Special to Yahoo Sports
It’s NHL trade deadline month with the last day for swaps just three weeks away and plenty of goalies, — including Jaroslav Halak, Martin Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury — have entered the conversation as veterans who could be traded to playoff teams looking for insurance.
Let’s take stock of all 32 teams’ goaltender situations before the deadline.
John Gibson remains the undisputed starter, but both he and backup Anthony Stolarz have seen their fantasy values dip after a blistering start. They’re a combined 7-10-2 with a .902 Sv% and 3.31 GAA since Jan. 1 as the Ducks continue to lose ground in the playoff race. Gibson could be good depth to have for fantasy managers in a playoff race but is definitely a matchup-dependent goalie now.
There’s not much interest in either Karel Vejmelka or Scott Wedgewood, though both have seven wins this season and have shown occasional flashes of brilliance. Neither likely will be a target for playoff teams, so they remain waiver-wire fodder.
Jeremy Swayman has won four consecutive games, including a shutout, and has allowed just four goals, further cementing his role as the No. 1. Linus Ullmark remains in the mix, but it’s hard to see the Bruins not go with Swayman. Better late than never, and Swayman is rostered in only 68 percent of Yahoo leagues, so fantasy managers should grab him wherever available before it’s too late.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is with AHL Rochester and is by far the goalie with the most upside on the Sabres. Despite periods of good play from the team in front of them, Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski are a combined 2-7-1 with a .879 Sv% in February. They might be the worst tandem in the league.
There’s no doubt it’s Jacob Markstrom‘s net, whose eight shutouts lead the league. He’s a must-start for nearly every game and Daniel Vladar‘s mediocre numbers mean Markstrom will have a big workload. Remember, Darryl Sutter was the first Flames coach to play Miikka Kiprusoff more than 70 games in a season. Markstrom’s well off that pace but should easily reach 60 appearances for the third time in his career. Health is on the Flames’ side; they’re the only team to have used just two goalies this season.
Antti Raanta wins games because his offense is so good, but Frederik Andersen rightly has been Carolina’s workhorse. With a 29-7-2/.930/2.03 stat line, he deserves to be in the conversation for the Vezina. This is, statistically speaking, Andersen’s best season and the Canes’ gamble on him has paid off. His reputation for meltdowns and injury risk, however, means he could be available for a fantasy trade at a discount to his true value.
If the Hawks deal Fleury, he’ll get a big boost in fantasy value no matter where he goes. The problem is that none of the playoff contenders really need help in net other than perhaps Vegas, and a trade would be difficult to work out given Fleury’s cap hit. Should Fleury leave, Kevin Lankinen likely would take over, but his poor performances this season means he should be avoided even if he inherits the starting job.
Excellent goal support, a well-rounded roster and strong performances mean Darcy Kuemper is an elite fantasy goalie. The Avs had a slow start due to various injuries but have hit their stride, and Kuemper has lost just once in regulation the last three months. Pavel Francouz has been playing well and is very much worth the spot start, but he is no threat to take the No. 1 job despite putting up similar numbers.
An improved offense means less pressure on Elvis Merzlikins, but the Jackets’ more open style and younger defense mean he’s also getting exposed more often. He’s matchup dependent, and even the red-hot Jean-Francois Berube needs goal support to win.
Dallas Stars
It’s Jake Oettinger‘s net, and he’s a name to remember for the future. He’s rostered in just 72 percent of Yahoo leagues but should be a hot commodity in drafts next year as a young, upcoming goalie on a playoff contender. The Stars’ Jekyll-and-Hyde play can be hard to stomach, but Oettinger has kept them in every game with a brilliant .937 Sv% and 1.96 GAA in February. The Stars are a great pick at home and a little dicier on the road.
Detroit Red Wings
Alex Nedeljkovic is the starter and his consistency is improving, but once in a while the Wings still need Thomas Greiss for a brief stretch to calm things down. Their defense outside of Moritz Seider is a little suspect, and as good as the presumptive Calder winner has been, they’re still allowing the eighth-most shots per game in the league. Nedeljkovic can rack up the saves, but wins and peripherals are hard to come by.
