The goalie position is very important in fantasy hockey. You need to find yourself two solid goalies in fantasy drafts. Think about drafting one with your first two picks and then another by round five. If you’re playing in a roto or best ball league, you may want to finish your draft with three-to-four goalies. There are only a handful of goalies in the NHL who can provide a solid goals against average and save percentage. Wins are the only thing guaranteed in the NHL, so make sure you leave your draft with two Top 10 goalies or two Top 15’s. You don’t want to chase goalies on the waiver wire as those who pop up tend to hurt you more than help you. The following goalie profiles should help you in your last minute drafts and heading into the early season.
Ready to give fantasy hockey a try? Or maybe you want to sneak in one more draft? Head on over to Fantrax.com and check our fantasy hockey offerings.
Fantasy Hockey Goalie Profiles
The Following goalie profiles are in alphabetical order. For a better idea of their values please check out my Goalie Rankings for the 2018-19 Fantasy Hockey season.
Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues
Fantasy Quality: high risk, high reward
Jake Allen has had a very up and down career in the NHL. Overall, his career numbers are solid: 2.47 GAA & .913 save percentage. He won 33 games in 2016 and 27 last season. He lost his job, however, but good news for him as Carter Hutton signed a contract with Buffalo. St. Louis improved in the offseason and Allen has a clear path to 30-to-40 wins if he can stay healthy. Don’t draft Allen as a Top-10 goalie, but make no mistake, he has the upside to be one.
Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
Fantasy Quality: going slightly early in drafts
It’s going to be pretty hard for Frederik Andersen to improve on his 38 wins, 2.81 goals against average and .918 save percentage. The wins, sure, but Andersen played out of his mind last season for the Maple Leafs. No goalie faced more shots (2211), and of course he led the league in saves with 2029. That’s a lot of work and rubber in one season and Toronto did nothing to improve defensively. Even with as good a season as Andersen had last year, he still finished as the 15th ranked goalie in default settings (wins, GAA, SV% & SO). He gets a major boost in leagues with saves and still has Top-10 potential, but don’t reach for him on draft day. The Maple Leafs don’t have many holes and are legit contenders in the Eastern Conference, but defense is going to be a struggle for them.
Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators
Fantasy Quality: pass in fantasy drafts; boost if traded
Craig Anderson’s 3.32 goals against average and .898 save percentage are both the worst he’s displayed in seven years with Ottawa. There were rumblings Anderson demanded a trade which would likely improve his value, should he be a starter on a different team. It’s quite possible a trade does occur throughout the season should injuries arise. As for now, Anderson is nothing more than an injury replacement, or depth piece in a deep league.
Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars
Fantasy Quality: draft with caution
Ben Bishop has seen his numbers decline over the past couple seasons and he’s suffered numerous injuries over that time. Bishop had a respectable 2.49 GAA and .916 save percentage, but his 2.22 GAA and .920 SV% days are over. Bishop is one of the riskiest draft picks heading into the year as he was held to 53 games in 2017 and 39 the season before. He does have the upside to finish as Top-12 goalie, but there are some health concerns.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
Fantasy Quality: very strong number one goalie in fantasy
Sergei Bobrovsky was a Top-5 goalie last season and should be drafted as one again this season. Everyone knew Bobrovsky wasn’t going to be able to improve on his 41 wins, 2.06 GAA and .931 save percentage in 2016-17. The Blue Jackets’ netminder had seven shutouts and won the Vezina for the second time in his career. He was still solid as ever, though, posting 37 wins with a 2.42 GAA and .921 save percentage. Bobrovsky has 30-plus wins in four of his last five seasons and 78 wins and 12 shutouts in his last two seasons. He enters with a .921 save percentage and 2.44 goal against averaged over eight seasons. That includes some bad years in Philly early on in his career.
Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
Fantasy Quality: fade on draft day; worthy of late-round selection only
Corey Crawford was limited to 27 games last season due to a concussion and is uncertain to be ready for the start of this season. Crawford is making his way back but has yet to get in a full practice with his team as the season approaches. The Blackhawks’ brought in Cam Ward to help lighten the load this season. Crawford was phenomenal in his 27 games (16-9-2, 2.27 GAA & .929 SV%) last season. Chicago’s season took a turn for the worse when he went down. He’ll be one of the riskiest fantasy picks this season, but one that could turn out should the price be right on draft day.
Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild
Fantasy Quality: solid fantasy target
Devan Dubnyk is a rock solid Top-10 goalie who may fall outside the Top 10 come draft day. Dubnyk has a 2.54 GAA and .917 save percentage for his career. His numbers last season were right on par with his career averages. He also has at least five shutouts in four straight seasons, and at least 30 wins in three straight years. What you’ve seen over the last three seasons with Dubnyk is what you’ll get come draft day. He won’t hurt any of your ratios.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
Fantasy Quality: solid G1; may see dip in overall numbers
Marc-Andre Fleury was basically unbeatable last season and he carried that over into the playoffs. Fleury finished with a 29-13-4 record and posted a career-best 2.24 goals against average and .927 save percentage. A concussion kept him out of the lineup for a long time, but his 46 games were good enough for a fourth place fantasy finish at his position. It’ll be hard for Fleury to repeat his numbers, but if he stays healthy 40 wins with a sub-2.50 GAA is certainly within reach. He has a 2.56 GAA for his career.
John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
Fantasy Quality: solid fantasy target; upside to be Top 10
John Gibson is fresh off a career-high 31 wins and .926 save percentage as well as a new contract. The Anaheim Ducks re-signed Gibson to an eight-year, $51.2 million extension. Gibson was due to be a restricted free agent next year after making $2.3 million this coming season. He’s been one of the better Fantrax values in salary cap settings, and he’ll remain a solid investment going forward. Health has slowed him down in the past, but the former second overall pick has a ton of potential and should build of his 60 games and 31 wins.
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Fantasy Quality: very strong fantasy target
Connor Hellebuyck was not drafted in most fantasy hockey leagues last season and he finished as a Top-3 goalie. He was nominated for the Vezina Trophy, despite starting the season on the bench. Hellebuyck quickly took over the Jets’ net and posted a 44-11-9 record with a 2.36 GAA and .924 save percentage. The big man collected six shutouts on the way and enters this season as a Top-3 fantasy goalie. Last season was no fluke. Target him in the second round.
Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
Fantasy Quality: drafted outside Top 5; upside to be best goalie on market
Braden Holtby was one of the biggest fantasy disappointments last season. Holtby had a career-worst 2.99 GAA and .907 save percentage. He was taken in the late first and early second round in most drafts and hardly played during the fantasy hockey playoffs. In fact, he lost his job down the stretch and started the playoffs on the bench before returning and playing brilliantly throughout the postseason. Holtby is a top-five goalie in the league and there’s really no debate. Expect a bounce-back and some value at this year’s draft.
Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings
Fantasy Quality: Nothing more than a depth goalie; upside to be a number 2
The Detroit Red Wings must be happy that Jimmy Howard is entering his final year of a deal that has paid him $5.29M per season. The 34-year-old has only won 46 games in his last three seasons. Howard has a career 2.49 goals against average and it’s been sub-3.0 in all nine of his full seasons, but he’s battled injuries for the past couple years. He should have every opportunity to be the starter in Detroit, but the club did sign Jonathan Bernier. Howard is nothing more than a depth piece and shouldn’t be considered a starter on your team unless you’re playing in deeper leagues. If he can stay healthy, there will be times he makes for a decent stream.
Carter Hutton, Buffalo Sabres
Fantasy Quality: likely headed for decline across the board
Carter Hutton took over the starting job in St. Louis last season thanks in part to a 2.09 GAA and .931 save percentage. Hutton finished with a 17-7-3 record and capitalized on Jake Allen’s struggles. Hutton was rewarded with a three-year contract worth $8.25 million from the Buffalo Sabres. It’s the first time in his career that the 32-year-old will be the projected number one starter on his team. Hutton picked up 20 wins in 40 games with the Nashville Predators back in 2013-14 and has a career 2.42 GAA across 138 games. Hutton has always played with great defense in front of him, however. It’ll be a new challenge for him in a Sabres uniform.
Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks
Fantasy Quality: very strong target; top 5 upside
Martin Jones has at least 30 wins in all three of his seasons as the Sharks’ starter. His goals against average has increased each season (2.27-2.40-2.55), but that’s hardly an issue. Jones has a solid .915 save percentage for his career and has Top-5 potential. The San Jose Sharks are loaded offensively and defensively. Jones could be in for his best season yet.
Robin Lehner, New York Islanders
Fantasy Quality: upside to be a number 2 on your team
Robin Lehner showed some promise in his first two season with the Buffalo Sabres. He posted a 2.47 GAA and .924 save percentage in year one, followed by a 2.68 GAA and .920 save percentage. Not bad, considering what Buffalo had to offer defensively. It all fell apart for him last year, however, as he had a .301 GAA and .908 save percentage. It’s hard to get a good feel on how good Lehner can be as he’s never really played on a great team, and it’s not about to get any better in New York. The Islanders took a chance on the former Sens’ second round draft pick, signing him to a one-year contract. It’s a solid buy low and a great chance for Lehner to try and prove himself. He’ll battle it out with Thomas Greiss, but expect Lehner to win the job. The Islanders were one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL last season, and that won’t change. His only value lies in salary cap leagues with saves.
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Fantasy Quality: pass on draft day
Unfortunately, the days when Henrik Lundqvist would give you 35 wins, eight shutouts, a 2.20 GAA and .936 save percentage are over. The Rangers are in complete rebuild mode and, although they’ll stay competitive, the defense may not. Lundqvist saw a decline in his game last season for the third straight season. He’s nothing more than a second goalie, and one you really shouldn’t feel great about targeting. The 36-year-old has had his fair share of injuries of late too. New York gave him the option to be traded, but it sounds like he wants to finish it out in NY.
Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
Fantasy Quality: upside to be number G1; injury risk
Matt Murray disappointed in his first season as the clear-cut number one in Pittsburgh. With Marc-Andre Fleury in Vegas, Murray started fewer games than the year before, therefore had five fewer wins. Murray went from a 2.41 GAA and .923 save percentage in 2016-17 to a 2.92 GAA and .907 SV%. Injuries have been a big part of Murray’s early career. He has tremendous upside for wins given the team he plays for. His ceiling feels like 60 games with a sub-2.50 GAA and .920 save percentage. Nothing wrong with those numbers, but don’t take him as a top-five goalie.
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
Fantasy Quality: no longer considered a G1 on fantasy teams; capable of better numbers
Carey Price is coming off a career-worst 3.11 goals against average and .900 save percentage. He won 16 of his 48 games and only had one shutout. It’s a far cry from his MVP season that saw him win 44 games with a 1.96 GAA and .933 SV%. Price battled injuries and didn’t have much to work with in front of him. That’s not about to change with Shea Weber sidelined for the first few months. Price is much better than he showed last season, but his Canadiens finished 29th in goals and didn’t improve over the offseason. Price’s save percentage should get back to his career mark (.918), but he’ll be hard pressed to improve on his 2.46 career goals against average. You’re better off avoiding him on draft day, but if he falls far enough and you waited too long on goalies, he’s worth a flyer.
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings
Fantasy Quality: Top 5 upside; Fantrax salary cap value
After only playing 17 games in 2016-17, Jonathan Quick bounced back nicely last season. Quick had 33 wins, five shutouts and a .921 save percentage. It was his best SV% since 2011-12. However, it was his worst GAA since 2012-13. Not that 2.40 is anything to worry about. Quick is a top-5 goalie in the league and in the fantasy world. He has the upside to finished as a Top 3 and he makes for one of the better goalies in salary cap leagues on Fantrax.
