The Union and Blue Fantasy Fix 007: Goalie Edition
By Mike Majeski
Goalies Off to a Cold Start
Whether it be due to under performing or injuries, these goaltenders have so far been a disappointment. This doesn’t mean you should drop them, but if you are relying on them as your #1 or 2 goaltender, you have found yourself in a rough spot.
Oct 26, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Pavelec is always one of those tempting goaltenders, as he is available in 61.1% of leagues (and rising) and can put together a good game or two, but always seems to blow up at the worst possible time. He honestly wasn’t that bad of an option through the first few games, and I even had him as a #3 goalie in one of my leagues. But the Pavelec of old has returned, and since giving up 4 goals on 10 shots against Chicago on November 2nd, has not seen a start. If you have Pavelec it is time to start looking at other options, especially if you were relying on him as a #2 goaltender. Jean-Sebastien Giguere is still available in 4% of ESPN leagues and has been sharing starts with Varlamov.
When in the lineup Rinne is an elite goaltender, but a hip scope and now an E Coli infection has his owners regretting drafting him early. He is now expected to miss a total of 6-8 weeks, and if you do own Rinne, you are now scrambling to find a temporary replacement #1 goalie. Hopefully Rinne gets better and can return to his elite status. If your league has an IR spot, stash Rinne there and pick someone else up. If you are stuck, hopefully you have two additional goaltenders that can take over as your #1 and #2. Some are already dropping Rinne, but right now I think it is better to hold on to him and just wait it out. Projections have him back by Christmas, so you will have to live with 2 goaltenders for a month and a half. There are some teams who carry two for an entire season successfully, so it is possible to still win without a 3 goalie rotation.
Thomas’ return to the NHL has not been a good one in Florida. I don’t think anyone had high expectations for him this year, but some did draft him as a #3 goaltender in a low risk / high reward situation. Unfortunately, there has been little reward for Thomas’ owners as he has spent a lot of time on the IR due to a leg injury. If you still own Thomas, I think it is time to look elsewhere. If it will make you feel better, drop Thomas and throw him on your watch list and monitor his situation. If he is able to turn it around in Florida, pick him back up. I just don’t see that happening though, as there are much better Goalie 3 options out there.
Oct 17, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
Flash back to 2008-09’s fantasy season; I was in only one league that year and my goal tending stats were great, thanks to an amazing performance from a Rookie goaltender: Steve Mason. Mason went on to win the Calder trophy and was ranked high in the following year’s fantasy draft. Looking to relieve the success of 2008-09, I took Mason as my #1 goalie again. We all know how that story ended. Flash forward to last year, Sergei Bobrovsky puts together a Vezina winning season seemingly out of nowhere. I did not own Bobrovsky last season, but during this year’s draft I had the choice between Bobrovsky and Jimmy Howard. Remembering the Mason incident, I went with Howard. So far, it seems I chose wisely, as Bobrovsky has not been the elite goaltender we saw last season. He should some flashes of last year in last night’s game against the Rangers, but he’s been average at best in every other game. Not all of this is Bobrovsky’s fault, as the Jackets defense has been terrible. I would not drop Bobrovsky at this time, but I would demote him to goalie 2-3 consideration right now.