Edmonton Oilers
Just when you think the Oilers need another goalie, either Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen will suddenly put together a strong performance. They can be confusing and frustrating like that, but on any given night, they have a chance to win thanks to their offense. Their defense is better under Jay Woodcroft, but their uneven play means fantasy managers are still forced to roster both goalies; that’s not ideal, and fantasy managers should be careful because the downside risk (low saves and save percentage, high GAA) seems greater than the upside (a single win).
Florida Panthers
The Panthers have gone with Jonas Johansson as their backup because they want Spencer Knight to get more playing time in the AHL, but once the playoffs roll around and their affiliate’s season finishes, Knight will be back with the big club. Johansson isn’t worth it even as a spot start because he can’t stop pucks, leaving Sergei Bobrovsky as the only real goalie of value; he’s been top-10 all season.
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Los Angeles Kings
The Kings seem to be punching well above their weight, and despite a rather thin lineup have managed to become a legit playoff contender in the Pacific. No preference should be given to either Jonathan Quick or Cal Petersen, both of whom have 14 wins and have been unable to keep a strong hold on the No. 1 job.
Minnesota Wild
The sense is that the Wild want to keep Cam Talbot as their No. 1, but his on-and-off play means Kaapo Kahkonen keeps getting more starts, though Kahkonen has been unable to wrestle the starting job away. They had identical 2-3-0 records in February, and this is starting to become a platoon situation; it’s likely second-best behind the Blues’ tandem but well ahead of the Kings’.
Montreal Canadiens
Hamburglar 2.0 probably won’t last that long, but the Habs’ turnaround under Martin St. Louis has been a very good story. Still, the roster is thin, and after winning five consecutive games allowed eight goals against the Jets. That’s what we call normalization, and despite the short-term emotional boost, the Habs’ tandem with Andrew Hammond and Samuel Montembeault still ranks among the worst in the league. They just aren’t a very good team and multiple veterans could be on the move.
Nashville Predators
Juuse Saros is clearly the backbone of the team and the Preds only go as far as he can carry them. His .904 Sv% in February is a big reason why they were 3-5-0 for the month, but overall, he remains a borderline top-five goalie in most fantasy leagues.
New Jersey Devils
Nico Daws has started three of the last four games, two of which were wins, so perhaps there’s something brewing there. He’s considered one of their better prospects and Jon Gillies is clearly not part of the future, so it does make sense to give Daws the extra reps. His .917 Sv% and 2.67 GAA in February is respectable, and don’t forget he gets pretty good goal support thanks to Jack Hughes and now the return of Dougie Hamilton.
New York Islanders
Ilya Sorokin has been more dependable and seems to be the preferred starter in what was expected to be a 50/50 timeshare. It’s not exactly Semyon Varlamov‘s fault they give him almost no goal support, but Sorokin has gotten far better results with 14 more wins. The Isles are matchup dependent but still capable of playing very well; it’s just a little too late to make a run for the playoffs. Sorokin is a good depth goalie, but unfortunately, his team is far too unreliable to consistently win.
New York Rangers
They’re best avoided when Alexandar Georgiev starts, but Igor Shesterkin might be the best goalie in the league. Even with a tough schedule coming, Shesterkin is a must-start. It’s worth noting, however, the Rangers averaged just 2.29 GF/GP in February, fourth-lowest in the league.
Ottawa Senators
Anton Forsberg and Matt Murray go through some stretches where they seem like legitimate starters, and they were arguably the best tandem in February with a combined .927 Sv% and a 2.51 GAA. The Sens have a pretty talented team, albeit inexperienced, and when Forsberg and Murray go on a streak, they’re usually worth betting on. With games against Arizona (twice), Chicago, Seattle and Philadelphia upcoming, they might be worth rostering in the short term.
Philadelphia Flyers
Carter Hart puts up a valiant effort most nights, but the Flyers are generally so discombobulated it’s hard for him to win games even when he’s good. Martin Jones should be avoided at all costs, and the Flyers are expected to move a veteran or two at the deadline.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Casey DeSmith (3-0-0, .933 Sv%, 2.03 GAA) was far better than Tristan Jarry (3-3-1, .901 Sv%, 3.20 GAA) lately, but it’s definitely still Jarry’s net. Overall, Jarry’s numbers are still pretty good (26-11-6, .921 Sv%, 2.33 GAA), but he’ll go through stretches where he’s really unreliable. Fantasy managers can ride out those deep troughs if they stick with Jarry every game, but he’s a goalie you should probably bench at the first sign of trouble even though he tends to recover pretty quickly. Jarry has not lost more than three games in a row at any point this season but has lost consecutive starts eight times this season.
