MORE FANTASY COVERAGE:
Top 250 rankings
NOTES: These fantasy projections (for 82-game season), a collaborative effort by Pete Jensen, Anna Dua and Remy Mastey, have been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past performance in the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs, projected line combinations, power-play usage, team goalie situations, injury history or concern, sleeper upside, anticipated regression or bounce-back candidacy, age, contract status and overall upside for this season. The below totals are safe estimates and do not necessarily indicate each player's ceiling or floor and should be used as a basis for decision-making in all fantasy leagues. Players are listed below in order of NHL.com top 250 rank.
Sabres 32 in 32: [Season preview | 3 Questions | Top prospects]
Rasmus Dahlin, D -- Ranked 13th in the NHL at the position in points (53) and tied for ninth in goals (13) last season. He should continue to be a workhorse for the Sabres (led them with 24:01 per game; 19th in NHL) and is ranked among NHL.com's top 20 fantasy defensemen for this season.
NHL.com point projection for Dahlin: 53
Tage Thompson, C-- Buffalo's No. 1 center had NHL career highs in points (68 in 78 games), goals (38; 19th in NHL) and assists (30) last season. Thompson's shooting percentage (15.0; T-19th, minimum 200 shots on goal) could regress based on his NHL career average (10.9), but his top-line spot with valuable wings Jeff Skinner and/or Alex Tuch and combination of size (6-foot-7) and finishing ability make him a fringe top 100 overall fantasy option.
NHL.com point projection for Thompson: 55
