NHL Barometer: Risers and Fallers

This week's article includes Tage on a tear, the Hub rolling as a Flame, a lesser-known winger thriving in the Desert, down goes MacKinnon and a not-so-golden Knights' goalie.

First Liners (Risers)

Tage Thompson, C, BUF – Thompson took a major step forward last season with 38 goals, 68 points (including 16 with the man advantage) and 253 shots on goal in 78 games. That performance may just be the tip of the iceberg, as Tage potted five goals Wednesday against Columbus and is up to 21 goals and 20 assists in 28 contests. Thompson, acquired as part of the Ryan O'Reilly deal with Buffalo in 2017, signed a seven-year, $50 million contract extension with the Sabres in August. That deal, which looked to potentially be a mild overpayment, could end up a bargain if what we have seen from Thompson the last year is the norm. 

Brock Nelson, C, NYI – Nelson, who set new career-highs in goals (37) and points (59) last season, is on early pace to obliterate those numbers. He's up to 14 goals and as many assists in 29 games. With two goals Friday, Nelson extended his point streak to seven games, which ended Saturday. The Islanders are 11-0-0 this season when the 31-year-old center scores. If you selected Nelson in your drafts, you're reaping the benefits of a player taking his career to the next level the past two seasons.

Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, CGY – Those who have Huberdeau on their roster can start to breathe a sigh of relief. After finishing second in the NHL last season with 115 points, Huberdeau was part of the massive trade with Calgary with Matthew Tkachuk landing in Florida. Slated to be a free agent after the season, Huberdeau signed an eight-year, $84 million contract extension with the Flames in August. He got off to a brutal start, but over his last nine outings, Huberdeau has a pair of goals and seven assists and looks to be rounding into form. Huberdeau sits with just five goals, but he's too talented not to get hot before too long. 

Alex DeBrincat, RW, OTT– DeBrincat, who scored 41 goals last season for Chicago, was traded to Ottawa this past offseason. Expectations were high for the team and for the sniping winger, though both have disappointed to date. DeBrincat recently is doing his best to change that narrative, as he's contributed a point in each of his last six games and in nine of his last 10 contests, upping his season totals to nine goals and 15 assists in 28 games. The goals have yet to really come, but I expect that to change in the near future as he looks to be finding his game in Canada's capital. 

Matias Maccelli, LW, AZ – Maccelli, drafted in the fourth round (98th overall) in 2019, is making the most of the full-time opportunity he's been provided in the Desert. He has a goal and seven assists in his last seven outings, with helpers accounting for 17 of his 19 points on the year. When Arizona adds more talent over the next several seasons, Maccelli seems to be better suited for a third-line role. For now, though, he is firmly planted in the top six, a role that should continue for at least the balance of the season. 

Braden Schneider, D, NYR – As of last Friday, which defenseman had the most goals in the NHL since November 22? I am sure it shocked all who read that tweet that it was Schneider, who tallied his fourth in that stretch Friday. There is offensive talent there, though Schneider is more of a defensive specialist at this point. He does have 49 hits and 42 blocked shots while playing 15 minutes per game on the third pair. Don't expect a lot more goals, but Schneider has shown the willingness and ability to join the rush, which should continue to result in some offensive production. 

Travis Sanheim D, PHI – Sanheim, like Schneider and Matt Benning below, is riding a hot streak. Like both other d-men, I'm not expecting Sanheim to remain this hot, but he did post 35 points in 2018-19 and 31 points last season. While he has nine points in his last 12 games, one limiting factor is Sanheim's lack of a consistent role on the power play. Enjoy the hot streak for now, but while he's still worth a roster spot in deeper leagues, don't be afraid to jettison him if needed for the next hot flavor of the week in shallower formats.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, TB – The early-season struggles for Vasilevskiy are now a mere memory. On November 12, Vasilevskiy had a 4-5-1 record with a 3.11 goals-against average (GAA) and a .901 save percentage (SV%). The switch has flipped on, as Vasilevskiy has won three of his last four and seven of his last 10, with a save percentage of .923 over that span. Teams that rostered Vasilevskiy had little choice but to wait for the tide to turn given his draft position, and they're now being rewarded.