Antti Raanta, Arizona Coyotes
Fantasy Quality: underrated fantasy asset; strong number 2
Antti Raanta was one of the better goalies in the NHL down the stretch and finished the season as the seventh-ranked goalie in fantasy. His 2.24 GAA was third and his .930 save percentage ranked second. Those numbers shouldn’t be all that surprising as Raanta has a .922 save percentage and 2.29 GAA in 141 career games. This, however, was his first season as a starter in the league. He played a career-high 47 games winning 21 of them. Raanta started a bit slow and battled through injuries but he had a 1.80 GAA and .945 save percentage in his final 19 games of the season. He’s not getting drafted as a Top-10 or Top-15 goalie but he’s a solid target. What he lacks in wins, he makes up for in saves, save percentage and goals against. He can really help out your ratios.
Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
Fantasy Quality: consistent Top 10 goalie
Tuukka Rask enters his 10th full season with a career 2.26 goals against average and .922 save percentage. His 54 games played were his lowest since 2012-13. He’s won 30-plus games in five straight seasons and has finished as a Top-10 goalie in each of those seasons. There’s no reason to think that’ll change this season. There’s a slight injury risk when taking him, but his upside makes him hard to pass on.
Pekka Rinne, Naqshville Predators
Fantasy Quality: has another strong season in him
For the second straight year there were questions to be answered regarding Pekka Rinne’s playoff performance, but overall he’s one of the better netminders in the league. Rinne could easily be the first goalie taken off the board on draft day. He plays behind a rock solid team, especially defensively. Rinnie won 42 games which was the third time he’s won 40 in his career. His 2.31 GAA and .928 save percentage from last season were not even career-highs for him. His eight shutouts were, and it helped him win the Vezina Trophy for being the league’s best goalie. Don’t be surprised if he’s a candidate again this season.
Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils
Fantasy Quality: late round bounce back candidate
Cory Schneider is coming off the worst season of his NHL career after posting a 2.93 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He was held to only 40 games for the first time since 2012-13 when he was a member of the Vancouver Canucks. Injuries sidelined Schneider and he wasn’t able to take the starting net back from Keith Kinkaid when he returned. To make matters worse, Schneider is coming off hip surgery and is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. At least New Jersey is saying there is no need to rush him, which is correct on their part. Schneider will be worth a late-round pick, though. Or an IR stash. He has the upside to be a solid number two for you.
Mike Smith, Calgary Flames
Fantasy Quality: has upside to be strong G2
Mike Smith was brought over to try and help the Calgary Flames goaltending issues, and didn’t really impress. He won 25 games and posted better numbers than his career averages but still finished outside the Top 20 at the position. Smith had a respectable 2.65 GAA and .916 save percentage, but should only be considered as a low-end second goalie for your fantasy roster. Having said that, the Flames are improved on offense and Smith is a lock for 60 games should he stay healthy.
Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers
Fantasy Quality: bounce-back candidate
We’ve seen two very different Cam Talbot’s over the last two seasons. Talbot saw a huge decline in all his numbers in 2017 compared to the year before. Talbot went from 42 wins to 31 and his goals against average increased from 2.39 to 3.02. Talbot had seven shutouts and a .918 save percentage in 2016-17, but finished with only one shutout last season and his save percentage was .908. A lot of the struggles had to do with the Oilers’ defense and not much as changed heading into 2018. With that said, Talbot is much better than what he showed last season, so expect a goalie performance somewhere in between the last two seasons. He’s much better target this season as he makes for a better second goalie on your fantasy team compared to where he was going as a number one last season.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Fantasy Quality: very strong target early in drafts
Andrei Vasilevskiy finished as the third best fantasy hockey goalie last season. His first as a true number one after the team parted ways with Ben Bishop. Vasilevskiy won 44 of his 64 starts posting a 2.62 goals against average and .920 save percentage. Vasilevskiy also had eight shutouts. With the Lightning currently sitting with the second best odds to win the cup, Vasilevskiy is a good bet to reach the 40-win mark again this season. He should go in the first couple rounds in your draft and may even be the first goalie off the board.
Did you find these goalie profiles to be useful? Look for more fantasy hockey profiles in the coming days and stay tuned in to all of our Fantasy Hockey content as the regular season gets underway.