San Jose Sharks
James Reimer has cooled off considerably after a hot start and is definitely the preferred goalie over Adin Hill. Reimer has a .902 Sv% and 3.59 GAA since Jan. 1, but the Sharks don’t have many options and Tuesday against Vegas was Reimer’s 13th consecutive start of the season (though he did not finish the game due to a lower-body injury.) Zach Sawchenko came in for relief and doesn’t possess much upside; Hill will get another look when he returns from injured reserve.
Seattle Kraken
There’s just no redemption for Philipp Grubauer this season, who is capping one of the most disappointing fantasy seasons in recent memory. The Vezina finalist has easily been the worst starter this season, and their much-ballyhooed 1B, Chris Driedger, has been similarly awful.
St. Louis Blues
It’s actually good for the Blues that both Jordan Binnington and Ville Husso are playing well, though that’s a headache for fantasy managers. Together, they form arguably the league’s best 1A-1B tandem, though it’s tough to say who’s the 1A. It may end up being an even split, but Husso seems to be far more consistent and has the inside track to be the starter. At some point, the Blues will have to commit to one or the other when the playoffs begin, and the smart money is on Husso at the moment. Fantasy managers are best served to roster both goalies if they have the space.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Brian Elliott is barely playable and only thanks to a shootout win is he even over .500 with a 5-2-2 record. Andrei Vasilevskiy remains a top-three fantasy goalie, though he’s not a clear Vezina front runner like he was in past seasons.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs have the direst goaltending situation among the league’s elite teams. Jack Campbell seems to be crumbling under the workload having been a backup most of his career, and the athletic Petr Mrazek struggles to keep up as he enters his 30s. The defense has been suspect all season and losing veteran Jake Muzzin has been a huge blow. Neither Campbell nor Mrazek are desirable at this point, and I wouldn’t rule out the Leafs getting even more help after trading for Carter Hutton, who may even sneak in an appearance or two. Fantasy managers who had Campbell anchor their goaltending should already be aggressively looking elsewhere for help.
Vancouver Canucks
Jaroslav Halak is basically unplayable. He allowed 11 goals in his last two starts, and his age is really showing. Thatcher Demko is incredible and his workload has been huge, but at some point, you wonder if it starts to get a little much. He’s had to come in relief for Halak twice in recent weeks even though it was supposed to be his night off. Fatigue would be the only concern with Demko, who has been a top-10 fantasy goalie this season.
Vegas Golden Knights
Laurent Brossoit couldn’t impress in the absence of Robin Lehner, who won in his first game back Tuesday against the Sharks. It wasn’t a tough test, but the win reinforced Lehner as the starter. The Knights are missing key pieces due to injury and may look for goaltending help, but cap constraints limit their options. That means Lehner likely will still get the bulk of the playing time, and as one of the better teams in the West, there should still be plenty of wins for him. The peripherals just won’t be pretty since Lehner has not gotten into a groove all season.
Washington Capitals
Ilya Samsonov was 4-7-1 in February with a .891 Sv% and 3.48 GAA, further sinking his season to a mediocre .901 Sv% and 2.93 GAA. The Caps are in a bit of a free-fall, ranking 26th in P% since Jan. 1 and, if they’re not careful, very much in danger of losing a playoff spot. Neither Samsonov nor Vitek Vanecek has been particularly reliable, and with Alex Ovechkin and the offense also cooling off, there’s just not much upside to be had. Samsonov is barely a top-30 goalie in 10-team leagues with two goalie spots because there are backups who are safer bets than him.
Winnipeg Jets
It’s been a poor season for the Jets overall, who have not managed to improve despite a coaching change. Connor Hellebuyck dropped out of the top 10 entirely this season even though he’s been dominant the last few seasons. Eric Comrie, however, could be the hidden gem. The 26-year-old is proving to be a capable backup in his second tour with the Jets and went 3-0-0 with a 2.34 GAA in February, making him an underrated option for the occasional spot start.
