NHL EDGE stats to watch in Winter Classic

NHL.com’s fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we identify key advanced metrics to watch for when the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks meet in the Discover NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Tuesday (5 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).

Bedard’s upside with new linemates

After having nine points (three goals, six assists) in October and eight points (one goal, seven assists) in November, Connor Bedard is having by far his best month of the season with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 14 games. Bedard leads Chicago with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) and five power-play points in 11 games under new coach Anders Sorensen, and the center’s bounce-back stretch has come with new wing linemates Tyler Bertuzzi (leads Blackhawks with six goals, five at even strength since Dec. 7) and Taylor Hall (leads them with nine even-strength points in span). Bedard enters the Winter Classic with six points (three goals, three assists) during his four-game point streak and has had four shots on goal in each of his past two games; Bertuzzi and Hall have combined for nine points over that four-game span. Per NHL EDGE stats, Bedard ranks fifth among forwards in total miles skated (125.91) and is among the leaders in both midrange shots on goal (44; 97th percentile) and midrange goals (six; 93rd percentile). -- Chris Meaney

Holloway’s advanced stats prowess for Blues

St. Louis’ biggest offseason moves were the acquisitions of forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers via successful offer sheets. Both players have been important additions to the Blues offense, but Holloway has particularly thrived since they hired coach Jim Montgomery to replace Drew Bannister. Since the coaching change, Holloway has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) and 46 shots on goal in 16 games dating to Nov. 25 and also checks many NHL EDGE stats boxes this season at large. Holloway has the third-hardest shot among all forwards (97.99 miles per hour) this season and has excelled at the position in average skating distance per 60 minutes (10.57 miles; 98th percentile), 20-plus mph speed bursts (91; 93rd percentile) and high-danger goals (eight; 90th percentile). -- Pete Jensen

Shot speed of Blackhawks' top defense pair

One of the many Chicago Blackhawks players that will play in an NHL outdoor game for the first time Tuesday is 23-year-old defenseman Alex Vlasic. The Wilmette, Illinois native has 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) in 37 games, his exact same totals in goals, assists and points in 76 games as a rookie last season. He is an NHL EDGE stats standout in terms of skating and shot speed; Vlasic has had five speed bursts of 22-plus mph this season, one behind the defenseman leaders in the category, Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche (six each). Vlasic is also one of five players with a 100-mph shot this season (101.92 mph on Nov. 19 against Anaheim Ducks); it was the top shot speed by any Blackhawks player in the puck and player tracking era (since 2021-22). With the recent return of Seth Jones (nine 90-plus mph shot attempts in 21 games), the Blackhawks’ top defense pair is healthy and dynamic entering the outdoor game spotlight. -- Troy Perlowitz

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