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Trending Up
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets (Last 3 starts: 2-1-0, .951 Sv%, 1.65 GAA)
After a string of 11 (!) games in which Hellebuyck allowed at least three goals, the former Vezina winner has returned to form lately with five goals allowed in his last three games, including a 42-save shutout win against Vegas. His raw numbers still aren’t very good, but at least he’s still winning games. Despite a 3.15 GAA in March, which ranks 12th of 15 goalies with at least 10 appearances, Hellebuyck has still managed to win seven games, tied for the second-most in the month. He’s been able to do this because the Jets’ offense has been excellent during that span, averaging the fourth-best GF/GP. With Nikolaj Ehlers back, the Jets’ offense is pretty much at full strength, and as long as their offense flies high, it should make it easy for Hellebuyck to rack up wins.
James Reimer, Sharks (Past 3 starts: 3-0-0, .929 Sv%, 2.00 GAA)
Other than a disastrous January (2-4-1, .884 Sv%, 4.61 GAA), Reimer has been very good this season and in March has allowed just eight even-strength goals in six games. The Sharks aren’t very good, but Reimer is a big reason why they’ve steered clear of the league basement all season, and even with Adin Hill and the recently added Kaapo Kahkonen on the depth chart, there’s no question the Sharks think Reimer’s their No. 1.
He’s won three consecutive games. Granted, two of those games were against Arizona and Anaheim, but there are still two more games against them, not to mention they will also face Chicago twice and Seattle once more. Reimer is a good option for the occasional spot start down the stretch for fantasy managers scouring the waiver wire for an extra win or two.
Erik Kallgren, Maple Leafs (3-2-1, .911 Sv%, 2.64 GAA)
It’s not that Kallgren has played particularly well since his shutout debut, but another injury less than eight minutes into Petr Mrazek‘s start Tuesday against the Bruins has opened the door yet again for Kallgren to start. Kallgren allowed three goals on 26 shots coming in relief, and thanks to the Leafs’ six-goal effort, managed to snag another win. Early reports indicate it’s Mrazek’s troublesome groin yet again, and Jack Campbell‘s return date has still not been set even though he’s been practicing. The Leafs can provide a ton of good goal support, making Kallgren a good short-term target for fantasy managers.
Logan Thompson, Golden Knights (5-4-0, .914 Sv%, 2.89 GAA)
Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised a 25-year-old undrafted goalie is saving the Knights’ season, fitting right in with the rest of their “Golden Misfits.” Thompson’s circuitous path to the NHL had its skeptics, including the Knights themselves who started Laurent Brossoit in back-to-back games not too long ago. But Thompson continues to outplay Brossoit, and with news that Robin Lehner‘s rehab has suffered a setback, it looks like Thompson will continue to start. He’s rostered in less than 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, and note the Knights have a very favorable schedule coming up, facing Arizona, Seattle twice and Vancouver three times.
Don’t be surprised if Thompson emerges in the next couple of weeks as one of the league’s best goalies, statistically, given his easy schedule.
Semyon Varlamov, Islanders (March totals: 4-3-1, .914 Sv%, 3.24 GAA)
Disregarding his 6-3 loss to the Bruins, in which the Islanders allowed an uncharacteristically high 44 shots, Varlamov has been very good the last two weeks. It feels like Varlamov’s having a terrible season, but it’s not really true if you look at his individual performance. By most public GSAA models, Varlamov continues to be well above average; his six wins in 21 starts is a huge eyesore, but it’s mainly because he gets very, very little goal support. That may change now that Brock Nelson‘s line has been setting the league on fire, but Varlamov’s fantasy value will get a big boost because of an injury to his running mate, Ilya Sorokin, who did not travel to Tuesday’s game in Columbus. What was a 50-50 timeshare is now Varlamov’s net since the Isles have shown a strong reluctance to play Cory Schneider.
Anton Forsberg, Senators (March totals: 4-6-1, .922 Sv%, 2.63 GAA)
Forsberg’s raw numbers are excellent; it’s just too bad the team in front of him isn’t that good, with the likes of Travis Hamonic and Michael Del Zotto on defense. It’s taken a lot of attention away from just how reliable Forsberg has been, whose strong performances recently netted him a multi-year extension, and with Matt Murray on the shelf and Filip Gustavsson giving little reason for the coaches to trust him, look for Forsberg to be Ottawa’s undisputed No. 1. Managers looking to rack up the saves should look no further.
Honorable Mention: Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, Hurricanes; Cam Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild; Jake Allen, Canadiens; Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning
Trending Down
Vitek Vanecek, Capitals (Past 4 starts: 1-3-0, .876 Sv%, 4.19 GAA)
There’s been zero stability in the Caps’ net all season and Vanecek has allowed 15 goals in his last four games, including five on just 23 shots in just two periods against the Canes. The irony with goaltending is that some goalies prefer to see more shots because it helps them get into a groove, and that does seem to be the case for Vanecek. However, note that the Caps have a tough stretch coming up against Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Boston and Toronto. Even if Ilya Samsonov somehow returns to be a hero, fantasy managers should not put too much confidence in either goalie. It’s best to just avoid them altogether down the stretch due to their inconsistency and general unreliability.
Kevin Lankinen, Blackhawks (4-9-5, .886 Sv%, 3.63)
Lankinen is rostered in nearly 30 percent of Yahoo leagues, an expected spike after Marc-Andre Fleury was dealt to Minnesota, paving the way for Lankinen to be their starter the rest of the season. However, Lankinen continues to struggle and there’s definitely a scenario in which third-string Collin Delia begins to siphon some starts. Even in the best-case scenario, Lankinen and Delia will just give the Hawks a chance to stay in the game and cross their fingers in the hopes that their offense bails them out. Neither goalie is recommended in any fantasy leagues in any format.
Dishonorable Mention: John Gibson and Lukas Dostal, Ducks; Karel Vejmelka, Coyotes; Jacob Markstrom, Flames; Alex Nedeljkovic, Thomas Greiss and Calvin Pickard, Red Wings; Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen, Oilers; Cal Petersen, Kings; Juuse Saros, Predators; Nico Daws, Devils; Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev, Rangers
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