The goalie market is getting interesting in the NHL. Some split-start goalies are starting to play better than their counterparts and take the net, giving them more value and a reason to stream them this week. While some goalies may not be on the best teams, schedules, and hot stretches mean even more when looking at who can provide the best value. This can be for the short-term or past this week. Let’s get into the three top options available in the majority of fantasy hockey leagues.
Fantasy Hockey Week 5 Goalie Streams
Dan Vladar, Calgary Flames
Both Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf were looking good to begin the season, but with recent play, Vladar should have a little more trust in net right now. While Vladar allowed five goals to the Vegas Golden Knights, he followed that up with a shutout. The more experienced goalie also has a SV% better than .900 in four of his last five games and has won three of his six starts.
Wolf has now played at under a .900 SV% in each of the last two games and is less experienced when it comes to who the Calgary Flames will turn to at this moment. The Flames have a favorable schedule this week, matching up against the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres. The thinking is that Vladar, who has a 2.65 GAA and .909 SV% on the season, will start two of those three games and get at least one win if not two.
Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blues Jackets are going to be hit-and-miss throughout the season, but they are playing better than in recent years. Elvis Merzlikins is at the helm in net and even though he had a rough last outing against the league’s top team (Winnipeg Jets), he had stellar back-to-back games before that. In those two wins against the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders, he stopped 57 of 58 shots and only didn’t get a shutout against the Oilers because the team scored with less than a minute left.
The Blue Jackets are on the California road trip that is not nearly as difficult as it once was. It’s anyone’s guess how many wins Columbus will come away from the three-game swing with, but they start with the San Jose Sharks then move on to the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks on the weekend for a back-to-back. Daniil Tarasov followed Merzlikins’ tough outing up with one of his own, so there wasn’t any ground gained on Merzlikins’ starting spot. He should get two starts this week and one will likely come against the Sharks.
Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals
Logan Thompson might be a little more owned in fantasy hockey leagues, but he is a split starter with the Washington Capitals. The team has played 10 games and he has started five of them. Surprisingly enough, despite seeing how the numbers can be better and will likely get there, Thompson has won all five starts this season.
The Capitals are off to a hot start and it may turn into something more than just a hot start. Thompson is one of those goalies that you will likely want to hold onto to be more than just a stream. Two of his games have been with a sub .850 SV%, but two have also been above .920 SV%. He has a 2.97 GAA and .894 SV%, but it seems like Washington is just going to continue starting Thompson every second game. That’s nice because it’s predictable and we know who he should face this week. After winning on Saturday and Charlie Lindgren starting Sunday, Thompson should man the crease against the struggling Nashville Predators and then the St. Louis Blues this week.
Related: Weekly Wrap: Week Three of Fantasy Hockey
Whenever goalies are playing well and the opponents are ideal, it is the perfect opportunity to get the upper hand on your opponents each week in fantasy. These options are solid and should do just that in Week 5. If they turn into something more, even better.