It is going to be a busy week in the NHL and that means there are going to be a lot of goalie starts. This also means that the starters on each team won’t be playing a ton of games to give them a break here and there, while others who are hot and holding down the net will get their opportunity to continue rolling. Here are the three best streaming options for goalies this week in fantasy hockey.
Fantasy Hockey Week 16 Goalie Streams
Spencer Knight, Florida Panthers
Spencer Knight is coming off a shutout against the Anaheim Ducks and should be getting two starts this week as the Florida Panthers play two back-to-back games. The easier of each matchup comes in the first of the games and these games are against the Ducks again on Tuesday and the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. The starter would usually take the tougher games, and those come against the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Either way, Vegas hasn’t been playing well lately and it isn’t a bad matchup.
Before posting a 34-save shutout against the Ducks, Knight came in as relief for four saves the game prior, and started the game before that, recording 26 out of 27 saves in a win over the New Jersey Devils. Knight has good numbers this season and has been a reliable streaming option as he has nine wins in 16 games and a 2.45 GAA, .905 SV%, and two shutouts.
Leevi Merilainen, Ottawa Senators
Leevi Merilainen is one of the hottest goalies in the league right now and he’s helping the Ottawa Senators stay in the playoff race. He has won six of his eight games and has now started five consecutive games. In that five-game span, he has four wins and two shutouts, and the only loss came in overtime by a score of 1-0 by getting scored on by none other than Alex Ovechkin.
Starter Linus Ullmark has been dealing with an injury, but he’s inching closer to returning. It could happen later in the week, but it could also take another week for him to come back. I fully believe that it is in the best interest of the Senators to keep Merilainen up in the NHL after how he has performed. While he might just be a good pickup here and there moving forward after Ullmark comes back, he’s on our radar right now. If he’s available, add him immediately. The Senators play the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Utah Hockey Club this week.
Samuel Ersson, Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers may not be the most impressive team in the NHL, but Samuel Ersson is fairly reliable when he’s healthy. He is the clear starter in Philly and has started five of the last six games, winning four of them and recording a shutout in there against the Ducks.
Ersson will likely only get two starts this week because the Flyers play three times and they have a back-to-back, but the competition is lower than average and they have a chance to take some much-needed games. The Flyers face the Detroit Red Wings, Rangers, and then the New York Islanders in the second half of the back-to-back. Ersson has 13 wins in 23 starts, a GAA of 2.79, but a SV% of .889. While his SV% could be better, he keeps the Flyers in games and there’s a reason why he’s the starter. While he should be considered the third-best option of the three goalies here, he’s still a good choice.
Related: Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Week 15 Defensemen Streams
These are some strong goalie-steaming options this week compared to some other weeks, so be sure to take advantage of them early in the week and ride them out. Make sure to also come back at the start of next week for more of the top streaming options in net.