Others include Brayden Point, Jack Quinn, Andrew Copp, Adam Ruzicka, Drake Batherson, Jonathan Marchessault, Mitch Marner, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, William Nylander, David Perron, Rickard Rakell, Josh Morrissey, Thomas Chabot, Brent Burns, Shayne Gostisbehere, Matt Murray, Pyotr Kochetkov, Igor Shesterkin and Filip Gustavsson. 

Buy Low 

Pheonix Copley, G, LA – Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen have both been brutal between the pipes for the Kings this season. Petersen, who had a 5-3-2 record with a 3.75 goals-against average (GAA) and .868 save percentage (SV%) in 10 games, landed on waivers, went unclaimed and was sent to the AHL. Quick hasn't been much better with a 3.42 GAA and .888 SV%. Stepping into the breach has been Copley, who has won both his starts since Dec.1. He isn't likely to be an option for smaller leaguers, but for those in deeper formats looking for a third goalie, he's worth a short-term flier.

Training Room (Injuries)

Nathan MacKinnon, C, COL – The Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup last year must have really angered the hockey gods. Either that, or the team is just unlucky so far this season. The Avalanche, already missing most of their top-six forwards as well as Josh Manson and Bowen Byram, lost MacKinnon for four weeks with the upper-body injury he sustained Dec. 5 versus Philadelphia. If there is any saving grace, it's that these injuries are occurring early in the year and none are expected to be season-ending, allowing the Avs to make a major run the last two-thirds of the season. But for now, their top center is on the shelf. 

Others include Logan Couture (lower-body injury, suffered Friday), Elias Lindholm (upper body, did not play Monday) Cole Caufield (upper body, injured Monday), Tim Stutzle (upper body, injured Monday), Nick Robertson (shoulder, out of action for 6-8 weeks), Kris Letang (stroke, missed 12 days, remarkably returned to action Saturday), Shea Theodore (leg, injured Friday, sat Sunday), Joonas Korpisalo (lower body, injured Friday, sidelined at least one week, placed on IR on Sunday), Darcy Kuemper (upper body, left game Dec. 3, missed last three games, placed on IR on Sunday) and John Gibson (illness, left Friday's game, sat Monday). 

Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers) 

Kirby Dach, C, MTL – Dach, the third overall pick in 2019, wore out his welcome in Chicago after just three seasons. He received a new lease on life following his trade to Montreal this offseason and has generally made the most of that second chance. Dach has seen time at right wing next to Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki but has slumped a bit lately and been moved to second-line center. Dach has no goals since Nov. 9 and just two helpers his last eight games. He'll eventually find his game, but for now, some pine time is recommended.   

Anthony Mantha, LW, WAS – Mantha has shown some signs of life lately with a goal and three assists his last three games, but he remains stuck on the third line and is seeing little ice time with the man advantage, limiting his fantasy upside. He's been held off the scoresheet entirely in eight of the last 11 games. The 48 points he tallied in Detroit in both 2017-18 and 2018-19 seem likely to end up as his career high, barring a move up the depth chart and/or additional power play time. He does have value, just not at the level he seemed to when he was a first-rounder back in 2013. 

Logan Thompson, G, LV – Thompson is entrenched as the starter between the pipes for Vegas, aided by the expected season-long absence of Robin Lehner. After a blazing hot start, Thompson has slowly returned to earth a bit recently. In the past month, Thompson is 7-5-0, but that record is mildly offset by a 3.15 goals-against average (GAA) and .906 save percentage (SV%). Compare that to his 6-2-0 record, 2.01 GAA and .934 SV% his first eight outings of the season. Value still exists, but be aware that his overall numbers are skewed by that hot start. 

Others include Shane Wright (loaned to Canada junior team for WJC), Derek Stepan, Chandler Stephenson, Pius Suter, Nino Niederreiter, Justin Faulk, Tony DeAngelo (healthy scratch Friday) and Marc-Andre Fleury. 

Sell High 

Matt Benning, D, SJ – Benning is substantively outproducing even the best-case scenario for him. He's up to nine assists his last 10 games and has surpassed his production from 65 games last year with a goal and 12 helpers on the season. Benning's top-four role will keep him on the radar in deeper leagues, but the level of output we've seen recently is highly unexpected and unlikely to continue. View him as a fourth or fifth defenseman in deeper leagues and enjoy the output if he produces more.