We are going to look at some valuable and sneaky fantasy hockey goalies that can still put up good numbers even though they are on teams that are expected to be bad this season. Unless you’re allotting some high draft choices to goalies and getting 2-3 that will be on good teams and will perform well, making the other areas of your team bad, then later-round quality picks are the way to go.
These goalies won’t necessarily be steals, but they will provide quality starts. This means being a netminder that will get wins if the team does and not blowing up often. While we’re assuming these goalies will be on bad teams, anything can happen. All four are proven from what they did last season but are still a bit of a risk in terms of fantasy goalies.
4 Good Fantasy Goalies on Bad Teams
1. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Juuse Saros is without a doubt one of the best goalies in the league, but might drop a little bit because of the team he plays for. The Nashville Predators have gone through some retooling on the fly and brought in some new faces. While it might impact his numbers a bit not having a defensive stud like Mattias Ekholm in front of him, the defensemen and team defense will still be strong.
Saros has finished top-6 in Vezina Trophy voting for three consecutive seasons and will start over 60 games as he’s done the past two seasons. He has willed his team to wins and has 71 in the past two seasons, also earning shutouts and a very high-quality start percentage. Even if he has a blow-up game here and there, he makes up for it with amazing starts. The Predators might have trouble winning some games, but the West is a bit open and the team’s lack of offense will only impact his wins, not the amount of pucks he stops. Saros is definitely a goalie to draft, even if he doesn’t slip too far. The Predators could surprise.
2. Karel Vejmelka, Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes have decided it is about time that they stop rebuilding and try to win some hockey games. That bodes well for the goaltending as the team should win more and play better overall. This includes preventing blowouts against where they just can’t do anything to help the goaltenders. Karel Vejmelka started 49 games and had a negative record last season, but there was no help. He should once again come close to starting that many games, but his save percentage will be the first to rise back up to a respectable point.
With fewer blowouts against, Vejmelka’s numbers will look more appealing overall. For the longest time, the Coyotes have been able to produce and throw out some great goaltending despite the skill of the rest of their team. This season should be no different. I don’t expect a huge improvement by Arizona, but they will win games and they will be able to keep the puck out of their net at an above-average rate.
3. Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers
Carter Hart appears to be back on track despite being the starter on the rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers. They should have been a lot worse last season with all of the injuries, but John Tortorella preached hard work and defense. This paid off as Hart was able to record a .907 save percentage and finished 22-23-10. He will start the majority of the games and Sean Couturier, a two-way beast, is also expected to play. There might be some nights where the team breaks down in front of him, but he is a quality goaltender and there is always the chance he is dealt to a better team part-way through the season. This will shoot his value up.
4. Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens currently have four goalies who could challenge for a spot on the roster. Don’t let that turn you away though. Sam Montembeault is the starter and proved as much last season. The Canadiens have also improved, especially if they keep Jeff Petry through the start of the season. They should be a healthier squad and win more games. This will only benefit Montembeault.
As far as competition goes, Montembeault should be the starter and is also fighting for a better contract next summer. Casey DeSmith, Jake Allen, and Cayden Primeau are interesting cases though. DeSmith could very possibly be traded and hasn’t started more than 33 games in a season. Allen doesn’t perform well as a starter and won’t be in Montreal long-term. Primeau would be the backup if he does manage to earn a spot on the team. You should be able to count on Montembeault to make quality starts and even surprise you as a third goalie on your fantasy team.
You won’t always get the fantasy goalies you want and some of the top goalies might have down years. It’s never a bad decision to take a chance on goalies not many other fantasy owners also have their eye on. This is where you get advantages through the draft and goaltending is a very important area to target.