompson reached the highest max shot speed among forwards this season at 102.08 mph against Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 23.
The 26-year-old also has the most 100-plus mph shots among forwards (three) and second-most 90-plus mph shots at the position (34) behind Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals (37). Buffalo, as a team, ranks seventh in the NHL in 90-plus mph shots (70).
Hill among best in high-danger save percentage
Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill returned from injury Tuesday and had an impressive performance in a road win against the New York Islanders with his team on the second of back-to-back games. Hill stopped 40 of 42 shots faced in the victory, his 11th win (has two shutouts) in 16 games this season.
The reigning Stanley Cup champion goalie leads the NHL in save percentage (.935), and, per NHL EDGE stats, has the best high-danger save percentage (.867; League average: .785). Hill also has had better than a .900 save percentage in 75 percent of his games (99th percentile).
While there may not be enough runway left for Hill to contend for the Vezina Trophy this season, he has been a top five fantasy goalie when healthy and continues to prove that his championship run last season was no fluke.
Lindholm excels in skating distance, high-danger shots
Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm could be one of the most coveted targets in fantasy and reality ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8, and his NHL EDGE stats support how valuable he could be to a contending team.
Lindholm, who has been named an NHL All-Star in his contract season (potential 2024 unrestricted free agent), ranks in the 95th percentile in total skating distance (155.33 miles) among forwards and 93rd percentile in high-danger shots (46).
But Lindholm has only scored four high-danger goals all season, with his high-danger shooting percentage (8.7) far below the League average (17.4). Lindholm showcased his high fantasy ceiling in 2021-22, when he had a 42-goal, 40-assist season with Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau as his linemates, and could reach another gear in the second half.
For now, Lindholm has been a fixture on the Flames’ top line with breakout forward Yegor Sharangovich, who leads all players who changed teams this past offseason in goals (20) after being acquired from the New Jersey Devils. Calgary’s offense has been a sneaky source of fantasy production lately, scoring the eighth-most goals per game (3.42) in the NHL since Jan. 1.
UPDATE: Lindholm was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. | Read: Fantasy spin
